Could Bodypaint Work As An Alternative To Rubber Suits In The Movies?

[shadowedge]

I am not a costumer and know very little about how to make one, but I have always wondered this.

In the movies the rubber suits are very realistic, but you can still tell they are just that: well made rubber suits. Even in Predators, the most recent film, you cans still tell. I think the main thing that gives it away is when Predators move their limbs in "extreme" positions, the joints such as the elbows or knees wrinkle up, much like how rubber would, instead of skin. Also their rubber bodies do not flex as real muscles would.

Would it be a reasonable and more cost effective way to just paint the actor's bodies and then glue or somehow stick on "reptile scales", claws, etc? They could still use the black neck rings to hide where the mask meets the neck and feet armor to hide the Pred feet.

This way the Predator actors could have a greater range of movement, and have them look like a real alien species rather than a well made rubber suit.

The only downside I can think of is that makeup would take hours.

What do you think? Would it be possible to do this for a Predator movie instead of CGI or rubber suits? Would it be more cost effective than CGI or rubber suits?

 

[Andre de Jong]

How about Lycra suits?

 

[carss66]

simple answer is no.as you would need to repaint exactly the same patten every time you shot a scene.Also it would cost a fortune to make the film.

 

[Giles]

How about Lycra suits?

I've thought about whether this would work similarly to the spiderman suit (Maguire/New guy). Someone (I have no idea how) designs the pattern which is printed onto the lycra using sublimation. It can then be printed onto a bodysuit pattern which when all the panels are stiched together, leaves you with a fairly accurate suit. The suit is turn inside out and foam muscles applied. You can then wear an all in one lycra body suit like one of those Morph suits and then pull everything over the top. That would give you skin tight, plus muscles, plus easily washable inner so your suit doesn't stink.

I think briefly looking at this it is probably expensive for individual suits and I have no idea how well shading etc would come out.

 

[shadowedge]

I've thought about whether this would work similarly to the spiderman suit (Maguire/New guy). Someone (I have no idea how) designs the pattern which is printed onto the lycra using sublimation. It can then be printed onto a bodysuit pattern which when all the panels are stiched together, leaves you with a fairly accurate suit. The suit is turn inside out and foam muscles applied. You can then wear an all in one lycra body suit like one of those Morph suits and then pull everything over the top. That would give you skin tight, plus muscles, plus easily washable inner so your suit doesn't stink.

I think briefly looking at this it is probably expensive for individual suits and I have no idea how well shading etc would come out.

Imdb says that each Spiderman (2002) suit costs $100,000!

 

[Giles]

I spoke to a company yesterday and providing the pattern isn't too complicated dye sublimation on lycra is approximately £39/square metre. He said that for an adult costume printed as a pattern to be sewed/stitched together takes about 3 square metres so you are looking at about £120. But you need to have a fabric suit pattern, and the image with the pattern you want printed.

Obviously that puts it in the realms of a raw latex suit and you wouldn't have the armour attached so it would make for a much longer build and also possibly less effective as I don't know how shiny it would be. However as it would be dye-sublimated then you can wash the suit and you will probably not be a sweaty mess by the end of it.