eFX A New Hope Darth Vader Helmet

[CTF]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

These are great days we're living, bros. We are jolly green giants, walking the Earth with props. These people that posted here today are the finest human beings we will ever know. After we rotate back to the world, we're gonna miss not having anyone around that's worth bitching about.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I was wondering... has there been any thought into a dome mount system? Heck... if they are smart... they could actually adopt the MR RotS dome mount. Didn't that work great and it will help people wanting to make reveal helmets. Heck... the whole upper disk could be fully done with RotJ reveal features. The keys on top of the disk could help keep the dome from swiveling and the disk in the middle could be magnetic to keep the dome in place.

Doing it like that would add a little "movie" accuracy as people know that that is how the face mask looks beneath the dome in RotJ, so there is precedence for the look... compared to prop accurate. And with all the people involved, they should also be able to get something like that right. Do the full reveal detail - don't cut up the facemask. Man... I'm getting all dreamy here... that would be a way to absolutely make a killer helmet... though... try to find a way to hide the Frankenstein's monster bolts on the neck if that is the way to go... or do the RotS reveal neck - doesn't that have less doodas and detail than the RotJ?

Or, do the reveal details make it difficult to have the dome sit accurately?

Just an idea that could be worth considering.

 

[Slave1]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Reveal version details would 1. add cost, and 2. not be accurate to this version

 

[StarWars Collector]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I'd say go the ESB route and use a kind of step mount system.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

So, you think they'll make a version with functional tabs? No? Well... if they are gonna change the mounting system anyway... why not make it cool and have a connection with the movies as well?

Many of the details could be molded in depending on how you do the mold... so I'm not seeing much of a rise.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I'd say cost and manufacturing, Carsten. Knowing Gino, it will be a mounting system that will give it the correct height on the dome, but since those tabs are not really feasible, something secure as well.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Well, I was just expressing what I would like. Can't possibly be more expensive than the Sideshow creation... and that has part of the armor, a head and a part of the cape as well. And since it won't be like the original... then why not make something that makes sense.

On my own helmet I used the DP CA option, though in reverse, adding the T shape up in the dome instead than on the face mask. And I was planning on lining that T with felt, so that the paint work on the face wouldn't get scratched. And with inclusions of magnets on the points of the T and similarly placed on the inside of the face mask... you should have a secure system. Mine hardly moves when placed on my face mask even without magnets, but... it would be too insecure for anything other than static display. That could be an option as well.

And this is how it sits every time:

 

[The Death Curse]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

If this product looks exactly like the DJ and/or SL helmet, I might have to get one.

Here's hoping it does!

Cheers,

Ryan

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

That is a damned fine looking setup, Carsten.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

That is a damned fine looking setup, Carsten.

Thanks. Yeah... the dome got damaged and isn't really optimal. The eFX, if little is done with the bumps and odd shapes, will be a better shaped ANH dome than mine. Mine was reverse engineered from the TM dome, which is ESB style.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Personally, I think with this pedigree they'd have a big chance of success... unless they **** up royally and make all the bad choices.

Just wondering why Brian Muir isn't involved. Seems kinda odd when eFX set a standard of having the artist work on the developmental stage of the product - having Ralph McQuarrie be involved with the concept helmet.

 

[Slave1]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Yeah, I most definitely think the reveal parts would increase costs seeing as how those parts would need to be tracked down and unidentified parts fashioned from scratch or canabalized from other kits. And then molds would have to be made for each seperate piece, and all the pieces that could not be molded in would have to be glued on. All basically to idealize the helmet for a feature never seen in ANH.

Even if the price were raised just $50 I'd be mad since I never would intend to take the dome off.

I have a really nice reveal helmet, and it always cracks me up that people would spend the money for a dome for it. I sold the one dome I had for it to help defray the cost of the helmet because what is the point of keeping the dome if I never had any intention of putting the dome on and covering up those details I was paying for.

Same way with the ANH. I'd hate to pay even a little little extra for details that will never be seen because I will be displaying it ala ANH (i.e. with dome on).

As for the attachment, I know it's chintzy, but mine has velcro on the forehead and it stays on just fine.

I've got a great ANH now, but I'm telling you, I really want this new one! How long will we have to wait?!

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Well... they could just go with the RotS reveal look on the forehead... even simplify it as seen on the MR RotS. I'm not necessarily talking full-on RotJ reveal look.

Or like it is seen on the Kaiyodo sixth scale sculpt where they only added the details that are easily done as part of the cast - vents, some branches and a few expanders + the ring w keys - and then people could just add the rest if they wanted. Heck... Sideshow could... so why not eFX!?

Accurate props I can get from the community... with licensed stuff I expect in universe movie accuracy, not prop accuracy. They might as well go the extra mile, as it'll be a cleaned up and altered version anyway. I don't want velcro on a licensed piece - we've come too far from the days of Don Post.

 

[DARTH ANIBAL]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

...do the reveal details make it difficult to have the dome sit accurately?

Yes. I'd say it's almost impossible to have a dome sit right, and have the reveal neckpiece in place. I think reveal displays are best with the dome off anyway, and personally, I'd like to see them stick closer to the original prop for this one.

 

[DAVIDYR1]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Awesome product announcement guys!!!

David

 

[RKW]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Accurate props I can get from the community...

I find this comment hysterical. If you weren't one of about fifthteen people in the world to own a TM would you really be saying this? I very much doubt it!

I wish highend replica companies would figure out their target audience as there is no such thing as a casual collector when it comes to big buck items. There is only a maximum of 3000 people in the entire world who are prepared to spend upto $600 on a Star Wars collectible. You would think that in the US alone there would be more than 3000 Star Wars fans willing to buy these items but no only 3000 worldwide. We know this because you only have to look at the edition sizes produced from every replica company in history and how they still don't sell out! Now the amount of people willing to spend more than $900 on a collectible is even less, probably about 1500 worldwide. So this is an incredibly niche market and unless you're incredibly rich and have lost the value of money you don't casually spend $1000+ on Star Wars. No you're a hardcore collector/geek.

If you just want to buy something that looks like Vader then buy a Rubies and save yourself the money. I see no reason to go to all the trouble of aquiring one of the best sources of a Vader helmet only to re-model it into some idealised ANH-ROTJ hybrid. You might aswell just make a fan sculpt in that case. Other companies have proven that you can sell uber accurate replicas so the only reason collectors settle for idealised crap in the first place is because the alternatives are very limited.

 

[CSMacLaren]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I find this comment hysterical. If you weren't one of about fifthteen people in the world to own a TM would you really be saying this? I very much doubt it!

If I read Garlic's comment there alone and not the whole post, I'd agree with you. But what he's saying is that the community holds accuracy to a higher level than what many licensed companies have. The rare exception, in the case of Star Wars, was the now defunct MR, and now - hopefully to a greater degree - eFX.

For some reason, the makers of the scaled figures have always lacked in the accuracy department with Vader. The look is almost always off to some degree.

I recall a conversation on The Dented Helmet with regards to a scaled Fett. It may have involved community input, but the end result was that someone at LFL may have deemed it too accurate and had the appearance watered down, much to the TDH community's dismay.

One can argue that the exception in the Fett corner of the community was the MR Fett. Here you have a laser-scanned preproduction helmet. How can you possibly go wrong? Yet the mandibles were angled more closely towards the chin rather than parallel. Was that on purpose or merely a production flaw?

Similarly, the rare exception to all this in the Vader side of collecting was the MR ROTS Vader. At least one thing was changed to it so that those in-the-know at LFL can verify with an auction house if a casting is production or fanmade.

 

[teecrooz]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I'd like to see it as close to right out of the mold as possible. Gino has already said there would be some clean up. No need to make it any more less like the originals than the general clean up that was done.

 

[Tom1971]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I wonder how many people would want what????


A poll would be great.

There seems to be three categories:


1.) Idealized-Perfect and Pretty


2. )How it looked on film-uneven and not perfect but looks real good, probably nice dark lenses, nice clean paint job, etc.


3.) How it looks in person-every nook and cranny, ding, brush strokes, etc.
(How it looks in person now versus 30 years ago is another discussion)


I personally would like #2.




Could you all post which number you would like??


Thanks

 

[StarWars Collector]

Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I'll take #4: Tantive look, THE look IMO! :love