eFX A New Hope Darth Vader Helmet

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Originally Posted by Art Andrews

Did you guys REALLY think that a mass produced product was going to compete with a hand done piece by members here? If so, I am shocked.

QFT

This is a great thing for our hobby, who would have thought 5 years ago that we would ever be offered something from a mold like this?

I for one am really pleased and will be buying one of these. :thumbsup

Joe
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Right, obvious stuff light tusk tubes had to be cleaned up to have a displayable helmet. I would have liked an untouched tusk tube copy to look at myself, but that is just me. When I think major reworking, I think of stuff more radical than tusk tubes.....I think of completely reshaping the mouth sides, adding back and sharpening cheek corners, trimming the neck to be more symetrical. That sort of thing.

I believe this eFx helmet will have alot less of that sort of stuff than most fan helmets, but it will have more "cleanup" in order to make it sellable than the above helmets.

Dave :)
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

that says it´s not only produced in masses but also FOR the masses, not prop-enthusiast like us in forums like the RPF.

:lol:lol I have never thought of "mass produced" in that way! I love it!
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Well, so far, it looks pretty good. Even rushed, it is more...well, there...than anything else we have been given, or has been available. As many others have said, right now, there is NO perfect Vader helmet. All of the ones you've listed have had something or other done to them to make them less than what we have seen on screen.

The cleanup on this seems minimal, and to me at least, puts it on the same playing field as all of the others. All of the things you have listed have been done to one or the other of the helmets you have listed. It sure doesn't look like it here.

Hey, at least the tusk tubes are not broken here. :D
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

It's hard for us propsters to grasp that "shudder" this pretty ANH helm is not the original Screen used helmet.......no matter how much we wish it to be.........it's just another pretty fan made helmet replica. Over time, it will be worth more or less the same as any of the other fan made helmets. The only truly appreciable vader helmet is the original.......that one will gain value for eternity, but these other helmets. They will pretty much remain the same value in my opinion.

We have to step back and just accept them for what they truly are: Replicas.
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

We would all love to just stand in line as eFX pulled copies right out of the Rick Baker mold and just handed them to us, no paint or touching of the cast. Thats the dream world.

Meanwhile, we get something nearly out of the archives that has to be able to be produced in numbers. If the TD, TM, SL or any other lineage helmet was brought out for mass production, certain levels would happen just as they are with the eFX.

Besides, how many "look what I did to the eFX Vader Helmet to make it more accurate" threads are we going to see? More than 1 Im sure. Then we will get into the recasting of it - which will happen - because theres more than a few who have a burning desire to make money of a direct line helmet, its exists already.
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Qui, I agree, they've all had some remodeling out of necessity. I like this one in that the tusk tubes seem to be pieces of the "un-reworked" puzzle that we didn't have in previous incarnations of the mask. Other details seem softer than in previous helmets. But still, it's a nice solid representation of the original. In some small ways, I like it better. Paint, I can alter those things that bug me in the future if need be..... no worries. :)
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Besides, how many "look what I did to the eFX Vader Helmet to make it more accurate" threads are we going to see? More than 1 Im sure. Then we will get into the recasting of it - which will happen - because theres more than a few who have a burning desire to make money of a direct line helmet, its exists already.

We are certain to see both sooner or later, much like happened with the MR Boba Fett, but again, in my mind, this Vader helmet really raises the bar (a LONG way) in regard to the mass produced pieces that are being made available to the public, much the way the MR Boba raised the bar far above the DP. I love that the licensees are turning to the fans for help and assistance and using us to take their offerings to the next level. It still isn't where we might wish they were but we also have to remember they are a business and if they aren't making money, they won't be a business for long and that we are only a fraction of the market.
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I can understand not producing 100% accurate casts - not just from the perspective of the casual fan thinking it's a crappy piece and may feel cheated by having paid so much, but also because of the ones who'll undoubtedly strip down the helmet and try to pass it off as production made helmets.

Recasting will inevitably happen, so some measures to protect auction houses and unsuspecting fans from being scammed by being able to distinguish a licensed helmet from a production cast are to be desired.

There are only so many details a scammer can try to put back in... and it will never be all of them. Not if eFX strategically place details and markers to distinguish their versions.

However I'm sure the owners of the SL & TM castings are all breathing a huge sigh of relief ;)
Honestly, I'm not in the least bit relieved. Why should I be.

The pedigree of the eFX helmet is rock solid, but it's no UK mold helmet. If eFX had found one of those and kept it as is it would have surpassed ALL other helmets ever made available, even the fan helmets and I wouldn't have been sorry at all. I would have rejoiced as a licensed piece would be worth getting and all the details would be known and seen by anyone and no one would be able to hoard that over others ever again - not just small detail by small detail, while ignoring huge ones blatantly missing and preventing others from making up their own mind and others from speaking of it, but the overall look as well: everything.

Meanwhile, we get something nearly out of the archives that has to be able to be produced in numbers. If the TD, TM, SL or any other lineage helmet was brought out for mass production, certain levels would happen just as they are with the eFX.
The eFX is a direct brother to the SL and DJ.

Honestly... I really don't mean to diss this helmet at all... it is everything I would have dreamed and hoped for... 5 years ago. Hell... that sounds wrong. I've just come to a point where something as cool as this doesn't bring the thrill and joy as it should, so for the sake of all those who get this feeling when hearing and seeing this helmet, I will let you enjoy it and be happy and keep my silly antics to myself, so as not to diminish the coolness of this licensed piece!
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

We are certain to see both sooner or later, much like happened with the MR Boba Fett, but again, in my mind, this Vader helmet really raises the bar (a LONG way) in regard to the mass produced pieces that are being made available to the public, much the way the MR Boba raised the bar far above the DP. I love that the licensees are turning to the fans for help and assistance and using us to take their offerings to the next level. It still isn't where we might wish they were but we also have to remember they are a business and if they aren't making money, they won't be a business for long and that we are only a fraction of the market.

Very true, and I mentioned about the business aspects of making duplicates for the market which in turn is how they have to save costs and make a profit.

Its those who want to make a buck off their initial investment into the eFX helmet. Someone will recast it and pawn it off on ebay over and over and over. Its been done out of Florida with the eFX Clonetrooper helmet, Vader will be the same.
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

I can understand not producing 100% accurate casts - not just from the perspective of the casual fan thinking it's a crappy piece and may feel cheated by having paid so much, but also because of the ones who'll undoubtedly strip down the helmet and try to pass it off as production made helmets.

Recasting will inevitably happen, so some measures to protect auction houses and unsuspecting fans from being scammed by being able to distinguish a licensed helmet from a production cast are to be desired.

While I don't want to speak for Bryan or eFX, I have NEVER heard them imply this on any level, nor do I think they care... nor do I think LFL cares enough to make them make changes for that reason. Everything I have seen with licensees (and this goes FAR beyond eFX) is that they strive to get their products as close to originals as possible and don't take out details to help differentiate their product from the original. In talking with people from MR, eFX, Sideshow and several other licensees, I have never heard ANYONE say they actively try to differentiate from originals or have had the studio demand they make differences. Most of the time it is just the opposite; the studio isn't happy because the licensees product isn't close enough! If someone has had a different experience please post it up, but in all my dealings, I have never seen this on any level.
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

While I don't want to speak for Bryan or eFX, I have NEVER heard them imply this on any level, nor do I think they care... nor do I think LFL cares enough to make them make changes for that reason. Everything I have seen with licensees (and this goes FAR beyond eFX) is that they strive to get their products as close to originals as possible and don't take out details to help differentiate their product from the original. In talking with people from MR, eFX, Sideshow and several other licensees, I have never heard ANYONE say they actively try to differentiate from originals or have had the studio demand they make differences. Most of the time it is just the opposite; the studio isn't happy because the licensees product isn't close enough! If someone has had a different experience please post it up, but in all my dealings, I have never seen this on any level.
Hmm... interesting. But then why clean up the master?
 
Re: eFX ANH Vader?!?! WOW

Hmm... interesting. But then why clean up the master?

That is a question for Bryan or Gino. I honestly don't know all the reasons and don't want to mangle some of the ones that I have been given, because, again, I really don't understand Vader as thoroughly as some of the rest of you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top