How was Vader's helmet modified from ANH to ESB to ROTJ

I recently modded an EFX PCR from ANH to ESB, to find out how close it could be done. Widened chin vent, removed some excess from the edges of the dome, made the mohawk strip wider and repainted the whole thing. Here is the first result, using only the EFX:

View attachment 1332841

The dome still has some structural differences from ESB, very difficult to mod on my own. So I purchased a dome from Mike Warren (taken directly from the stunt helmet worn by Grandmaster Bob Anderson), and combined it with my modded EFX mask. And here is the result:

View attachment 1332843

Clarification: Mike Warren does not sell individual domes. He did this as a one-shot for me.

Anyway, I believe the result is very successful in looking close to the actual screen Vader.

Additionally, I overlapped some photos of both domes to roughly compare the shapes. Its interesting to see the egg-shape contour of the top and that the Warren dome is actually a bit bigger in some areas than the EFX.
Considering that both domes come from completely different origins, the fact that they are so close in measurements sustains their direct legacy to the props used in the films.

View attachment 1332853
I am sorry but you have to tone down the colour. almost a 1 shade lighter than the black. i did mine with the silver and it looks like garbage. those colours were made for the film only to highlight the helmet for the film. 2 tone in real life with that silver looks grotesque, like a child painted it. i did this to mine and i so regreted it until i did it glossy black and Flat black. or shinny black and the darkest gun metal mimicking black
 
Here is a pic of the new ROTJ helmet made by Mike Warren. The mask comes from the "1983 tour cast" and the dome from a modified TM.

According to Mike, the aluminum tusks are totally accurate. The paint work is the same tone as his ESB, just a little darker to get the docking bay scene look.

ROTJ_MW_01 copy.jpg
 
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How can something be the same shade but also darker at the same time?
Anyway, the helmet looks fantastic. :)
 
Love it!!! do you know how to get in contact with Mike Warren?
Mike Warren's FB profile is
Log into Facebook you can contact him via PM

To help illustrate how much Vader´s helmet changed from ESB to ROTJ, here are Mike Warren's ESB on the left and ROTJ on the right.

ESB_ROTJ.jpg

How can something be the same shade but also darker at the same time?
Anyway, the helmet looks fantastic. :)
Sorry, I meant same tone, different shade.
 
Mike Warren's FB profile is
Log into Facebook you can contact him via PM

To help illustrate how much Vader´s helmet changed from ESB to ROTJ, here are Mike Warren's ESB on the left and ROTJ on the right.

View attachment 1479331

Sorry, I meant same tone, different shade.
Very interesting to see how different these helmets look.

I wonder how is it that the facemask features of the 3D scan from the Paul Allen stunt looks so unique compared to the
copy of a 1983 tour mask

If I'm not mistaken in my observation the ESB left side eye looks way different than the ROTJ left side
as well the nose area on the ESB looks wider than the ROTJ

and then the obvious The Dome on the ESB looks larger than the ROTJ
and Wider

Is it perhaps that due to molding the ROTJ shrunk when they made the productions

or is it intentional did the Crew at ILM somehow modify the Molds to make a ROTJ
was it willful change or happenstance.

Knowing Mikes skill at recreating these props I can say that these are as close to the original production helmets as they come.
So I can not attribute these discreprencies up to clean up or reworking of some kind in Mikes part.

These helmets must have looked this way when ILM had them and it still shows in the casts like the original's from which they originate.

So in my mind there happened a lot to these helmets from production to production at least it seems like that to me
 
This are nice helmets but I think they are not a good example to explain what happened on set between ESB and ROTJ with the REAL helmets.
A modified TM is not automatically a good ROTJ.
I think Marks CFO Dome looks a lot more like ROTJ as this reworked TM.On the TM the centerstripe is still too sharp for the ROTJ look.
The gunmetal is also too dark and too glossy for an ESB.Dome sits a lot too high on the facemask.
And about the size: It can also be that one helmet stands a little bit closer to the camera?
 
Great thread! But I have a question…

If I am reading correctly, there were three helmets made for ANH, but only one was screen used…What happened to the other two original helmets?

A good friend of mine picked up this in an auction, and I will be examining it up close very soon. Will post pics, etc. when that happens.

What I know at this point is that it has the smaller chin vent and sharp windows peak. And was sold to them as “production made for ANH”

thoughts?

C5C44DFD-92E6-401B-93B2-1201917A5706.jpeg
 
Great thread! But I have a question…

If I am reading correctly, there were three helmets made for ANH, but only one was screen used…What happened to the other two original helmets?

A good friend of mine picked up this in an auction, and I will be examining it up close very soon. Will post pics, etc. when that happens.

What I know at this point is that it has the smaller chin vent and sharp windows peak. And was sold to them as “production made for ANH”

thoughts?

View attachment 1479424
Looks very nice but it's not a ANH production helmet or armor

There were only 3 Original ANH helmets made the screen used one is in the collection of a French gentleman

Were as one was kept in a storage box on set for safe keeping incase the original got lost, broken or stolen I believe.
as far as I have it that helmet was repurposed later for ESB production perhaps

The last one I'm not sure others might have better information. It might have become a touring helmet or lost/destroyed somehow

The helmet you have I can't see properly it might be a TOUR helmet cast from the rick baker mold if it's provenance is true

What is it's story ? what auction did it come from ?

That information will greatly help in determining where it's really from and what authenticity it has.

it could also be a dud unfortunately but there are more experienced guys who im sure will have a look and be able to tell you in the drop of a hat what your friend has gotten his hands on
 
Is that finally the source of the Fyberdyne style helmets? Same lineage as the GH style helmets. Have the same slanted right mouth wall, weird eyes and those familiar bumps just above the brow - but here the area is cut out and the bumps are separate pieces, unlike on the Fyberdyne where the area is filled in but still showing those weird bumps.

And the dome has that GH style look to it.

The armor however looks amazing and seems to retain a lot of the original screen used details.
 
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