Metropolis Robot Completed!!! Aug-18-2011

Re: Metropolis Robot

houdiniguy said:
Hello,

Will this be made available to us here?

I would be more than interested!!!!
"My Lost in Space Robot B9 would go crazy for her.
Click to expand...

Possibly, but I don't think I can. I found out that Kropserkil now has the license for her. :confused That's another painful piece of the story. If I had finished her when planned maybe it wouldn't be an issue, but alas this starving artist missed his window.

With the amount of time, research, effort, and money, (don't forget mental anguish ;-) I've already put in, there's no way I can get what it's worth anyway. Right now I'd just like to finish her, and move on to my R2 project.
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

I'll back up some points Apelord made.

Finding good quality images of the robot has been a near lifelong quest and without direct access to first generation photos or BD screencaps some details are pretty obscure. So getting a definitive model is a real pain.

Unfortunately nobody thought of shooting the back of it, so that will remain guesswork until something shows up some day.

Funny anecdote. At some point over ten years ago I contacted a guy who had done some robot stuff for movies and TV and asked him about doing a replica. He replied that wouldn't be too difficult. We exchanged emails over this and at some point he said he would make the robot from foam rubber over a metal skeleton. When I asked why he would do this, he replied "It's a stop motion puppet in the film, you don't think they could fit a human being inside it ?"

I sent some photos of Brigitte Helm inside the costume and he went into stunned mode. Shows how even the pro's miss the vital clues.

It's been the #1 prop for me ever since I saw it as a kid and it's been an uphill struggle to find the perfect screen accurate replica.
 
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Re: Metropolis Robot

Awesome job!! The robot has so many small details that its tough to duplicate! Everytime I look at pictures there seems to be more details that I have overlooked!

If I can help by printing any pictures etc for reference pelase LMK know. I also have a copy of the vinyl model kit that was available years ago. If that would help you let me know.

Richie
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

RICHIES ARMOR said:
Awesome job!! The robot has so many small details that its tough to duplicate! Everytime I look at pictures there seems to be more details that I have overlooked!

If I can help by printing any pictures etc for reference pelase LMK know. I also have a copy of the vinyl model kit that was available years ago. If that would help you let me know.

Richie
Click to expand...

Wow Richie thank you so much for the offer! You rock! All of those things would certainly help. Good clear photo's would be wonderful. I couldn't ask you for the model though, but pics would be cool.
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

Apelord wrote:
As I understand it, the true color was a bronze, according to the novelization by the writer of the screenplay.

Bronze! Aha! That makes so much sense!

Rotwang said:
When I asked why he would do this, he replied "It's a stop motion puppet in the film, you don't think they could fit a human being inside it ?"

I sent some photos of Brigitte Helm inside the costume and he went into stunned mode. Shows how even the pro's miss the vital clues.
Click to expand...

Wow, at the risk of sounding pompous, I can't imagine how much of a pro he was if he didn't know Bridgette Helm was in the costume. I mean, that pic with her with the mask off is one of the more readily available pics of the robot! I've seen it in several books and on the net a bunch, and I'm not even researching the prop. If you even are slightly familiar with the film, I would have thought it was common knowledge it was Helm in a costume.

Oh well, I guess anyone can miss something!
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

As I understand it, the book was written concurrently with the screenplay. Likely before the costume was created.

Also, didn't the book describe futura as having translucent skin? (Cold, like glass?)
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

nickytea said:
As I understand it, the book was written concurrently with the screenplay. Likely before the costume was created.

Also, didn't the book describe futura as having translucent skin? (Cold, like glass?)
Click to expand...

That's where things get a little vague and inconsistent. In the end, I simply want to recreate that beautiful image I see on the screen. Fritz Lang and Mittendorf himself said later that it was a bronze, and that's good enough for me. The suit itself was destroyed during filming, in the scene where False Maria is burned at the stake, so we'll never know the true color. We will however always have that awesome image on film.
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

duck said:
Apelord wrote:
As I understand it, the true color was a bronze, according to the novelization by the writer of the screenplay.

Bronze! Aha! That makes so much sense!



Wow, at the risk of sounding pompous, I can't imagine how much of a pro he was if he didn't know Bridgette Helm was in the costume. I mean, that pic with her with the mask off is one of the more readily available pics of the robot! I've seen it in several books and on the net a bunch, and I'm not even researching the prop. If you even are slightly familiar with the film, I would have thought it was common knowledge it was Helm in a costume.

Oh well, I guess anyone can miss something!
Click to expand...

It was in those early heady days of the internet in the mid 90's and the only image I had was a bad screencap from a movie magic special on robots. It had been done with an Amiga. Because it had been videotaped in slow play, we had to copy it again to regular because the Amiga would only digitize even images and the slow play only shows odd images (or something like that)

I did find better pics since then. Chances are that if you do find a pic of the robot, it's one of my scans ...

In the book the robot is described as being transparent with silver bones and a look of calm madness on her. I doubt they could have pulled off something like that back then. Maybe in the upcoming remake.

In the script it is described as resembling an Egyptian statue.
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

Rotwang said:
In the script it is described as resembling an Egyptian statue.
Click to expand...

Is there a copy of the script available out there to read? I've read the book numerous times, and would love to read the script.

Also, I haven't heard much about the remake. Is it actually happening?
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

nickytea said:
Is there a copy of the script available out there to read? I've read the book numerous times, and would love to read the script.

Also, I haven't heard much about the remake. Is it actually happening?
Click to expand...

I have a "studienfassung" on DVD of Metropolis. It has the full script as well as blanks to indicate the missing scenes and extra information.

http://www.filmhistoriker.de/magazine/metropolis_study_dvd.htm

It was announced last year that somebody had secured the rights for a remake. Other than that no news.

The Blu Ray incorporating the missing scenes found last year in Argentinia should be out in 2010.
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

I Grabbed a few pics today of the raw castings of her torso and and helmet.
Now these have only just begun to be cleaned up, and I still have a lot of work to do, but this is where I am at for now. I have some time to work on her over the next few weeks, and I will post more pics very soon.
 
Re: Metropolis Robot

My wife has always been a great fan of the Metropolis figure, very nice indeed. If i read correctly you'll be making this into a complete wearable costume?

DJ (TK-1050)
 
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