Mirrormask props

[Patattack]

I'm a big fan of the visual style of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's Mirrormask, and I was thinking it was about time to make some props. Namely, the key to the Mirrormask's hiding place, and "A Really Useful Book." Neither one seems too ridiculously difficult, but I might need some help, since I don't exactly have any resources. But I will try my best to contribute to this community for once.

The key:
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=260
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=261
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=407
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=329

It doesn't seem too ridiculously complex. How does one go about making something like this? Should I try making it from clay, or what?

Oh, and I also found a site that claimed that some keys were once made, cast from the screen-used key. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information about these official ones other than this obscure article: Mirrormask Collectibles

The book:
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=181
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=182
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=183
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=295
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=496
http://x.seventh-sin.org/gallery/displayim...album=3&pos=523

This seems fairly simple to make. The only difficult part would be re-creating McKean's handwriting style properly...it's very distinctive, after all.

Sorry I couldn't find any higher-resolution screencaps, they aren't my own. If anyone has anything to add, or any sources that already worked on this stuff that I missed, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

 

[Zev]

You, uh, wanna sort out the pictures there, chief?

I know Dark Horse published a 'Really Useful Book':

Really Useful Book

Although I'm not sure if that yellow circle on the front is a sticker...

 

[Patattack]

<div class='quotetop'>(Zev @ Oct 9 2006, 06:56 PM) [snapback]1334956[/snapback]</div>

You, uh, wanna sort out the pictures there, chief?

I know Dark Horse published a 'Really Useful Book':

Really Useful Book

Although I'm not sure if that yellow circle on the front is a sticker...
[/b]

Thanks for the tip on the book, I'll look and see if I can scrounge one of those up.

But I don't see why you made that comment about the pictures. After all, the key pictures are in the key section, and the book pictures are in the book section. And not that the order in which the pictures appear even matters, but the book pictures are all in the order of when the scenes appear in the movie. Yes, there are two pages in the book referring to Mother's advice, one at the beginning and one at the end. I'll admit the key pictures are mixed-up, but I don't see how that matters.

 

[Ramiel]

I think he post his comment because we can't see the pictures...

 

[Patattack]

<div class='quotetop'>(Ramiel @ Oct 9 2006, 08:13 PM) [snapback]1334988[/snapback]</div>

I think he post his comment because we can't see the pictures...
[/b]

Well, shoot...I can see them just fine. :confused

Here's another try for just a couple of the pictures, to see if they work:
*No direct linking, apparently*

Do those work? Because they're definitely showing up for me.

 

[juno]

Nope, not for me either. What's the URL?

 

[Patattack]

<div class='quotetop'>(juno @ Oct 10 2006, 12:36 AM) [snapback]1335147[/snapback]</div>

Nope, not for me either. What's the URL?
[/b]

The site that has these screencaps on them is so massive, I'm gonna have to link to them individually:

*Moved to first post*

 

[RedTwoX]

Still no pictures. If I copy/past the URLs to a new browser tab they show up. This may mean that your host does not allow remote linking. You see them because they arleady in your browsers cache.

I've been thinking about MirrorMask props as well. For the key, I would like to cast it in sterling silver. There's a centrifigal caster collection dust in my Mom's garage because I don't have anywhere to set it up right now :cry The "Eye & nose" section as well as the spikes appear to be seperate pieces, which simplifies the sculpting.

I intend to make the Really Useful Book "post-sacrifice" as it only leaves one page of text to replicate in addition to the cover, and it ends up being the most important quote in the brave little book. I've had no problem finding all sorts of small, red, blank paged journals. The trick seems to be finding that does not have the word "Journal" or "Diary" already embossed into the cover :angry It's beginning to get irritating... but my search continues undetered.

I thought this might make a good base to replicate the mask:

It's from this web site:
http://www.unitedmaskandparty.com/Masks/character.htm

The eyes need to be reshaped and the features sharped. The brow and nose ridges of the MirrorMask are very hard lined. Obviously the moon has to go. However, it seems to have the correct general shape and proportions. The chrome finish is coincidental since modifiying the features will certainly ruin it and it will require refinishing.

 

[juno]

I bought this book at a local art store. It's by a company called Pentalic. It ran around $3.

 

[Patattack]

I ordered an "official" Really Useful Book yesterday. It was produced by Dark Horse, and it doesn't seem like a bad deal. It looks more or less the same on the outside (I say more or less because I can't tell exactly what's written inside the gold circle on the screen-used book), but I think it's a bit larger than the original. Personally, I think it looks fine - I'm more of a good-enough-ist than a perfectionist, and at $15 shipped, it's perfect for my rather limited funds.

The inside pages are blank, but have tiny messages printed in invisible ink in the corners (written by Neil Gaiman). It comes with an invisible ink pen to write your own secret messages, and a mini U.V. light to reveal the ink. How cute.

I was thinking that, in addition to re-creating the text from the screen-used pages, it might be fun to convert Gaiman's invisible messages into Dave McKean-style inked pages, if I could figure out how they ought to be penned. I'm a big fan of non-canon stuff, if'n you can't tell.

And I'm sorry about all this hullabaloo with the pictures, folks. I should have figured out that cache thing.

RedTwoX, I would happily buy a sterling silver key. How much do you think that would run?

 

[southreplicas]

<div class='quotetop'>(Patattack @ Oct 9 2006, 07:07 PM) [snapback]1334919[/snapback]</div>

It doesn't seem too ridiculously complex. How does one go about making something like this? Should I try making it from clay, or what?
[/b]

For the key I would use A + B epoxy over a wooden or metal ring with the accurate diameter.
I think it is no a difficult replica to make.
Regards.

 

[RedTwoX]

<div class='quotetop'>(Patattack @ Oct 10 2006, 11:02 AM) [snapback]1335406[/snapback]</div>

RedTwoX, I would happily buy a sterling silver key. How much do you think that would run?
[/b]

I wouldn't care to venture a guess right now. The jewlery supply where I used buy sterling silver for casting closed a few years ago. I have no idea what the going rate is now. I also have no idea how much I need per casting until a master is made. All of that is purely academic until I can find a place to set up the centrifigul caster. I didn't have much luck house hunting this summer, and trying to sling molten metal in my two bed room condo is a BAD. idea.

This will be a long term project. I have kicked around the idea of knocking out a "stand in" out of resin as Southreplicas suggested.


Juno,
Thanks a million on the lead for the Really Useful Book :thumbsup I'm off to track down Pentalic.

 

[jedichef]

Hey juno, ever get a chance to work on/finish this book? Anyone else have any finished Mirrormask props? I just saw the movie, it was pretty far down my Netflix queue, and loved it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(juno @ Oct 9 2006, 09:26 PM) [snapback]1335166[/snapback]</div>

I bought this book at a local art store. It's by a company called Pentalic. It ran around $3.

[/b]

 

[Patattack]

I bought the licensed Really Useful Book and while it's cute, it's probably not worth getting. It's way too big to be screen-accurate, and the little invisible-ink pen that came with it didn't work when it came out of the box. However, if someone was trying to make a screen-accurate Book, it might be useful for the (seemingly) accurate, if too-large, cover text. Also, every other page in the book has some cryptic phrase of "advice" like those seen in the movie, and those might be fun for filling up the pages of a screen-accurate replica.