my first predator mask working jaw

[jimfoltice]

Hi,
This is my very first post on "The Hunter's Lair" and my first Predator sculpt. I must say, there are a lot of super talented cats on this site! I have had a great time looking at all your works, they are all truly amazing!
Like I said this is my first attempt at making a Predator costume. I plan on making the entire suit. I plan on molding the body (torso, legs, etc.) out of clay and them making a mold and casting them out of latex. I am a filmmaker and our production company has been commissioned to make a short featuring our favorite villain. I have done many different special effect projects for films but never a predator or a full costume at that level. I am really excited. One of our guys is a design major and he has developed a really cool system to make the jaw and mandibles open with the force of the wearers own jaw. I've read through many threads on this site and it seems like there isn't really a tried and true method out there for everyone to share. So that being said, when our project is complete I will have no problem sharing our secrets with all of you. All I would like is some possible feedback and help as I move on through the process. here are a few progress pics. I appreciate any comments. Thanks guys and girls

 

[Wolfpred567]

wicked creativity dude.

 

[MEANGENE83]

I can not think of anything to suggest. The only thing I can suggest is that you make sure and ask alot of questions about the molding process.

Molding a sculpture such as this is scary in the sense that you are risking the entire sculpt by covering it in plaster. Alot of people around here do things different ways and many of us have made alot of mistakes. So draw on our expertise.

You are most welcome in these parts for sure! Thanks for offering to share the MANDIBLE mechanism you guys are developing. One member has done something similar to what you are describing. He uses a spring loaded hair clip combined with fishing wire to make his mandibles work. I have seen it in person and it is very cool for being such a low tech way of freaking people out.

What kinda of clay are you using and how long did this sculpture take?

Is there any specific design you are going for with this Predator?

 

[xdmray]

nice! you got a unique looking pred there.

and one hell of a first post! looking forward to the progress on this.

Welcome to the Lair.

 

[ThePriest]

I can not think of anything to suggest. The only thing I can suggest is that you make sure and ask alot of questions about the molding process.

Molding a sculpture such as this is scary in the sense that you are risking the entire sculpt by covering it in plaster. Alot of people around here do things different ways and many of us have made alot of mistakes. So draw on our expertise.

You are most welcome in these parts for sure! Thanks for offering to share the MANDIBLE mechanism you guys are developing. One member has done something similar to what you are describing. He uses a spring loaded hair clip combined with fishing wire to make his mandibles work. I have seen it in person and it is very cool for being such a low tech way of freaking people out.

What kinda of clay are you using and how long did this sculpture take?

Is there any specific design you are going for with this Predator?

you have your work cut out for you but if you need help you came to the right place the lair has taken my sculpts and pred suit off the shelf and on the way to being finished i look forvward to the mandable mouth it should be very educational .

 

[jimfoltice]

Hi,
This is my very first post on "The Hunter's Lair" and my first Predator sculpt. I must say, there are a lot of super talented cats on this site! I have had a great time looking at all your works, they are all truly amazing!
Like I said this is my first attempt at making a Predator costume. I plan on making the entire suit. I plan on molding the body (torso, legs, etc.) out of clay and them making a mold and casting them out of latex. I am a filmmaker and our production company has been commissioned to make a short featuring our favorite villain. I have done many different special effect projects for films but never a predator or a full costume at that level. I am really exited. One of our guys is a design major and he has developed a really cool system to make the jaw and mandibles open with the force of the wearers own jaw. I've read through many threads on this site and it seems like there isn't really a tried and true method out there for everyone to share. So that being said, when our project is complete I will have no problem sharing our secrets with all of you. All I would like is some possible feedback and help as I move on through the process. here are a few progress pics. I appreciate any comments. Thanks guys and girls

 

[jimfoltice]

Thanks for the feedback thus far! I appreciate it.

-As for the mold advice (MEANGRENE83) I will definitively be asking some advise when I get there. I'm mostly concerned with the body (skin) mold. I have done latex masks in the past and have had my share of learning from mistakes, but I have never done anything as big as a full torso sculpt.

-I'm not really trying to match any specific Predator style, I'm just kind of freestyle-ing it and trying to get a look that fits the script. But man have I seen some DOPE work here on the Lair. You guys are a freaking talented group of peeps!! I am actually working on two masks with two different looks. (The Director wants a few options)

-As for the working Jaw-I saw the one you are referring to and it was pretty cool. However we tried a version of that design and it didn't really function as well as we needed it to. The design we have now is pretty amazingly simple and effective! The jaw opens full and with a lot of power! What I really like about it is the way it mimics your own jaw movement. So you can open the mandibles really slow or really fast or just a little bit or wide open. Bryce did a really good job with it. And like I said, once we get all the bugs worked out, I will offer it to anyone interested.
Oh, Yeah I forgot to mention, He is also working on a way to furrow the brows in secession with the mouth opening. I saw the first prototype and he is really close!!

 

[ptgreek]

out of curiosity, is it just the understructure that is being worked on for mechanics? In other words, the mask is not cast yet, but and understructure is in almost working order that is allowing for facial movement?

 

[jimfoltice]

out of curiosity, is it just the understructure that is being worked on for mechanics? In other words, the mask is not cast yet, but and understructure is in almost working order that is allowing for facial movement?

Yes, it's an understructure component that fits into the mask. The idea is that our working jaw unit could be used on any mask with little modification. We have been testing it on a quick latex build up predator mask I made for test purposes as well as a modified store bought mask. Our system ( at this point ) dosn't use any wires that need to be fixed to the mask. The goal was to design a system that could easily be removed from one mask and put into another one quickly and easily on set.

 

[ptgreek]

How are you doing the brow movement in slip latex with no attachments? and why would you be changing the outer faces on set? Wouldnt it be easier to pull foam latex outer skins and fix it to the understructure ..this will insure that the expressions look as realistic as possible? In other words make a full hero head with working animitronics ..then use the slip latex head as more of a stunt ..it can have the movement that slip will allow without looking like a rubber mask ..but you can focus more attention to the facial movement with the foam latex pull for close up shots

 

[jimfoltice]

How are you doing the brow movement in slip latex with no attachments? and why would you be changing the outer faces on set? Wouldnt it be easier to pull foam latex outer skins and fix it to the understructure ..this will insure that the expressions look as realistic as possible? In other words make a full hero head with working animitronics ..then use the slip latex head as more of a stunt ..it can have the movement that slip will allow without looking like a rubber mask ..but you can focus more attention to the facial movement with the foam latex pull for close up shots

I'm not exactly sure about the brow movement because I'm not personally working on it. It was more of an after thought because all we really needed was the mouth to move, but Bryce said he could do it and I said go for it. As for removing the rig. We want to be able to remove it because there are multiple predators in the film but the script only calls for one one screen per scene, so instead of making multiple jaw gigs for each mask we are making one that can be put in all the masks. It's more of a budget thing.

 

[ptgreek]

Gotcha.. Still curiouse about the brows.. Can't wait to see it. You're in Michigan, correct?

 

[Mr Fett]

Gotcha.. Still curiouse about the brows.. Can't wait to see it. You're in Michigan, correct?

Michigan? Where at?

 

[jimfoltice]

Yes sir, I'm in Grand Rapids Mi

 

[ptgreek]

Right on.. I'll in your State on two different features in upcoming months. Saw some of your animation.. Good stuff!

 

[jimfoltice]

Cool! thanks man

 

[celtic0130]

Now its on to the working jaw!

 

[jimfoltice]

Word, I actually just posted the working jaw system on this thread.

 

[jimfoltice]

Ive got some more detail work done on my Predator sculpt and I thought I would share the progress. I'm not really sure what "style" of Predator this is cause I have been just kind of free styling as I go, but maybe some of you guys could tell me what you think it looks like. I don't really have that much knowledge of the different kind of Predators. Any how, here are the new pics.

 

[xdmray]

hey Jim you don't need to make a new thread for updates on a previous thread.

but, looking good. coming alon nicely