Sweet fancy Moses... I am going to be Predator!

I

IceblueXMP

Guest
HELLO ALL!!

So I have this history here at college (Miami of Ohio) of churning out rather impressive costumes for Halloween... at least by my friend's standards and a teeny budget. T_T

Started a couple years ago with Captain Jack Sparrow. Pieced it together, made some stuff, and turned out great. Last year it was Edward Scissorhands. Required much more time and effort, but still looked awesome. Now, in my final year, I am pulling out all the stops and going for the gusto- PREDATOR.

I have a variety of ideas on how I can pull this off, and a SLEW of thoughts questioning how to make or acquire certain aspects of the costume. I certainly want to include on/off laser sights (coming in the mail as we speak), and want to try and swing somewhat working claws and lights/LED flashies. I am even toying with the notion of incorporating a set of small speakers I have into shoulder armor and somehow connecting an MP3 player/discman with various pred clicking/roaring sounds played on repeat.

This is going to be a humongous undertaking, but I think with help from fellow costumers and a little motivation, I can truly stun my friends, as well as anyone else who sees me out walking in the streets around campus. Gotta love the shock value, no?

Here are some thoughts I was having on it, in junior, unabriged style. Comments and advise are WELCOME.

~Having the bio helm, but no pred face. Maybe getting a kit on Ebay?? Perhaps attaching it to a flip-up heat mask or welding mask so I can flip it up if it gets hot or I am at the bars. Dreads would probably be attached to the entire head piece/mask. Would need to have some sort of sturdy sculpting material for the "skin" portions of the face still visible.
~Feet? Not sure yet on how to have accurate feet, but I would like to try to incorporate drywall stilts to make me 1'-2' taller (I am 6'2")
~Armor? I like to play soccer, so I have shin gaurds and such that I can fiddle with (wire skeleton with paper mache'? Thoughts?).
~Weaponry? Shoulder cannon for sure, even if it is just a chunk of SOMETHING sitting there imobile. Claws... preferably working or at least pseudo-working. Maybe even a disc (mangled frisbee anyone?).
~Skin? This concerns me the most. I would call myself "athletic", but nowhere near huge like a Predator. Painted latex suit? Gonna need alot of advise on this one.

That about does it for the opening post. Hopefully this summer will afford me some time to put into this as I fear when school starts back up finding decent time will be difficult. Whatever I do I'll be sure to take pics and keep everyone updated. If you have any direct links, please shoot them my way. I'll peruse the other topics for advise, but direct help is always best and time (as well as COST) effective. Thanks!

Let it begin...
 
For your PREDATOR skin, you can do what alot of people do and get a lycra/spandex bodysuit. And from there either paint straight onto it your colors. OR take latex and paint the entire thing with mask latex, which gives it a skin. Then paint.

Either way those are both low tech and low cost ways which are used often.

Dreds are easy. Just buy some BACKER ROD which is available online if you search for it through hardware store sites. Its used to fill huge cracks before caulking the space. It comes in diameters of varying size. They are the easy cheap way to make dreds which look rather decent.

As for your helmet, you are going to need an UNDERMASK, which is basically a predator head without a face. Since the bio covers the face of the mask u dont need the facial part, BUT it does give you a good base to attach dreds and also makes it look like a pred wearing a bio.

LED's are easy as pie. Hit up radio shack and get battery packs. solder iron. wire, etc. And just plug away.

Other things arent so easy like feet and hands.

If ya need more help hit me up either in the lair chat, on AIM - apcgene or on msn parabola190@aol.com OR email me at. MEANGENE83@comcast.net

cya
GENE
 
Thanks for the advice! I heard from the gentleman I bought laser sights from via Ebay that backer rod would be a good bet for the dreads as well. As far as the undermask is concerned, I'd like to try that. Not sure where I'd get one from... but again Ebay will probably save the day.

I saw the very detailed picture illustration on how the Celtic mask from AVP was replicated from a mask model of the bio from the first film. Alot of the material looked like illustration board, and being an art major I have access to a fair amount of that. I was thinking about doing a process similar to that and incorporating an original design. If this happens, I'll be sure to post up pictures of the designs I am considering so I can get feedback. I am hoping to have the mask portion done by June's end, armor and such done by end of July, any weapons done by the end of August, skin by Sept's end, and any thing else needing done by about a week or two before Halloween arrives.

The speedy responses to my one post are very reassuring. Glad to know there are others out there as passionate about costuming as I am. Many of my friends think I am crazy!
 
Hey mnan. You are right about the undermask being on ebay. I recently saw one and USUALLY see one for sale for 10.00 starting bid, unpainted of course.

He goes by the name FRANTEKS or something and he is located in Massachusetts right near me!!

go figure.

cya

GENE
 
Came up with a design i really like. Once I get a final sketch I'll be sure to post it later this week.
 
Hey all. Sorry I have been lacking on updates. Apparently, when I thought I would have "ample" time and cash to put forth for this, I must have meant "limited"... Such is life, eh?

REGARDLESS! I have been working on and off on the costume, piecing together things for the costume and experimenting/brainstorming processes and whatnot for the final costume... Below is what I have thus far, and I'd better get cracking. Halloween is a scant three months away. Also, I have to tip my hat to meangene83- he has been and continues to be a big help. Thanks man, it means alot.

Concept of my bio:

Final bio design:

Final design from the side:

Unpainted latex hand:

Unpainted Head (front):
Head again, but now from the side, and intimidating! Scaaaarrryyy.... :

Lasers w/switch:

OK! All are unpainted obviously, but will be painted in the coming months (hopefully I can make it some form of a project in my painting class as well...) The hands are gloves, and fit snugly. Also, I have two feet which can be slipped over boots/small platform shoes (unpainted as well) The lasers were obtained on the mecca of all websites, Ebay.

Next on my "to-do" list is what worries me the most- the SKIN... I am leaning toward painted spandex, or something to that effect. maybe a unitard, I have no clue. I need the torso/arms portion obviously, as well as the abdomen/legs portion. Thoughts, or helpful links anyone? As mentioned, my funds are not... impressive as of now. But in college, I guess that is to be expected. I have ideas for dreads (backer rod is what I am leaning toward) and armor. Weapons, obviously a necesity, are on a back burner for me now. Additionally, if anyone can point me in the direction of a program to rip pred sounds from my AVP2 game, that would also be a HUGE help. I'll do my best to keep you all posted if anything else especially exciting happens!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I thought I did my picture thing correctly... apparently not... instructions anyone??
 
If funds allow a gallon of Firm mask latex is enough to coat a unitard for the skin of a Predator. All you ned then is Pro Adhesive to help the acylic paint bond to the latex and an acryic sealer to finish it. I have sound clips that are clean. E-mail me at m_stempfly@hotmail.com and I can send you them in a file.
 
I host the images on photbucket.com. When I posted them here I clicked the image button off to the side and just pasted the URL of each picture. One might think this would make sense and work... of course I could be off and just neglected to do some meager thing that otherwise prevented you all from seeing the pics. Sadly, I really wanted you all to see my bio concept named "Phantom". I really like it.
 
yeah u just need to copy the URL site from photobucket. When u do a post just click on image and paste the url. Thats pretty much it.

Yoda

"Do or do not, there is no try."
 
Well i think the link worked... feel free to cycle through the pics.

Also, I am going to start on the bio soon... I bought some think illustration board that is similar, if not the same thing that steve0671 used for his midified pred 1 bio/celtic AVP model. Being an art student, I have some experience with glues, resins etc...

Well I did some experimenting and cutting and pasting and while concpetually things would be ok, I quickly discovered how flimsy my pieces were. Given the size of the mask from the pictures, would anyone know how I could obtain a bio of ANY kind that would "fit" to my mask? I need some form of sturdy base to glue the illustration board to, much the same way steve0671 did throughout his process. Any help would be appreciated, and thanks savage yautja- the sounds are great. Using windows movie maker I was able to cut sounds, move them, and fade them to create a sequence of clicks and roars that can be played on repeat. Woooo.
 
very cool design looking forwad to seeing if u get it all done for halloween good luck
 
Ice,

You stated:

< ...but I would like to incorporate drywall stilts to make me 1'-2' taller(I am 6' 2") >


Lifts?!?! Are you kidding?
At 6' 2" you already tower over most of us other Hunters!!(and many humans) Count yourself among the gifted!!!

DangerDavey
 
have u looked into the springs I forget what they are called but the add like a foot or 2 and u can jump like 4 feet or more lol it was on a ite with a werewolf custome and stuff they were like 200 bucks if memeory surves me right but I cant find the link anyone esl know hat iam talking about lol
 
OK! things are slowly coming along... I now have access to an airbrush and am getting ready to paint my mask. A bio to use as a backing for my design is forthcoming as well, but I still need the SKIN.

I can obtain a gallon of mask latex used to make the skin itself, and I will be able to paint it as well. My question is where might I be able to obtain a unitard that is functional? After perusing various threads, here is my game plan...

1) Get unitard. I am thinking a full body, but would seperate (torso and lower body) unitards look better/be more functional? I know I could, say, get some underarmor from a sports store or a dive suit from a scuba store, but if there are CHEAPER ways to get skin-tight things that work I'd love to know!

2) Wear unitard and make duct tape dummy. Done such that the first to layers of duct tape have the sticky side OUT so when the dummy is cut off the unitard is unharmed and can be worn under the skin and help keep me warm at night.

3) Sculpt musculature over dummy. Should I use clay? Foam? A thin layer of plaster? If clay, what type and where might I obtain some?

4) Apply latex to sculpted dummy. Would I just pour it over or use a sponge brush to gently brush it on?

5) Let dry. Right? Or is there a method I should use to "cure" the liquid latex?

6) Paint the skin.

7) Remove filler in dummy and take skin off to wear! Woo!


This seems to make... some logical sense, but if I am neglecting something or my methods have been tried and failed, please let me know. I assume since the skin is latex and can stretch, the dummy can have the arms resting at the side (wearing the skin and raising my arms would not harm the latex at stretched points, like the armpits).

Feedback would be WONDERFUL. I'll take photos of my process as soon as it is begun for posting purposes later.
 
Ya know something. I just re read this thread again. I think once I get airbrushing down, I might try the bodysuit and latex and see what I can do.
 
Have me an airbrush and a compressor, so i am good to go, but have one final question: do i have to paint everything i cover in prosaide right THEN, or can a prosaide coated but unpainted piece of latex sit for a certain amount of time?

Update on whole costume:

1) made a duct tape dummy of myself and used surprisingly less than 3 rolls of duct tape. It was cut off and mended and it still resembles my shape amazingly well. I have latex incoming, so a skin should be underway soon. I am probably going to stuff the dummy with newspaper, but would "expanding crack foam" be better? And what exactly is it (I would guess some kind of semi-liquid foam product that as it dries expands to a point until it encounters resistance.)

2) Recieved a used set of football shoulder pads via ebay for a scant $14. They have been modified such that one whole shoulder pad area has been removed, allowing for me to build up a cannon on the other one. For the cannon, as well as the plate armor, I am going to be cutting patterns out of sheet of luan wood. It is cheap, lightweight, and will be very functional I think. After cutting and painting I can glue them together and attach them to the shoulder pads/shin gaurds/ect with velcro strips.

I know I said I would have pics posted, and I will soon, but as far as now I have not done anything really procedural. But soon! Ciao!
 
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