The OT stunt lightsaber blades research thread

[vadermania]

You guys could also do me a favour - I'd like to prepare a short list of questions for Jon, the person who worked on the screen used ANH stunt sabers. Next time I talk to him, I'd like to ask him the right questions.

When ANH was in production, I was 10 years old. My dad and I were into remote controlled ship models. There weren't that many electric motors with gear available at that time. A few years later I had the chance to visit some special effects workshops, and they used a lot of of-the-shelf model making equipment.

 

[Halliwax]

Any chance you can post the link to your video here? I like your stunt saber very much - in fact, I'm still toying with the idea to convert my ANH Obi blank - which is currently a V3 - into a working ANH Obi stunt saber.

Buy a starkiller kit, that v3 you have is historic, I’d have it locked in a safe

 

[kurtyboy]

I've seen that video but it's not screen accurate so the effect didn't interest me.

I'm only lighting mine with the built in light on my phone there and it still prefer it!

Love this freak’n video...

I saw a video on YouTube of a guy using a led tactical flash light with the strobe on. He aimed it at the saber and then recorded it

Have you tried anything like that? He even did it in daylight and the saber still flickered in the day light

 

[Halliwax]

So when you are recording on your phone you have the light on right?

 

[roygilsing]

Here you go Tom.

The flicker effect is now better than this. If only had a big bright light it would look so much better. Looks amazing in a darkened room though.

I find this damn impressive!!

 

[kurtyboy]

Yes, otherwise the Scotchlite shows as gray.

I will post some videos some day soon. Maybe after I try a drill motor.

So when you are recording on your phone you have the light on right?

 

[vadermania]

Here you go Tom.

The flicker effect is now better than this. If only had a big bright light it would look so much better. Looks amazing in a darkened room though.

This is so cool Kurt! Have you ever tried to film it using a semi-transparent mirror? Is your blade tapered, or is it just the perspective? You placed the scotchlite on just two sides of the blade, correct?

 

[kurtyboy]

No, I've only pointed a cell phone at it and pushed the button. Phone in one hand, saber in the other!

It tapers from 15mm to 10mm. Here it is coated on two sides, but now it's three coated and one black. The shimmer/flicker is now much improved but it still slows too much much when swung.

I've been discussing details with Halliwax and have some more parts on order that he suggested. I'll get it perfect yet!

I did find that keeping the shaft and bearings oiled helps a lot.

This is so cool Kurt! Have you ever tried to film it using a semi-transparent mirror? Is your blade tapered, or is it just the perspective? You placed the scotchlite on just two sides of the blade, correct?

 

[thd9791]

Hey I forgot you found those red and white wire connectors!

 

[kurtyboy]

They're just audio "banana"" plugs

 

[Halliwax]

They're just audio "banana"" plugs

I was going to ask the same thing, any special place you found them?

 

[kurtyboy]

You'll find them at any good audio outlet.

 

[kurtyboy]

Or flea-bay of course!

I went looking for a "half silvered mirror" and don't think I found what I'm looking for. The term "pellicle mirror" also pops up, as does "beam splitter".

To be honest I have no clue what I'm looking for but they seem pretty rare and made for specific cameras.. Although why you'd stick them on the viewfinder, I have no idea. Like I said, I have no clue what I'm looking for.

 

[thd9791]

I think what supplies or parts they used, and maybe things they switched too when props failed? The actual prop sounds like a finnicky engineered item which is fascinating to me

 

[vadermania]

Or flea-bay of course!

I went looking for a "half silvered mirror" and don't think I found what I'm looking for. The term "pellicle mirror" also pops up, as does "beam splitter".

To be honest I have no clue what I'm looking for but they seem pretty rare and made for specific cameras.. Although why you'd stick them on the viewfinder, I have no idea. Like I said, I have no clue what I'm looking for.

Here is an interesting link:
Front projection effect - Wikipedia
I am quite confident that this is the process they originally intended to shoot the lightsabers in ANH. Since the "front projection screen" was in fact the lightsaber blade itself, they might have used a smaller setup. Perhaps they even changed to a setup with a light source close to the camera lens in order to be more flexible.

 

[vadermania]

Buy a starkiller kit, that v3 you have is historic, I’d have it locked in a safe

Too late...just kidding. If I ever find the time to construct a spinning blade stunt lightsaber myself, I would probably go for either the ANH Graflex version or the ANH Vader "Barbican" stunt lightsaber. But I would love to add a "screen-accurate" ROTJ stunt lightsaber blade to my V3 once we found out what the production used back then.

 

[Halliwax]

Too late...just kidding. If I ever find the time to construct a spinning blade stunt lightsaber myself, I would probably go for either the ANH Graflex version or the ANH Vader "Barbican" stunt lightsaber. But I would love to add a "screen-accurate" ROTJ stunt lightsaber blade to my V3 once we found out what the production used back then.

I didn’t even think of the barbican!!! That would be good too!

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

Too late...just kidding. If I ever find the time to construct a spinning blade stunt lightsaber myself, I would probably go for either the ANH Graflex version or the ANH Vader "Barbican" stunt lightsaber. But I would love to add a "screen-accurate" ROTJ stunt lightsaber blade to my V3 once we found out what the production used back then.

Never too late for you, Tom. If you're interested drop me a line.

 

[thd9791]

Too late...just kidding. If I ever find the time to construct a spinning blade stunt lightsaber myself, I would probably go for either the ANH Graflex version or the ANH Vader "Barbican" stunt lightsaber. But I would love to add a "screen-accurate" ROTJ stunt lightsaber blade to my V3 once we found out what the production used back then.

Never too late for you, Tom. If you're interested drop me a line.

What a cool name. Dude's named Tom must be super awesome.

Source: Am a Tom.

I have aluminum Ski poles on their way to me, used. Given the thwack noise, I assume some blades were composite, but this will be the first correct profile/shape I'll have in my hands. Hopefully they're the right thickness (larger of 3 standard diameters for ski poles)

 

[Halliwax]

Keep us posted!