Who here has actually built stuff for the movies? SHOW and tell.
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Lflank
Well-Known Member
Well, I've never had a job in Hollywood and have only been there once as a tourist--but I did make screen-used props for one movie . . .
Back in 2005 when Costner was making "The Guardian", I worked for a company that made scuba diving masks, and we had the contract to make all the masks used by the Coast Guard rescue divers. (They are essentially ordinary scuba masks with little clamps attached to the top, which hold small glow-stick thingies that allow the divers to signal to the helicopters.) So when Costner's production company needed masks for the movie, they came to us. And since I was the guy who made all the Coast Guard's masks, I ended up making 24 masks for them, IIRC.
As it turned out, everyone in the film used the actual Coast Guard masks I made, on screen, except for Costner. The real masks are two-lens, and Costner didn't like that because it covered so much of his face. So he ended up using a single-plate mask in the film, which the Coast Guard doesn't actually use, but which let his face be more visible on camera.
So that is my Hollywood claim to fame.
Back in 2005 when Costner was making "The Guardian", I worked for a company that made scuba diving masks, and we had the contract to make all the masks used by the Coast Guard rescue divers. (They are essentially ordinary scuba masks with little clamps attached to the top, which hold small glow-stick thingies that allow the divers to signal to the helicopters.) So when Costner's production company needed masks for the movie, they came to us. And since I was the guy who made all the Coast Guard's masks, I ended up making 24 masks for them, IIRC.
As it turned out, everyone in the film used the actual Coast Guard masks I made, on screen, except for Costner. The real masks are two-lens, and Costner didn't like that because it covered so much of his face. So he ended up using a single-plate mask in the film, which the Coast Guard doesn't actually use, but which let his face be more visible on camera.
So that is my Hollywood claim to fame.
Propmasters
Member
Hello Chris,
Thank you for taking the time with your interesting post, you sure have contributed to some great movies.
best regards,
David
Thank you for taking the time with your interesting post, you sure have contributed to some great movies.
best regards,
David
Wow... I just read through your resume there. Very cool!
I am a true fan of the work you have done.
So I finally got some pictures of things I've built, or helped build, for movies. Most of my work is miniatures and costumes. Most of the prop work I've done has been for commercials.
Interstellar
I was the lead model maker on Interstellar.
Dark Knight Rises
The smaller plane was a miniature
Guardians of the Galaxy
Unfortunately I only worked on this one for about a week. We did a lot of elements shoots.
For this shot I built a buck of Rocket's ship, that we ran at the camera on cables, and set off a charge on the front of the ship to get the fire ball. The fire ball was then comped into the cg shot.
X-Men Days of Future Past
Helped build this full size Sentinel
Iron Man 3
Helped build the MK 42 armor
Helped build the Iron Patriot armor
And helped build a break away Dummy and all the armors (MK1 through MK7) for the hall of armor
The Dictator
We built a 25' section of an ICBM
Battleship
More pyro bucks
Hugo
Helped build the train and the train station
Also worked on The Avengers, among others, But I don't have any pictures to show. Most of what we did was pyro bucks.
Jonathan
Interstellar
I was the lead model maker on Interstellar.
Dark Knight Rises
The smaller plane was a miniature
Guardians of the Galaxy
Unfortunately I only worked on this one for about a week. We did a lot of elements shoots.
For this shot I built a buck of Rocket's ship, that we ran at the camera on cables, and set off a charge on the front of the ship to get the fire ball. The fire ball was then comped into the cg shot.
X-Men Days of Future Past
Helped build this full size Sentinel
Iron Man 3
Helped build the MK 42 armor
Helped build the Iron Patriot armor
And helped build a break away Dummy and all the armors (MK1 through MK7) for the hall of armor
The Dictator
We built a 25' section of an ICBM
Battleship
More pyro bucks
Hugo
Helped build the train and the train station
Also worked on The Avengers, among others, But I don't have any pictures to show. Most of what we did was pyro bucks.
Jonathan
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joshvanrad
Sr Member
More Ranger shots!
This is all I have of the Ranger.
1:15 scale Ranger
And although we didn't use it much, more 1:5 scale Ranger
Wow.
if I could pick my dream job, it would be a prop or set builder. I love working and building. I am currently building an r2 unit. That's how I found this site. Friends on astromech lead me here and I'm glad they did.
the devil is in the details and in my opinion, that's what gives the separation between hoby to pro.
dare to dream
if I could pick my dream job, it would be a prop or set builder. I love working and building. I am currently building an r2 unit. That's how I found this site. Friends on astromech lead me here and I'm glad they did.
the devil is in the details and in my opinion, that's what gives the separation between hoby to pro.
dare to dream
Xenuprime
Member
As much as I love all of those movies, I just have to say, FANTASTIC job on Interstellar!
And great job on everything else too man. It must be a blast.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
Uridium
Sr Member
Swgeek, I know you are not posting for fame, but I have to say, the model work in Interstellar blew me away. Not once during that film did I ever feel that these were not real spaceships. Fantastic!
I did a project with the Stan Winston Academy awhile back and saw your Interstellar ship and Rocket Raccoon buck hanging about the studio. :thumbsup
Thanks a lot! I appreciate it. I'm glad you thought it looked so good. It was a lot of hard work by a lot of people. A great mix of cgi, miniatures, and full size vehicles.
Cool. I miss working with those guys. Really good group of people.
Not something I built but more so helped supply. My mrs and I did a road trip through America in December 2012. When we were in Alberqueque, New Mexico we went to the Walter White House. There were set designers 'oldifying' the house. They were sticking up these yellow 'do not trespass' signs on the temp fencing and didn't have ties to hold the signs on the fence.
Me being the prepared traveller handed over a roll of sticky tape, cable ties and helped put the signs up. We were invited back the next day to watch them film the scene. Got to meet Bryan Cranston and Vince Gilligan too which was awesome.
This is nothing compared to what a lot of you guys have done! Haha. When I eventually watch the rest of Breaking Bad and see that episode I can say 'I helped put them tiny signs up' lol
Me being the prepared traveller handed over a roll of sticky tape, cable ties and helped put the signs up. We were invited back the next day to watch them film the scene. Got to meet Bryan Cranston and Vince Gilligan too which was awesome.
This is nothing compared to what a lot of you guys have done! Haha. When I eventually watch the rest of Breaking Bad and see that episode I can say 'I helped put them tiny signs up' lol
omarelzayatie
New Member
Kind of looks like a modded P90
On the "I provided" end of the spectrum, I've had two things that I'm proud of...
First...The R&J Domes that my friend Ron and I created for the R2 Builders group have now ended up in the last two Star Wars films. One was used for Obi-Wan's R4-P17 that was destroyed by the buzz droids...As seen here...
One of our domes is also on R2-KT which had a few "blink and you miss it" moments in the new film...
I also provided the helmet tusks for this helmet from Episode 3...
I still have the check from ILM for the tusks.
Jason
First...The R&J Domes that my friend Ron and I created for the R2 Builders group have now ended up in the last two Star Wars films. One was used for Obi-Wan's R4-P17 that was destroyed by the buzz droids...As seen here...
One of our domes is also on R2-KT which had a few "blink and you miss it" moments in the new film...
I also provided the helmet tusks for this helmet from Episode 3...
I still have the check from ILM for the tusks.
Jason
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