AMIE robot form The Red Planet

...
Can the real AMEE please stand up? ...

Love it! You have made me want to see the movie again and as already stated, for relating factoids about the set etc is ALWAYS very interesting and we (I) love that stuff! Many thanks for your info here and I blame you (GaryArm) for getting me a little too interested in AMEE. :)
 
this is so cool, thanks for the info garyarm!! In doing my research for the head sculpt I noticed the digital AMEE actually had a few changes during the movie in a few parts. makes it extremely hard to pick a single design to sculpt...
 
I think that a general feeling of AMEE should be drawn up and lock that in as the definitive look for her
Like the R2 D2's I had access to the original metal R2s from "A New Hope" when I was at Skywalker Ranch, and there are some small differences from film to film,
so the R2 club did blue prints to lock down the look and it meant that their parts were all interchangeable and standardized among members.
This would be the best way to proceed with AMEE.

Oh.. another thing I just remember was well before filming had commenced on Red Planet Val Kilma visited the studio (Mars Productions) and came around to meet all the crew. I have never seen any actor do that before or since, and he was a very nice guy to talk to.
Whereas another Hollywood Star ( I will not name him ) that came down here to do a big budget action film insisted that the entire crew had to singe a contract that stated that
no one was to talk to him unless he spoke first
when he was walking we had to make an open path
no one was to be in his line of sight
and many more rules, if you broke any one rule it was instant dismissal.

Having a set of definitive plans would encourage other RPF member into also building an AMEE
It would be great if Warner Br would release the digital files, they are not likely to do a sequel after all this time
That's an Idea, does anyone have any contacts to get hold of some of the animation files?
how many R2's would you like.jpg
 
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I think that a general feeling of AMEE should be drawn up and lock that in as the definitive look for her
Like the R2 D2's I had access to the original metal R2s from "A New Hope" when I was at Skywalker Ranch, and there are some small differences from film to film,
so the R2 club did blue prints to lock down the look and it meant that their parts were all interchangeable and standardized among members.
This would be the best way to proceed with AMEE.

Oh.. another thing I just remember was well before filming had commenced on Red Planet Val Kilma visited the studio (Mars Productions) and came around to meet all the crew. I have never seen any actor do that before or since, and he was a very nice guy to talk to.
Whereas another Hollywood Star ( I will not name him ) that came down here to do a big budget action film insisted that the entire crew had to singe a contract that stated that
no one was to talk to him unless he spoke first
when he was walking we had to make an open path
no one was to be in his line of sight
and many more rules, if you broke any one rule it was instant dismissal.

Having a set of definitive plans would encourage other RPF member into also building an AMEE
It would be great if Warner Br would release the digital files, they are not likely to do a sequel after all this time
That's an Idea, does anyone have any contacts to get hold of some of the animation files?
View attachment 493702


I like the idea of a set blue print of some kind. and this picture rocks. Hollywood can have there actors. we have a myth buster...
 
Thanks Sean ...but I am just a humble model maker down here in Australia, not a Myhtbuster.
AS far as I can recall, I have never met Jamie but I may have encountered or worked with Adam many many years ago.
As for talking about memories lapses, on a previous posting talking about Val Kilmer, I made a big mistake by not mentioning fellow Aussie, Hue Jackman.
All the rumors that you have heard about Hue being the nicest person in showbiz are true, he goes out of his way to get to know everyone on the crew, there is no Them/Us thing that I have seen with other people, he is just a really great down to earth guy
 
I have the AMEE unfold video's and I think I have a couple other "test" video's from the old w.b. RED PLANET website before they pulled them. but like I said its all on my comp tower, buried in my storage unit somewhere. if I can get it out I will try to post the video's!! and yeah im THAT BIG OF A FAN!! LOL :love
 
Just watched Red Planet again, I think I see the differences, esp in the "face" of AMEE between the prop and the CGI version. I also paid attention to how many (few actually) scenes where the two leads (keeping names out of it as the original poster has suggested) are pictured together. It actually becomes obvious at times. Little tidbits like that make watching more rewarding.

Might be common knowledge to those that have seen it more that myself, but I thought I spotted a scene where someone was carrying the bust rig (whatever you call the chest piece) once they were down to 3 crew members yet all three had theirs on. Might just be me... it always makes me wonder how editors (and related professions) let stuff like that go when it's their job, and nobody's like me see this stuff. :)
 
Hi Rodewaryer
I wouldn't be so hard on the editors, (I've been in this situation, being the editor on some smalls films ) You can have the Director and/or producer breathing down your neck to do it their way, you don't have any alternative shots to use etc. Things get by when you are under the crunch, every film has defects in it if you look close. Most Directors are still trying to refine their film when the studio takes it away from them for as petty a reason as the opening night :)
One such goof that comes to mind was the opening night of Laurence of Arabia, there was a scene in the desert and on the hill in the background a camera crane truck came rolling over, Now the editor didn't notice it on the old editing machines back then, but it really stood out on the big screen.
I used to be very critical of some props I 'd see on screen, how badly they are made or pore design work, but having been on the other side with budget and time constraints, I have become more forgiving.
Gary
 
Hi Rodewaryer
One such goof that comes to mind was the opening night of Laurence of Arabia, there was a scene in the desert and on the hill in the background a camera crane truck came rolling over, Now the editor didn't notice it on the old editing machines back then, but it really stood out on the big screen.
Gary

Gary, shouldn't that have been caught when they watched the dailies? I used to read about how they would go out and film westerns on location, only to see power lines, airplanes, roads with cars, ect. when they returned to the studio and watched the footage in the screening room. They didn't notice them when filming, because it was normal, and didn't standout until they saw it in the context of the western setting.

David.
 
Hi David
I don't know what the pressers were for the release of Laurence of Arabia, this was way before I entered the business.
I know of more recent shows that had scenes cut into the print just minutes before the first screening.
With the current trend of studios to shorten the time between "Green Lighting" projects and release dates, I am very surprised there is not an increase in goofs.
Maybe it's a reflection on the skills and dedication of today's crews.
Gary
 
I get the production pressures, time constraints etc. I really do, what really annoys me is the thought that maybe they think the audience is too dumb to notice, or some such thought. I hope I'm wrong.

Let me add a little fuel. We were watching Robinson Crusoe on Mars (ok, crappy one I know but it's from my younger days) and when our leading man enters a cave he's never been in, as they pan right, there's a fire extinguisher that they probably thought was out of view. Hey, at least they're safe on the set? ;-)
 
I agree with you Rodewaryer
But I think too many decision makers seem to have contempt for the publics intelligence. They expect them to be just in ore of the visuals and not to pay attention to the details. This is insane when they want people to come back again and again to their films. They believe the public will lap up any defective product they throw up.
I have worked for people like that in the past and it has usually ended up in conflict.
The fire extinguisher in ""Robinson Crusoe on Mars", I missed that one, but a more recent film that comes to mind is The Mummy with Brenden Fraser.
There is a scene in a bar with lots of extras in the background, one of the crew can be seen on the far left of screen, he thought he was not on camera.
A lot of Directors will go for a take that has the best performance from the actor rather than a technically perfect scene.
But if you look at any film too closely, you will always find defects in it.
Well thats me on my soap box again :)
David
I can't comment on that, as I am a little byest to Red Planet being a crew member.
 
Well I like Red Planet as well, and it had a great soundtrack, sure was better than MIssion to Mars (music ruined it IMO). Even with the dirt we now know about the male leads...

Looking forward to something more on the AMEE robot, if someone is really going to making a replica...
 
bump for the night crew....I know there are a few more people on this board that have worked in some capacity on this film. so come on folks, lets keep the thread alive!! hopefully GaryArm is digging up some cool pic's or something about the original AMEE model. :cool
 
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Hi guys and thanks Funboy1013xx for the support on this my first thread.
I have not been able to find any photos of the prop AMEE so they must be gone, sorry.
Although I can give you another bit of trivia about the film, the Russian probe that Val escapes in at the end of the film,
I ran into the prop on display at Movie World in Queensland Australia some time after the release of the film.
It took me by surprise as I hadn't seen it since it was in the studio in Sydney.
They had the probe with some other props including a full size submarine from the film The Phantom, which was shot at the Movie World Studios.
Currently they are shooting the next Pirates of the Caribbean there with Johnny Dep.
How long the probe was on display and where it went next I don't know, but it may no longer exists as it was mostly made from MDF
and that is not a material you leave exposed to the weather, as it was then displayed.
You are right Funboy
There must be others on this board that can contribute information on AMEE, if we can get enough data together, making blueprints would be possible
cheers guys
Gary
 
I believe the Russian escape pod is down in cali....somewhere. someone posted a pic of it on a different thread as they went to a "backlot" at a theme park?? or something and took pic's of all the different decaying ships, cars etc and that was one of them...... sooo sad! :facepalm
 
also simon baker's PETTINGILL "clean suit" is on flea-fee-e-bay now, been there for a while, and the price jumps anywhere from 600+ to 900+.....DURING THE AUCTION. I wonder if they know about "buy it now"?? if they will take 600 then just post it at "buy it now" uh duh...would love for someone who could afford it to get it for reference :thumbsup
 
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