Non-canon Firefly / Serenity Props

Mike J.

Master Member
Been on a bit of a Firefly kick lately...

- Cortex logon

- Ship's papers

- Movie currency

- Decals & stickers

- Series currency

- Eyechart

Ever since Whitefall's work showed up, I've been itchin' for more stuff...

I'm in the middle of some non-canon border moons / planets banknotes. My reasoning: Since we see coins, Alliance bills, and mystery bills; and we hear about Platinum; it is logical to assume that the coins are platinum. I'm guessing the Alliance currency is fiat money: 'This has value because we say so.' Cheaper to issue than money based on a commodity reserve (like gold in your treasury). Nobody can 'call in the debt' and take your commodity. Also, no one can use your money outside of where you say so — it would be worthless (unlike a commodity or precious metal).

I'm guessing that because Alliance presence (and hence, power) are weak along the fringes of the system, local governments might prefer a more 'real' monetary standard, hence platinum coins. Now, a banknote of any value would always have less mass and volume than a large coin, so banknotes would be better suited to concealment and transport ... Like being a smuggler.

Therefore, I propose that the TV series banknotes are local, border-world issues, backed by platinum coin. Also, notes can be exchanged at issuing banks for platinum coin.

So, like I said, I'm trying to make some border money in Photoshop. Started from a real asian banknote, too, just like the movie & series money. I figure I'm about 2/3 done with the front. And there's only a few months until the TV series visual companions come out, and we see what they used on screen (I hope). And because it's fictional, it can't be inaccurate.

Another idea that occurred to me is a train ticket from The Train Job.

'Course, there are all kinds of posters & maps in Mal's cabin, too...


-Mike
 
I keep looking at Civil War era replica pistols, especially the top-break designs. I think they would make a great base for a Firefly-esque gun. Glue on some greeblies and you'd have something similar to Jayne's modified Le Matt. I've got too many other projects going right now, but once some of these wrap up I'll be taking a crack at it.

I still want to modify a functioning PDA to mimic the Cortex device from the Two-hour pilot. The utilities for building the GUI were not as easy to use as I had originally hoped, and it's going to a LOT more time and effort than I can put into it right now. However, I have not abandoned the project... not by a long shot.

There are quite a few different style of ships in the TV series (and even more in the movie), and that opens a lot of room for scratch built and kit-bashed 'Verse models.
 
Brody -- great take on the money situation. Makes perfect sense.. I'd be interested in seeing what you come up with... :)

Hrmm.. I've not messed with my stuff in a while, but here's some of what I did come up with:

An Independent NCO belt (made from a Texas buckle replica from the US Civil War Era)
buckle.jpg

beltback.jpg



Cleaned up a PAL 5+ model, since I could actually find one. Still needs a speaker grill and (eventually I hope) an FRS radio inside. The one I got had a one-piece circuit board that wouldn't fit, so I'll have to find something else one of these days.
pal5_1.jpg

comlabel.gif



A sheet of "Kaylee" happy silly stickers. :)
stickers2.gif


A rimworld coin bag
ffstuff_front.gif


And one of these days I'd love a Mal-style carbine:
carbine2.gif



Full-res files for the stickers, PAL label or bank label are free for the asking if you want 'em -- I'll just need to find the CD they're on. Just PM me if you want 'em. :)
 
RedTwoX, did you consider making it an animated GIF? With the regular screen being the base, and the 'Unable to Connect' screen being the mouse-over or clicked one?

And I do like the movie & TV background ships. Especially the container ship from the opening of the movie. That's a nice design, deserved more screen-time. Only thing I've been able to find online is one guy's website; he did the train from Train Job. Some nice pics: http://www.leestringer.com/press.html and http://www.leestringer.com/gallery.html

Kaylee, nice job on the belt buckle and coin bag. I must have missed that the first time around. We all need piles of coins and cash and wallets and guns and and :lol

Here's a poster in Mal's cabin (movie):

g1_1.jpg


My bill preview:

bill.jpg



-Mike
 
<div class='quotetop'>(Sith Sheriff Brody @ Jun 4 2006, 10:38 AM) [snapback]1255970[/snapback]</div>
RedTwoX, did you consider making it an animated GIF? With the regular screen being the base, and the 'Unable to Connect' screen being the mouse-over or clicked one?
[/b]

What I want to do is a functional PDA interface, such as a GUI over Windows CE. That way you have your PDA with Address Book, Calendar, possibly email and mobile version of the Microsoft Office suites... but the screen looks like the Firefly cortex device. It's going to take a lot more than animated gif to pull that off ;)

I have some buddies who are prgrammers. They don't speficially work with GUI's, but they were familiar enough with the subject to point me in the right direction. There are actually a few open source utilities available to aid in this kind of work. There's just a learning curve that I haven't had time for yet.

I'm probably being too ambitious, but I'd really like to take a crack at it (it would a nice project to add to my professional resume as well as beeing a cool idealized prop). I could probably cobble together an interactive mockup that would just mimic the on-screen functionality (or rather, lack there of :lol ) in Director or Flash. I may go ahead and do that once I get some projects currently on my work bench finished. I've changed computers since the last time I did any really multi-media work... I think I need to reinstall Director and 3D Studio Max.
 
Those train pics are cool...anyone notice all the cars have different names on the side? Also did anyone notice the name on the side of the engine? "Bukakke Express"?.? :confused
 
That's what I was afraid it said...

There's some plausible deniability, though, given the 'weathering' and the resolution...

I prefer "Buckeye" Express.

I did email the guy a few days ago (OK, the 30th), hoping to get a pic of the train for my money — as yet, no response.


-Mike
 
im hoping to in the future to make a firefly fan film based straight after serenity the movie, im lookin at old western toy guns to see if i can pull of the effect of what they have on show
 
<div class='quotetop'>(dr_slurpee @ Jun 4 2006, 12:14 PM) [snapback]1256012[/snapback]</div>
Also did anyone notice the name on the side of the engine? "Bukakke Express"?.? :confused
[/b]

GROSS.
 
<div class='quotetop'>(jedipunk @ Jun 4 2006, 01:52 PM) [snapback]1256066[/snapback]</div>
<div class='quotetop'>(dr_slurpee @ Jun 4 2006, 12:14 PM) [snapback]1256012[/snapback]
Also did anyone notice the name on the side of the engine? "Bukakke Express"?.? :confused
[/b]

GROSS.
[/b][/quote]
Isn't that spelled Bukkake, the gross one that is? :eek:
 
Damn. Those crazy Japanese :angel

<div class='quotetop'>(dr_slurpee @ Jun 4 2006, 05:14 PM) [snapback]1256012[/snapback]</div>
Those train pics are cool...anyone notice all the cars have different names on the side? Also did anyone notice the name on the side of the engine? "Bukakke Express"?.? :confused
[/b]
 
<div class='quotetop'>(Great_Bizarro @ Jun 4 2006, 04:09 PM) [snapback]1256112[/snapback]</div>
<div class='quotetop'>(jedipunk @ Jun 4 2006, 01:52 PM) [snapback]1256066[/snapback]
<div class='quotetop'>(dr_slurpee @ Jun 4 2006, 12:14 PM) [snapback]1256012[/snapback]
Also did anyone notice the name on the side of the engine? "Bukakke Express"?.? :confused
[/b]

GROSS.
[/b][/quote]
Isn't that spelled Bukkake, the gross one that is? :eek:
[/b][/quote]

Indeed it is (both the spelling and the gross part)...I actually mispelled it on my post. My question is, what was he thinking putting that there?
 
This got derailed quickly :rolleyes

okay, bad joke... I'm sorry :confused

I watched "Heart of Gold" again this week end. In the early "Dining room" scene with Inara and Mal, when Mal is cleaning his guns, you can clearly see a top break pistol like I mentioned in my first post.

I've been looking, and I think the one I like best is the M1869 Smith and Wesson

sandwm18691hb.jpg


I think it has the proper size and look to make a very nice 'Verse sidearm in the theme of Jayne's modified Le Matt. It just needs some appropriate greeblies bolted to it... maybe bob the hammer or hide it in some kind of shell around the gun. That would kind of split the difference been Mal's pistol and Jayne's.

Hmmmm... perhaps I need to rearrange priorities on the work bench next this coming week end :love Or just get off my butt and get some things aready there finished.
 
<div class='quotetop'>(Sith Sheriff Brody @ Jun 5 2006, 09:32 PM) [snapback]1256943[/snapback]</div>
Well, it's do that, or argue about the spelling of 'bukake'. :lol


-Mike
[/b]

Fortunately in this thread you can do both at the same time. ;)
 
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