The International Journal of Imaginative Modelling and Special Effects

Special Issue

the making of the movie miniatures

'
Voyager & Deep Spare Nine
Foundation Imaging exclusive effects report

354 302010
 mm
Top: Borgified Voyager, Scorpion Part 2 and The Gift.

Above: Hirogen 3D rendering from Hunters.

Above right: Passing over the top of Brandon’s Galor-Class

Cruiser.

Right: Neelix faces a horrifying image - Alixia disintegrating

before his eyes.

Nebula Class Starship, Message in a Bottle.

Year of Excellence
Ron Thornton and the Foundation
Imaging team on creating VFX for Star
Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine.
See page 50.
article
 .

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

From the editorial desk...

Now we are Two
—important news for every reader ofSci-Fi & Fantasy Modeb magazine. note, therefore, that Effects Special will only be available in the UK
directfrom Next. Millennium Publishing Ltd. from selected specialist ,

...To Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models, November, 1998 — a sister stores, Comet Miniatures and the Manchester Model Shop. We repeat,
magazine. Weighing in at a healthy 96 A4 pages. Perfect bound with these are the only outlets in the UK
that will stock this unique
a laminated cover and sixteen pages of colour. The proud parents collectors’ edition, so we advise you to reserve your copy now by
have decided to name her Effects Special Collector’s Edition turning to the advance order advertisement on the back page of this
1.1.; the 1.1 denoting year one, issue one. You see, Effects Special magazine.
is the new baby that will be putting in an appearance twice a year

from now on, supplementing your regular diet of eight issues per If you’re reading outside the UK, Effects Special will be
year of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models magazine. available through Diamond Comics stores, selected book stores and
our subscription agent in the US and Canada (Tangents - Sellers
What can you expect from our new companion magazine, which of the finest in Sci-fi Publications, Products, and other cool stuff!
draws on five years experience of special effects coverage in SF&F? http://tangents-sf.com). Rest of World readers please order direct
• All-new articles and pictures for one thing — Effects Special is from us - postage details are given on the back page of this
not a reprint but a totally new magazine concept. magazine.
• All-FX articles for another, bringing you fascinating text and knockout

shots from some of the biggest names in the industry, covering film Gotta go - Dave and myself now have ten magazines a year to
and TV miniatures, animatronics, creature making, special makeups, bring you. Looks like we’ll be taking our holidays at night...
body armour, props and CGI.
See you in six and a half weeks, with issue 33 of Sci-Fi &
If you’re a regular SF&F reader we think you’ll love Effects Special. Fantasy Models.
We want to be sure you are able
to get your hands on a copy, however
- consider issue one of SF&F is now, changing hands at
how rare Mike Reccia
conventions for many times its original cover price, and with Editor, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models magazine.
many readers wishing they’d snapped up a copy at the time. Please Editor, Effects Special magazine.

Contents 32
State of the Art - news roundup 6 Project: Shadows ship scratchbuild 34

FX Miniatures and Creature making: Gargantua 8 US Moviewatch: breaking news 35

CGI: creating Lurker’s Roar 14 Statescene: US kit/collectable roundup 36

Event: Mad Model Party 15 CGI: the unseen designs of Lost in Space, pt II 29

Kit Review: A-B Models’ Thunderbird 4 19 Kit Review: Nodding Alien/Bog Monster 41

Hangar 57: reader projects 22 Kit Review: Nautilus times two 42

FX miniatures: THE X-FILES 24 Interview: Bernard Carr, Terrahawks model maker, pt II 46

Prosthetics: Vampire Hag 32 FX Special: Foundation Imaging’s FX for Voyager and DS9 . . 2&50

Editorial team
Co-Publisher/Editor: Michael G. Reccia • Co-Publisher/Art and Production: David Openshaw
Contributors this issue:
Jay Adan • George Cairns Bernard Carr • John Cox • Karl Derrick • Marc Frattasio • Bob Gould • Tim Hooper • John Lane • Glenn Ludgate
•
• Jim Key
Simon Roykirk • Anthony Taylor • Geoff Topping • Ron Thornton and the staff of Foundation Imaging • David Tremont

Editorial address:
57 Lynwood Avenue, Clayton-Le-Moors, Near Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 5RR, U.K.
Web http :// www. nextmill. demon. co . uk
U.K. publishing dates (1998): 8 Dec; (1999): 22 Jan, 10 Mar, 23 Apr, 4 Jun, 21 Jul, 9 Sept, 26 Oct, 8 Dec.
Distributed by Seymour: Tel: 0171 396 8000 Fax: 0171 396 8002

ADVERTISING RATES: On application to - 57 Lynwood Avenue, Clayton-Lc-Moors, Near Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 5RR, England.
EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS: Readers are invited to submit articles and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such articles and cannot accept responsibility for any loss. Letters
intended for publication should be sent to: Incoming, 5?'Lynwood Anemic, Clayton-Le-Moors, Near Accrington, Lancashitv, England, BBS MIR.
Please note: No personal replies can be given. Appropriate letters will be answered in the “Incoming” pages.

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by our contributors are not necessarily shared by Next Millennium Publishing Ltd. Every care is taken to ensure that the contents ofSci-Fi &Fantasy Models magazine are accurate,
but the Publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors. All news is accepted in good faith and responsibility for accuracy, copyright of photographs, artwork and illustrations lies with the contributor. Reasonable
careis taken when accepting advertising. However, the Publishers cannot accept any responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions or any inaccuracies contained within ads themselves.
They will, however,
endeavour to investigate any written complaints. All resin and limited-run kits and collectables submitted to the Publishers' offices for the purposes of review arc approached in good faith and at face value by the Publishers
and/or their writers for editorial purposes. Responsibility for any necessary licencing and/or honouring of copyrights of such kits and collectables where applicable lies entirely with their manufacturers/ distributors.
The Publishers cannot accept any responsibility for kits which arc subsequently found not to have been properly licenced, which have been produced without the relevant permissions or legal consents, or which have
been copied without permission from other kits. Any complaints will, however, be investigated, and any offenders excluded from future issues of tills magazine.

Published in the UK by: Next Millennium Publishing Limited • Reg. Office: 564 Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth, Rossendale, Lancashire, BB4 8AJ. Registered in England and Wales: No. 2933721.

3
 !

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Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

STATE
Your guide to what’s new and happening
./.*«
in
ART
SF&F modelling

Effects Special
launched by Next Millennium
Special limited offer on companion title

T he first issue
Effects Special,
the twice-
yearly, all-effects-stories
96-page companion
of

magazine to Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models, will be

published in November. UK readers should
note that they can only obtain copies from
Comet Miniatures, Forbidden Planet stores, selected
specialist stores, Manchester Model Shop and direct
from Next Millennium Publishing. in effect from December 1st. onwards. Effects

By using the token printed on the back page Special includes in-depth stories and remarkable

of this magazine (you can photostat it ifyou do shots, covers film and TV miniatures, prosthetics,
not wish to damage your issue) UK
readers creatures and special makeups, hand props,
can send for a copy of Effects Special body armour and CGI, and features the work
POST-FREE if their order reaches us BEFORE of many of the top names in the industry.
NOVEMBER 30th. This is a saving of over one Check our web pages for further updates:
pound on normal postage prices, which will be http:/ 1www. nextmill demon co uk
. . .

Lunar Prospector Fusion Core Lighting Kit

Card Kit D . F.
unit to
Howard Enterprises have produced
fit
a fusion core lighting
Polar Lights' classic Jupiter II kit. The unit
incorporates 32 LEDs and a circuit board, with eight active

M (
agellan have extended their range of laser cut card stock models
Voyager, Galileo, Magellan, Hubble, Keck, Mars Global Surveyor)
to include the Lunar Prospector. This spacecraft began orbiting
the Moon in January 1998,
with one of its principal tasks
being to search for water in the
LEDs
The
rotating in pattern as seen on the television series miniature.
speed of the rotating lights can be adjusted via a switch from hovering
(slow) to in-flight (fast). Powered by a single 9 volt battery (not
included), no assembly is required and the unit installs easily without
interfering with lower deck detailing. Unit is $19.95 (cheque or
money order) plus $4.00
shipping and handling (UK
polar regions. Magellan's
readers send money order for
assembled model is around
the same amount), or Polar Lights
12" (30cm) overall and is priced
Jupiter II model kit plus lighting
at £11.50 including p&p.
unit: $41.95 plus $6.00 shipping
Magellan, 1, Breadcroft Lane,
and handling. D.F. Enterprises,
Woodlands Park, Maidenhead,
Inc., Dept. 101, 2118 Selzer
Berks, SL6 3NU, UK.
Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, 44109.

MST3K Bot Building Booklet

he tongue in cheek sci fi cable show Mystery Science Theater
3000 pokes fun at grade B horror and science fiction movies with
the aid of wise-cracking robots
scratchbuiltfrom a variety of items including
ARKANE
EFFECTS
Tupperware, toys, cast resin and vacuum iPtCWL MAl£t-lP. £ CELATURL5
form parts. Now modeller fans of the series
can create their own exact replicas of Crow, Special-effects teeth and other dental prostheses designed,
FABRICATED AND FITTED • PROSTHETIC MAKE-UP APPLIANCES • MODELS
Tom Servo and Gypsy by referring to a new, and Props • Custom design and fabrication of all kinds
officially licenced 16-page colour booklet
written and illustrated by Gary Glover Karl Derrick
which details how to build the cult figures. 9A Ruislip Road, Greenford, Middlesex,
For further information: UB6 9EQ, United Kingdom.
http://www.mst3kinfo.com/ or write: Tel/Fax 01 1 44 181 575 7550
MST3K Fan Club, P.O. Box 5325, Hopkins, www. arkane-effects demon .co.uk
,

MN. 55343. Tel: 612 941 8024. karl@arkane-effects. demon .co. uk

6
 2 . . :

State of the Art

Comet News
TB2 Gold
Godzilla collectables
Comet have in stock a large range of Godzilla collectables based
on old and new versions of the monster. From Medicom, and
limited to 6000 pieces worldwide, is a 1954 Godzilla rubber suit
Itmi have produced a gold-plated version of their special edition (ie: accurate)
version toy featuring velcro strip spine which opens to reveal an
Thunderbird kit, available from Comet Miniatures at £25.00 plus p&p. Also
Action Joe doll of Nakamura inside the monster. The doll is nude,
available is a limited edition Imai FAB one kit which includes a 2" tall resin
but a T-shirt and shorts are included for collectors who prefer the
wooden base at £29.50 plus p&p. Comet have a small quantity
Parker figure with
overheated monster operator in more modest attire! £125.00
of Imai Shado Mobile and Sky One kits remaining at £12.50 each plus p&p.
post free.
44" Eagle
Skura Wars
Because of the advanced-order success of their 22" Eagle transporter kit,
Three 1/8 scale girl figures from Skura Wars are in stock at Comet at£12.50
A-B Modeb are set to produce a 44" version of the craft in June of next
each plus p&p.
year, complete with oxygen cylinder for jet nozzle take-off and landing
effects as seen on the studio miniatures. The kit will be priced between Dr. No Bond
£800-£999 and Tony at Comet tells us only 10 to 20 kits will be produced. A 12" ActionJoe doll in tuxedo, depicting Sean Connery asJames Bond from
Enquiries are invited from serious modellers only. Doctor No and limited to 6000 numbered pieces, has been released by
Medicom and is available from Comet at £99.00 post free.
Kicking Lee
A brand new 1/5 scale Bruce Lee kit in kicking pose, limited to 50 copies, 1999 exclusive
available now at Comet for £69.50 plus £3.00 p&p.
is To celebrate 1999 as an important year for the genre modeller, Comet
will be stocking a 1/8 John Koenig in spacesuit figure with stun gun
Titanic special
and clear visor at approximately £25.00 plus p&p.
Comet have a limited number of the Cinefex Titanic Japanese special issues
in stock at £25.00 plus £2.50 carriage. Titanic collectors will also be interested
MPC are set to reissue their Space:1999 1/72 scale eagle transporter

in three new Chinese Zhen kits of the ship - a 1/550 scale 20" version at
and Alpha Moonbase kits at approximately £13 -15.00 each in early
£29.50 plus p&p; a 1/720 version, pre-moulded in colour at £19.50 plus January, 1999. Tony promises further release news next issue but
urges 1999 fans to advance-order these limited edition kits from
p&p; and the same kit with additional motor unit and interior lighting
at £27.50 plus p&p.
Comet now.

Playing Mantis genre diecasts

Due for release late November from Playing Mantis are eight TV/movie New Classic Porcelain dolls
Subject to licencing approval from Polygram Records, Comet
The line-up is as follows: Back to The Future
associated diecast cars.
car; Monkeemobile, Blues Bros. Bhiesmobilc] Blues Bros. 2000 Bhiesmobile; Miniatures, in conjunction with a Japanese distribution company
Starsky and Hutch car, Partridge Family Bus, Dragnet Sedan, and Classic Porcelains ,
will, over the next eighteen months, be
Andy Griffiths Patrol Car. Each diecast is £6.00 plus £1.50 p&p from producing a series of 14" tall Thundcrbirds dolls. Each piece will
Comet, or buy all eight for £45.00, post free. Also available are two new be finished to the high standards of the larger Classic Porcelain doll
Wacky Races diecasts at £6.00 each plus £1 .50 p&p — Dick Dastardly and range and be limited to 2000 units. The first dolls should be
Mutley’s rocket car and Penelope Pitstop’s Compact Pussycat. available in Jan/Feb 1999.

US Moviewatch
Justin Thyme
is going to be merged into Toy Biz

— the company that produces the

Marvel line of toys?).
At this point you’re probably
in light of which
to step
the
we have chosen
down from the Board. As
Company needs us less, and
functions more self-sufficiently,
more confused than I am and I’ve Stan and I feel that our creative
What a Tangled Web... Variety article twice, (which you now read over the articles three energies are best applied to our

T hings might be looking up for

the oft-rumored Spiderman
movie. According to an August 19th.
can find on the web at
http://www.variety.com/article.aspPart
icleID= 11 17479641) and I still
more times as I write this. The
short story is that a judge has said
that enough is enough and it’s time
core businesses, which are film
production and character creation.
We will, of course, continue to
article in Variety, U.S. District can’t really figure it out completely. to sort it Does that mean that
out. use Digital Domain’s world-class
Court Judge Roderick McKelvie It all started in 1985 (yes, 13 years we’ll see a Spiderman movie before visual effects services on our various
in Delaware, who is presiding ago)when Maivel sold rights to The the turn of the century? I wouldn’t future projects, on a non-exclusive
over Marvel Entertainment Group's Cannon Group... The Cannon hold my breath. basis.”
Chapter 11 reorganization, decided Group went belly up and the two Still, this doesn’t keep people Statement by Digital Domain
that long-halted litigation in partners involved in that company from getting excited about a treatment “Digital Domain would like to thank
California could proceed. went two different companies.
to that was circulating at the latest Jim Cameron and Stan Winston for
What does that mean? One of which was 21st Centuiy Film Comicon International — supposedly their tremendous contribution to
Well, it means diat there is a good Corp... who ended up with the written by James Cameron himself. . our company over the last five
chance that all of the parties Spiderman deal. This is where years. As Digital Domain lias matured,
involved in the morass of legal the article starts to get fuzzy. Cameron and Winston the company has attained an
red tape may have to get together MGM was somehow involved in Bow out of DD increasing degree of self-sufficiency.
soon and sort it all out. Additionally, of this and somewhere between
all ames Cameron and Stan Winston, We truly appreciate their contributions
the judge mentioned that if the 1989 and 1992 decided that they two of the founders of Digital and sincerely look forward to future
California court is “unable to had perpetual rights to the property. omain, have resigned from the opportunities to work together.
timely adjudicate” the rights issue, Now throwRCA/Columbia
in board of directors of that company. Although there have been these
he would resolve the dispute who bought home video rights (and The following are the pre-releases changes to the Board, please keep
himself. Now this seems like it were later acquired by Sony) and from all parties. . in mind that both Jim and Stan
means that this tangled web of Carolco who were later sold more Statement by Cameton & Lightstorm: maintain their very significant
property rights is almost over and movie rights. Catolco then goes under “Stan Winston and I are founders ownership stake in Digital Domain
somebody could get down to the and MGM buys their rights to the of one of the best effects studios in and we look forward to continuing
businessof putting a movie together Spiderman movie — making the business, and are very proud of to work with both Jim and Stan in
except for the fact that there are things even messier. Through all DigitalDomain's accomplishments. the future.”
some major players involved in this of this Marvel is just trying to However, the evolution and growth What does it all mean? Who
sortie and none of them seem bring the rights back into their home of the Company have inevitably led knows?
likely to give in easily. turf to sell them yet again (by the to a change in the anticipated roles
To be honest, I read the whole way, did I mention that Marvel and contributions of its Founders, . . . Continued on page 35

7
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Gargantua
Creating miniatures for a big monster movie.
David Tremont of The Model Smiths
Ocean going animals, mutated to gigantic sizes due to toxic waste, stomp on a small island town...

W first heard of Gargantua then called Project X, in late November of 1997,

e ,

from the same people we worked with on 20,000 Leagues Under The
Sea. We read a memo, from the effects supervisor in the ’States, which
included a tentative miniatures list and scales to build at. This ranged from large
underwater and beach landscapes to sections of the town to be crushed and a selection
around it were photographed and
measured. In all, over 600 shots of
the marina, town and details were
taken for our reference. We catalogued
every plank and how worn it was,
every oil and paint spill and so on.
At the time it wasn’t clear how
close to the model the camera
of boats and ’planes to be destroyed.
would come as the sequence hadn’t
Budgets and time were against A miniature of the marina was elements. been Finally storyboarded. The
everyone, so this list was rapidly required as it had to be damaged in Because the marina had to be structures on the surface were also
reduced and the size of the monster a confrontation with the beast and destroyed, we decided to build it exactly built fragile, either out of balsa,
was set at 1 /4 scale. then blown up. A further build die real one with scaled balsa wood
like thin fibreglass or heavy aluminium
Our final build list was a 1/4 was a 1/10 scale underwater landscape planks.The whole surface of the real foil.

scale marina, to match a full size with toxic waste drums to be used marina was photographed and Michael and Tony worked for
location, and a section of the town. as background plates for C.G. mapped and all the details on and over a week doing scale drawings of

Concrete piles and framing starting to go together. Tony setting details down on the first two planked sections.
 Gargantua
details in-between putting the
marina together. Crew:
With the piles finished, they
were then screwed down to the Model Makers-
tables and set at their odd angles. The David Tremont
framing was then placed on diese with Michael Daczynski
minimal superglue to allow them to EricBackman
come apart easily. This made it Tony Voevodin
move the model as the
difficult to Alana Leong
on popping. The task of
joints kept Brett Harrison
laying all on then started.
the planks Andrew Sturmey
There were over 200 planks cut
and textured with a wire brush, to
match, as closely as possible, the technique as before. The danger
real planks. These were numbered of making a fragile model look like
so as to not mix them up and then sturdy metal is that when people visit
painted before assembly so that no they think that it is sturdy metal
—
raw balsa would show when diey were until they bend it. Golden rule — play
blown apart. Laying them was just safe, don’t touch other peoples’
a matter of running a small line of models.
superglue along each beam then The bowser was made out of
dropping the planks on. This was thin fibreglass and styrene and the
very quick to do compared to checker plate fire hydrant box was
making them in the first place. We cast in thin resin. Interesting place
later went in and popped up random to have a fire hydrant if the bowser
planks to more closely match the goes up. This was the starting point
unevenness of the real marina. for the explosion and so, before
Aging and all paint details were being set with pyros, it was broken
done at the same time the structure into many pieces and lightly glued
went together using acrylics and back together.
Floquil paints. The signs, lamps, trolley, tracks,
The shed at the end of the marina ladders and poles were aluminium,
had a balsa frame with aluminium balsa and styrene, and, as with
foil squeezed in a corrugated press everything else, designed to break.
Top: Bowser and shed details and above: miniature crane. for the roofing and gutters folded Again, without knowing the final
out of foil. These were then heavily sequence, we took no chances and
all the structures and details and out of PVC piping, wood and corroded using a solution of caustic made everything breakable.
then the big task of cutting all the styrene sheet. This was moulded with soda and painted with washes of With a model like this that has to
balsa planks started. The local balsa and die final pieces were made
silicone acrylic paints. cut in and match the live action
suppliers were very happy. At 1/4 out of tinted plaster for the fragile All the signage at the location shoot, dressing has to be very
scale, the marina came to 11.5 value. Alana then set about diem widi was photographed and then scanned, accurate. On set, the final dressing
metres long and, for ease of transport, ahammer and pliers to break and scaled using Photoshop, then printed usually happens on the day at the
was built on 3 separate tables. It damage each of them to match the out. Signagematched the real things director’s discretion and getting
had to be moved into one of die stages The thick green
location piles. perfectly, with the advantage of these references relied on viewing
for some orange screen shots then growths were done with acrylic being able to add a softness to give the rushes and pictures taken that
out into die paddock for die big pyro. paints and saw dust and odier colours which meant
the signs a better scale, night.
There is a great satisfaction in and washes were achieved with photographing the model from The model was towed down to
building large models of existing Floquil paints. Shaped balsa, textured two metres away would create the stage 2,behind a fork lift, where it
structures, especially when they with a wire brush, was used for look of the real one at eight metres couple ofweeks while live
sat for a
have as much texture as the marina the poles set into the piles. away. were done before being
action shots
had. Running parallel with this David, The crane was made out of thin, set into positionand the dressings
Tony started with the pattern Michael, Eric, Tony, Brett, Alana rolled aluminium and styrene sheet, put into their places. For these
for die concrete piles, which was made and Andrew worked on the structure painted and aged with the same shots — the interaction with the

David next to the marina in front of the orange screen. Marina details in front of the orange screen.

9
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Bruce Phillips lines up a shot with Mum. A bowser detail.

Detail section of the Police station courtyard. Mum getting ready to do battle with the soldiers.
monster - only the last two thirds time as construction were building a matter of screwing all our pieces The whole set had to be lifted
of the model was used. When done, the sets, on location, so it made it to the tables with painted fake fur high enough to clear a background
it was put back into the corner to difficult at times to know what for grass and dirt for the rest of it. fence as well as level on a sloping
it

await its final destruction. was to be used and what belonged With allthe main shots done it ground. Each piece was lifted and

Eric built four 1/4 scale boats to to the builders. Added to this was was time to get the model ready levelled on then legs
a fork lift

be used as dressing, which were the occasional change to the set for its destruction. The sequence and braces screwed to the bottom
subsequendy not used. These were which meant a change on the model. involved a soldier accidentally of it. All crews moved in to start
built by screwing ‘boat shaped’ There was to be no destruction shooting the bowser at the end of setting up the lights, rigs, etc.,while

formers to a board then bending and on the Police Station, so it was the marina, blowing it up and we Finished the last of the dressing
gluing thin ply around them. This built out of custom wood with all igniting the fuel lines along its and wiring on the model. In all it
box shape was then lifted off and the dressings such as windows and length. took two days to get ready.
detailed with seats, ribs, gunwales, doors, etc., done with styrene and A meeting between the effects Five cameras were set up to
etc. Most people were very keen on balsa. The big tree in the courtyard people and the explosives man, cover the shot and after a couple
the boats and wanted to take them started as a timber, pipe and wire frame Albert, decided how the model was of electrical problems were fixed
home with them. with real twigs stuck in the ends dien to be destroyed, with a main bang and several rehearsals all was
In the original story the monster wrapped in tape and fibreglassed. Plastic at the bowser then a sequence of ready... the marina section of the \

moves into town causing a lot of foliage washot glued to the branches bangs along the length of the build was 11.5 metres long and 3
destruction, which would prove with wire mesh for support. The rest marina. While Albert built his metres at its widest point, covering
to be too costly and time consuming, of the ground foliage was whatever charges we up all the section
lifted about 14.5 sq. metres plus the
and so was reduced to the shore fine plastic stuff we could find. All to be blown out and broke it into legs — all fitted into our big bin less
line and one building. This, at 1/4 this was to be shot at night time and small pieces then lightly tacked it a couple of souvenir bits. Everything
scale, was still 18 sq. metres, but the so was mainly going off into blackness back together again. We also re- went very well, resulting in a lot
large majority of the landscape was or silhouetted, making most of the wired the lights so the wires ran of happy and relieved people.
dirt. fine detail unnecessary. still, We around each charge in sequence and When a shot like this is over, and

The landscape consisted of the Police however, had fun doing all the the lights would go out as the it works, I feel like a huge weight
Station, its courtyard and trees,, tables and chairs and garden dressings charge went off. More of the has been lifted off my shoulders.
dressings such as a petrol bowser, including the wheelie bin that Tony shore front had to be built as the It is a great feeling. I get asked, “do
signage and a lot of dirt. took great pleasure in building. camera angles would now see you hate seeing your models being
Michael, Andrew and Alana went This was then presented to him at more. destroyed?”
out to the location to measure up the end of the shoot. Both the marina and landscape No. When they are built for
the ground area and the building so This was all set up on six table tops together totalled nine sections that purpose the disappointment
die drawings could be done. We were in stage 2 and was shot as a separate all being
plus three building pieces is when the pyros don’t work
building the model at the same element to the marina. It was just driven to their location on a truck. properly.

10
 Gargantua

Making Monsters
An interview with John Cox of the Creature Workshop on creating Gargantua
David Tremont
John: They were originally much only to move the legs and make
bigger. Dad was sixty five feet tall the arms go up and down. We had
at one stage. a meeting eight or nine days before
the shoot and decided we could
David: And what caused the change do that robotically. It wasn’t the
with that? best solution to the problem but it

was the solution that gave us

John: They realised that they were everything for the shoot, so we
talking about something that would took the guy out of the suit, did
not exist. It was so big that it would mechanical arms and legs and used
have been Godzilla size. the guy in the suit just for some shots
of the feet coming down, walking,
David: So they wanted to keep it close ups on feet, bottoms of legs,
in the realms of possibility. sort of thing. That allowed us to get
a bit of fluidity into the walking
John: Exactly. So Mum ended motion. Given the time restraints,
being twenty eight feet tall and which it all boils down to, we had
Dad was to climb up to thirty five designs that would have worked
feet. They didn’t want the adults to beautifully, but they were another
John Cox in amongst some of the creatures built for Gargantua.
be so big that they could destroy all six weeks away. To get all the
David: How did you first hear of picked out a couple of bits and the humans with one toe. They components in as well as work
the job? pieces that looked really good, wanted there to be some possibility through Christmas as well as problems
started out leaning more towards the that die people had a chance against with supplies getting to us and
John: This job came out of the frog end of the scale and then came So that everyone just
these things. everyone being on holidays became
blue for us. We got a ’phone call that further and further up die evolutionary didn’t runaway in blind terror and our biggest problem. When you
there were some producers on their it was more two legs,
ladder so that hide under the nearest house. sit down to watch a film, as a

way down to talk about a movie, it two arms, human proportions — member of die audience, you are not
had some monsters in it and would man in a suit. David: So did any changes happen aware of all the constraints and
we be interested in talking to them. to simplify designs during the build? restrictions and compromises that
They showed up on our doorstep David: Was it always designed have gone into building something
probably about a week later, spoke around a man in a suit? John: All the way through. Basically, to get it on screen. With a tight
to the producer, he went back to die man in the suit concept died two shooting schedule there wasn’t the
America. Within ten days the John: Yeah! Always. There wasn’t weeks before we were due to shoot time to go back and re do any of it.
director was down here, we had the time to go into doing anything because of some of the control Everything had to work first time.
the job and we started on it. really different from two arms, two systems. The pneumatic cylinders What they got was what they had
legs, one head because we just and valves and cabling and wiring to use.
David: That quick ! wouldn’t have been able to do it in meant that the guy that was getting
the time. We had nine weeks from in the suit had very little room to David: No second chance !

John: Yes, it was frightening how the time they said go to design it, move or breath and at the end of the
fast it was. construct it, get it all operating and day we didn’t feel that he was going John: No, none whatsoever and we
have it on set and then we continued to be safe all the time in the suit widi were turning up on the days with
David: What were the original to work through the five week us operating, mechanically, certain things that were untested. Workshop
ideas and what were you asked to shoot. So all up we had fourteen weeks components and him being inside tested, but not tested on set in the
build? on it. We ended up building four
babies,- three adolescents, probably
John: Basically, the studio executives ten body parts of the adolescents,
had some designs drawn up, very loose one mother and one full size mothers
line drawings of some dinosaur- head which was the biggest piece we
type monsters with lots of spiky did. It was a huge fibreglass head about
fins down their backs, big sharp eleven foot long, eight foot high and
teeth and lots oflittle rice bubble scales six foot wide because she was
all over them. They were very supposed to stand about twenty
rough, so we sat down with the eight foot tall, so even though we
director and Inis feeling for the built a mother suit it was just a
movie was that he wanted them standard man in a suit.
to appear realistic and wanted us to
design something realistic that was David: To represent quarter
basedon foe fact they lived underwater, scale?
they had come up on land, therefore
they were some sort of amphibian. John: At quarter scale, yep.
So we had different growth stages
from the Baby, the Teenager, Mum David: Were they always going
and Dad. We went through some to be that size or were they going
books with lots of amphibians in them, to be bigger? The adolescent creature on rig.

11
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models
conditions that they were to be could accommodate. It became
used in. So a couple of times we got such a logistic nightmare that they
caught out, but all in all we came just scrapped it.

through it pretty well.

David: So did that become a
David: Would you have preferred computer graphic model?
it to be different or do you like

that kind of challenge? John: Actually, not at all now.

They decided that they could live
John: Well! Ifyou are given ten weeks, without it because now they are
you do it in ten weeks, ifyou are given doing a creature’s point of view
twelve weeks you get it done in rising up out of the water so you see
twelve weeks. The shows with the it when everyone else on the beach
very short build times are always very sees it. So there is none of this
frantic, but then again they are over lumbering creature coining out of
very quickly. You are not hanging the water. Because as Bradford, the
around for months and months. director, said quite rightly, the
You get in there, you get the job done, audience would be way, way ahead
you get out. Sometimes that works of the actors.
really well. However, being in the
industry twenty years now, it is David: You want to see it at the same
easy to spot the ones that definitely time.
can’tbe done in the time frame had to have these guys take them. At that point — this is why it
and walk away from them straight John: Yeah, you see it happen as it measurements off all the sculptures good to have a test phase — die skins,
is

away. happens to the people in the film. we were doing and start constructing no matter what precautions you
pieces which would hopefully fit within take, always shrink slightly and
David: I guess you had a bit of David: Were diere any more changes our creatures by the time they were then once the main body section,
freedom on what was going to be to their designs? done. So we had one team working two legs, two arms and the head are
achieved on this one. on the big sculpture ofJunior and the glued together that constrains and
John: Basically we started with other team doing Baby. Junior was puts real restrictions on all the
John: Very much so. The script was Junior being the man in the suit sculpted out of a water-based clay mechanical movements. To the
being re-written constantly right and worked backwards down to because he was so big and we really point you could lose forty percent
throughout the show and I was the baby so it looked like it did needed to knock him out. So we of your movement.
being consulted all the time, by grow up to be this thing. Then, managed to do that sculpture in
the writer, on what the animatronics with the design of Mum and Dad, about ten days with six people on David: That is substantial.
could and couldn’t do as they were we took the phase a bit further. it really getting stuck in. Baby was
writing scenes. Again, it’s nice to be The design went through one more sculpted out ofplasticine in about nine John: It is, and ifyou don’t have time
able to tell directors that animatronics major change and that was the days with three people. They were to go back and beef tilings up or alter
can’t do however computer
this, addition of big, sharp claws, big then okayed by the producer and the skin — you have to live with it.
graphics can. You can get exactly what pointy spines right down the thing’s director. They then went to their We had some limitations, where the
you want, you just have to choose back and sharp, pointy teeth. None moulding stage where all the pieces head joined the body we had to
which way you want to go. The of those things were in the original were moulded in fibreglass for the stretch the skin so that it would
unfortunate thing about this quick concept because amphibians don’t foam latex or silicone skins. From glue. This caused enough of a
show is that there wasn’t time in post have those things. It was felt that the the initial moulds we had to make difference to stop the head turning
production to actually do some of creature didn’t impose a great cores for all the animatronic stuff then right round left and right.
the computer graphic shots so they enough threat. They felt, should one moulds of the cores. Once we had
had to write around the limitations of these creatures come up and be the cores made, the mechanical David: Did it pose a problem?
of the animatronics. Things like too likeable there would guys had something physical to do
the puppeteered baby had to be layed be no tension or all their measurements so they John: It does to the people that
down with the puppeteers’ hand conflict which could really get a good idea of how build them. They jump up and
just outof shot so we couldn’t show then drives the they were proceeding. down saying “we built it to be able
him snuggling down or taking a story on. This to do this, now the skins you have
few steps and laying down. All was the final David: Were they close to their put on it...” You always do get a split
this is achievable with computer change, to make initial starts? down the middle to the mechanical
graphics and not achievable with i appear more camp and die exterior camp and each
animatronics in the time we threatening. We kept John: Yes, they were very close. always has a go at the other for not
had. There were a lot of the baby as not having having done somediing well enough.
things they had to live those characteristics. David: Relief? Everyone came to a compromise at
without. One shot in the end of the day. It would always
particular, became even David: How did John: That’s right. There were a be nice to have the skins be as
too much for us, which the construction couple ofjoints here and there that flexible as you want and the mechanics

wasJunior rising up out start? needed adjusting but it wasn’t overly to do what they are designed to
of the surf. We drastic. We then went to pulling out do, but that is only possible if you
had an animatronic John:had We all the carbon fibre pieces, all die under- have a bit of leeway up your sleeve
one built for it, two teams working skull core shapes for mechanics. and go back and do alterations.
but the thing that at the same time getting They went and started those while
was against us was the sculpture done we were running the foams. Then The silicone skins were the ones that
die fret that it was in surf and we had because the it becomes a pretty tedious process surprised us the most. We knew diat
tides coming in and out, unprotected mechanical guys are after thatbecause all the foam skins they were going to be heavy, but diey
beaches and the whole process of always the ones under have to be cleaned up, the seams became exceedingly heavy. Being
getting it out, sinking it, stabilizing the gun. After you sculpt, mould and trimmed, filled over, made to look dead weight with no support made
it and making sure that it was far cast a piece for them to work with perfect, which really can only be to these tilings really difficult to move
enough underwater so that when the you are looking at four to five ninety nine percent. Then, once all around. To maneuver about one
tides were right it coincided with weeks and you have nine weeks to the animatronics were done, give them hundred and twenty kilograms of
what the rest of the night shoot build it — there isn’t much time. We a bit of a run through then skin silicone from the workshop onto a

12
 Gargantua
truck to transport it to set, off the We then had ‘laying’ Baby, for be shot last on the quarter scale set were twelve sculptors, mouldmaker,
truck and into the water. Once it is when the baby was to appear sick and in an orange screen stage. So we always finisher people because I wanted people
in the water it’s fine, but it poses a didn’t do much. It had a breathing knew we would be finished with who could carry on from sculpting
real nightmare with six guys to function, chest up and down, and Junior beforewe even started with through to finish. Then we had
pick him up and carry him. the eyes were closed. If they wanted Mother.So whenJunior was done we another eleven mechanical guys .

to see the head raise up we cut to a had seven or eight days before
David: How many versions did close up of ‘puppeteered’ Baby. Mother was needed, so we stripped David: What about the puppeteers?
you build? the skin offhim, put the Mothers skin
we had the fully on then shot that with her. We John: Puppeteers were basically
John: We had a fully animatronic version had two extra legs for Mum to show culled from the crew that made
animatronic, free with foam latex them coming down onto the beach everything, with one specialised
standing Baby with all skin that was and we also made the full size head. puppeteer to operate foe ‘puppeteered’
the cables coming out capable of It had a nostril operating to show her Baby that needed to show more
the bottoms of its walking. It breathing and when she gets shot it emotion through movement.
and he could do just would slow down to signify she
everything. He was operated had died. It also had a moving David: Any other major problems?
by five people, mostly with eye and eyelid. That was all
cable with the computer the pieces that we built. John: The crew ran very smoothly.
controlling his facial movements. Pretty There were a couple of bottle necks
much just jaw up and down and from supplies over the Christmas break,
side to side, blinking, eye which did cause us problems, but
movement and throat pulsing we managed to get through
for a breathing thing. All m. That adds stress to
other functions, his arms, the situation and we
body, head, neck, legs and ended up paying
tail were cable. That was the most huge amounts for
complicated Baby. Then we had couriers. But all
‘lagoon’ Baby which was used for shots in all I think that
swimming around the lagoon, it ran smoodily.
which unfortunately got cut back On the set
to almost nothing. The creature we had little
that we built almost couldn’t problems. Some
do what it was asked to do on of the locations are always
the day because it was built your gear
difficult to lug all
to do so much more and down to but, at the end of the day,
what they wanted it to do was so all the creatures did what they were

limited that we couldn’t turn supposed to do. It was the one day
everything down. They wanted it David: All in nine at the lagoon that was probably our
to swim in a straight line and it was puppeteered by eight weeks. one bad time on the whole show.
was built to swim around and do people and was hung out the back
curves and so was very flexible. It end of a four wheel drive going John: Yeah, it was a lot. It was a good show to work on

had three movements of rotation on backwards so the weight of the aswe got to make some monsters
its body that couldn’t be locked engine counter balanced the whole David: How many people all up on and that was the whole reason
off, so when his tail moved from side thing. That way we were able to drive that? I got into doing this sort of

to side to propel the thing forward him along sand, jungle, mud or work — to build some monsters
his head moved and acted like a whatever and it appeared as if he was John: Twenty seven people. We had and twenty years later I finally
rudder and moved him from one side walking through the jungle. He two people full time in the office, got the chance to do it.
to another. The only way we solved was a pretty complex critter. We then the project coordinator and a girl to
it was to stop the tail movement all had a siliconeJunior that could stand run the office. Myself, then there SF&F
together then move him forward up and was to be used to come out
starting the tail just before he was of the surf, also gets tranquillised,
about to come up on land. This falls to the ground and can raise

was a shame because he was able to his head and tail like he has been
do so much more. It was a three day drugged and knocked out. We then
shoot at the lagoon, at the beginning had another silicone skin, basically
of the shoot, and when we got adummy, to get pulled behind a boat
there it was reduced to twelve or get thrown in the water. There
hours. It would have been nice to is a sequence where he savages a guy
have seen ‘lagoon’ Baby do its stuff, in the water and we just had him do
but there wasn’t the time. So that the Tarzan death roll with him.
was a disappointment, but that was We then had a pneumatically
about the only thing that really controlled head ofJunior that moved
didn’t work. Then we had a very with about a three foot
fast
‘puppeteered’ Baby with head movement and snapped its jaws for
movement operated by one puppeteer shots of his head coming into frame
and another operating the arms. snapping at people. We had another
head for underwater shots banging
David: Was it a full Baby ? against the cage. We had two legs,
two arms and a tail for close up
John: we could
Full Baby, yep, so shots of walking or striking out at
do of him running through the
shots somebody.
jungle and you could see along his
back and his tail move and again we Mother was the fully animatronic
had the computer operate all the facial when he was done
Junior re-skinned
Inset: concept drawing for the adolescent creature and above:
functions. with because Mother was always to
the realised creation.

13
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models
of a rhino’s rear on a 35mm camera.
I then took a section of the image

lurker's Roar
Creating a CGI monster, step-by-step.
and made it into a texture in Photoshop.
I could then texture-map the monster

skin image onto my CG beast.

While all computer 3D packages

include their own textures, I try
George Cairns to create my own. I find the textures

his article is intended as assembling the component parts, of the ribs until you are happy that come with the software are
you get to build them from scratch. with the shape that they make.) usually too ‘cartoony’, so I prefer to

T to encourage traditional
modelmakers by
highlighting the similarities
You then texture-map (paint) these
individual parts
together.
and group (glue) them Stage Two. The skinned-together
ribs formed the top half of the
take pictures
leaves, brick, rhinos
in a realistic
of real textures

looking model.
—
— which result

monster’s head. The eye was made To avoid the nasty, shiny look that
between traditional and I will explain how I used a 3D by skinning four other ribs together curses many computer images I

computer modelling. modelling package (

Strata Studio and adding a sphere. The sphere was turned the reflectivity of the rhino
Pio) to create the monster in the image stretched slightly to give an oval texture down to nothing. I also
The computer can help you with “Lurker’s Roar.” This image was ‘eye-ball’ shape. applied a black and white version of
the visualisation of your science inspired by a visit to Whipsnade the texture as a ‘bump map’. A
fiction and fantasy projects in many Wild Safari Park armed with a 35 mm Stage Three. I made the lower bump map makes a smooth computer
ways. However, as with traditional camera. I took various shots of jaw by skinning together some model look ‘rough and ready’.
modelling, there is no substitute animals and enclosures with the smaller ribs. The teeth were made
for good ideas and hard graft. The intention of adding a Jurassic Park in the same way. Once I’d made one Stage Five. Once I’d made the
old saying “garbage in — garbage out” style monster later. tooth I simply copied and pasted in head, the neck, torso and tail were
certainly applies to computer as many as I required. I adjusted relatively straightforward. Once
modelling. Stage One. Starting with the each tooth slightly by stretching again I created some ribs and skinned
I decided to make
creature’s head, and scaling it to make each one them together.
Though I’m not a traditional the upper and lower parts separately look individual. It took about half
modeller there seems to me to be so I could place the jaws in any an hour to make die teeth, tweak them I could reposition the neck or

many similarities between the position I liked. My first step was and place them, one by one, into die tail by un-skinning tire ribs, adjusting

construction of a CGmodel and a to create a series of ribs to form a creature’s mouth. their position and re-skinning
that of a ‘real’ one. The most efficient skeleton of the upper part of the between them. The creature could
way to make a computer generated monster’s head. drew the first rib
I The tongue was also created by therefore be placed in any position.

model is piece by piece. As well freehand with my mouse, then skinning together a series of ribs. I could create a herd of monsters just

duplicated this several times and by duplicating the finished model

altered the size and shape of the Stage Four. Once I’d built my and adjusting each copy separately.
copied ribs to create the skeleton components it was time to texture-
of my monster’s head. I then map them. When people talk about Stage Six. I next needed to texture-
formed computer skin between texture-mapping a computer model map more of the rhino texture
the ribs to create a solid shape. all they’re really doing is painting it. onto the creature’s torso. All that

(The principle of skinning reminds

me of the balsa wood ribs my dad It’s amazing how a smooth and
used to create model glider wings. plastic-looking model can be made
Unlike the glider, you can easily by choosing a decent
to look realistic
unskin your computer skeleton, texture. While at Whipsnade Wild
changing the spacing and shape Animal Park I took a charming snap

Stages 1 through 5. Stages 6 and 7. Rhino skin

14
 Lurker’s Roar / Pasadena’s MM party
remained was to knock up some CG and lighting for that particular
legs. point. This process can take many
hours, but at least you can go
Stage Seven. The legs consisted of and do something else (like sleep!)
several new ribs skinned together and while the computer calculates
textured. The claws were created by what the finished model will look
modifying one of the teeth. Having like.
created one leg it was a simple
matter to copy and paste three more And Finally... Having
and position them accordingly. completed my Linker it was time
to release him into the wild. 1
Once the beast was built it was scanned in a photograph I’d taken
time to render the finished model. at Whipsnade and used Photoshop
It was at this stage that I positioned to composite the CG
model
my virtual sun and fill-light to match monster into the background.
the lighting conditions of the The compositing took a couple of
background photograph. When I days. Small touches like the Linkers
was happy with my lighting I shadow and reflection in the
ray-traced the model to produce The completed scene. water helped to ground him in
the finished creature. Ray-tracing reality. I just feel sorry for the
means that the computer fires a model. The light beam bounces returns to the viewer with the poor deer!
ray of light at each point on the off each point on the
model and relevant information about texture G. C.

Meet those
A MM
Mad Monsters...
review of Pasadena’s Party
Anthony Taylor
asadena’s Mad Monster Party ’98 was a rousing

P
the
successfor show promoters Sideshow and Icons.
The predominantly model kit show took place at
Pasadena Convention Center May 23-24 andfeatured
guests such asBob May (the robotfrom Lost in Space),
feremy (Boba Fett) Bulloch , and artists Bernie Above: Tourist Attraction -
Wrightson, William Stout, Tim Bradstreet and Tom Outer Limits kit by Dimensional
Designs and Josey Wales.
Gilliland. Many new kits were premiered at the show Below: Godzilla maquette
and dealers and buyers came from as far away as Japan painted by Geno Acevedo for
Patrick Tatopolous and (right)
to participate in the festivities.
Cedrick by Spectral Motion.

Greyzon shared a table with Terry Fitton and Brett Butler of Harryhausen’s classic Earth vs. Hayden Planetarium, and includes figures
Doppelganger, who had several new Monsters in Motion also premiered several The Flying Saucers. The kit and a diorama base. For more info
prop replicas for sale. The first was new kits including, from Planet of recreates the call Terry or Brett at 714-577-
DeckcinF s gun from Blade Runner, the Apes, the Icarus landing of 8863.
a big hit with the “replicant” retiring - the spaceship the ship
crowd. The other was Logan's that crashed at at the The Outlaw Josey Wales and
Sandman blaster from Logan’s Run. the beginning of the Alicia Silverstone Batgirl were
This piece is a non-firing replica of the film. The kit is

the gun from the popular Michael a great representation

York film. Greyzon did brisk business of the ship, with
with their monster skulls, as well as interior detailing
the new Fremen chrysknife from the included. Also new
movie DUNE. Reach Doppelganger from MIM is the
at 373 Broadway, Ste. #c22, NY, NY Flying Saucer
10013 and Greyzon at 13 West from Ray
13th St. #3bn, NY, NY 10011.

Geometric Designs were selling

pre-release resin copies of their
upcoming Aliens Ripley kit, which
has been approved by actress
Sigourney Weaver. The vinyl kits
should be available by the time you
read this. Geometric' s Son of
Frankenstein Kit also made a big
splash with die west coast crowd. Call
Geometric at 612-291-1909 and tell

them SF&F sent you.

15
 .

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Above: some of the creatures shown by Michael Burnett

Productions. Insert: Ballistic Rose by G-Zero. Right: Bruce Lee
by Planet Earth.

prominent at the Needful Things who stopped by to sign autographs

booth. Also new from the company and hang out with sculptor Barsoin
was a model of the Taco Bell Chihuahua Manashian. The latest Coop! piece
from die hilarious Godzilla commercial is Space Girl, a classic in the making.
“ Here Leezard, Leezard. ” . Simian were also hawking their
Brak and Zorak kits from Space
Danny Soracco of Dimensional Ghost: Coast to Coast. Contact
Designs made the trek down from the company at 3775 E. Denton Ave.
San Francisco, bringing with him #93, St. Francis, WI 53235.
several new Outer Limits kits,
including the prehistoric fish from All the way from the land of the
the episode Tourist Attraction. Danny’s rising sun, Japan’s Fewture brought
line of Outer Limits kits is one of a menagerie of some of the coolest
the best values in the hobby, priced kits on the planet! Based on Yasushi
at $50.00-70.00. Also new is a Nirasawa’s manga (comic) art, their

Frederic March Mr. Hyde kit, coming line ofNina Dolono some of
kits are

soon. Contact Dimensional Designs the most

at 415-788-0138. amazing
sculptures I
Right next door was Planet Earth’s have seen.
Klim Ito, who is one of the most Most of the
talented sculptors in the field. Kim kits have been
was previewing his new, fully available for a
licensed Bruce Lee prepainted while, but they
figurine. This piece is even nicer than never fail to awe
Kim’s classic Bruce me. Avira was the
Lee as Kato kit, only kit that I had
which is still not seen before,
available from but since I don’t
Dimensional speak Japanese, I am
Designs. The not sure if it is new.
likeness is so
good it’s eerie In die United States,
and the figure Fewture’s kits are
features a yin- by The Right
distributed
yang base. For Stuff Distributors, who
more were on hand with 2
information on the booths full of imported

new figurine, write kits from the far east and

2269
Planet Earth at places unknown. Right Stuff

Chestnut St. #306, also carries many foreign

San Francisco, CA action figures and dolls,
94123. including a new line of
fames Bond figures. For
Simian Productions more information, call
were just up the row them at 626-968-1333.
with their line of
models based on Taylor Designs are
the artwork of predominantly known for
Coop! (artist their special effects work and

Chris Cooper), pre-fabricated stop- Above: Space Girl by Simian Prod.

 Pasadena’s MM party

Above left: Bob May and Icon’s L.I.S. Robot. Above right: Ashlyn

Gere and kit. Below left: Ripley by Geometric Designs. Bottom left:
Explorers contest scratchbuild. Bottom right: Contest Spinner.

motion armatures designs are cast and distributed additions to Iris line of busts including
for animation figures more consistently. Watch for a a Gremlin and a Gill Man creature.
(like the ones Ray review of Ballistic Rose in the next Michael also brought along some life-
Harryhausen used), few months. To order these kits sized “friends”, a Mars Attacks
but they brought call G-Zero at (562)-493-2455. Martian, Darth Vader, a Borg from Star
along several new Trek, the Maria robot from
kits as well. Silvcrback Mike and Mary Elizalde of Spectral Metropolis, and several other full
is a massive model Motion also had a new offering. sized reproductions. I have no idea
of a gorilla which Cedrick the Zombie is the latest in Mike’s what shipping costs for one of the
looks anatomically line of original monster busts, which monstrosities would be, but if you
correct in every way. started with Alex the Vampire and Boris are interested in ordering, call
The huge kit sold the Werewolf. Mike would have had Michael Burnett Productions at 818-768-
out Saturday morning Cedrick out earlier, but he has been 6103.
and buyers had to working with Rick Bilker on the effects
be satisfied giving for Mighty Joe Young for the last The Mad Model Contest had many
orders for later several months. This is a wonderfully The highlight was
great entries.
shipment. Also new nasty looking kit, abundant in detail an original baby Godzilla maquette,
is a figure of adult and lovingly cast. Another great designed by Patrick Tatopolous for
film actress Ashlyn addition to the Spectral Motion line, the Centropolis film, and painted
Gere, sculpted by contact Mike at 626-794-2827. by Geno Acevedo. Other outstanding
stop-motion effects entries included the “Drummy”,
master Jim (When Also an FX professional, Michael an Aurora Mummy playing a 1 :8th scale
Dinosaurs Ruled Burnett showed up with several drum set in a wonderful egyptian
The Earth)
Danforth. Ms. Gere
was on hand to greet
fans and take pictures
with her resin likeness.

Contact Taylor Designs at 702-254-

8853.

James Hakola of G-Zao presented

hisnewest creations, Ballistic Rose and
Goddess in Alloy.Both kits are truly
beautiful sculptures and original
in concept and design. Jim sculpted
the Mach Angel kit for Streamline a
few years ago, another great original
creation. Now he has his own
company, which will insure his

17
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

diorama, an awesome
America vignette
Bucky and the Falcon, and a
lit Spinner from Blade Runner.

It’s always fun to watch

celebrities at this show, and this year
there there were quite a few. Scanning
the aisles I spotted film archivist
and part time gorilla Bob Burns
with his friends actors Daniel
(Fugitive, US Marshals) Roebuck
and Chuck (Soultaker, Double
Blast) Williams, writer/director
Frank (Shawshank Redemption,
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein)
Darabont, writer/producer John
(Alien 3, TNT’s Hunchback of
Notre Dame) Fasano and Academy
Award™ winning makeup artist
Rick (American Werewolf in
London, Mighty Joe Young)
Baker.

Next Year’s Mad Monster Party

should be great fun as well! Stay tuned
to my regular column for information
as it becomes available.

©1998 Anthony Taylor.

E-mail: [email protected]
1st U.K. and European rights.

This page: several of the

contest entries exhibited this
year. Inset: Goddess in Alloy
by G-Zero.
 “...It’s how long?!"

f
A review of
Jt s
A-B Models’ Thunderblrd 4
how kit.

Simon Roykirk.

everal weeks before the latest in a series ofgiant kits

from prolific garage kit manufacturers A-B Models
S
to
arrived at these offices I was chatting on the ’phone
them about their forthcoming release,
Thunderbird 4. They gave me a little advance
information on the kit which I duly scribbled down. As
I put the ’phone down the phrase “thirty one and a half
inches long” kept surfacing in my head. Surely, I
reasoned, there must be some mistake. Thirty one and
a half inches long. The thought niggled and niggled
. .

until I was forced to ring them back. “Um... your

TB 4”, I asked. .Did I hear you say that the kit will
be thirty one and a half inches long?
“Yes, ” they replied, “You did.
” . .

A few weeks later the review kit cutaway diagram and a crack-back
arrived in the type of box I’m now paper decal sheet.
used to receiving from A-B -
namely, a huge one. Inside were Assembly
thirty six near flawlessly cast pieces Any excess resin is indicated by a
— the largest part count to date for “ridge” around parts which need
an AB subject. The body builds trimming. Two such pieces are the
up from resin left and right main main body halves, the inside edges
halves; a nose section with fiont insert; of which need trimming before
rear engine nozzles; a top intake die front end can be cut back to the
cowling with integral fin; left and diickness of die resin to create an open
right upper intake cowlings; lower area into which the cabin rear
intake cowlings; front and rear bulkhead later fits. A-B recommend
intake grills and the front light that superglue be used throughout,
trough with arms, pivots (wooden but, excepting smaller joints, I
dowels) and a clear front section. The much prefer two-part epoxy, as I find
detailed interior comprises a cabin superglue has little torque strength
rear wall; floor and console; pilot’s whilst epoxy will withstand the
chair; headrest; headrest strut; slight (and not so slight) accidental This page and opposite bottom left: the completed A-B giant
control column and “handlebars”, knocks of this type might
a large kit Thunderbird 4. Note detailed cabin and Gordon Tracy figure.
and an aquanaut figure with separate receive whilst being manoevered in
arms in International Rescue uniform. small areas.The cabin bulkhead has the dimensions of the open end of to match the internal dimensions of
A vacform canopy — again, near been roughly cut to shape but is die main body by removing material die nose section and a 3mm diameter
flawless — is also supplied, together oversized. This therefore needs to from the edges of the piece until a hole drilled into it to accept the
with a six page instruction sheet, be carefully “reduced’ to match snug fit is obtained. The bulkhead control column, the position of
is dien recessed 30mm inside the main which has been marked by an indent
body and glued in place. on the front recess of the console.
The floor then glues into a slot on
The nose section is now test- the rear wall and the nose section
fitted. Again, excess resin needs to and left and right lower intake
be removed from the open end cowlings can be glued in place.
that joins to the body, and the semi
circular upper area over which the Working back to a marked ridge,
canopy will later sit has to be cut away, excess resin (minimal) is removed

leaving an edge corresponding to die from the top intake cowling, which
side wall thickness on the body so is moulded widi its fin already in place,

that the canopy can locate against and this piece is precisely lined up
diis. At this stage the nose insert, wliidi by following detailed positioning
is moulded complete with four instructions. Left and right hand upper
tube “nozzles”, is glued into die recess intake cowlings are test fitted and
at the front of the nose. some shaping of the inset edges
that mate to the main body is
Thecabin floor with integral required at this stage, but, again, the
console needs to be carefully profiled instructions give very specific details

19
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Top left: assembled main body halves with

bulkhead added - cabin-front (indicated)

comes as a raised area of resin, which was
nnirklv rpmru/prl with a

Top right: seat, figure and inlet grill pieces.

Above left: nose insertand light trough components.
Inset: the highly detailed console/floor section.
Above right: engine cowlings, fin and boosters.

as to how you can accomplish this can “grip” the control handlebars
simply, using the front and rear The anns are then glued to die
later.

insert grills as templates prior to figure and any gaps filled prior to
two cowlings. Following
fitting the priming. Next, indicated recesses on
cowling and grill assembly the twin Gordon's chair are carefully cut away
rear engine nozzles locate quickly to create armrests on either side. A
and easily into positioning recesses 1.5 mm hole is drilled in the top of
on the main body. the backrest to accept the headrest
strut, with a corresponding hole
Light trough being drilled into the headrest. The
Holes need to be drilled in the piece of aluminium rod provided as
pivot points of the two light trough die stmt is now bent into a “Z” shape
arms and also through the side walls using a pair of pliers and the chair
of the nose section, their positions components are glued together.
identified by indents on the surface
of the resin. The arms will eventually Into the rear of the central disc on
be held in place by the wooden the “handlebar” assembly a 3mm hole
dowels provided. Holes must also isdrilled to accept the control
be drilled into the sides of the light column. This assembly is then test
trough itself, which can then be fitted into the previously drilled
squeezed between the positioned arms. hole in the console, the overlong
The clear face of the trough and the column is cut to the correct length

trough/arm assemblies are put aside and the assembly glued in position.
ready to be fitted following painting. Most cockpit details are faithfully
reproduced. Perfectionists might
Gordon Tracy however, to add round-headed
like,

A superb, action-figure sized pins to duplicate the levers shown

“
aquanaut ” is provided with this in the cutaway drawing.
kit. To assemble him you first need

to be brutal — cutting his hands off canopy

Finally, the clear cockpit
his arms at the wrists and relocating is trimmed to match the profile of

them at a 90 degree angle so they the main body and nose section

20
 . .

“...It’s how long?!”

SF & F Pocket Guide Big Cats...

The alien Kilrathi, as featured
Thunderbird 4. A-B Models.
in the new movie Wing
Resin kit with vacform canopy. Commander, were realised
as exquisite animatronics by
Value for money (£299.00): Shepperton Studios’ Animated
Extras FX house. Next issue
Animated will tell you just how
they went about creating this
Ease of assembly and instructions: very alien race...

Big Names...
We visit the California-based
Required for standard assembly: FX house of Greg Cannom
Files, filler, two-part epoxy glue,
Creations and chat with Greg
about the classic makeups
superglue, non-frosting glue,
he has created over the years
pliers, drill and drill bits in 1 .5,
for such hit movies as The
3, 5, 6.5 diameters; scissors; Mask and Titanic...
Red stripes were added following careful masking. Weathering scalpel/modelling knives; masking
with an airbrush completes Thunderbird 4. tape; chrome tape.
Big Projects...
...The definitive garage kit??
and placed to one side for final finger or an airbrush. As with all Paints: High build primer; yellow,
At last it’s here - the 22" long
assembly following painting. TB craft, weathering on Thunderbird red, black, silver car sprays.
Eagle from A-B models. We take
4 was subtle (except in a couple an up-close look at one of
Painting of episodes where the craft is Review hit kindly supplied by Comet the most eagerly anticipated
The model is primed and painted absolutely filthy!), so don’t Miniatures limited run subjects ever to
using the colour box print as overdo things if you want a be produced...
reference, with sub-assemblies such faithful replica. Finally, the self
as Gordon Tracy (light blue uniform; adhesive lettering is carefully thoughtfully designed to fit
orange sash, belt and boot tops); cut out and stuck on. An together near perfectly when
the canopy (which needs to be improvement with this kit is instructions are followed. Lastly,
carefully masked); the light the addition of a spare set of the kits are presented at a jaw-
trough (chrome tape needed on “ Thunderbird ” letters which allow dropping scale that can’t fail to
the interior) and intake grilles being you to use them as a spacing impress friends, family and, of
painted separately and added to template for your cut-out decals. course, yourself. Thunderbird 4
the model as a final assembly is highly recommended; it’s

stage (use non-fogging glue to fix Appraisal giant size and accurate contours ...Lighting Ertl’s Enterprise
the canopy in position). Many A-B models’ three subjects so far making the £299.00 tag seem a
E. Impossible? Not for Trevor
.

— Thunderbirds 1 3 and 4, show H. Williams. Next issue he

reference shots for interior colours , small price to pay for such a
details his seven month quest
still exist, and can be found in an enthusiasm for their art and mammoth subject.
to fully illuminate the modest
annuals of the time (still lurking a level of respect for the garage dimensions of this popular
in the depths of many specialist modeller that should be Their next release — a twenty
shops) and in some of the “new” established by law as standard two inch long eagle, depicts my
rides published on Thunderbirds practice throughout the industry. all-time favourite Anderson Whatever else you might forget,
in the late eighties. Panel lines Instructions are detailed and craft. I am already drooling in remember to reserve your
are accomplished with a black ball precise. Parts are exceptionally anticipation. .
copy of the next BIG issue
point pen and final weathering well moulded, need little filling of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Models
magazine.
applied via either graphite and a and sanding and have been S. R.

Issue 33 on sale
DISCOVER THE V V FROM December 8th.
MAGIC OF LI\aili LI 1 MAKE IT SO Sci-Fi & Fantasy
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21
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

The Making of the Miniature Effects

for Twentieth Century Fox's

Mi
'THE X-FI1ES" Jim Key
“THE X- was also the insertion of an
m, In and of
FILES” was
itself,
a fun, roller-coaster ‘off-the-shelf’ HO
scale train
ride through the bizzare nature of set, filmed at a distance, proving
‘what-ifs’ that nag at our collective that even low-tech solutions
growing belief as a society, that are just as valid as expensive,
perhaps everything implied, might highly designed methods. The
actually be real. Real or not, one virtual partnership has allowed
aspect is definitely the fine art the physical to be simpler in some
of illusion, that being the careful cases, employing CGI as a
balance of mixed mediums used ‘cosmetic’ make-up for certain
to create the special Miniature types of scene construction.
‘X’ Effects. The two mediums have indeed
become much like Mulder and
Scully themselves; equally
Enter Special Agents
attractive to each other and
Virtualand Physical the audience they seek to
To those of us who are in the entertain. Combined, they are
business of creating ‘physical- the perfect compliment.
illusion’, it is comforting to see,
particularly in the last two years, Miniature ‘X’ Effects

TPHE TRUTH TRUTH

OUT
‘THE
apt to
IS
be
THERE’ is more
IS DOWN THERE’,
how
to
the industry has taken care
embrace and support the union
of virtual (computer-generated)
To get the numerous miniature
effectson film, Ten Thirteen
Productions contracted Blue
I which in many ways sums it up. effects with the proven, more Sky|VIFX, a full service digital
traditional physical sets and animation and visual effects studio
Like many who went to see best, an elusive matter of perception. miniature effects. Years ago it capable of integrating cutting-
this summer’s long awaited release It is something diat lias undoubtedly was believed that virtual would edge computer graphics with
of “THE X-FILES”, I felt kept us asking, ‘WHERE OUT quickly replace physical, eliminating highly specialized physical effects
vindicated for staying loyal to my THERE?’ it altogether. Nothing could have such as sets and miniatures. Blue
beliefs about what the original been further from the truth and Sky VI FX were also chosen for tlieir
|

TV show was bom out of. I would ‘THE TRUTH IS DOWN that narrow-minded view almost established reputation for being
like to thank Chris Carter for THERE’, down in Antarctica, derailed the obvious. By combining, able to deliver complex scenes
taking a stand on the issue of down in that glacial valley, way down instead of opposing, these two using a new technology known as
whether extraterrestrials were, under that ice-flow, down mediums’ total was greater than 3D tracking, which frees principal
in fact, part of The X-Files’ underground in that darkness, their respective own sums. photography from doing motion
planned reality. By not giving us down in that illusive nether- control in the camera, making it
too much visual, spoken, or world between reality and unreality. Following the lead of other expensive and time consuming.
less

otherwise implied information, he It’s down there alright, holding onto recent spectacular visual triumphs Recent work where this technique
and Co-writer, Frank Spotnitz, deadly secrets it has acquired such as Titanic, Alien is evident includes the engine

remained true to the show’s from all corners of the globe; Resurrection, Starship room scene in Titanic, and the
philosophy of hiding all the clues and incriminating
secrets so terrible Troopers, Godzilla, Deep matched movements of the Kothoga
in plain sight. More expansive worth killing innocent
that they are Impact and Armageddon, from The Relic. And who can
as a movie, it manages to retain that children, and razing occupied “THE X-FILES” makes no less forget their integrating of the
‘film-noire mystique’ created for buildings for. And ultimately, for the effective use of these computer generated alien into
the TV series. those in pursuit of the ‘TRUTH’, combined mediums. Although the underwater scenes of Alien
assimilation and elimination. not quite as dependent on its Resurrection.
Part of that ‘mystique’ has been special effects, opting to rely more
to ground the series in some In the end, as the ‘TRUTH’ on its character portrayals, the Under the direction of the
plausible reality, though at times was it worth finding out?
arises, movie chooses the use of its film’s Visual Effects Supervisor,
that reality is little more than an Apparently so, since it meant effects wisely. Special agent Mat Beck, the task of producing
illusion, skirting the plausible thwarting assimilation and ‘virtual’ was called in to help the miniature effects was divided
razor’s edge. Still — no matter eliminating the alien threat to special agent ‘physical’ in amongst Blue Sky VIFX’s Senior
|

how ‘spooky’ Mulder may think that our homeworld, at least for a creating some breathtaking Visual Effects Supervisor, John Wash,
reality to be, we always ‘want to short while longer. After all, scenes centering around the and Miniature Effects Supervisor,
believe’, even if Scully doesn’t. Mulder and Scully do save the demolition of a Dallas federal Scott Schneider. Joining them as
One would have to conclude that world. Something every fan building, Antarctic ice-station, Special Visual Effects Consultant
the real mystique’ of ‘THE routinely expects from the glacial ice-fields, and a fearsomely was Bob Spurlock, former co-
TRUTH IS OUT THERE’ is, at paranormal duo. huge alien flying-saucer. There owner of Stetson Visual Services

22
 ”

“THE X - F I L E S

Note the unfurled cloth, used to create a matte for hiding fallen debris. Photos: Logan Payne.
Glacial ice field sequence.
Opposite page: The ice station miniature. Photo Logan Payne. © 1998 Twentieth Century Fox. image courtesy Blue SkyiviFX.

model shop. Together this trio compositing of the false facade seen plates shot at the downtown Los the base of the building, all of
would be challenged with guiding dropping into an exploding fireball, Angeles UNOCAL building, they which was captured through high-
and resolving the many miniature right after the moment of ignition. were able to create a match by which speed (96 — 120 frames per second)
effects seen throughout the film. To achieve this first of three major the miniature facade could be Vista Vision photography.
shots, Wash and his crew set up inserted. After careful design by
Recalling the events that brought camera directly atop a 23 foot
their Bob Spurlock, followed by timing This scene serves as the trigger
Blue Sky VIFX into this project,
|
high miniature of the doomed Ian O’Connor,
tests, pyro-specialist, for the following wide shot where
John Wash stated, “Mat (Beck) Dallas federal building, built by successfully dropped the miniature the fireball continues to grow
made a logical division of the Hun ter/ Gratzner Industries. By facade at just the right instant so upward as the building’s floors and
material on this project. His positioning the camera in the it could be seen breaking apart into debris rain down. The final shot
company (
Light Matters ) would same orientation as the background a cataclysmic fireball set off at on the building was perhaps one
handle the opening effects of the
boy’s oily eyes and worms, as
well as the interior of the spaceship.
“We were assigned the demolition
of the Hunter/ Gratzner Industries’
1/8 scale federal building miniature,
the CGI bees, tanker train arrival,
and the conclusion of the movie,
involving the glacial fields and
alien saucer.”

Additionally Blue Sky VIFX |

produced many CGI elements,

inserts, and final composites that
work, both in support of the
miniatures and throughout other
areas of the film. For purposes of
clarity regarding this article,
coverage will be focused on their
production of the miniature special
effects.

Knocking the pins out of

HGI’S 1/8 scale federal
building
The first visual effect that John Wash
and his team at Blue Sky VIFX |
Laying out some of the 2,000 plus foam ice-blocks needed to create this effect.
worked on was the filming and Photo: Tamara Waters. © 1998 Twentieth Century Fox. Image courtesy Blue SkylVIFX.

23
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models
of the movie, we see the Cigarette height of six feet. This, of course,
Smoking Man get out of a snow- was true with all of the parts.
cat and enter the main dome of the Some were even made out of
pre-fab ice-station. Once inside brass, such as the sleds and
we are privy to the fact that this communications antenna,
station secretly serves as an entrance painstakingly assembled and brazed
way into the subterranean alien together by Dave Chamberlain.
world. Then, as Mulder rescues Scully Other smaller pieces, such as the
from this dismal, inhuman prison, were poured up solid out of
cases,
itbegins to fight back, wrecking regular casting resin.
everything and setting off an
irreversible collapse of the glacial After giving these pieces a
ice-field. very basic paint job, they were
set aside as construction on the
Above: Movie frame of the glacial ice field. As the encampment breaks up, drop away table began. I asked
Below: Close-up of saucer brass etch designs. Photo: Mike sending all its inhabitants off in a Logan Payne to explain how
Possert. © 1998 Twentieth Century Fox. Image courtesy Blue SkylVIFX. crazed scurry, we are treated to a the table worked. “What we
few brief shots of where everything ended up doing was building
of the trickiest. It is the scene the tragic Oklahoma City Murrah above fells below. This quickly edited the set about six feet off the
where the camera pans past Mulder federal building bombing. Built together group of scenes is die result ground, and putting a sliding door
and Scully, revealing the aftermath over a steel frame, the miniature of an eight by ten foot table top up on top of this plywood table.
of the explosion. This was achieved is covered over with real drywall, miniature, with CG steam and The sliding door was then on a
with computerized match-moving. clear plastic windows, intricately cracks added. track, much like the way a dining
“Our job was to insert the miniature interspersed scale fragments of room table opens, and you
of the building into die scene,” Wash rebar,broken concrete columns, Built at Blue Sky VIFX’s model
|
remove the leaves. Onto these
explained. By taking all the moving fractured ceiling tiles, destroyed shop under the direction of doors we attached ropes at both
and tracking information from furniture, all dressed to resemble Miniature Effects Supervisor, ends, and two people would
the First Unit principal photography actual interior offices. Onto some Scott Schneider, the task of creating literally pull the halves apart
of the actors, the miniature of of the walls of these offices were miniature was given to lead
this on cue. It was a low-tech solution
the federal building could then be placed tiny clocks and calendars, model builder, Logan Payne, that worked great.” In support
shot using the exact same move, set to the date and time the assistedby Mike Possert, Dave of Logan, Mike had this to offer,
thus creating a seamless match. explosion occurs in the movie. Chamberlain, and Kurt Zendler. “It wasn’t exactly ‘repeatability’,
As to the process, “They had a though was close. There were
it

According to Beck, “The In designing the miniature, it bunch of photographs that were aspects from each take that,
audience will get the impression was felt that, most of the
since taken on location of the actual set, when edited together in
that they watched the building blow destruction occurs on the left showing the domes, antenna, and cumulative fashion, the sum of
up, but it never really does. The side, the right side need not be built equipment surrounding the camp. all the parts looked great on
miniature was built with a huge in full 3D. Therefore, it was We also had a very general blueprint film. This process also allowed
chunk blown out of it already.”* constructed as a wedge, with the of the layout of how the domes were for rapid redress. We could set
right side being the tapered end. positioned, comparable to the up the miniature, re-distribute
The 1/8 scale Dallas federal actual set drawings,” Logan the salt snow, lay in the tracks,
building miniature features a explained. “A lot of what we had allin about an hour, and be
semi-demolished exterior based Ice-station ‘X’ to do was figure out the size and ready for another take.”
in part on research gathered from Just prior to the climactic conclusion scale of everything. The information
had to be discerned from the The final dressing on the
photographs. This is particularly miniature was, in fact, the snow.
true of the surrounding items, Made from a mixture of dry salt,
such as the cases and sleds. So, by hair gel, and sometimes baking soda,
comparing one object to another it was spread over the entire

known object, I was able to figure surface of the table. To make the
out the relative scale of each tracks, a section of scale Plastruct
item,” he added. siding material was laminated
onto a small roller then carefully
“I was of figuring
tossed the task guided through the salt to create
out the ice-domes, which apparently the many pathways seen.
are a real product used by the
military, of a pre-fab design, taken
out onto location and set-up with The collapsing ice-field
relative ease,” Mike Possert This miniature effect almost defies
commented. “They are made out what one would term ‘a miniature
of disks that have a slight spherical effect’.However, since the scale
curvature, which are held together is somewhat hard to determine,

with rivets,” he further explained. the ice-blocks are said to be

smaller than one perceives them
From the conversations I had with to be in the film. The conclusion
the crew, it was clear that master is that based on that perception,
patterns for the domes were anything built small to represent
created out of overlaid vacuum- something larger qualifies as ‘a

formed plastic shells. From these, miniature’, even if it istwenty

RTV rubber molds were made, one feet across the front and fifty
into which 1630 casting resin eight feet across the back.
was poured and eventually backed
with A/B expanding foam. This I asked Scott Schneider what his

made all the castings durable, concerns were in preparing the

capable of taking a drop from a design of this effect. “Mat (Beck)

24
 “THE X - F I L E S
”

Top: How the image for the texture maps was generated as a
Photoshop file.
Above: An image sent to the acid etchers.
Right (top to bottom): Six foot diameter of saucer armature,
revealing the numerous neon light fixtures. Photo: Mike Possert.
Saucer central detail showing piping structures. Note the ring of
etched brass which was incorporated to produce “moving
shadows”. Mike Possert.
Miniature Effects Supervisor, Scott Schneider, conducts a
lighting test on the miniature, just prior to final painting. Photo:
Mike Possert.

and John (Wash) were convinced the ice. We needed a method

that CG would not be able to that would allow us to make
pull off the job, at least in the enough of it to pull off the desired
amount of time and money that effect, yet not take forever to
they had. Then there was the make the amount we needed,” Scott
figuring out of the size and scope recalled.
of the ice-field, as well as working became a couple thousand individual together when finally assembled.
out a method for doing the collapse Through much experimentation, pieces.Each block was cut from
effect,” he began. die crew of Dave Schwartz,
Tamara huge chunks of white styrofoam. In talking with Tamara Waters,
Waters, Alex Watts, Susan Using a ‘hot-wire’ as the efficient she explained the exact formula
“The first thing that happened Jasionowski, and Jeff Cuppernell tool of choice, the crew cut endless regarding how these blocks were
on the ice set was coming up went through a couple of months random shapes, all scaled to a then ‘treated’. “All of the blocks
with a technique for the ‘look’ of to carve out what ultimately ‘general size’ that couldbe interlaced had to be coated with stearic acid,

25
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models
which is like wax, tinted with the set dressed by the time the film Sky|VIFX had to produce. initialdesign was roughed out
blue to make it look like real crew arrived and got ready to Additionally, because the rearward by conceptual artist, Tim Flattery.
ice,” she described. “All of the pieces shoot. About ten to twelve hours directional shots were so hard to This design featured the basis for
were cut with a slight angle, so when of ‘on your hands and knees’ type get right, John Wash resorted to what would be refined several
they were all fitted together, they of work,” she confessed. This having the CG team add cracks and times, over what would amount
would form a gentle arc over the process I later found out was fissures along the receding edge to several months.
entire distance. This was done repeated on upwards of 15 times! to help give the necessary clarity
to mimic the curve of the hole that production was wanting. On the With a basic silhouette hashed
was opening underneath them,” I asked the crew if they had whole the effect was a huge out. Mat Beck took his refined
she revealed. any unique memories about this success, setting up the climactic concept of the saucer into Blue
set up. Tamara and Scott both conclusion of the movie. Sky VIFX’s CG department and
|

Engineering the effect was a remembered the time asked their art director, Alison
bit more involved. In furthering when the Yerxa, to investigate patternwork
my discussion with Scott Schneider, as a source of texturizing the
he would only take credit for surface of the ship. With that
part of the design. “Eric mandate, she began to search out
Haraldsted, Bob Spurlock, sinuous imagery in the hopes of
and I designed the effect. producing a ‘sophisticated’ yet
Basically it was three not easy to recognize pattern,
tables which slid back to present as a source for
into stop bars, texture mapping. Through
allowing the foam hard work and luck she
blocks to fall off happened upon some
the receding aerial maps in a book
edge. To about Morocco. By
achieve the scanning these high
right look, we altitude images into
had these tables her computer, then
going off at converting them to
predetermined gray scales, the
angles so as to texture source was
create the now ready.
illusion of an
outwardly Scott Schneider,
expanding hole. in discussing the
The tops of these construction plans with
tables were covered John Wash and Mat Beck,
in white formica suggested using etched
masonite, which was of
brass as a material capable
very slick so that the blocks receiving intricate amounts
would fall off easily. Once the of photo-lithography. By using
tables were released, there was an old method in a different way,
nothing that would stop them. Eacn that being to create patterns on top
table was controlled with a ten foot of the brass instead of etching all
air cylinder, accompanied by crew the way through, they in effect
water soluble oil to control the testing the vent or created a very unique ‘printing-
release rate, or pull-back speed. steam effect, “Sometimes we ‘Blackwood’ plate’ type of panel. This photo-
All three tables were linked would get as far as calling ‘Speed!’, Early on, during die pre-production, mosaic could then be assembled
synchronous, so they would all pull and then have to immediately it was reported that Chris Carter theme and
into a centrally radiating
back in unison.” cut because steam had fogged the had wanted to assign a code name attached to the surface of the
camera lens so bad it couldn’t to the project, specifically as a physical model.
Once die tables were constructed see the action,” she laughed. And, reference to hide the alien flying
and then came the arduous
tested, in a separate instance, they went saucer. Originally the favorite The next problem to solve was
task of placing die blocks onto diem. to activate the vents only to have contender was “The Black Project”, how big to make die miniature.
just
Once again I asked Tamara to brown water spray out all over which was felt to be more revealing According to Scott, they made
help fill me in on the procedure. the camera, forcing them to cut, than elusive. Somehow, in the three sets of mock-ups, one at
“All of these pieces were lined move the set-up and start over. This mix of things, it became four feet in diameter, another at
up together, working from the happened because there were a few “Blackwood”, probably because six, and a third at eight feet.
tables to the front. Then
back of the shots where the camera was right of the simplicity of how it described Through camera testing with
we took white Christmas paper, on the front edge, level with the the ship. Either way, it is very different millimetre lenses it was
a sort of tissue, and tore off little ice field. in keeping with the mysterious tone determined that the six foot
pieces to be laid in-between the that has defined The X-Files diameter would suffice. Now it was
blocks. In a sense, this became the This effect is really the result of TV show from its inception. just a matter of executing the
‘ice- mortar’, which was misted motion controlled moves, shot plan. Except for one small glitch.
over lightly with water, so the at high speed to give the ice blocks Right from the start, Chris No one had calculated transferring
hair-gel and salt/stearic acid a sense of weight and scale. Carter told Mat Beck that he the 2D views of the brass onto a
mixture wouldn’t dry out and According to Scott, “We were wanted a saucer that was reminiscent gently curved 3D surface. By
crust over. After the salt mixture rolling between 120 frames per of an older, 1950s’ type, somewhat making some modifications to
was added, everything had to be second on the motion controlled smooth in design. After much the computer-rendered brass files,
painstakingly smoothed out with cameras, and 120 to 250 frames per discussion, Mat Beck was able the artwork was re-calibrated to
a feather duster, so it would have second on the photosonics.’ to convince everyone involved fit snugly over the given physical

that undisturbed, natural look. that, upon closer inspection, the profile of the saucer’s surface.
This was an exhausting process. By and the collapsing ice-
far, saucer should reveal a highly Ultimately, the brass etch patterning
Sometimes we had calls as early as tables were, in fact, the most sophisticated look, perhaps through had become fully realized, creating
4:00 a.m., so that we would have complicated of all the effects Blue its surface texture alone. The unique and different surface.
a truly

26
 “THE X-FILES
Opposite page: Beauty shot of
miniature from edge-on.
Left: Jeff Cuppernell and
Susan Jasionowski prepare
the ice-field for camera.
Below left: Steam vent being
filmed on surface of ice-field.
Below: Close-up of foam ice-
blocks.
Above are © 1 998 Twentieth Century
Fox. Image courtesy Blue SkylVIFX

Bottom: Aftermath of Federal

Building explosion, close-up
detail.
© 1 998 Twentieth Century Fox. Image
courtesy Hunter/Gratzner Industries.

Creating the saucer miniature pipes that were interlaced with

involved many steps which wedges of etched brass work, all

proceeded from first making an heavily backlit during die final shoot.
aluminium armature, consisting One might say it has the look of
of eight radial arms attached to a a ‘refinery’.
central mounting post. Onto
these arms, several circular rings Another aspect to the design of
of neon lights, flawlessly custom this 1/200 scale saucer is that its

made by Nights of Neon, were surface creates an illusion as it

installed. Over this would be moves, hovers, and spins. By

placed the surface shell, which had painting the ship ultra fiat black,
to be carefully made from a one and using satin black opaquing fluid,
quarter pattern of the assembled layered over the high points,
etched brass, duplicated four model builder, Mike was
Possert,
times, and glued down onto a able to give the surface an added
final master buck. From this buck quality — moire patterns. When
a final RTV mold was made to cast lit with a hard, raking side light,
up a lightweight, fiberglass backed, the surface shimmers as it moves
epoxy shell. After mounting this across the field of view. Tiny
finished shell to the illuminated details are revealed and hidden
armature, the final details, such simultaneously within die diversity
as the inner and outer winglets and of the etched brass work.
central acrylic piping unit were
added. The latter of which was made For directorial decisions, known
to emulate the interior set where only to the production team, the
Mulder slid down the tube in his saucer is shown as sparingly as
search for Scully. This central possible. You who are reading
acrylic unit was a multi-layered this article are amongst the first of
dish that contained radially placed the public to witness all the amazing

27
 Top three photos: Real time pyro
sequence of demolition on 1/8
scale miniature.
Left: Finished comp of Dallas
I

federal building with rising

Note insertion of
fireball.
infamous Book Depository,
site of Kennedy assassination,
at far right.
Opposite top: Down shot on
dropping facade.
Opposite: UNOCAL building
with green screen and actors.
Same with miniature federal
building comped in.

All images © 1 998 Twentieth Century

Fox. Images courtesy Hunter/Gratzner
Industries.

28
 “THE X-FILES

details lavished upon this miniature. bottom and fifteen feet wide,
It is refreshing to see a miniature this behemoth of a miniature,
that was designed with a unique made mostly of plywood, sintra,
approach, instead of the typical and vacuum-formed plastic,
layering of model kit parts so was mounted solid. The camera
prevalent in previous miniatures. and foam ice blocks were
The devil is in the details, hidden mounted atop a table, attached
in shadow, hidden in light. to a craning system that would,
on cue, run down over the
Falling off the Edge structure, creating the illusion
As if building a 1/200 scale, six that the set was emerging
foot diameter saucer wasn’t upward from the ice.
enough, the production crew
requested yet one more effects It is debated as to whether or

miniature. For the scenes where not the miniature was actually
Mulder and Scully were to be seen used in the final cut of the
falling off the edge of the film. I went to the source and
saucer, a large /8 scale miniature
1 asked John Wash. He confirmed
would be needed. The that it was, though only briefly, Mulder and Scully were just
miniature, which represents with a lot of elements added aver starting to slide off it,” admitted
Departing Phenomenon
the outer most edge of the it. “It got used, most definitely. John. The final shot of them I was glad that through all my
saucer, would serve as the The shot they ended up using falling off is the actors comped interviewing I had the chance to
moving background plate for was in showing it from overhead. onto the 1/200 scale miniature, ask John Wash about the final
comped onto.
the actors to be Just for realism, there was with a lot of CG elements scene involving the saucer. As it

Measuring in at ten feet top to atmosphere and snow added. added, to blend it all together. leaves the area, it disappears into
a cloud bank, which itself was
an effect.

“Originally the boards had it

going away, glinting in the
sun. Magically one moment
it’s there, and the next it’s
gone. That idea was thrown
out.They didn’t want to get too
‘over the top’. We opted to
try an old technique which
Greg McMurry and had done I

years ago.It was a dry cloud tank

effect, using liquid nitrogen

and steam, under temperature
controlled conditions, blown
around by air in a containment
tank,” John described.

An additional casting of the

1/200 scale saucer was laid up
from the original RTV mold.

29
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

open mind, using whatever tool

works best for the shot,” John
proudly stated.

“This project typifies the varied

mix of elements that many studios

today arc being asked to produce.
More often than not, the interplay
between virtual and physical have
been vital to each other’s success.
Though many studios choose to
specialize in either virtual or physical
type work, those who can offer up
both reap the rewards of larger
volumes of high profile work. Blue
Sky VI FX is one of those studios
|

which seems poised to make die long-

term commitment to being a key
player in an ever changing industry
we still love to call, special F/‘X’s.

My thanks to all my colleagues,

who graciously agreed to be quoted,
and asked to recall this moment
from their busy careers.

A very special thank you to, John

Wash, Scott Schneider, Alison
Yerxa, Amanda Roth and Scot
Byrd at Blue SkylVIFX, for the
interviews and images.

My deepest appreciation to Mary

Astadourian at Ten Thirteen
Productions for giving the ‘go-
ahead’ on this article.

My admiration to Chris Carter

for creating The X-Files.
Once aired, it was covered widi black
velvet and placed into the dry cloud Copyright © 1998, Jim Key.
mask First publishing rights granted to:
tank. Serving simply as a diat
could be lowered into the tank
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models magazine;
Next Millennium Publishing Ltd.
and pulled out, the ‘black buck’
* (American Cinematography -July 1998).
was then shot at high speed,
approximately 240 frames per Jim Key, Custom Miniatures,
second, to capture die individual smoke 23624 Magic Mountain Pkwy, 11613,
elements necessary for compositing Valencia, CA 91355-2180

into the final scene. Photography per individuals: as

indicated courtesy of Blue SkylVIFX.
“We got just beautiful, tremendous Use of material obtained through
permission. The X-Files is a and ™ ©
stuff that would take months and 1 998 Twentieth Century Fox Film

months of computer rime ifyou were Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

to try to create
it that way. Even
with a particle
system or
volumetric
Tenderer, you’d
never get that.
As you can see,
we still treat visual

effects with an

Top: Beauty shot of miniature face-on.

Centre: Crew - left to right, front row: Dave Chamberlain,
Logan Payne, Scott Schneider, John Wash, Jeff Cuppernell,
Ken Nevarez. Left to right, back row: Patrick Denver, Mike
Possert, Kurt Zendler, Carlyle Livingston, Alex Watts.
Left: Movie frame of saucer hovering over Scully and Mulder at
lower right.
Above: The collapsing ice field.

© 1 998 Twentieth Century Fox. Image courtesy Blue SkylVIFX.

30
 US Garage Kit Report

US Garage Kit Report II : The Quickening

Anthony Taylor

W elcome! After two months of traveling to kit slwws

around the country I have a stack of new
models to review.

I am going to double up this issue

Usually I try
reviews in a column, but these have been stacking up and
to try
to do one or two

and catch up!

one of the
garage kit hobby.
first

pieces as kits, and

will continue doing

theJimmy Legs, this
sculpting stars of the
It’s

return to his roots by offering

I

to support his efforts so that he

good to see

encourage you

so. As with
would make a
him
new
Ballistic

P.O. box 171,

562-493-2455.
Scale: 1:6.
Rose
Manufactured by: G-Zero

Los Alamitos, CA 90720-0171.

Sculpted by: James Hakola.

Also, by the nature of garage kits, they are usually great piece for someone just getting Price: $119.95 +$7.00 P&H.
into resin kits and the price is Material: Resin.
only availablefor a limited time and ifI wait much longer definitely reasonable. 33 parts.

some of these might be sold out. This issue all the kits
are original designs, so grab the glue, putty and paint
Kit Builder’s Dream
Manufactured by: Blackstar Models
and let’s get started! 26 Ave B,
Mechanicville, NY 12118.
The Jimmy Legs have all the fun yourself and buy the 518-899-3012.
Manufactured by: Bowen Designs kit. This would be a great model for Scale: 1:6.
P.O. Box 220223, a first timer, and priced at $90.00 Sculpted by: Joe Laudati.
Milwaukie, Or 97269. TheJimmy Legs is a bargain. Price: $135.00 +$7.00 P&H.
(503) 786-0542. Material: Resin and Brass Tubing.
http://www.telcport.com/ ~ bowenSr WAR 23 parts.
Scale: Approximately 1:16, 10" tall. Manufactured by: Bowen Designs
Sculpted by: Randy Bowen. P.O. Box 220223,
Price: $90.00 +$10.00 P&H. Milwaukie, Or 97269.
Material: Resin. (503) 786-0542.
7 parts, plus chain. http://www.teleport.com/~bowen8r
Scale: 1 :4, 9" tall.

Sculpted by: Randy Bowen.

Price: $35.00 +$6.00 P&H. Ratings (1-10); Packaging: 8
Material: Resin and White Metal. Likeness: N/A
3 parts, plus chain. Sculpture Quality: 10
Casting Quality: 9
Pose: 9; Detail: 10
Proportions: 10

James Hakola’s Ballistic Rose is one

of the finest sculptures I have seen
in my many years of kit collecting
Ratings (1-10); Packaging: 7
and building. James was formerly an
Likeness: N/A
artist in residence at Avatar Creations,
Sculpture Quality: 8
and this kit was to have been released
Casting Quality: 8
Pose: 9; Detail: 10
by that company before it folded.
Thankfully, Jim salvaged her and
Proportions: 9
Ratings (1-10); Packaging: 10 released this model himself under
Likeness: N/A Blackstar Models are relatively new to his new G-Zeio banner. Wrought with
Sculpture Quality: 9 the figure kit game, but their first fine detail, Rose is a joy to assemble,
Casting Quality: 10 model is a real looker. The Kitbuilder’s although there is quite a bit of
Pose: 9; Detail: 10 Dream is a kit of the girlfriend that assembly to be done. The kit is
Proportions: 9 all of us resin-heads wish we had, and cast in white odorless resin, and

Ratings (1-10); Packaging: 10 Blackstah Dave Meyer lias done a great there were no pinholes to fill and
Wow, this is a great kit. Following Likeness: N/A job getting her out of our dreams and only a few mold fines to sand. The
the success of his Decapitator kit, Sculpture Quality: 10 into our hands. The kit is cast in a only real task was removing the
Randy Bowen’s Jimmy Legs is a Casting Quality: 10 tan resin and cleans up fairly easily. sprues and sanding those areas
textbook example of how a garage Pose: 9; Detail: 10 There were no air bubbles in my kit, smooth. The parts fit easily, again
kit should be done. The kit is Proportions: 10 and the mold fines required little due to fit keys which are molded into
flawlessly cast in odorless white sanding. All seams were placed at natural them. I did do a little grinding and
resin, and needs no cleanup wliatsoever. Ifeel like I could almost just write joins, i.e. the legs joined beneadi the use a bit of putty on her right
All joins contain male and female “See Above”. The WAR
bust is a seam of her shorts, and the fit is shoulder and arm assembly, but
fit keys and are situated so that I never beautiful sculptand there is basically perfect thanks to male and female fit this was minimal. The amount of
even had to use any putty during no assembly involved in this kit. The keys. I pinned all the joints to insure detail and decorative elements on
assembly. Jimmy is a bit heavy so 1 short sword is the only piece that her stability and then used just a Ballistic Rose really impressed me, and

did pin him to the base, but otherwise requires glue, as the gun hangs bit of putty on her shoulder seams. I recommend this kit highly. An
I was able to simply glue his head and from a chain. Again the casting I especially liked the “Ray original design that looks fabulous
hands on and get busy painting. requires no cleaning or filling, and Harryhausen-esque” kits that she lias when finished.
Bowen’s full color box art and the real fun of this bust is in the on her work table and the
in progress That’s all for this time. Join me
booklet on the fictional “history” painting. WAR an original design
is unassembled kits in boxes at her next time for more kit news and
of theJimmy Legs make for a highly by Randy Bowen, and is also available feet. Joe Laudati’s sculpture is a reviews!
original and desirable overall package. as a prcpainted statue. Bowen has been great vision of a wholesome honey ©1998 Anthony Taylor.
This sculpture is also available as a concentrating more on prepaints over that would make most kit builders All Rights Reserved,
prepainted statue, but save a few dollars, the last several years, but he was want to stay home nights. e-mail: [email protected]

31
 .

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Vampire Hag: A gelatine makeup

Karl Derrick of Arcane Effects

overlapping pieces and I needed Photo 2 has Simon and Anthony

of each facial area
a sectional cast blending away the edges after
to serve as the positive half of the forehead piece was stuck
the appliance mould. down.

The make up was in three Photo 3 shows how die appliances

pieces: The forehead, the nose and are coloured. We used a mixture
the upper lip. of Rubber Mask Grease Paint and
alcohol to achieve the mottling effect
I sculpted the entire makeup on on the gelatine and skin. The
a complete copy of the lifecast so final result is seen in Photo 4.
as to keep the big picture in
mind. Once I had blocked out the The colouring looks a bit over
general shape and feel of the face the top in daylight but will wash
I cut the clay ( Chavant Plastilene) out to a natural (!) look under the
at the places I wanted the joins and studio lighting. The colouring
lifted the pieces off die master. They must continue over the edges of
were then laid onto dieir respective the appliances, up into the hairline
sectional casts and detailed and the and down onto the neck, otherwise
blending edges sculpted. The there’s an obvious finishing line
resultant small sculptures were then to the make up.
edged-up and moulded.
Photo 5 shows hair expert Gill
Everyone who works with Griffith adding the final touches
own favourite
gelatine has their to Deborah’s barnet. It’s really
recipes and formulas. I am no important to recruit the right
exception. 1 opted for a quite people for the job and Gill has over
firm formulation because, as I 14 years experience encompassing
said, the pieces wouldn’t need hairdressing, wig and hairpiece
to move hardly at all. found I making, hair-insertion and display
out some time ago that really work.
soft formulas are not the answer
to good pieces. The softer the If you look back at Photo 1 you
piece, the more likely you are can just see the dental prostheses
to leave the delicateblending by the mirror to the left of the
edge in the mould. This results picture. Dentition is an interesting
in appliances that have door-step field. At Arkane Effects we specialise

W
edges. Impossible to lose. in custom teeth and fangs and 1

hat follows is an account of how my team believe we are die only effects-house

makeup in gelatine.
created a Vampire Hag Even a formulation this firm heats in the UK
providing soft-lined
up on the skin and becomes really dental prostheses. This means
The members of the crew who created this flexible in about half an hour. the teeth can be worn all day
beauty with me are: Simon Rose, Gill Griffith and with none of the discomfort
OK. Once die pieces had been associated with normal hard
Anthony Parker. The long suffering Deborah cast (I made 2 sets, just in case!)
all

acrylic lined sets. An added bonus

Hyde is under all that jelly. The photographs we could set up the shoot... is that, should a performer fall while
were all taken by the wonderfully patient Ian wearing a set of our choppers,
guessed that the make up
I his or her own teeth are cushioned
Taylor. would take around two hours to by the soft liner and are therefore
apply and colour so we arrived much better protected.
On with the show. . expressions, the bulk of the ahead of everyone else and got
characterisation could be sculpted- weaving. The shoot went well, thanks to
The client approached us at in. Ian Taylor’s photographic skills
Arkane Effects with a view to us As I was busy organising and the results can be seen at
creating a character specifically to I with a full face and neck
started everything else I asked Simon our website. The address is:
be still-photographed. This is lifecast of the model. like to
I and Anthony to apply and colour wvvwarkane-effects. demon, co.
rather unusual, as most special use a firm body alginate and take the pieces. Photo I shows Simon uk
make-up projects end up on film the impression in two stages: A applying the flesh coloured
or stage. very thin alginate layer bonded to gelatine nose piece. The pieces Gelatine is very lifelike when
a thicker, second layer to give are glued onto the skin and then applied and coloured properly
A problem we have encountered strength. This is then backed up the fine edges are dissolved with and is one of the few materials
in the past is that, unless gelatine with plaster bandage in the warm water or witchhazel. The associated with special effects
foam or silicone gel appliances are traditional manner. Once had I result an appliance that blends
is make-up that is both affordable
used, thicker appliances tend to a good plaster impression I made seamlessly (hopefully) with the and easy to use. I hope you will
absorb the actor’s facial movement a silicone rubber jacket mould skin. The skin around the have a go at something like this
and limit the performance. Since of the plaster lifecast.I needed to appliances was layered with old- - the effort really pays off.

the Vampire Hag was only going mould the lifecast because the age-stipple to create a more
to be seen with one or two make up would be in several wrinkled, gnarled appearance. K. D.

32
 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

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33
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Scrakhbuilding a Shadows ship

Glenn Ludgate

W hdst building an organic spacecraft variant on the theme ofthose seen in Babylon
5 recently a thought hit
— something from
constructed outside of a computer, but I decided
follows
me - why not scratchbuild the ultimate organic ship
the sinister Shadows fleet? I know these ships were never

a record of the methods of construction I used to create

is
it was time to put that right. What

my 4' (tentacle end

were also drilled in die deepest parts
of the ship
these holes
brass tube
to conceal them. Into
I threaded a length of

of the appropriate diameter,

but diis would only eventually be fixed
into the lower body shell
why later).
(I’ll explain

to tentacle end) replica...

Large Tentacles
I first had both of die Skybox
sides Lower body lower body in the same way, with the As a rule the lower tentacles on
B5 collector card “Coming OfShadows” After transferring the plan of the outline identical but reversed, and this Shadows ships hang downwards whilst
— which shows two ofthe ships in space lower body, taken from the A4 time I sculpted totally different “hills the upper ones arc upwards.
— photocopied and enlarged to A4 size blowup of the card, onto a piece of and valleys” into the surface. When A Because this is an organic
in colour (the back view depicts the cardboard, transferred this to a seen from the front this second half ff ship they can change shape,
I

upper plan). This gave me an indication ofwood, drawing one plan

large piece features a “hill” at the top and a so their positioning and posture
of the shape. I then watched and onto the wood then flipping the “valley” underneath, giving the are up to you. I began with the rear
freeze-framed every Shadows “incident” card over to obtain the opposite upper body a depression to rest tentacles,
from the series. Many freeze frames plan. Checking my drawings, the The ridges below diis
against. making these
later I had a clear picture in my head A4 blowup and my videotapes, I are the “shoulders” into
and sat down to draw up my plans. next built up half of the shape in which the tentacles fit.
I came to the conclusion that every plasticine, sculpting “hills and valleys” Once I had sculpted
Shadows sliip is an individual - no two into the surface and making it as this piece I 20" long, and
are exactly alike and each is symmetrica]. organic looking as possible. When tapering them down
finished, I smoothed the sculpt over from 15mm diameter
The shipcomplicated shape,
is a with vasilene, frbreglassed it and where they connect to the
with upper and lower “bodies” and allowed the fibreglass '
r to 4mm at the
various “tentacles”. The best way I to cure. I then popped tip. I first made a
could think of to construct it was by off die resulting fibreglass card template then
first sculpting master parts in “shell” and washed drew around diis onto
plasticine, then making fibreglass out the plasticine. my piece ofwood. Plasticine was then
shells from these and joining the used to build up a semi-circular
various resulting fibreglassed it as I had the first. profile. As I was shaping each tentacle
pieces The lower body halves were then glued master I gouged depressions into its
together. I together and sanded along the join, surface. Once left and right master halves

therefore transferred my then the whole lower body was had been made I smoothed them
drawn out plans onto lighdy sanded to remove any glass fibre down with mscline and fibreglassed them.
pieces of wood, then built up the hairs. In order to hold the fibreglass matting
tentacle and body halves ( in place on top of the plasticine whilst
structure was made in Upper body it cured I added plasticine blobs around
two pieces) against The upper body was made in die same the outside edges — if unsupported,
these flat surfaces, cleaning out any way — the only difference being in its the matting dries to a flattened profile
periodically offering remaining bits shape, which is the reverse of the radier than a semi-circular one. Once
up each tentacle to the vrith a steel washing lower body’s contours. It also features it had cured I popped off tire fibreglass,
main body to make up pad. I also an extra piece that holds additional cleaned the inside of the shells, sanded
sure it would fit fibreglassed the inside tentacles. I inserted a length of tube the edges and glued the tentacle
correctly and ofthe shell Id give it strength and, once centrally to align the upper and lower halves together. When the bond was
constandy checking this had cured, used a felt tip pen to bodies, first drilling out holes in the firm I carefully sanded away any
with the drawings and photos I had mark off the excess material around top and bottom halves of each shell rough edges and loose fibres. I won’t
gathered. the edges. This was then removed with as dose to the centre ofgravity as possible, go into the making of each tentacle
a Dremel. I made the other half of die at the same time making sure that these — suffice it to say diat die easiest ones

Left and right: fibreglass parts were cast from Plasticene ‘masters’. Inset: the completed alien ship.

34
 .

Scratchbuilding a Shadow Ship

to make were the large versions coats of semi-gloss black. Next I

detailed above, whilst die diin, narrow applied that all important top coat. If
ones proved to be a pain in die **** you watch the series, you will notice
diat die ships feature a complicated surface
****
Pain in the pattern — a sort ofirregular brickwork
While working on the medium- design — all over them. I painted this
sized tentacles it became more and on by hand in a green-grey using a gpod
more difficult to hold the fibreglass quality pointed brush held upright so
in position over the narrow sculpted as to give the patterning slightly
shapes, even widi die aid of restraining feathered edges. The whole ship took
blobs ofplastidne. I therefore asked around me a week to paint in this way.
and eventually bought a metre of
125g glass fibre. This is so thin you Glitter
can read your newspaper through To simulate die shimmering effect seen
it. Once it had been applied and in the series I next painted the ship
had cured over my plasticine tentacle widi glitter mixed widi a glue solution.
masters I removed the plasticine and This takes some rime to dry, so I

coated the inside of each tentacle completed one surface at a time,

The intricate ‘Shadows paint job’
half with a thin layer of thicker leaving a period of twenty four hours
fibreglass before joining the halves them smooth, working my way removed, together with the brass between paintings. After the whole
together. along from the back to the front. tube inside it. ship had been covered I gloss varnished
At this point I realised that fixing the every surface and finally, using an eye
Mounting and sleeves upper body in place earlier had been Painting bolt, bolted the upper and lower
Making sure the tentacles fit snugly a mistake as I couldn’t now add all the With upper and lower bodies finished bodies together. The completed ship
to the body glued them in place. I
I sleeves and would not be able to and all die tentacles added I lightly sanded hangs from my ceiling. Because it is
then added a “collar” of fibreglass above paint between the bodies at the each join so that I obtained a smooth made from fibreglass - even with
and below each join to form a sleeve. finishing stage. With a bit of pulling, finish and dien primed the two units. its 4' wingspan — it weighs less than
I allowed these to cure then sanded the upper body came loose and was I then sprayed them with a couple of 21bs!

Moviewatch continued from page 7. . die loss ofboth the Shadows’ and dieir will co-write, co-produce and landscapes to bring the unique
There had been many rumors homeworld at the end of the Shadow direct the franchise, which will be world ofMiddle Earth to life. It’s very
about Cameron being unhappy with War attack Earth. As they are being executive produced by Academy exciting to be making The Lord of the
DD over the past couple ofyears but beaten back they unleash a virus into Award-winning film legend Saul Ring as a trilogy. Shooting diree feature
no word as to why. Perhaps this
solid the upper atmosphere creating a Zaentz. Jackson’s longtime production films back-to-back has never been
has something to do with his decision. slow-moving plague infecting all of partner Fran Walsh will co-write and done before, and shows tremendous
I know that Winston seems to have the inhabitants of Earth. This brings co-produce through the director’s vision on the part of Bob Shaye
his hands full with own shop andhis us to our basic series premise: the WingNut Films banner. and New Line Cinema J Not only
it would make sense he would want
diat Rangers, led by the crew of the New Line picked-up the rights to will we create a unique cinematic
to concentrate on
more completely
that Excalibur, have five years to discover Lord of the Rings and Tolkien’s The event, but we will be treating
especially with work being as slow as a way to cure this plague or every Hobbit from Miramax Films. Miramax Tolkien’s work with the respect
it seems to be right now. living thing on Earth will die. co-chairmen Bob and Harvey and integrity it deserves.”
Unlike Babylon 5, where most Weinstein will serve as executive - The release continues for another
Starship Troopers 2? action takes place on a station, the producers of the potential franchise. 10-20 paragraphs without adding
t seems that, along widi all the other crew of Excalibur go from world New Line’s deal also includes any significant information:
I rumors I sift through, one continues to world looking for remnants of die worldwide merchandising rights This is exciting news. While the
to pop up - that there may be a First Ones’ civilizations for keys to consumer products based on project was with Miramax there
sequel to Starship Troopers. Not that will help unlock the mystery of the property. was never any definite information
everybody is going to be happy the Drakh virus. The company may release the about it. This led folks to believe they
about that but I really thought the An entirely new cast is involved trilogy as a Christmas-summer- weren’t 100% behind it - which turns
movie was fun and the effects top- though some of die original cast may Christmas event during the 2000- out to be the case since they sold the
notch. In any case, rumors about a make guest appearances. 2001 calendar year. The films will project to New Line.
sequel started even before the film be produced consecutively and There is more news available
was complete. Verhoeven has stated New Line — Lord Of The shot on location in New Zealand. directly from the mouth (or the
on more than one occasion that Rings trilogy for director Principal photography will last fingers) ofPeter Jackson. He answered
this was the only film he wanted to Peter Jackson. approximately one year, and it is “20 Questions” for Aint It Cool News
do a sequel to. All the principals have - Saul Zaentz To Exec. Produce expected production will begin by on the internet (http://www.aint-
fielded the question in interviews Project Picked Up From Miramax mid-1999. Weta Digital, Jackson’s it-cool-news.com/lordoftliering5.htiiil).
and have all stated diat they would Films - FX firm based in New Zealand, will In this article he mentions the plan
be interested in doing one should Here is an edited version ofNew Line’s be responsible for the elaborate for the hobbits is to use “standard”
it come up. More recently Casper press release: (L.A., Aug 24, ’98) — CG visuals demanded of die project. sized actors reduced through CGI.
Van Dien (Johny Rico) stated that if New Line Cinema will commit more Jackson has been developing die Dwarfs may be little people or
there was a sequel Verhoeven would than $130 million to produce a trilogy for more than two years reduced full-size actors as per die hobbits
definitely direct because he’s the one live action, special effects-packed trilogy while working with his — they haven’t decided yet. Elves will
who holds the rights to the franchise. of films based onJ.R.R. Tolkien’s groundbreaking FX team to perfect be standard actors but the final
fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings, proprietary computer programs look has yet to be determined. He
Babylon 5: Crusade it was announced today by Robert be used during die complex
that will also mentioned that, contrary to minor,
It’s coming soon to a small screen Shaye, Chairman and ChiefExecutive production and post-production Sean Connery will NOT be Gandalf.
near you. This isn’t really movie Officer of New Line, Michael Lynne, process. He said Connery is pretty much out
news but I think it fits anyway. President and Chief Operating “It lias taken 45 years for filmmaking of their price range. They plan to
Especially when you consider that Officer of New Line, Michael De technology to finally catch up with use mostly new talent but he is
the series will get a 2 hour send-off Luca, President and Chief Operating Tolkien’s imagination,” Jackson sure the studio will want at least a
- The River OfSouls. CRUSADE Officer of New Line Productions, said. “We are fortunate here in couple of “names” to sell die project.
picks up where B5 leaves off. The and Mark Ordesky, President of New Zealand to have both the Go to the website above if you
Drakh, a race who were upset about Fine Line Features. Peter Jackson computer technology and natural want to see the whole thing.

35
 1

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

t atI! Scene Marc J. Frattasio

Prequel designs hit net painted to resemble Luke’s Dagobah

swamp-weed festooned craft seen in
Star
The
Wars and two Star Trek subjects.
Wars ornaments are an X- Wing
Star

T
film is
he first Star Wars
scheduled for release in the
USA during February, 1999.
More and more information about this
coming into circulation, including
prequel is Wars prequel character figure, available
through an Internet mail-away offer
by the time you read
something called
Droid’. A Stap is
this. This
a ‘Stap with Battle

apparently a small
is
Empire.

Balhntine Books have published The Star

Wais Encyclopedia by Stephen J. Sansweet.
This 400 page hardcover contains
Fighter (illuminated engines),

Princess Leia

set
(from the
of three tiny Ewoks. Star Trek
offerings are die First Contact Enteiprise

E (illuminated warp engines, impulse

Boba Fett,
first film), and a

images and descriptions of some of the antigravity vehicle. of every person,

alphabetical listings engines, deflector shield) and Captain
new spacecraft which will appear. Expect creature, spaceship, planet, technology, Janeway from Voyager. Each collectible

to see the Z-95 Headhunter Fighter, Hasbro’ s latest Star Wars figure piece of hardware, etc., seen or mentioned is authentically detailed and decorated.
Federation Battleship, Sith Fighter, Pod releases include Leia in Hath outfit. Death in the film trilogy, animated TV productions,
Racers, and Gungan Submarines. Check Star Trooper, Death Star Droid with Mouse books, video games, etc. It includes Hallmark have also released a fine
out ‘The Force.Net’ at http://theforce.net Droid, and Pote Snitkin. hundreds of photographs and illustrations. Christmas ornament replica of the
regularly for the latest information and Apollo 11 Lunar Excursion Module with
rumors on the new movies. Galoob will soon release a limited Hallmark have released eight new SF descent engine illumination and actual
Hasbro have announced their first Star edition Star Wits Action Fleet X-Wing Fighter Christmas ornaments for 1998 - six Apollo 1 astronaut voice effects.

Classy Ambassador kits

Rumor has it Ertl will market two
Aurora lives loaded with injection molds
a field. About 5 molds were
left the rails and landed in
damaged beyond repair
different
Star
A mbassador class starships from
Trek the Next Generation
and recent films. One kit will build into
A
to the
ccording to Polar Lights, die model kit subsidiary of Playing
Mantis Toys, the old Ainom Seaview submarine from
Bottom of the Sea is dieir most requested kit Therefore,
Voyage
and a of 14 'A or 15 'A molds were considered ‘destroyed’
total

for insurance purposes, with the insurance company

refusing to pay for the undamaged half mold. Apparently
NCC-1701-C from
the Enterprise one might resonably expect Seaview to appear in the Polar some figui'e kit molds were destroyed plus a couple of
ST:TNG episode Yesterday’s Enterprise. Lights’ Aurora reproduction lineup in die not too distant future. aircraft kit molds and molds for the Addams Family
The other will include new parts and Kalmbach Publishing! Greenberg Books have published Haunted House. When the remaining undamaged molds
decals to permit other A mlrassador class to Aurora Model Kits by Thomas Graham.
Greenberg's Guide finally arrived at Monogram’s facility in Morton Grove,
starships such as the USS Yamaguchi This 128 page large format paperback (140 photographs) presents Illinois, only those which the company’s marketing
and USS Zukov to be constructed. the history of Aurora and its wares and includes information department believed would be used within three to five
on garage recasts, Polar Lights' reverse-engineered releases years were retained. The remaining molds were dismantled
Is everyone out there aware that and Monogram reissues of classic Aurora kits. to reclaim the berylium copper in their casting cavities.

Star Trek TV and film modelmaker Speaking of Aurora, here’s probably the final word Thus, most of the so-called Aurora ‘oddball’ molds were
Rick Sternback now has his own on the legendary train wreck. Apparently, the freight train simply melted down. Supposedly, the president of
Internet site? Check it out at transporting Aurora’s stock of injection molds to Monogram Monogram purchased them to keep them out of the hands
http://liome.carthlink.net/
~
rstcmbach. was wrecked near Albany, New York, during late 1977. of potential competitors and had little interest in returning

Among other things, Rick compares A number of flatcars carrying ‘Piggyback’ truck trailers them to production.
the Revell-Monogram Voyager kit to the
original studio prop on his web Earth and Tybo the Carrot Man from The Great Vegetable
site.
Classic LIS from Trendmasters Rebellion. Trendmasters are also releasing two new versions of
Minbari Cruiser?
Rumor
release a
has
B5
1999. Additionally,
it Revell-Monogram will
Minbari Warcntiser during

Monogram have given up on

it seems Revell-
dieir Selected
T rendmasters have
their
announced the first products in
up-coming Lost in Space, the Classic Series toy
collection. They will produce at least four 9 inch collector s

dolls based upon original series characters. Each will be

fully dressed and come with realistic accessories. Doctor
the B-9 robot; a
1'A

best of all,
two foot

interior, illuminated bridge controls

propulsion system ring,

tall

inch version. Both feature light and sound

realistic
radio controlled version and a

sound
effects.

Trendmasters are releasing aJupiter 2 with fully detailed

Perhaps

and sequentially blinking

effects, removable Space
Subjects Program oflimited edition kit reissues. Smith will wear his U.S. Air Force Colonel’s outfit from the Pod, and working landing gear. The toy will come with
No SSP kits appear in Revell-Monogram’ s first few episodes. Major Don West,Judy Rolrinson and Will Robinson three in-scale articulated figures (Dr. Smith, Robot and Will
most recent Internet catalog. Let’s hope will wear their silver suits from the pilot episode, The Robinson). These fine collectibles, about as realistic as toys ever
Glencoe Models can pry some of the old Reluctant Stoumvay. Trendmasters will release at least two 11 inch get, will be released in the USA in time for Christmas 1998.
Revel! and Monogram molds away from monster dolls; the Cyclops from There Were Giants in the Thanks, Trendmasters !

Revell-Moncgrmn or we may never see these

things at reasonable prices again. This

writer is aware that Revell-Monogram
offering of four KISS figure
a set

kits (Peter Criss, Paul Stanley,

Cult TV Man Return to Tomorrowland
Disneyland in California have recendy
TV
pulled additional space

(Monogram’s Willy Ley

molds out ofstorage

one) in anticipation of releasing them

TV Orbitcr being
Ace Frehley, and Gene Simmons)
with interlocking display stands
which, when put together, reproduce
C heck out Steve Iverson’s Cult
Man Sci-Fi Modeling Page at
http://www.culttvman.com — without
restored Tomonouland to
1950s appearance complete with
Moonliner, a hypothetical Earth to
its original

TWA
mid-

as SSP kits. However, interest in SSP the artwork on the cover of the doubt one of the best SF modeling Moon passenger rocket originally
kits apparently diminished with every famous Destroyer 1976 album. Todd web sites on the Internet, featuring kittedby Strombeckcr during the ’50s and
'60s and recently brought back into
release. What a shame. Toys, the Spawn people, are also profiles of fan built replicas and actual
production by Glencoe. The original
taking advantage of the band’s studio models, kit super detailing hints,
Disneyland Moonliner was demolished
Kiss kits new popularity, having produced interviews, sources of kits and materials,
during the early

K
’60s.
ISS, the 1970s rock band two different KISS character figure links to other SF modeling web sites,

famous for their long hair, ranges. One depicts band members etc. Don’t miss the huge section devoted And finally...
leather fetish black and silver in their familiar ’70s stage dress; the to Polar Lights’Jupiter 2 kit with detailing Heard of The Super Adventure
costumes, high platform shoes, other in different costumes packed tips, aftermarket detail parts listed for Team, the new half hour MTV comedy
and Kabuki facial makeup, are with one of four different demonic sale, LED propulsion system lighting series done with puppets and cheesy FX
making some kind of come-back circus (picture the evil Clown from kits and impressive images of built up which harken back to die Supennarionation
here in the USA. Polar Lights are the Spawn film) performers. Jupiter 2 kits. days? Check it out!

36
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Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Magic in Space
An exclusive portfolio: Part Two.
Geoff Topping in conversation with the staff of
Shepperton Studios’ The Magic Camera Company.
ast issue Geoff Topping chatted to Lost In Space main digital animator Evan
escape pod/cockpit, which basically
Davies. Here, in the conclusion of his coverage of the creation of the complex clamps onto the
L computer generated opening sequence for thefilm, he talks to Alan Marques and
rear.

The pod was built in Lightwave

animators Gary Coulter and Caroline Garrett about their involvement in the and imported into Max, the wing
production of Magic Camera’s vital contribution to the movie. As with the first was built in Max and then
everything was rendered in Max.
part of this article, we present move exclusive images from the making of the film,
As the scene was going to utilise
courtesy of The Magic Camera Company... greenscreen, the cockpit was
The scene
built as a 1/1 set piece.
SF&F: Gary... Evan Davies the look of surfaces, geometry, packages, mainly3-D Studio Max. was shot with motion control
mentioned Animatics (see last etc. Gradually, as things become However, we were learning this
as so the fighter’s ‘head up display’
issue. Ed) - can you elaborate on approved, it evolves into the we
particular package at the time, and lighting effects could be
this term? basis for the final result. also used Rhino, which is a overlaid onto film. We received
modelling package which works footage of the actor in the cockpit
Gary Coulter: When animating SF&F: What software did you directly with Max and also and the motion control data,
something as complicated as the utilise to create the hardware Lightwave for a few bits. The two which defined what the camera
Space Battle we have to check seen in the opening sequence? Bubble Fighters varied in paint was doing at that point in time.
everything out, so we create an and detail schemes, but utilised
Animatic,which is basically rough Gary: We built and rendered thesame basic design. There are We wrote some software, which
models and animation. We then the Hyper Gate in Lightwave 3D. two portions to each ship; a wing took the moves from the camera
go through a process of having bits The Sedition Fighter was built and an engine make up one that filmed the live-action, then
approved - models, the animation, using a combination of three section, while the other is the we loaded the images as a backdrop
into Max. We then applied the data
of the real camera onto the ‘Max
camera’, and with a little bit of
tweaking - it doesn’t always work
straight away - we got everything
lined up, and everything in the
scene moved in sync.

The trick is, and it’s a bit of a

wing section of the
cheat, that the
and the back of the escape
fighter
pod never actually moved in
Max or on the 1/1 scale set piece.
We cheated by moving the camera
to give the effect that it’s actually
banking. A few shots originally
required transitions between this
and a 3-D version, and there
was atransition between the
actor in the cockpit and a ‘digital
puppet’. These would have been
quite tricky, as you have to do a
morph between the two. One
shot involved the fighter coming
out of an explosion from quite a
distance, and then coming right
up to the camera. This was
intended to be a transition between
the digital puppet and the actor,
but, due to the speed of the live
action element, the shot of the actor
was scaled by our 2D department
during the compositing process.

The Hyper Gate is actually one

of the biggest (computer) models
that has ever been built. If you look
at characters like Draco from
Dragonheart, that is a big model,
 Magic in Space

rlcoiiisio

Iloclrost

ir
5ECQMb'|gg

Left (top to bottom): Bubble Fighter fires its cannon; live action greenscreen Bubble Fighter cockpit elements were shot on a
gimbaled set and composited digitally with CG elements; Bubble Fighter escape pod separates from main ship.
Right: Two CG Bubble Fighter display screens - unseen in final cut of movie.

but Industrial Light and Magic opening shot, where the camera file. The clouds are actually us working on them and say they
used ‘Nurbs modelling’ which is over the city section of the talcum powder, which has been weren’t needed. There was also
gives you more detail for a lower Gate, we had to have enough sprinkled on glass; it was then confusion about the way the
data count. But, as we’re using detail so that we could zoom in. photographed on ( Shepperton Bubble Fighter s Head Up Display
Lightwave, which is based on We also built a lot of stuff that Studios’) M
Stage, and then turned was to be lined up. It was on
polygons, in order to build the wasn’t utilised, such as scaffolding into a cloud map by the 2-D three axes that it was to spin on,
Hyper Gate we had to have 3.2 on the uncompleted Jump Ring. department, to complete the full one locked to the motion control
million polygons. This made up There were plans to fly the fighters map. camera. We attempted to animate
180 objects and 900 lights. The through this, but the powers the others by eye, which didn’t
Bubble Fighters are made up of that be changed the script. SF&F: Caroline, I believe the turn out too well! There is
374,000 polygons. To give you digital sequences seen on screen nothing to line up to, and if the
some idea, the Titanic model, The planet Earth was again in the movie are, at times, very actor gets too close, you have
which was built for the film by builtand textured in Max, with different to what was first planned? to line up the H.U.D. out of
Digital Domain, was roughly various filters and effects to give shot. So, we had to find a way of
about 2.2 to 2.3 million polygons. the clouds. The continents and Caroline Garrett: There were importing the motion control,
So it gives you an idea of the water are from a huge digital and a few shots
a lot of changes, which two other technicians had
amount of detail involved. One map, which is 20,000 x 10,000 were cut out. The producers to write the software for. Unlike
of the reasons is, if you look at the pixels, that alone is a 300-megabyte would come in half way through the computer games industry,

39
 ,

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Caroline: No, not really. Gary
writes some code because he’s from
a programming background, and
if required we bring in outside
freelancers to help us out. We’re
lucky in that we’re a good mix
of people from different
backgrounds. Evan has been in
the industry for five years, I am
from an animation background
and Ian is from a general graphics
background.

SF&F: There aren’t many women

in this field of Special Effects -
was C.G. animation what you
always intended to do?

Caroline: Yes, I went straight into

it having left the college where
I had been studying animation in

June of last year and, by September,

I was working here.

SF&F: Alan, there’s an

tremendous amount of work
involved in a production of this
size. How many people were
needed in the CG unit alone
for Lost In Space?

Alan Marques: There was a lot

of work involved in the early
stages. We worked on the project
for around a year. The first six
months we had a very small crew
Early and final renderings of of five people, then in October
Jump Gate sections. ’97 we ramped up with additional
Below: Digital Head Up freelance staff. Ultimately, fourteen
Display composited over people were involved in producing
footage of Matt LeBlanc. the 3D work.
we can’t refer to off the
shelf software. With regards Ian Anderson, Simon Coombs
to motion control, and and Gary Coulter were responsible
transferring animations from for the Lightwave side of things,
Max to Lightwave and even that is the Hyper Gate, The City
down to writing software and the background detail ships.
to render the images or to Evan Davies was the main animator
control the rendering, we using 3d Studio Max2, along with
did a lot of this ourselves, as Caroline Garrett and Dave
it is impossible to buy. Kirkham. Adrian Banton was a
freelancer who did the bulk of the
SF&F: Is that one of the greenscreen import and matching.
qualifications needed in to In the final two months of the
work in computer animation project we had additional
- the ability to write freelancers doing texture detailing
software? and render nursing.

The 3-D side of The Magic Camera

Company is backed up by our
2-D compositing department,
which on Lost In Space
comprised of ten people. You
can analogise what we do as
building a car - we produce the
‘bits’, and then we dump them
on 2-D and they assemble them
and produce the final full resolution
frames which are then recorded
back to film using the Domino
system.

All images courtesy ofTIte Magic Content Company

Limited © New Line Cinema, Inc.

40
 . ; i

Seriously though...

The giemlii himself— after attaching

the brush and his arm using supeiglue

Seriously though... and blending the shoulder in with

a little filler — was rendered in
acrylic green and yellow. The green
covered a greater percentage of his
Reviewing two resin “fun” figures back, head and arms, with the
Words Bob Gould • photographs Tim Hooper yellow dry-brushed to represent
the softer underbelly and markings

Nodding Alien The Bog — somewhat similar to that of any

reptile. (See Issue 24 for a more

by Terran Trader Monster detailed description of the process,

as applied to the Lost World T. Rex.)

wonder how many of these by Christian Forward

figures will appear on the parcel (available through Creative Castings) The seat and cover were painted
I shelves of cars, quietly nodding straight acrylic brown, with a black
away to the driver of the car behind? s humorous (?) kits go, diis one wash for staining. The turbulent
And what’s next — a
freshener in the shape of the Predator
or a “mooning”
“Phew"

Pinhead, raising
air
.
A isn’t too bad. As a piece of
sculpting and casting,
also very good. As a
it is

modelling
water was difficult to reproduce
convincingly, but I ended up using
white as a base, and a wash of brown
his skirt to any passing motorist? exercise, took about three hours!
it around the seat and green circling
What more can I say? his body as a representation of
Although the idea of the figure reflection. That just left the odds and

is comic, the actual execution of the Christian Forward has produced ends, like the mat, handle and brush
sculpting is true to the original an excellent body of work — all of — I’m sure you can use your own
fearsome beast — and die subsequent it reviewed, at some time or other, imagination. Finally, I gave the
casting is very good. The kit comes in this magazine, and although this porcelain a coat ofHumbrol silk cote
in three sections; head, body and spring, is different to his usual subject varnish, just to add a last touch of
with die two moulded pieces being matter his design skill still shows. realism!
clean and free ofany major blemishes Apparently this is the first in a
apart from slight evidence of a seam series of harmless, fun pieces — These two kits were a lot of fun
line across the base. This was easily maybe they will rival the superb to do — with no particular stress
cleaned up with emery paper and Eggbeits - which does lead me to believe factor attached to either. Both are
the whole thing given a wash in that there must be a market out well made — you’re not getting
soapy water, followed by a sprayed there for them. ripped off with poor workmanship
coat of black car primer. — but are surely aimed at a smaller
As for construction and painting, percentage of the market. 1 had a
At one point here I sat the head it is really up to the individual. I thought as to what they could be used
on the body without the spring and chose a white porcelain bowl and for and came to the decision that the

he looked rather good - a tad cistern, which would enable me to Alien would make a nice paper-
“deformish” — but good. So you could render it cracked and stained — weight and die Beg Monster is die ideal
actually forsake the animation by purely to add some detail. The shape for a book-end - albeit, small
making a neck from any sculpting cracks were etched on first, using books!
medium and turn the figure into a a grinding bit in my mini drill, and

statuette. Nodding Alien available from then the whole tiling sprayed with
Terran Trader (Tel. in UK white car primer. The staining
If only this had been a warrior 0151 652 9369) and Comet was achieved with acrylic browns
from either of the first two Alien Miniatures. and black, concentrated around
movies die painting would have been the bowl rim, cistern lid and
easy. But no. It had to be from Alien And for the second offering... simulated cracks.
Cubed, so the required effort is
more involved. A base coat
a little
of acrylic flesh followed by SF&F Pocket Guide
numerous washes of acrylic brown Value for money :

was the order of the day. The Nodding Alien (£18): . Bog Monster (£25):
application of the brown in a
number of thin layers will achieve Ease of assembly and Instructions:
a far more subtle gradation of
Nodding Alien: Bog Monster
colour, leaving you with darkened
recesses and lighter relief. If you Suggested for standard assembly:
look at the CGI rendered Alien in Nodding Alien: Emery paper.
the Making of Alien Resurrection Bog Monster: Supcrglue. P38 filler. Emery paper.
book, you will get a good idea
of what I mean. Paints:
Nodding Alien: Acrylic spray car primer in matt black. Citadel
I picked out the teeth (what an acrylics in flesh, Bestial brown, black and white. Humbrol gloss
evil little smile this guy’s got) in cote.
white and the fingernails in brown Bog Monster: Acrylic spray car primer in matt white. Citadel acrylics
and then gave the whole thing a in Bestial Brown, green, yellow, blue, black and white Humbrol .

coat of Humbrol Gloss Cote varnish. satin cote.

The base was the sprayed
left as
primer coat with the lettering References:Nodding Alien: The Making ofAlien Resurrection by
carefully rubbed back to the A. Murdoch and R. Aberly.
original resin

41
 .

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

20,000 rivets under the sea

John Lane reviews BCI’s Nautilus kit.

varst behind, shiver do lose afew there are a couple texture. Not helping was the for this is that colours such as silver,

A me timbers and other

sayings of a cliched
nautical nature. If that
of remedies. First, you can buy
tiny resin rivets made
modellers. These come in all
for

shapes and sizes, but are expensive

and you’ll have to hunt to find
armour
fact that a sliver of resin was
missing from the break, leaving
a gap. After gluing the two parts
together I filled the gap with
Milliput and left it to go off.
gold, bronze, etc., have a tendency

to highlight any little scratch or

flaw in the finish. As I had had
such a lot of hassle during the clean
up of the castings I felt a darker
didn’t get you in the them. Secondly, tiny drops of Once it was hard I scribed in colour scheme might help hide
maritime mood I’m not PVA glue applied through a blunt some texture with a panel line any remaining blemishes.
surprised. . hypodermic needle make nice scriber and a scalpel. Although it
rivets. looked a bit rough at first, once For the base colour I airbrushed
Prepare to get wet everyone — it had been painted the join the whole sub in Tamiya gun
what we have here is an original Another problem with the pretty much disappeared. Before metal. I then ran a 50/50 water
take on that classic piece of resin is due to the fact that, construction went any further Citadel black ink wash over the
hardware, the Nautilus. BCI have although it has a nice, smooth, hard I drilled the holes for the mounting and around any surface
rivet lines
come up with their own version surface, as soon as you sand rod. To blend in the edges of
detail.
of Nemo ' s super sub. With a through this the resin beneath is the ink lines on the rivets I
classic retro future look featuring full of tiny air bubbles. After Construction of the sub was moistened a fine brush with
lots of rivets and a ram bow this sanding, therefore, any broken quite straightforward, each part Tamiya acrylic thinners and ran
design wouldn’t look out of place surface needs to be resealed. At simply being superglued on. No itover them. Then I wiped off any
in any retro/steam punk series from first I thought a thick coat of pinning was required, nor was any excess with a finger — well my
Flash Gordon to Giant Robo primer would do the job, but filler aseach part attached at a Don’t scrub at the
finger, actually.
or Sakura Wars. Or, with a this proved inadequate. thinA natural join line. Each of the ink or you’ll take off the paint
change of propulsion system, it smear of superglue did the trick, white metal parts (gun barrels, underneath. With a little practice
would make a great Victorian although this in turn will need periscopes) required only a slight this technique can look pretty
style space ship. This is one of the sanding smooth in order to blend sanding to remove mould lines good and adds a lot of depth to
benefits of making up an original it into the surrounding surface. before attaching. The eight gun the surface detail. When it came
design — you can do what you want Extreme care is needed when barrels (I guess they’re guns as to the detail painting finished I

with it and no one can say it’s doing this as, if you sand too there’s no mention of their the prop blades in bronze, the guns
wrong. The model also lends hard, you’ll go through the resin function in the instructions) fit in a dark steel colour and the
itself to dioramas — having it skin surrounding the superglue, onto ball mounts so you can portholes in silver. real On
berthed at Nemo s base or ramming
’

a warship, for example. Before I

get too carried away I’d better build

the thing...

Cocooned bubble wrap

in
within the box are 11 resin and
10 white metal parts. There
should only have been 10 resin
pieces but the base had broken in
two. You’ll also have to provide
a rod of some kind to mount
the sub on. A lot of people use
clear acrylic rods to mount their
models on, and visually these
are less obtrusive due to their
transparent nature. They do,
however, have drawbacks too as
they can break and are not as
easy to bend as metal rod. The
castings for the sub are very nice,
although the resin does remain
rather sticky, even after a thorough
washing. Detail is crisp and none
of the parts were warped. Air
bubbles were also not a problem,
but the main hull and prop rings meaning you’ll have to start attach them in various positions. submarines any view port seen
had a wacking great mould line again. This extra work meant You can also glue the diving underwater with air behind it
complete with a lot of flash that the clean up process took an planes on at any angle, allowing looks silver from the outside.
running around them — not long time. Fixing the
infuriatingly you to display your sub diving or Either side of the conning tower
usually a problem, but with broken base also proved ‘trying’. surfacing. are planked walkways and, to
surface detail such as the rivets in Usually broken resin parts are add a bit of colour to the model,
the way it was difficult to get easy to fix — a spot of superglue, Once built a coat of grey primer I decided to paint these in a
at. This proved to be a major maybe some filler and little finally cured the still slightly wood effect. First I mixed up a
part of the build as, without a great sanding and you’re ready to go — The instructions
sticky resin. very light brown with Tamiya
deal of care having been taken when but this time the sand finish on recommended a bronze colour paints and painted the planks.
sanding, huge swathes of rivets the base precluded any sanding scheme but I decided to go for a Next I mixed a slighdy darker shade
would have been wiped out. If you as it would have removed the more iron clad look. One reason of the main colour and picked out

42
 ) . .

Nautilus reviews
acrylics. Whilst painting the removed. The model was now
rocks I noticed they looked finished.
familiar and, sure enough, I
found they had made a previous Despite the fiddly clean-up
appearance on the Starship I enjoyed building and
Troopers kit I reviewed in an painting this model. A less
earlier issue. The sand was painted porous and sticky resin would
— you guessed it — sand, with have been an improvement,
lighterand darker washes of the but even so as it stands (or
base colour in order to break it floats) the kit is still good
up a little. I drybrushed a little value at £35.00. It’s good
sand onto the more horizontal to see a bit of creativity in the
surfaces of the rocks to simulate form of an original take on
sand drifting onto them. The a classic design. It certainly
edge of the base was painted makes a change from all those
dark blue. All that remained to Disney Nautiluses, plus I’m a
a few of the planks with it to over the top of the planks it be done was to add the mounting big fan of the riveted look and
create a bit of variation. Then, using gives a very realistic grain pattern. rod. After polishing, I gave it a would welcome more kits
Citadel brown ink mixed to 1 /5 couple of coats of polyurethane like this. Definitely not
water, 1 picked out the gaps With the sub finished I turned gloss varnish to stop it tarnishing. “sub” standard!
between the planks. I deliberately up I painted each
to the base. First I had tried Johnson's Clear on
didn’t do this with any great rock Humbrol 157 azure blue brass before but, strangely, it Kit kindly supplied by
accuracy as where the ink mix runs then drybrushed it with white artist went very cloudy and had to be Comet Miniatures.

Chapter VII: An unknown species of whale

A review of Revell Monogram’s Nautilus Submarine injection moulded plastic kit

Words Bob Gould • photographs Tim Hooper

have never been so disappointed — and then me...”, the original was looking it slightly with a little black. I then
more and more like this fairly ran around any moulded lines with
pleasantly surprised - in receiving a kit than I unimaginative, dark grey cigar as I add relief
a litde Citadel armour wash to
I was when this one arrived in the post. I knew read on. The floor was treated similarly,
except made this one step darker.
itwas going to be a “new design” of the Nautilus It is clear that the kit is aimed at
I

The book case edges were picked

from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Undev the younger end of the market — it’s out in brown; handrails, organ,
The Sea, but I still had visions of the wonderfully a Snapfix subject that includes three ornaments and pelican atop the
pots of paint and a brush with those stone pedestal in brass; table and chairs
ornate interpretation seen in Richard Fleischer’s unbelievably stiff nylon bristles. in dark brown with deep red
1954 movie. An initial look at the box art revealed Add to that a box you can “cut upholstery and tablecloth. You
around die dotted line” and turn into have been saved much of die intricate
a fairly unimaginative dark grey cigar - lacking
an undersea diorama. I’m not painting because of the addition
any riveting detail or copper coloured plating; no knocking this too much — it serves of a set of “peel and stick” decals —
sawtooth superstructure or clinging octopus. the purpose (or should that be which I duly “peeled and stuck”.
porpoise for which it was sold —
The first pleasant surprise came material within the words of the it’s a complete scene in (and on!) a The clear plastic portholes were
when I inspected the parts. The original novel, not expecting to box. I just feel it lacks a little serious inserted into both halves, followed
surface of the hull was moulded find anything of relevance. But, as interest. I couldn’t help picturing a by the room insert. You really don’t
with riveted plates. Good. The I read, “. ..It is an elongated cylinder with goldfish swimming by, wondering need any adhesive here as the spigots
”
second, and bigger, surprise came conical ends. It is very like a cigar in shape
. . . what the blazes it was! But, my and holes are a good interference fit.
when I started to look for reference and “. . . the blackish back that supported modelling uiges having been whetted But, as an added precaution, I
by the novel, off 1 went. . heated the end of a needle file and
melted the spigots over, like a rivet
The cut-away insert was first, head. Two more facts came to light
thisseeming to be an amalgamation at diis point; die scale is way out, when
of the Dining Room, “...I entered compared to the novel, where
a dining-room, decorated andfurnished “...The length of this cylinder, from
in severe taste.In the centre of the stem to stern, is exactly
” and,
. .
232feet. . .

room was a table richly laid out. ” . on reading the instruction sheet
and Library “...It urn a library. High more dioroughly, it mentions “. .the .

pieces offurniture, of black violet ebony Crayola Kids Adventures home video of
inlaid with brass, supported upon their 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” Oh .

wide shelves a great number of books. ” all my theories of comparison

well,
Because I was going to paint the to Verne’s original have just been blown
exterior plating with gunmetal, I out the window!
thought the interior walls ought
to be in slight contrast, so I chose Before joining the hull halves
standard acrylic silver but darkened together, I carefully cut off all the

...aimed at the younger market.

43
 . . .

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

you will achieve an excellent metallic
finish.

Each individual panel was coated

with a Humbrol matt black and
white spirit wash, simply to break
up the regularity of the colour.
Once again, polish the surface with
a tissue - from bow to stem — to give
the impression of water flow staining.
Ifinished off by dry-brushing some
Humbrol aluminium (56) along all
the edges of the sawteeth
protuberances, rudders, hydroplanes
and, finally, the rivet heads.

The base can be painted with

whatever colours you feel would be
representative of the ocean floor at
twenty thousand leagues — I don’t
know if mine are correct - I’ve
never dived quite that deep! mix A
of Humbrol browns (94 and 121)
and greys (27 and 64) should do the
trick.

OK— I never intended to make

up the supplied cardboard diorama,
but I felt the kit needed a little
“something extra” for the photographs
— other than the goldfish, of course!

I can’t see this kit being “snapped

up” (excuse the pun) by too many
serious modellers, unless diey collect
anything Nautilus, particularly as
there are a number of other kits
concerning this subject on the
market at the moment and I feel this
one is the less imaginative of die bunch.
But, as it is slanted toward the
younger age group at a price parents
won’t faint over, it will definitely sell
well. And I have to admit that I
did get a lot of enjoyment out of the
project — some of that due the fact
that I got to readjules Verne’s novel
again! There’s no doubt that it’s a

Top: the completed Nautilus in its cut-out diorama setting. Review kindly supplied by
kit

Above: a see through panel gives access to Nemo’s state/dinning room. Comet Miniatures.

mating spigots. This guarantees past. Change to Citadel acrylic beaten

you a perfect fit — these Snapfix copper — it is a wonderful colour, SF&F Pocket Guide
kits can be impossible to take apart and givesyou an extremely realistic Revell/Monogram’s Nautilus Submarine
if the pieces do not match perfectly. finish. Thanks for the pot, Graham!
With the help of a couple of long Value for money (£20)
elastic bands and a bottle of Liquid The main hull seam was carefully

Poly plastic adhesive the hull became cleaned up, initially by scraping it
a... cigar shaped cylinder. The with the blade at right angles and Ease of assembly and Instructions
“. . . ordinary rudderfixed on the back of then polishing off with a small
the stern post. .
” and “ . . . two inclined piece offine wet and dry emery paper.
planes fastened to its sides. .
” were Be very careful not to lose the
attached and the resulting gaps moulded riveting — it would be Suggested for standard assembly: Plastic adhesive (preferably liquid);
filled with an epoxy filler or, if very difficult to replace. I then elastic bands; filler and emery paper.
simplicity is preferred, you could use gave the whole craft two good
plasticine with a skin of superglue. coats of Humbrol gunmetal (53) to brown, red, black, copper and armour
Paints: Citadel acrylics in silver,
left the “. .screw. the diameter of render it “. blackish. .
” rather than
I
wash. Humbrol matt in gunmetal, aluminium, browns, greys and black.
. . . . .

which is nineteenfeet. .
.” off at this stage black. By
then first rubbing the
and painted it with acrylic copper surface with a small square of scotch
References (and quotes) -.Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea by
whilst still on the tree. A little tip for pad (you know, the rough side of a
washing up sponge) followed by a Jules Verne.
all you readers who, like me, have

been using Humbrol copper in the vigorous polish with a stiff tissue,

44
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Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

The pressure cooker

A look at the demanding world of the professional modelmaker.
Bernard Carr of Art & Technology in conversation with Mike Reccia.
Part Two.
series. It was also my suggestion,
ti this, the second part of our interview with because of my knowledge of real
British film/TV, architectural and space modelmaker rockets, that before the Tieehauk exited
Bernard poses with Thomas
n Bernard Carr, we go behind the scenes for a its silo

smoke, just
there should be a puff
as
of
would happen when the Tank Engine.
look at his work on Gerry Anderson’s Terrahawks a real missile is launched. I also

and Clearwater Studios’ Thomas the Tank made the Treehawk itself. Peter added the Concorde-type intakes
Tilby made the basic pattern of the under the Hawkwing,s wing?, designed
Engine, and ask Bernard to comment on the shape and, from die moulding?, I then the transfer pod mechanism (which
demands of his chosen profession... added the detail, moulded the takes Hawkeye and his pod from
cockpit, made the rocket nozzles and their position in the top wing and
SF&F: Bernard, you worked on and operating it on set. It had eight fairings and wings, stuff like that. deposits them behind Kate
Terrahawks, Gerry Anderson’s petals that opened and featured Kestral on the main body. Ed)
eighties return to a puppet series format, How it really worked
fake hydraulics. I made most of the Terrahawk and also the operating swing-wing
for a while. . was that each segment had a tube and the Hawkwing entirely on die same mechanism. To operate the pod
running down the trunk to a base basis and also designed a few bits. I two sleeves ran down the top of
Bernard: I remember I was told about ring which connected to all eight petals.
Terrahawks by EMA Models and Rods went up through the tubes so
went along with my portfolio and that when you pushed and pulled
was offered a job. It started slowly. that ring it opened and closed the
1 wasn’t in at the very beginning. When petals.It worked well, except that

I arrived they were still building the weight of all the branches on the
workshop benches and the roof petals was so great that it was better
leaked. I lent some of my own atopening than closing. They
workshop machines and even a therefore filmed it opening and

kitchen sink! Soon, however, one reversed the film toshow it closing.
was then given various things to The silo also had two rings of little
do and I ended up, working from lights inside it, plus folding access
Steve Begg’s sketch of a tree opened doors and an elevatable ramp,
and closed, designing the Treehawk although these details, to my
launch site tree, building it entirely knowledge, were never seen in the

Above: two views of the Battlehawk under construction and the

Above: two views of the White House, the Terrahawks secret HQ. completed miniature with Terrahawk in position.

46
 The pressure cooker

Top and top right: two views of the Hawkwing under

construction.
Right: The completed Hawkwing miniature has a simulated laser
light its cannon firing.
to represent

Above and above left: Hawkwing launch sequence during

filming.

Left: Treehawk’s launch site tree during construction.

Below: Treehawk launch site tree interior detailing with some of

the exterior foliage added.

47
 ’ .

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

on a perspex armature clad in filler
textured and painted to look like
bronze. It had a mechanism in it —
a tube widi a push/pull rod - working
right through the base and allowing
the operator to rotate the sculpture
and then tilt the radar dish. They used
the large scale working one for
close-ups and the small scale one for
the set of the whole house.

I also designed the Terrahawks

house. The brief was to make it
look like something from Gone
With The Wind - that kind of style.
Idesigned it and drew it up and the
boys made it and I made the roof that
opens to allow the Battlehawk to
launch. I started work on the
Battlehawk and also did a half-size
Hawkwing and a tiny bit of work on
the Zeroids eyes.

SF&F: How long were you part of

theTerrahawks team?

Bernard: worked on Terrahawks

I

from late September to January of

the following year. I remember
working very hard over the Christmas
holiday to finish various models
so that they could be photographed
for Bandai to make their own sample
models for the Tokyo Toy Fair.

From there I went on to Cleanwter

Studios in Battersea, working on
TV commercials, and fairly quickly
started work on Thomas the
Above: Completed Treehawk
Tank Engine. Initially 1 was making
miniature.
very simple, quite large (1:6 scale)
Below: Two scale versions of
extreme-close-up models of the
the ‘radar’ dish.
buffers and a full-size, visually
functioning whistle (they blew
smoke through it and added a
sound effect) and it just escalated into
me doing a cab interior of Thomas,
pipe work, a tender, and, piece by
piece, the model grew and grew until
it was nearly a complete Thomas minus

the wheels. Someone else made

the large face at the front and I

moulded it from there. I also made

a large scale Gordon’s cab and tender
and a combined Henry andJames cab
interior. I then made a large scale
coach compartment with two sides
— each with different artwork — so
they got two coaches for one,
effectively. I made the end of die truck,

the fuselage and were connected to a buffer and a policeman’s bicycle. .

You removed die

a yoke at the front. I made the wheel in perspex and drew Top:Brendam harbour set is readied for filming Thomas the
nose and then could push and pull all the spokes on so that it looked Tank Engine. This set featured many of Bernard’s miniatures.
to make the pod mechanism go up like a proper wheel. I woiked on both Centre: Large 1 :6 Thomas miniature.
scale
and down. Underneath the top series of Thomas. On the second Above: Detailing in Thomas s cab.
'

section it had opening doors where series I did the gas holders for the
die pod went into the bottom of die Brendam harbour designed and
set, series I made the models in my SF&F: Did that series make it?

wing. built the cranes, the salvage barges own workshop and I took them in
and the fat controller’s launch. I also to the studios. Bernard: Tugs made it. I didn’t.
Other models I made included the made a large scale Duck locomotive The first thing on the contract was
‘radar’ sculpture that sits in the with a sad face for when he crashes I subsequently lent my Thomas the copyright release and having declined

pond. 1 did two models of that. into the barber’s shop. The first Tank maritime models to Cleanmter to sign away my copyright on both
Ian Scoones had the idea to make series was filmed in Battersea at for their Tugs series proposal and original Thomas The Tank Engine
and the second at tendered for about thirty models. series I was not keen to do so on Tugs.
it look like something at Brasilia, so Cleanvater Studios I

from that I designed it and built it Shepperton Studios. On the second I have no problem about signing

48
 The pressure cooker
recovering and, not knowing that
he was a modelmaker, the therapist
suggested he take up modelmaking
to aid his recovery!

Early this year I produced a

1/36 scale Skylon aerospaceplane

and a 1/12 scale cutaway model of
its Sabre engine for a Technology
Futures exhibit at the London
Science Museum — ending up doing
in excess of 1400 hours in less
than 3 months.

On the other hand, it can be

1 :12 scale flight simulator made for Rediffussion Simulation. For added realism the cockpit
extremely interesting work. It can
displays (stores, artificial horizon and map) are backlit transparencies, together with several LEDs give one access to very interesting
and fibre optics, and, occasionally, very exciting
copyright for work designed by will have to try and achieve the SF&F: And that type of pressure, things - for example, I worked on
someone else, but am wary of doing same effect in a fraction of that that type of deadlined job is the the model of the nuclear facility
so for items designed by myself. We time. at Chatham Dock and I ended up
danced round in circles for a couple As an example, the quickest standing under HMS Valiant in dry
of hours on the subject of copyright model I’ve ever done was made Bernard: Maybe I’m unusual or dock holding my model and
release and they ended up saying that while I was at Clearwater — I picked unlucky, but haven’t had a holiday
I comparing it with the real thing.
modelmakers are two a penny, so I up on an enquiry where the client in eighteen years. I haven’t been
told them to get on with it and left wanted a satellite dish about three working all of that time, of course, SF&F: Was that top secret work?
them to it. I didn’t have any further feet indiameter for a car BMW but have had so many all-nighters.
I

involvement with Tugs. It was commercial. They’d had a twenty- Invariably people do not order Bernard: Yes, I had to alter the

done mainly by D.B.P. Models, I think. foot full size dish — a satellite earth models in time. One does one best. propeller and bowplanes for security
terminal — made. They were filming reasons because my model was too
Since then 1 have worked more this but it couldn’t be moved, so they In die distant past I have twice been accurate for their liking.
in general modelmaking, making needed a model so that they could offered benzedrine on prescription by
exhibition and prototype models. filmit moving. This enquiry came a client tokeep me going — as it was Finally, I would say that my work
in at three o’clock on a Friday I managed without it. Clients can to date has been very typical of
SF&F: Many of our readers are afternoon. I got involved because of be ruthless. what many professional modelmakers
anxious to break into the professional my interest in that area and so was are called on to do, so it will give your
modelmaking industry, obviously put on to the client’s Art Director. Here’s a funny true story. There readers a good feel for what type of
with an emphasis on film and TV I asked him when he needed the was once a modelmaker who had had thing they are likely to be working
models. What’s your overall view of model. “Tomorrow,” he said. I a heart attack from the stress of on if they choose professional
modelmaking as a career? knew that I had a heat shield mould modelmaking. He was in hospital modelmaking as a career.
from a sixth scale Soyuz that could
Bernard: My work is very be extended and so I told him I
interesting and I’ve maybe been thought I might be able to do it.
luckier than some. have done far
I

less film/TV modelmaking than The job involved first of all getting
many other of your contributors the materials, then driving down to
who work full time in the film Brooklands Weybridge,
airfield in
and out
industry. I’ve dipped in driving down mile long
a quarter
from time to time. Recently I hangar in the dark until I could
have had to design and build a robot see this full-size satellite dish,
CCTV to crawl through ventilation climbing up scaffolding and measuring
ducting, “case-up” a working it while my wife held a spotlamp on
prototype military laptop computer it, then going home and drawing it
and am currently building a full up and starting work on the model.
size (13 feet long) mockup AVPRO Come nine o’clock die next morning
“EXINT” pod, designed to carry Iwas still working on die model. They
someone under a Harrier Jump had a film crew on standby from twelve
Jet’s wing for Farnborough '98. o’clock on the Saturday and, at
Modelmaking, per se, in my three o’clock in the afternoon, the
experience is an exceedingly hard art director turned up at my home
and demanding activity. Time is in a cab and he literally stood behind
the enemy. Clients invariably me while I soldered together the
order models late and allow very detailed metalwork around the
little time for the modelmaker to edge until eight o’clock in the
undertake them. I will equally evening. We then all departed for
say that many amateur models the studio. The mini-cab had been
are made to a far higher standard waiting all that time — you can
of finish than many professional imagine what the meter had clocked
models, not because of a lack of up! — and diey started filming at nine
skill on the part of the professional, o’clock on Saturday night. Despite
but rather because an amateur the fact that the model was less
can take six months to make a than perfect it was subsequently

model to the last detail and some so well filmed and edited that I

of them are very, very good. The which was my model

couldn’t see
professional, on the other hand. and which was the full-sized dish.

49
 . .

s F & F M
And, believe it or not, year 5 is

shaping up to be even bigger. .

Year of Excellence
Ron Thornton and the Foundation Imaging team on
So now Td like to introduce the guys
who REALLY do the work on
Voyager. The way we work at
that each animator
creatingVFX for Star Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine. Foundation is

responsible for a shot. Other facilities

is

up lighting, animation, and

eason four’s episodes of Star Trek Voyager, together with selected Deep
split
composition, but we like our guys to
Space Nine sixth season segments, were to set new challenges for digital do it all (it gives a far greater sense of
and allows for more
FX house Foundation Imaging. The facility was tasked with producing satisfaction

S
So
stunning visuals of craft - both Starfleet and alien -plus massive space battles
andfleets and menacing CG
alien creaturesfor the series’ latest instalments.

successful did they prove at rising to these challenges that their

a twminationfor an Emmy award. In thefollowing article, introduced by
work earned them
Ron Thornton,
creative control

to this article.
over the individual

Some of these guys are contributing

Please let

the efforts and talents of everyone at

Foundation who contributed to Voyager
shots).

me acknowledge

the animators at Foundation Imaging speak exclusively to Sd-Fi & Fantasy Models, this year. Thank you to: John Teska,
Emile Edwin Smith, Rob Bonchune,
chronicling their FXjourney through the lost starship’ s fourth season adventures, Dave West, Dave
Koji Kuramara,
and stopping off at Deep Space Nine along the ivay. . Morton, Brandon MacDougall,

The Year at a Glance along the hull of the Voyager)-, we had Trevor Peirce, PJ Foley, Q, Steve
By Ron Thornton (Foundation Imaging: the massive Year of Hell two parter Pugh, Mike Donahue, Sherry Hitch,
(which has just been nominated Mike Stetson, Jeff Scheetz, John
President/Visual Effects Supervisor) for a Visual Effects Emmy); many Allardice, Dave Adams, Stacie Sharp,
new ships, shapes, planets and, of Daryl Sebert, Kevin Kipper, my
certainly turned out to be a kick course, Spacial Anomaly of the partner Paul Bryant and last (but not
his season opened with a bang. It

episode and a hell of a finale. Week. The volume ofwork was huge! least), Mojo.

T I think Scorpion Part 2 outdid the

first part (last season’s finale)

was definitely a refreshing change

which
ass

So now what?
of pace. Usually the second part
of these cliffhangers doesn’t live Soon after, we received the script
up to the first! for Scorpion Part 2. Trek FX Supervisor
Mitch Suskin was in charge of this
Foundation was approached by show and really wanted to push
Voyager effects producer Dan the envelope (the script by Brannon
Curry near the end of season 3. Braga and Joe Menosky was
He asked if we could create a exceptionally good). Mojo and I

really mean, non anthropomorphic worked closely with Mitch, Dan and
alien for the season finale. On Producer Peter Lauritson to insure
our suggestion effects supervisor that this episode was a major event
Ron Moore and Dan hired the (in fact,we successfully lobbied to
talented Steve Burg to design the reinstate FX shots that had been cut

creature and its bio-mechanical ship. out).

After the alien was designed it
was constructed in 3D by John And Scorpion was not the end of
Teska, an amazingly talented it! Last season had easily been die most Top: Ron Thornton and Paul Bryant. Top: Cardassian Galor
character animator who had just challenging yet for us. Many shows Cruiser 3D rendering. Thanks to Kevin “Q” Quattro for APS VFX”
rejoined our team after a brief pushed the quality of the effects Above: Lto R (front): Rob Bonchune, P. J. Foley, Emile Edwin
hiatus. John really liked the idea higher than ever before. We again Smith, Brandon MacDougall, Sherry Hitch, John Teska, Mojo.
of Species 8412 and was excited by brought back species 8412 for Prey L to R (rear): Claudia Sumner, Dave Morton, John Allardice,
its contrast to the usual Star (featuring a spectacular shot by Nathan Bishop, Steve Pugh, Trevor Peirce, Kevin “Q” Quattro,
Trek ‘Man in a Suit’ alien. John Teska and Mojo of it crawling Dave West, Koji Kuramura.

50
 . .

Year of Excellence

"A Month in Hell"

By MOJO
(Foundation Imaging: Voyager CGI Supervisor)

arly last week we were blessed ambitious Year ofHell — Part One was
with the news: a small bundle followed by the even more taxing
E
us!
ofjoy may soon be delivered to
Everyone at Foundation passed
Part Twol A predicament that even
Adam West would have trouble
around cigars and savored the getting out of. .

announcement that separates the men

from the boys... we had been So, while the crew was feverishly
nominated for an Emmy Award! working on their shots for Part
One, I got a head start on Part Two
Last season’s epic conclusion to by roughing out the complex
Year ofHell was a fan favorite and the sequences in advance (such as the
possibility of earning a Visual Effects dogfight and crashing scenes at the
Emmy for it has made us all very proud end). While a finished shot with all

indeed. It started out with an its fine details will take anywhere from
excellent script by Brannon Braga a day to nearly a week to complete
& Joe Menosky, packed with the sort (depending on complexity), a simple,
of large scale visuals that one would no-frills version of a shot can be
only expect from a feature film. completed much faster by simply
This script personally confirmed concentrating on the basics:
to me that the writers had composition, motion and lighting.
acknowledged that the use of CGI In a little over a week, I managed to
(Computer Generated Imagery) spit out almost twenty (albeit crude)
on Voyager had opened up the shots. These 3D ‘animatics’, while
doors to a level of storytelling that far from finished, still captured the
would have been prohibitively overall look and feel of the shots. In
expensive otherwise. some cases (as in Voyager’s ramming
the Kremin mothership) I provided
We had always hoped that our multiple angles of the same shot Top: Brandon McDougall’s low detail Nihydron 3D rendering sent
involvement in the show would choose from.
for the producers to to Paramount for concept approval. Above: Brandon’s final
provoke more visually assertive These were then shown to the Star image of the Nihydron 3D rendering.
material. Well, Year of Hell Part 2 Trek FX Supervisor Mitch Suskin.
certainly granted us our wish! Of Because of time constraints, Mitch involved the colliding of the Voyager
course, a show this big also had the Mitch went over the shots and agreed to show the rough shots to and the Nihydron vessel.
potential to turn from a blessing commented on which ones he liked Supervising Producer Peter Lauritson,
to a curse . . and which ones he needed to be
felt who is usually brought in after the Originally, the script called for the
re-addressed (this can happen for work is more finalized. Peter generally alien vessel to be blasted by the
The first part of this show had also reasons ranging from a change in the agreed with Mitch and added his own Kremin, fly out of control and rip
been very big - it required the script to simply personal taste). suggestions - the biggest change through a huge section of Voyager’s
building of several new models,
(thanks to Ron Thornton for
building the Kremin mothership
and to Steve Burg for the design) R&D
on the Times hip’s weapon and
resulting shockwave, the slow
dilapidation of Voyager itself and a
bevy of other difficult FX shots! The
Foundationteam was really put to the
and I think everyone performed
test

above and beyond the call of duty;

however, one serious problem was
lurking while we were pushing to
finish part one - part two was
closing in on us!

Voyager has a set, regular schedule

for the delivery of finished episodes.
This timetable is set by live action

shooting and when the editors

finish their work — it is not dictated
by how long it will take to complete
the visual effects. Visually complex
episodes are generally given the
same amount of time to finish as lesser
ones and it’s up to us to find ways
to accommodate their schedule.
Normally, this isn’t a problem, as
difficult shows are usually followed
by easier ones. However, the

51
 .

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

primary hull. The rough shots I in the shot. How fuzzy are the
created had die ship speeding towards Aliens on Board the shadows’? How daik are the shadows?
Voyyyr and smashing through it, much How bright are the highlights? But
like an oversized bullet. Peter had ultimately, when the rendered effect
envisioned this shot
huge
more like
ships slowly scraping across
two
one
Voyager is

I
in place, the question remains:
believe my eyes? Is Species
Do
8472
another, so locked myself back standing there looking at that guy?
I
John Teska
in my office and took another stab
at it.
(Foundation Imaging: Director of Visual Effects) Whether the subject is an alien or

a
A few days later, Peter was shown
new version of the crash sequence
which he was quite happy with.
At dais point, we had a fistful of pre-
W hile

in
most of die visual effects
Star Trek: Voyager
take place in die vast blackness
of space, a large number of shots take
place inside the ship or on the
All the animator has to do is make
something magical happen in the
middle of the frame. This may
suddenly sound like it’s no fun. I
mean, what’s left? But think about
. .
a spaceship, visual effects should
always add to the story without
distracting the viewer. Beyond
being believable, we always strive to
put some emotion into the shot. .

approved shots, which could be surface of planets. The process of it. The real challenge here is to add to add some life. Ultimately, the real
completed with the safe and happy combining visual effects with live- something “realistically” to the challenge in all of the visual effects
knowledge that they would not be action film is called compositing. The shot. Suddenly extremely subtle we do for Star Trek: Voyager is
rejected. This alone saved more challenges of composite shots are quite details stand out. The animator has to take the viewers where they have
than a week of work! different from space shots. Suddenly, to look very closely at the elements never gone before.
the animator has to be concerned
As animators would finish their with matching existing conditions,
shots from Part One, drey would load such as lenses, lighting, shadows, and
one of my rough shots for Part Two actor’s eye lines.
and begin working to whip it into
final form (not having to start from I’ve had the pleasure of bringing
scratch also saved precious amounts many creatures to life in the Voyager
of time). Animator Emile Smith universe and having them interact
completed the crash sequence with living, breathing characters. It

discussed above and added incredible may be surprising that the same
details which transformed it from tools that help the Starship Voyager
a simple animadc to a shot which many cruise through space are used to
consider to be the best in the show animate aliens on the show. When
(look closely and you’ll see the the visual effects are broken down
windows shatter, the hull
observation to their most primitive elements, it
out and even a tiny man
lights flicker is all pixelsand polygons. Working
hanging on for dear life!). with LightiMve 3d is like working with
a virtual camera and virtual models.
John Teska’s final version of When the Voyager flies by the
Voyager ramming the Kremin is camera, the animator has decided
another showstopper and I am still on how the ship and the camera
amazed at the sheer number of moves. The process has some
pieces the Voyager splinters into! similarity to traditional motion
In addition, Koji Kuramura should control, but is infinitely easier and
be applauded for his incredible more flexible. The animator is in
work in creating the various stages control of every aspect of the shot,
of the damaged Voyager, as well as including the timing of the shot
Brandon MacDougall for creating and lighting of the models.
and building the Nihydron and
Mawasi vessels. When approaching a composite
shot, the animator begins with the
All in all, we spent a little over a filmed plate. The length of the
month doing our part to make Year shot has already been determined by
ofHell a standout episode. If only it the edit. The lighting and camera
would take a month to do all my other work has already been defined.
work for the year! Even the framing of the shot is set.

Brandon’s
paper concept
of the
Nihydron.

Top right:The Doctor faces his patient - Species 84721

Centre: The same scene as it appears in Lightwave 3d.
Right: Chakotay fights the Landeel as crewmembers escape its
lair.

52
 s . .

Year of Excellence

Deep Space Nine:

"Sacrifice of Allardice"
John Allardice
(Foundation Imaging: Visual Effects Supervisor)
his was, undeniably, an interesting most action on Voyager and DS9

T first foray into the world of

Star Trek for me.
Foundation just over a week
I’d been
when die
at
is played out on a 2d plane (like a naval

battle).

script for Sacrifice ofAngels landed on On this occasion, however, both

my desk. Just a cursory glance over David and Dan had a different
it revealed this episode to be, not to influence in mind, the “Battle of
put too fine a point on it... one Britain ”, with the larger ships taking Halfway through the ‘roller coaster shot’, as one of the flanking Birds
huge kick — ass battle sequence the place of the old bombers, and die of Prey gets some serious remodeling. Below: The Defiant escaping
from end to end. smaller, more maneuverable ones, as the Jem 'Hadar battleship has a ‘bad superstructure day’.
echoing Spitfires and ME-I09s.
As far as the Trek universe is main modelers on the show: Brandon shot, as they cut a swathe, all guns
concerned, this was without a doubt With this in mind, the first tiling McDougal taking the Cardassian blazing, through the Dominion
the largest, most complex space we had to do was plan the layout of Galor-Class Cmiser, Trevor Peirce on tines. Apart from the complexity of
had ever envisaged, with
battle diey both fleets; how many fighters the Klingon Vorcha, Dave West on the the foreground action, this was
upwards of 4000 ships involved. would flank a warship? What Cardassian Silverfish Mike Stetson
' one of the few shots that was wide
squadron formations would they on thefem’Hadar Warship and ‘Bug' enough for us to show the scale
Fully half of Staifleet’ capacity, a use?Who would be sent in first? fighter. and finally, on drums.
. . . of the entire battle. That single
Rill Klingon armada, and a combined shot contained over 2500 ships,
Cardassian/Dominion invasion force This process was made more
slightly The shots themselves were primarily and probably about every pyro
would be involved in approximately difficult by the fact that there were animated by myself and Mojo, with element that we have. .

diiity shots, centering on the Dfliant’s two separate FX companies involved, Trevor, Mike and Dave doing R&D
attempt to break through the invading each deciding the variables for their on duplicating the weapons fire The shot directly following that
fleetand get back to the Dominion own fleet. from the various ships (This is one was one of those lucky times
occupied Deep Space Nine. normally done in the Harry bay by when an idea pops up at an FX
So, for the first time ever on the VFX supervisors themselves, meeting and someone says “mmm.
With a project of this scope, Trek, the ‘animatics’ (rough pre- but due to the rather kinetic nature Yeah, OK. That’s cool... go for
coupled with the fact that a fair visualizations of the FX shots, and timing of the shots, this would it!” We cut from the previous shot
proportion of Foundation was, at completed with low-rez models) have been an absolute nightmare). to a front angle on the Defiant,
that time, heavily involved with were bouncing back and forth cruising thirty feet above the wing
the huge Voyager two-parter Year between us and Muse, and on some Mojo took diree shots, a continuous of the mile-longjem ’Hadar batdeship,
ofHell, Paramount made the decision occasions, even before they went to sequence involving the arrival of the as the entire thing goes up in a
to split the FX for Sacrifice between
‘
’
David or Dan! Kingon ‘cavalry’, die highlight ofwhich wave of explosions, the leading
Foundation Imaging and Digital Muse. is of die Klingon fleet coming
a shot edge of the blast always just behind
Once we’d worked out the basic out of the sun to descend on the the Defiant. The Defiant, of course,
For the initial modeling, we layouts of the two fleets, we then unsuspecting Dominion hordes escapes unscathed, as thefem’Hadar
would handle all of the proceeded into the more detailed (which even Mojo himself admits ship tears itself to pieces in the
Dominion/ Cardassian fleet, whilst choreography of how the individual was inspired by the classic shot of background.
Muse were charged with building the shots could be accomplished: much the Falcon appearing at the end of
Staifleet ships. Then, when it came more ofa challenge now that we were die Death Star assault in Star Wars). All in all, we had a good number
to the actual animation, Muse took free to move in all 3 dimensions. I took the majority of the shots of ‘money shots’ in this episode. It
the first half of the show (again, involving the Defiant's flight through does remain as one of the most
mainly die Staifleet oriented stuff, and With the huge difference in size the fleet, including what was energetic episodes of DS9, FX
the initial skirmishes in the battle) between die and smaller ships,
larger eventually referred to as the ‘roller wise, and it’s a testament to our
and we would handle the Defiant's it was quite easy to run into scaling coaster shot’. This was essentially modelers, diat in dais episode of DS9
charge into battle, accompanied by problems, from a framing standpoint. a reverse angle on the Defiant, (normally a fairly CG shy show) there
the arrival of the Klingons (the If we framed for the larger ships, the flanked by three Klingon Birds of was not one single shot — apart
‘cavalry’), and the later appearance major portions of the battle would Prey, the camera following them in from the standard establishes —
of the Dominion fleet in the DS9 be effectively reduced to the appearance a single, continuous 10 second accomplished with motion control.
wormhole. of a bunch of angry fireflies buzzing
round a brick. So, the decision was
At the first VFX meeting on this made to frame most of our shots more
show, it became pretty apparent from the viewpoint of a fighter-
that this was gonna be a major sized ship. This increased the detail
departure from previous Trek action needed for the models of the larger
stuff. Ex-supervisor David Stipes ships, as we would spend a fair
and VFX producer Dan Curry both amount of screen time skimming over
had a veiy specific idea of the feel that the surface of the cruisers or warships,
they wanted for the battle, in fact the following the Defiant on her roller
first words out of Dan’s mouth coaster run through the blockade.
were, “we want to break the glass
tabletop on this one.” For the next diree weeks Foundation
looked more like a model shop than
The “glass tabletop”, is a phrase a CG house, die large-scale miniatures
used to describe the way that ships of the Cardassian and Dominion ships
generally move in die Trek universe, were tittering the desks of our 4

53
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models

Building and Refitting Foundation Imaging,

Starships Dream Job for Spaceship
Rob Bonchune
(Foundation Imaging: Visual Effects Animator) Modelers
lthough my main duty at Now, was certainly not I the Brandon MacDougall
A Foundation
for Voyager,
is scene animation
I do enjoy
only one to notice and add changes.
Our lead animator for Voyager,
(Foundation Imaging: Visual Effects Animator)
building

to be done
CG
models. I’ve always
been a big spaceship/vehicle fan and
luckily there’s enough building
for Voyager that
to exercise this desire. My
I get
first
Mojo, noticed that the windows were
just not holding up at close range.
They were just an even luminescent
white. This matched the miniature,
but diey were never getting tliis close
M y first five weeks at Foundation
Imaging were some of the most
challenging ever. Foundation
was knee deep in two major episodes,
for Paramount Pictures, Sacrifice of
Bryant and Buck Sternbach
keep a very open mind!

The
scanner approach worked
very well for the base3D texture and
is to

opportunity for this was the Nebula to the miniature! He decided to add Angels for DS9 and Year ofHell Part with a little painting in Photoshop I
You remember, the
class starship. different still images from the II for Voyager. My job: design was finished. The overall response
one that rescued the Enterprise actual set into the windows. It and build two spacecraft for Voyager’s from Paramount and my co-workers
crew at the end of Generations! looked great and gave the ship a gpod Year of Hell Part II and build the was very uplifting. We can build 3D
The ship was needed for the episode sense of scale. There were also a lot Cardassian Galor Cruiser of DS9 models that rival motion control
Message in a Bottle, in which it is of episode specific details added to respectively, all on the computer. models in quality and appearance for
shown chasing (and then being the ship. Most of these were done far less money.
destroyed by) the Prometheus. I for both parts of Scorpion and Year The motion control model of
had a grand time building it. Being ofHell. These included close ups of the Cardassian Galor Cruiser was My supervisor Mojo was next
a big practical model fan/builder, different parts of the ship, like the sent to Foundation from Image G’s to inform me that we needed two
I got to have as reference, sitting cargo doors on the main hull motion control department, shipping original designs for the upcoming
at the front of my desk, the actual (where species 8472 was crawling) crate and all. With screw gun in hand episode of Voyager’s Year ofHell Part
filming miniature! It was a good or different window sections (close to unpack the ship, it was time to II. The specifications of die ships were:
4 feet across. In the effort to be up of bridge area for Year of Hell or get to work. the Nihydron should look organic and
expedient, I did “kitbash” existing Titvok's quarters in The Gift). These the Mawasi should be more linear
parts from the CG Enterprise D, but were all beautifully executed by I set the motion control model of in shape. Paramount faxed us a
it still needed completely new Koji Kuramura and Trevor Peirce. the Cardassian Galor Cruiser on my picture of an old ship that had
parts and major changes to existing In this way, CG modeling is very desktop and started to input appeared somewhere in the Trek
maps to match the miniature. It might similar to practical film modeling. measurements into our 3D software. “timeline” as the direction for the
not have been on screen long, but You don’t build the whole ship First the hull of the spacecraft and Mawasi. The faxed picture looked
I built and detailed it so it could be for close-ups, you build only the then the primary disk and finally the a lot like an X
Wing Fighter, but I would
used again and again. sections you need. For both outside panels or what my boss do my best to change the look.
mediums, you save time and money. lovingly calls ‘Nurnies’.
Another ship that I worked on Like any good animator I like to

was the Voyager herself. The CG A future change that Mojo Next it was time to paint the get into the mindset of the event,
model of the Voyager as Foundation would like is to have actual 3D textures for the 3D model of the and the people that live on our
received it was beautiful. This footage of crew members walking Cardassian Galor Cruiser. One of new spacecraft. Likewise, if we
was thanks to the talented CG the decks in the windows. At my fellow 3D modelers, Koji have information and plates from
model builders at Amblin Imaging close range, this would look Kuramura, stopped by my office and Pammount of the people and costumes,
(now Digital Muse). They did a awesome! pointed out that if I put the motion I tend to use it. I have found that the

fantastic job. As the shows control model of the Cardassian colors of the costume work well
progressed, the need to get closer All these present and future Galor Cmiser on our flat bed scanner for deciding the colors that I paint
and closer to the ship meant that changes help keep the Voyager and I could gpt a good color scan and panel on the spaceship.
we were going to have to add other Star Trek ships as realistic detail.
more detail to the Voyager. This and interesting as possible. Paper in hand I made balloon
would help it hold up to closer One thing I have learned over the drawings of the Voyager spaceships.
scrutiny by the camera. One of the yearsworking with concept designers Balloon drawings are called this
things I noticed was that under Species 8472 Ship, Scorpion like Syd Mead and Jim Martin, due to the feet that they are loose and
certain lighting conditions the Parts and 2 (rear view).
I and now with Ron Thornton, Paul nondescript. This gives one the
ship had a slight reddish brown hue. freedom to “flesh out” ideas fast.
I went in and had a look at the maps.
They were a basic neutral gray One warning is not to show off
with a slight tint towards red. your balloon drawings, as people will
Now, on TV, the ship looks neutral just not get it. When you see
grey, but the practical miniature something you like in your balloon
is actually Duck Egg
Blue. We drawing add more detail or, better
decided to change the maps to yet, move over to your favorite
reflect this in an effort to match medium: clay, paint or kit bashing.
the practical more closely at close In my case, I my 3D modeling
turn to
range. Another thing I noticed software on my PC.
was that, when seen close, the
on the practical
deflector dish’s light Now have the shape, colors
I

miniature faded out towards the and the thought process of the
edges. I mapped the dish to reflect people that pilot the craft. It is
this look.At this point, I just time to build it on the computer!
kept going. I re-mapped the The images shown here are some
bussards and the warp nacelles’ of ships that I have built for
warp glow area. Paramount.

54
 Year of Excellence

Above: The Defiant being chased

through the Dominion Fleet by
severalJem’Hadar bugs.
Right:Nebula Class Starship,
Message in a Bottle.
Below: This image demonstrates
how the talented staff of Foundation
Imaging puts it all together!

U.S.S. Prometheus 3D
rendering from Message in a
Bottle.
Left:Species 8472 Ship,
Scorpion Parts 1 and 2 (front
view).
Below: Before and after... the
Hirogen Hunter fights with a
stuntman. The stuntman is
subsequently replaced with
Species 8472.

55
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