I would kill to go on a design/production walk and talk with HT. From development through distribution to see how its all done.
Maybe it could be picked for How Its Made tv show.
Fun fact. How it's made is a canadian TV show, and all shows showcased are canadian companies.
back on topic.
With modern films, getting an actors liscense is not an issue, as 90% of the time, the actors likeness rights are tied into the film merchansdising rights. So that ceases to be an issue.
The ONLY person that Hot toys pays lisceing rights to for making Iron man figures is Marvel/disney.
RDJ MIGHT get to sign off on his approval of his face, but that's it.
Older films from approx 1989 or before, this is an issue. And from a few early 90's films. But after the merchandising GIANT that is Star wars, most companies making films require actors and actresses to sign over their likeness in the film so that products may look like them. THEY DO get residual royalties based on those sales, but it's an overall percentage of total gross.
As for hot toys secret in keeping their costs down, I'm 90% certian it's Volume. Their factory workers are not paid per head they paint, or shirt they put on, they're paid by the hour. and an additional 3-4 hours to put together an additional 7-10 THOUSAND figures dosn;t cost them THAT much.
In China, assembly line factory workers are paid around $100 a month, and much of this pay is deducted from the factory provided food and shared dormitories. They are often subject to work 16-hour days on fast moving assembly lines, much of the time paid less than minimum wage (which would be around $100 a month or 55 cents an hour). Granted, that information is Circa 2007-2008, but I doubt conditions have changed THAT much in the past 5 years.
it's worth noting that the Big chief studios Dr who only was 1000-2000 pieces depending on the Doctor, with only 250 pieces for the signature edition.
