Hey guys, about the Haywood Floyd head sculpt: I found a talented, reputable artist who is willing to do the sculpt. It won't be cheap, but it will be a high quality likeness. I am hoping to gather enough committed buyers to make the project affordable. I also want to be totally transparent in this, and very clear about one thing: I'm not going to make any profit from this for myself- I just want a Haywood Floyd sculpt like anyone else.
One important point: We can't have the artist getting twenty different opinions about what facial expression is best, or about tweaking the eyebrows, flaring the nostrils a bit more, etc. I will use my own best artistic judgement when communicating with the artist about how the final product should look, and buyers will have to be okay with that. I want the finished expression to look sober, serious, not smiling, perhaps with a subtle hint of awe- as Dr. Floyd appeared when he was touching the monolith in the film. I'm sure the artist will send regular progress photos so we all can see how it's coming along.
The company is called 'UnleashedViper Commissions', and they can be found on Facebook. I exchanged messages with them, and we are just at the very beginning of this process. Please don't send them a barrage of messages, because I don't even know yet if I will be successful in finding enough people to actually make this happen. Do have a look through their gallery; it's great work.
I was told the cost for the initial hand-sculpted prototype head starts at $800, depending on the intricacy, and then $150 for each fully painted duplicate. I've looked at many other sculptors who offer a similar level of quality, and this price seems pretty standard among them. Therefore, the more people I can get onboard, the more affordable the heads will be. The artist requires a 50% non-refundable deposit to start the work, then 50% on completion. Therefore, I will need up-front non-refundable payments of 50% from all committed buyers to begin the project.
Example A: If 5 buyers share the cost, the price for each head sculpt would be $310. ($800 divided among 5 people = $160, + $150 per duplicate.
Example B: If 10 buyers share the cost, the price for each head sculpt would be $230. ($800 divided among 10 people = $80, + $150 per duplicate.
Example C: If 20 buyers share the cost, the price for each head sculpt would be $190. ($800 divided among 20 people = $40, + $150 per duplicate.
Example D: If 25 buyers share the cost, the price for each head sculpt would be $182. ($800 divided among 25 people = $32, + $150 per duplicate.
As you can see, the price drops pretty sharply as more people share the burden. If I can't get a group together, there's no way I can afford to spend $800 on one sculpt just for myshey fit over the existing ears, with a flexible plastic over-the-head band to hold them in place. They will be molded directly onto the original prototype head for a perfect fit. I will produce the earphones and mic, but I will leave out the white plastic skullcap portion of the headgear, since it would not fit over the sculpted hair. The white skullcap is only visible in some be hind-the-scenes photos, but it's never shown in the film.
I will make the removable headgear available to everyone who joins the group, after the head sculpt is paid for and completed.
