1/6 Hot Toys - MMS 279 - Star Wars Episode IV: 1/6th scale Darth Vader

[Matt S]

Ended up putting mine back on the HT suit - looks better to me eyes and since I kinda pose him in a netural pose, padding issues are a non issue.





Here is another pic, at a higher angle. I sanded down the inside of the helmet a lot more, and have it sitting in blue tac. Does that look right? Too high or too low? Thanks all

I am too terrified to do the nose mod. Anyone done a step by step photo workup on that one?

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Here's a couple examples of how bad the lens distortion can get with an update iPhone. All these pics were taken at the same time, the only thing that changed was the position of the camera, all other factors are identical.

And neither of them look like it does in hand, in fact I haven't been able to take a single picture that accurately captures what it looks like LOL

Try to take pictures a bit further away from the object. That may remove some of the distortion. I don't know the quality of iPhone cameras, but the distortion looks like the pictures were taken too close up to the object.

 

[Waste Time Continuum]

View attachment 262980

Here is another pic, at a higher angle. I sanded down the inside of the helmet a lot more, and have it sitting in blue tac. Does that look right? Too high or too low? Thanks all

I am too terrified to do the nose mod. Anyone done a step by step photo workup on that one?

I hear you! The scariest mod I did was popping that nose out, I was sure I was going to destroy the HS. So I don't blame you one bit for giving that mod a pass, I almost did.

Your dome still looks a little high to my eyes. The general rule is that the brow of the dome should be covering the brow of the mask, and the "widow's peak" of the dome should be hovering over the top notch on the bridge of the nose.

 

[Waste Time Continuum]

Try to take pictures a bit further away from the object. That may remove some of the distortion. I don't know the quality of iPhone cameras, but the distortion looks like the pictures were taken too close up to the object.

I though of trying that out. One of the pictures was from a few feet away, and the other from about a foot away.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

You have your dome too low. The reason you cannot see the ANH eyebrows is because they are painted black, unlike ESB and partly RotJ as well, where they are gunmetal. The placement of the dome you quoted is actually more accurate to ANH.

 

[Waste Time Continuum]

You have your dome too low. The reason you cannot see the ANH eyebrows is because they are painted black, unlike ESB and partly RotJ as well, where they are gunmetal. The placement of the dome you quoted is actually more accurate to ANH.

I'll be damed!

I wrote a whole "Oh no he di-en't" post in defense of my choice LOL!

I went through my own images to get proof I was right, and there it was, plane as day. It's barely visible, but you can just see the edge of his brow under the dome.

You are totally correct! [emoji23]

Now something is bothering me. In all the pictures I've seen of professional, and fan made helmets with the dome off, it's only the underside of the brow that's black, the edge is painted gunmetal for the ANH helmet. Is it black or gunmetal? I'm starting to wonder if that's the bit that is throwing off the look a bit for me.

Thanks!

 

[Matt S]

We are the .01% that cares/notices these things!

Here is a pic I used as reference:



Problem is for me, the dome was constantly moving from shot to shot at times

 

[paulcarson]

The mask / helmet is also leaning backwards slightly on the pic above. This will make the widows peak look like it is sitting higher when in reality it isn't . When the head moves to the normal position the peak will sit lower.

 

[Matt S]

The mask / helmet is also leaning backwards slightly on the pic above. This will make the widows peak look like it is sitting higher when in reality it isn't . When the head moves to the normal position the peak will sit lower.

Yeah, I see what you mean................the angle does play with the look quite a bit

 

[Waste Time Continuum]

Yeah, I was messing with my Vader helmet trying to get it so that I could barely see the edge of the brow, but there was no way to do it without the eyes looking totally wrong.

When the brow is just covered, he looks completely correct, and I see a lot of replica helmets that do the same thing. With the brow obstructed he looks serious and sinister. When the brow is visible, he looks surprised or overly interested.

Here's a ridiculous example using my old mug. [emoji23]

Brow covered:

Brow exposed:

That what it looks like to me...


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[rhboyd]

you're SO right!! I thought he always looked wrong in Empire and Jedi... not nearly as sinister and intense as in Star Wars...

 

[Waste Time Continuum]

There are 4 factors that greatly affect the way Vader's helmet looks in ANH:

1.) The camera pedestal height - Pedestal is a term used in TV (what I do) and film production, it refers to the height of the camera in relation to the ground. Vader is often shot with the camera below his eye level, this is a camera trick used in all forms of photography. When you shoot up at the subject it makes them appear large, dominant, and powerful, these are all characteristics that they what the audience to perceive in Vader. And consequently we see under his dome and can see his brow often.

2.) The lighting - When Vader is lit from above, the shadow of the dome covers his already dark brow, so that its effectively invisible. If he's lit from the side or from below, we can see the brow, because the light is reflecting off the thin line of gunmetal paint along the edge of his brow.

3.) The wacko, crazy, all-over-the-map, placement of the dome throughout ANH - As many of us, and others that take the study of Vader's costume to an almost academic extreme have observed, consistent helmet placement was far from a priority in ANH. In some scenes it appears that it's obstructing his brow, in others it almost looks like it's going to fall off the back of his head LOL!

4.) The tilt of Vader's head - Sometimes his head is tilted so far back, it's like he's looking for a buddy in a crowded bar. In other scenes he looking down at the camera or actors. As I've stated in the other factors, the angle of his head has a major impact on how the dome looks in relation to the viewing angle of the observer.

So taking those four factors into consideration, after weeks of research and tearing my hear out trying to come up with the elusive "accurate" helmet placement, I've decided to be a normal person, and just position it so that it looks good to me. I'm the only one I need to satisfy anyway. To me he looks the most correct when the brow is just barely obstructed, so that's the look I'm going with and I will never criticize anyone else's choice, because no matter where you choose to place it, you can probably find a screen grab to support your choice, and if not, so what, it's your figure, do what you want.


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[rhboyd]

atta boy!! that's really the best idea!

I had the same epiphany a while back. you gotta look at the thing every day, so be happy with your choices!!

 

[TaliBane]

We are the .01% that cares/notices these things!

Here is a pic I used as reference:

View attachment 263111

Problem is for me, the dome was constantly moving from shot to shot at times

Great ref pic, Matt S! Haven't seen it that clear before.

There are 4 factors that greatly affect the way Vader's helmet looks in ANH:

1.) The camera pedestal height - Pedestal is a term used in TV (what I do) and film production, it refers to the height of the camera in relation to the ground. Vader is often shot with the camera below his eye level, this is a camera trick used in all forms of photography. When you shoot up at the subject it makes them appear large, dominant, and powerful, these are all characteristics that they what the audience to perceive in Vader. And consequently we see under his dome and can see his brow often.

2.) The lighting - When Vader is lit from above, the shadow of the dome covers his already dark brow, so that its effectively invisible. If he's lit from the side or from below, we can see the brow, because the light is reflecting off the thin line of gunmetal paint along the edge of his brow.

3.) The wacko, crazy, all-over-the-map, placement of the dome throughout ANH - As many of us, and others that take the study of Vader's costume to an almost academic extreme have observed, consistent helmet placement was far from a priority in ANH. In some scenes it appears that it's obstructing his brow, in others it almost looks like it's going to fall off the back of his head LOL!

4.) The tilt of Vader's head - Sometimes his head is tilted so far back, it's like he's looking for a buddy in a crowded bar. In other scenes he looking down at the camera or actors. As I've stated in the other factors, the angle of his head has a major impact on how the dome looks in relation to the viewing angle of the observer.

So taking those four factors into consideration, after weeks of research and tearing my hear out trying to come up with the elusive "accurate" helmet placement, I've decided to be a normal person, and just position it so that it looks good to me. I'm the only one I need to satisfy anyway. To me he looks the most correct when the brow is just barely obstructed, so that's the look I'm going with and I will never criticize anyone else's choice, because no matter where you choose to place it, you can probably find a screen grab to support your choice, and if not, so what, it's your figure, do what you want.


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I love the depth you are going at this with!

 

[shadow_wolf]

There are 4 factors that greatly affect the way Vader's helmet looks in ANH:

So taking those four factors into consideration, after weeks of research and tearing my hear out trying to come up with the elusive "accurate" helmet placement, I've decided to be a normal person, and just position it so that it looks good to me. I'm the only one I need to satisfy anyway. To me he looks the most correct when the brow is just barely obstructed, so that's the look I'm going with and I will never criticize anyone else's choice, because no matter where you choose to place it, you can probably find a screen grab to support your choice, and if not, so what, it's your figure, do what you want.


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I too ended up with the same conclusion m8, after days/weeks of torture in repositioning/tweaking the dome position...

 

[Matt S]

When I use pics, I notice I am using the ridges of his nose as a guy. Like in this one, the 'V' part of the dome seems to rest just above the 3rd highest one

 

[rhboyd]

yeah... but...

 

[TaliBane]

It's funny to think that the designers and costume people had no idea this stuff would be combed over to this degree.

 

[TonTon]

This is what my tapatalk preview image is for this thread now.

 

[Waste Time Continuum]

This is what my tapatalk preview image is for this thread now.

HAHAHAHA!

Win!