Tom Southwell Q & A

[joberg]

Thanks Tom for sharing all of this with us; I cannot stop feeling lucky and giddy (the wife is getting jealous ) about it all.

For sure the Architecture was very "Brutal Art-Deco" and many movies (Sci-Fi generally) have used the Albert Speer style and the design of the 3rd Reich into their costumes and insignas.

I love the mix of the "Roman Stlye with the "Napoleonic Style" and the "Albert Speer Style". Basically 3 recycled designs present into Hitler's germany at the time...the eagle being its main leit-motiv

Thanks also for the FYI on Linden Frederick.

[Tom Southwell]

Offworld66,
Lots of BR and Alien links to Leviathan:
Ron Cobb (Alien) was production designer (Oh, did you know he was given $1M. To NOT direct E.T.)

And two of the Leviathan art directors were set designers on BR.
Bill Skinner did all the working drawings for the Spinner, (based on Syd Mead's design.) And David Klassen drew a major part of the LA street, among many other assignments.
TS
_________________
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...

[8th_Passenger]

Tom, thanks for the measurement.

Joberg wrote

[SKIN JOB 66]

[SKIN JOB 66]

[SKIN JOB 66]

[joberg]

Colin, I measured my V.K. and respected the way you've put your list together.

Joberg's measurements:

43cm wide
Logo: 4cm wide
V.K. graphic: 9,5cm long
Buttons: 1,5cm square
Unit less the feet: 13cm high
Main monitor: 12,5 diag.

As you can see, some of your and my measurements are dead-on and some are way out-there. Let's say that my prop is in between your two main lists of numbers.

Mods, if you feel like moving this thread to the appropriate place, please do so

[joberg]

45 neon signs You win Tom! We had started an informal list quite a few years ago but if my memory serves me well, we never came close to that number.

We discovered the Adam Ant and the Mao-tse-tung paintings on 2 columns also. Overdose of details...love it to bits

[BeastMaster]

Even more cool info/pics!? Tom you're like the Blade Runner magician! You keep pulling this amazing stuff out the hat! I don't want it to end

Another question about the ID cards I forgot to ask. Did you ever see the final versions the prop guys made from your designs? Going by the police one photographed at Worldcon they slightly differed from your concept with the name layout (R. Deckard XV) and number (J 5199-95).

Do you know if Deckards name would have been 'Rick Deckard' instead of R. Deckard' on the final prop and the number would have changed to his '26354..' number?

Also in the deleted scenes Gaff and Bryant have ID cards pinned to their shirt pockets. Do you know what their full names would have been on the card? Especially Gaff, might be a revelation if we knew his actual intended name in the movie
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"F*ck it, it's just a movie. Let him worry about it" Harrison Ford

[BeastMaster]

Actually I just realised the Worldcon ID uses the 'J 5199-95' number, so it's safe to assume that is the number on all of them
_________________
"F*ck it, it's just a movie. Let him worry about it" Harrison Ford

[Tom Southwell]

BeastMaster,
Rick Deckard was his name but Ridley and the script only said Deckard.
I think the Rick came from "...Electric Sheep".
Very few characters had full names (dehumanizing isn't it?).
But for a police I.d. A bit more was expected so: R. Or Rick was decided.

When preproduction folks started to get laid off in March due to expenses tightening I asked when I would go, and it was agreed first week in May.
I made plans for a trip to Europe so I could bring my Mom. Ridley had more for me but the plans and commitment to Mom couldn't change.

I think Jack Neville made any last minute changes to the I.d. Badges, and any other graphic they wanted. (That circle of confetti at the bottom was after I left.) Another illustrator finished Batty's tattoos.

I went on to Annie but I may have done a thing or two on the weekends for BR, and as I said, I visited the set daily.

Most characters had only one name. Gaff, Holden, Bryant, Rachel, Priss, to name a few. But there were also J.F. Sebastian, Eldon Tyrell, Hannibal Chew, Roy Batty (baddy), Leon Kowalsky ( not sure of spelling), and Taffy Lewis.
It's been my experience that authors and film makers choose names with a combination of wit and relevance...as it often happens in real life. The song "a boy named Sue" comes to mind.
I have 3 different BR scripts and i looked to see if they mentioned Rick Deckard at the beginning as is often done, but no. The Rick thing must have been a "prop conversation". But check the PKD, I think he's there.

And the numbers...I don't know. I gave my best information.
TS
_________________
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...

[ridleyville]

Just returning to the Neon side for a moment, a couple of years ago i spoke to a guy called Dr Neon who said that he had the Dragon neon with the moving tongue. He said that it had been remounted although it was no longer animated. He said he was involved in the manifacture of some of the displays.
I tried many times to negotiate and get more details but nothing ever happened in the end.
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More human than human

[Tom Southwell]

[Tom Southwell]

[joberg]

The name Taffy Lewis comes from a film with Jose Ferrer (B&W, early '50s...the name escapes me right now ).

[phase pistol]

Wow! How have I missed this thread all this time?

Tom, sir, thank you so much for taking your time to do this thread. There's little I can add that has not already been said, so I'll just reiterate:

Wow.

Karl

[SKIN JOB 66]

[joberg]

One member who hasn't chime in is Kurtyboy Sent him a PM, but no answer.
He would be interested in all of this since he's also one to make paper props...
I know he's active on the RPF

[phase pistol]

[Tom Southwell]

RPF?

What's that?
TS
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I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...