USCSS Nostromo - Discussion Thread

[andy]

Weren't all these guys working together on Dune, and when that fell through reverted over to Alien just to help sell O'Bannon's script. IIRC Cobb came back to work on it, and then Giger did later, but the rest were already on to other things when production started. I may be wrong though. I can certainly see Foss in the refinery for sure. Cobb And Foss played off each other as well.

One of the things I loved about this movie is that the overall design work has that diversity that comes from having some of the absolute best artists working on it together, Ron Cobb, Moebius (Jean Giraud), H.R. Giger, and Chris Foss. Not to mention probably the best model makers in the business with creative chops of their own. Now days they usually only have one main concept artist, and all the stuff looks homogenized. Combine that team with Ridley's uncompromising eye, and you get a masterpiece.

Andy

[Colin Droidmilk]

Have to thank Skinjob for bringing me over here - this is a fascinating thread!
Looking at the maquette images above, it seems more obvious than ever that Scott - or someone- said, while reviewing the maquette, 'Tell you what. Let's have the whole of that old Foss module with its rear outlets and flaps and stick it on the top.' I stand corrected re the bridge - that originated with Cobb, sure, not the model team's. Hadn't seen that sketch before.

Didn't know Jim Burns had anything to do with Blade Runner, Skinjob. Interesting... is there a thread here anywhere with more on that?

The Nostromo is an odd beast. Scott seems to have gone out of his way to get it as ugly as possible. I mean, the maquette cuts a much more handsome figure in that profile photo than the final design does. And the bridge/nose on the final model looks almost as hostile (not alien, but grim and forbidding) as anything on the alien planet! I suppose the sheer bleakness of the ship is meant to reflect the heartlessness of the Company and the industrialisation that spawned it. And quite possibly that was the source of his frustration with both Cobb and Foss - not being pessimists like Giger, they struggled to provide Scott with the necessary desolation of spirit.

[joberg]

We can't argue that the film had a bunch of great artists with a variety of different experiences. It's fun to be surrounded by like-minded people, day in day out, that push you to do your best and come up with a great final product (budget, time being a constraint). I think that Ridley has a way to do that, as he said before: I have a vision, if you're with me: great! If you don't...well too bad for you mate!

That the Nostromo has a "gothic" look is no accident, it's almost the industrial versus the natural. The look of the planet, the Derelict, and ultimately the Xenomorph all that has a very "natural" look.
While the Nostromo, the refinery and its towers and, to a certain extend, its crew, belong into that Corporation, industrial feel that will have to face nature in its best form (the form that Ash likes so much: nor good, nor bad and free of conscience or guilt and simply respecting nature's program: feed and reproduce).

In some other discussion, the thought of the Nostromo being a refurbished military vessel (remember the yellow colour) had been discussed in some ways also, the look of the vessel was in direct opposion of movies like "2001 A Space Odissey"(clean and hospital white) and StarWars(beat up and dirty) before Alien. It was a used future for sure and a combination of an already re-used, refurbished world that Ridley, Giraud and others had envisioned.

[SKIN JOB 66]

[amish]

Wow from that angle it kind of looks like the Andromeda from Star Blazers. http://www.starblazersonline.com/1006.html
_________________
www.propsummit.com
www.bladerunnerprops.com

[joberg]

Thanks for the scoop Fred...glad to see that those drawings are still in good hands

[Colin Droidmilk]

Mon Dieux, Fred! Where did you find those two sketches? Almost brings a tear to the eye seeing 'new' 70s Foss... I really want to see every single drawing he did for the film, and for Dune, too, for that matter.

[SKIN JOB 66]

[Space Jockey]

This sketch is even closer...
Credit goes to 'JD' at eagletransporter.com.

[SKIN JOB 66]

Graham, I've already posted this one in the Narcissus thread many moons ago... with a better resolution ! (scanned direclty from the early 90's SFX book where I saw it)



I think it was done DURING the building process of the model, not before... At least, that's what I understood from what dennis Lowe recalled from these days !



Fred
_________________
THE FUTURE IS A THING OF THE PAST

[Space Jockey]

[SKIN JOB 66]

I know, I know...

I posted it on the Narcissus thread at a certain point to underscore similarities we have between this early Nostromo concept and the final Narcissus model, at least on the nose shape...

Fred
_________________
THE FUTURE IS A THING OF THE PAST

[Colin Droidmilk]

[Space Jockey]

Actually Fred, Starigger did post the sketch earlier on in this thread. This thread is two years old in a couple of weeks, I'm forgetting what's actually on it.
I'll need to go through each page again and refresh my memory.

[SKIN JOB 66]

[Colin Droidmilk]

[SKIN JOB 66]

[joberg]

It's funny how you'll know by just looking at the "look" of the models or spaceships if it was built in the U.K. or the U.S. I think it's safe to say that there's a U.K. school and a U.S school of design and style.
I love the different approach each has.

[Starrigger]

[SKIN JOB 66]

Steve !

Glad to see you back !!!



Neat rendering of the concept sketch... any news of your numerous ongoing 3D Nostromo projects, BTW ?



Fred
_________________
THE FUTURE IS A THING OF THE PAST