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clutch
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom Southwell wrote:
Just to be clear:
I wish all the text I used in BR
actually had important meaning.
Really I tried. But Japanese was
an added challenge because I
couldn't read it.
TS


The quality and amount that you contributed overshadows that.
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joberg
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What clutch said Tom, your value is not diminished for that reason only; knowing that there was very little time to "close" every design, idea, etc and knowing that, as you said, SRS was still adding stuff at the last minute makes you even more valuable at the end of the day Cool
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spinner 44
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 7:16 am    Post subject: Re: Real Movie Blaster photo. Reply with quote

Tom Southwell wrote:


DeckB26354,

Could THIS be the photo you saw?
This is a slide I took in 1981 of the first Blaster delivered, as I discussed earlier. (There were probably more than one made) .

I need to get a slide scanner to properly dig out the detail in the photo.
This exposure is a bit dark (to see the neat red lights that are switched on),
however I can see there is still some good detail in the shadows
that could be brought out (and the table will burn out). These shots were taken with available
light as snap shots. (No tripod or photo lights.)
I even got noir blinds from an art department window.

And this copy of the slide was off a small cube viewer with my iPhone.
Let me know if this is of use to you and I'll see about that scanner.
TS



Tom,

I really hope you can find the time someday to dig these slides and scan them properly. These are the only pictures of the blaster before production that have ever been seen, and being a fan of the prop it would be a real pleasure to see them in all its resolution and detail.

Thank you for your most generous contribution to this forums. It's like finding El Dorado of Blade Runner art and prop info.
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racprops
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a few questions.

Any chance you have pictures of the blaster before it was redone?

That is, the stunt prop seemed to have been made from the early hero.

That early hero had no LEDs, no power switch and the flat butt plate.

I have been of mind that was delivered and they made the mold for the rubber stunt guns and then it was shown to the production people and the thinking was A) It could use some LEDs and the grip was a tight fit for Harrison and it was reworked to give a finger relief and the Butt plate was left unpainted.

That modified model then became the HERO Prop used and the mold made copies of the early version.

Can you shed any light on this?

Rich
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Tom Southwell
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Clutch and joberg,
Thanks for your supportive remarks.

Spinner44,
You are welcome. Yes I do intend to make the blaster photos available here on the Summit when time and money allow me to get the new slide scanner. I have found my slides (4 views).

Racprops,
The only photos of the blaster I have are the ones mentioned above.
I am of the belief I took the pictures the day the gun arrived by Steven Dane. He brought it to the studio directly from the gunsmith.
Any alterations or rubber mockups would have been done later. This gun had red lights that could be switched on.
I'm sorry but that is the extent of my knowledge on the blaster.
If I get a chance to chat with Steven I will dig for more info, however it was a long time ago and his memory might have faded...but possibly not.
Mine hasn't faded much on BR (because of excitement and adrenalin, and notes).
TS
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joberg
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You're welcome Tom and good news about finding the 4 slides
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racprops
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 6:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks.

I feel as the stunt was missing features like the LED holders, the switch, and the better butt plate it was the earlier model.

I have turned in props for film work to have someone want changes and "improvements" and back to the old shop and made them.

I figure this is what happen here.

Hope you can have that talk with Steven Dane.

Rich
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Master Blaster
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom Southwell wrote:
Clutch and joberg,
Thanks for your supportive remarks.

Spinner44,
You are welcome. Yes I do intend to make the blaster photos available here on the Summit when time and money allow me to get the new slide scanner. I have found my slides (4 views).

Racprops,
The only photos of the blaster I have are the ones mentioned above.
I am of the belief I took the pictures the day the gun arrived by Steven Dane. He brought it to the studio directly from the gunsmith.
Any alterations or rubber mockups would have been done later. This gun had red lights that could be switched on.
I'm sorry but that is the extent of my knowledge on the blaster.
If I get a chance to chat with Steven I will dig for more info, however it was a long time ago and his memory might have faded...but possibly not.
Mine hasn't faded much on BR (because of excitement and adrenalin, and notes).
TS


Thanks for this amazing thread Tom. Not sure if anyone already picked up on this interesting find regarding the Blade Runner blaster. Apologies if it has already been covered.

I actually didn't realize until that point that Stephen was the key person involved in the making of the blaster via the gunsmith. So I did a random search about him and came up with this info. Again, sorry if it's been repeated in another thread. Just thought I would share the video interview.

Stephen Dane recounts the dynamic environment behind the making of "Blade Runner," and reflects upon his role as the Assistant Art Director in that creative process in "Moments in Design."

http://vimeo.com/69335540

What was really cool was at 1:30 seconds of the video he talks about Leon's gun and how they came about creating it while holding a cast of Deckard's Blade Runner Blaster.

Pretty neat.
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spinner 44
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is my humble opinion that this thread should be locked on top of this section. You don't get a contribution from the Art Director of Blade Runner everyday. Plus most of reference seen here is really exclusive.

Just my 2 cents Smile
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andy
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom,

I am sure all of us here would be willing to help out with you getting a new scanner if we can keep getting great new photos from your archives. Wink

As far as the timeline for the gun in the photo compared to the Stunt rubber casts. The ammo magazine with lights could easily have been replaced with another to protect it while making the mold, but the butt plate on the end of the grip has also been altered since the molds were made, unless that too was replaced at the time of the casting. It is possible the molds were made at the gunsmiths, or it had also been returned once. It is also possible Ridley and Stephen visited the gunsmith, who (whom) is still the biggest mystery of this gun as yet. Any information regarding who could have been the gunsmith is worth its weight in gold.

Thank you very much as always Tom for your incredible information, and I will see if we can pin some of your threads up top for easier reference in the future.

Andy
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Tom Southwell
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 5:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm just back from North Carolina where I spent the last four months
working on a film: The Disappointments Room.

Andy: Thanks for the interest in supporting my scanner but I'll do fine by myself,
if I can muster that instruction booklet.

Thanks for your patience, I can feel it coming.

Spinner44: A note: I wasn't the art director on Blade Runner, that job went to
David L Snyder. The assistant art director was Stephen Dane.
I was one of three production illustrators
,though I handled most of the graphics in the film.
Lawrence G Paull was the production designer,
and as such , he was the top art director.

I've got some wifi work to do but expect to answer a few requests in the coming weeks.

My best to you all .
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joberg
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2014 6:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glad you're back Tom and that it was fun to work on that movie.
We'll wait, with anticipation, your answers to our many questions of course.
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spinner 44
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 7:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom Southwell wrote:


Spinner44: A note: I wasn't the art director on Blade Runner, that job went to
David L Snyder. The assistant art director was Stephen Dane.
I was one of three production illustrators
,though I handled most of the graphics in the film.
Lawrence G Paull was the production designer,
and as such , he was the top art director.


Thank you for your clarification. I guess I got carried after seeing all the graphic material you were sharing with us.

Thanks again for replying and your contribution.
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TM
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 6:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom,

Thank you very much for your contributions here. They are well appreciated.

Tony
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Spikerama
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 4:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom Southwell wrote:
I'm just back from North Carolina where I spent the last four months
working on a film: The Disappointments Room.

Andy: Thanks for the interest in supporting my scanner but I'll do fine by myself,
if I can muster that instruction booklet.

Thanks for your patience, I can feel it coming.

Spinner44: A note: I wasn't the art director on Blade Runner, that job went to
David L Snyder. The assistant art director was Stephen Dane.
I was one of three production illustrators
,though I handled most of the graphics in the film.
Lawrence G Paull was the production designer,
and as such , he was the top art director.

I've got some wifi work to do but expect to answer a few requests in the coming weeks.

My best to you all .


Hi Tom,

I've been looking at this site for a long time. Just out of love for BR and film in general but now I find it may be incredibly useful
if I can actually raise anyone. It is 2018 after all. 4 years since the last post in this thread and one year away from Los Angeles 2019.

I've read all your input here and everyone else's. What an amazing archive it is. I feel blessed to have stumbled upon it.

I actually was fortunate enough to meet Ridley and have a chat with he and Jerry Bruckheimer quite some years ago
when I was invited to a private screening of Black Hawk Down in Sydney. We discussed "Blade Runner 2"
potential and also Alien and what's up with it. That was a special moment for me as a film director I must admit.
And it's wonderful that we now have a second Blade Runner film that expands the world so beautifully.

Anyway, I don't really want to bother you so much because I understand you may just be over the whole thing but maybe
if I could ask you some questions that will help me understand a few things about a particular scene I would greatly appreciate it.

I'm actually building a VR Experience and want to make it as accurate as I possibly can.
Happy for everyone else to offer help too but just wanted to see if you are all still paying attention to the site.

Just holler back and I will start firing away.

Warmest regards from Australia

Spike


Last edited by Spikerama on Fri Aug 31, 2018 8:45 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Tom Southwell
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spike,
Fire away.
Tom Southwell
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Spikerama
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 1:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey wow, thanks Tom for the speedy reply. Wasn't sure if anyone was still listening.

So I became fascinated with VR a few years ago and a couple of months ago I decided I wanted to try make something. My natural instinct wast to gravitate to something I love. Never built a game before or anything VR related but my background is advertising creative and I was a commercial film director for about 15 years so have quite a lot of visual FX experience.

Been recently been learning Unity and some 3D software as well as coding just for this project but after a few a weeks I realised my first idea was a bit ambitious for an initial foray so I focused on something simpler.

What I've decided to do is something around the first scene in Blade Runner where Leon loses his poo at Holden. I think it's doable because the architecture is... simple enough I suppose and props are minimal.

So far I've got the basic set sorted out and I'm getting to the point now where I need some thoughts or answers on a few details. I know you worked as the provider of graphic design for the film and I remember you shared some pictures of an old Tyrell tile from that set so here a few questions for you if you don't mind.

How did you acquire the tile? Were you ever on that set?

The tile in those pictures you shared to joberg, those are the small ones that lined the wall as cornices' right? The lager ones what were the breakaway set looked slightly different to me. Maybe the pyramid was a bit flatter?

Did you provide the Tyrell Corp. logo for the leather chairs on the set? If so
do you know if the chairs were a found item or bespoke built for the scene?
Reason I ask is I've scoured this whole forum and nobody ever mentions them except for Mr Weber I think when he came across a kind of replica on a game show here in Aus. Can't find any reference to them except what's in the movie.

Obviously a lot of these questions rely on you having visited that set but the big tiles, the ones that form the partitions in the office, do you have any idea what the material was and was supposed to look like? Currently I'm using a kind of stippled plastic like the old Apple Macintosh casings.

And the floor. It's hard to tell from the movie but from some of the production photography it looks to me as though it was just big rolls of carpet or maybe even grips floor protectors. Possibly to cover up the tiles from the other set?

Anyway that's for starters. There's a few pics here too just to give you an idea where I'm at. Thanks again Tom for you generous input.








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Banzai88
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice job on these Spikerama !
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Spikerama
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers mate.

Bit of a way to go but should turn out alright with a bit of help from all you much smarter folk.

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Tom Southwell
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 6:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spikerama.
First off , a note about a fallen artist/designer from Blade Runner.
Charles William Breen, who did the detailed plans and elevations of Deckards apartment ( based on a work by Frank Lloyd Wright ) passed away this week. A fine man and a wonderful designer, production designer and artist. He will be missed.

The set you are working on is a revamp of the set used for the Rachel VK interview. ( far left window bay )
I always thought the enlarged tile was a faithful enlargement, but I could be wrong.
Yes I was on the set. Many times.
The chair was likely purchased, but again, I cannot be sure. (A few exotic chairs designed by architect C.R.Macintosh and others were built expressly for the film by movie prop makers.)
The graphic was put on the chair the day of the shoot by on staff sign painters at the request of Mr Scott.
The original floor was Masonite spray painted black with a high gloss finish.
There MAY have been a change ( possibly carpet ) for the revamp.
I have a good high angle photo that shows the set and crew. I'll try to find it.

I always thought the big break-away tile was a foam backed piece that was made from a mold. The original tile design was to resemble (to some degree) a tile like the ones Mr Wright created for his "knit block" designs ).
Hollywood often uses this method for replaceable "destroyed" wall units.

The tile I have was made for me in preproduction so I could make graphics from it. It is a "Vacu-form" piece of styrene plastic. This was used as bronze on the big doors of the set, and the freeze at about head height around the entire room.
You likely heard the story that Mr Scott requested all the columns be flipped upside down the morning of the first day.
The columns , then did not match the pilasters (partial columns attached to the wall). You can see the columns in their correct posture later in the film in the street with bicycles whizzing by.
The photos I sent Joberg included a profile view which shows how deep the pyramid is. But it MAY be flatter than the small one.
If you can find Greg Pickerell he may know. That was his set.
He also became a production designer.

I hope this helps in some way.
It's been a long time.

Good luck,
Tom Southwell
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