25 Feb 1976: Nick's diary records one word against Star Wars: "PANIC". Original Stormtrooper Ultimate Combo Deal, Original Stormtrooper Battle Spec MK3 Helmet, Original Stormtrooper Armour - Battle Spec MK3 - The Pay As You Go Saga Edition, Original Stormtrooper Armour Battle Spec MK3 Combo Deal, Original Stormtrooper Armour Battle Spec MK3 Mega Combo Deal. Some items, such as the legs, were, in fact, re-tooled three times to satisfy Lucas, several months after Brian Muir recorded working on the clay effort. Being an experienced operator in the film business, he knew the routine and foresaw the potential pitfalls of getting paid. SHEPPERTON DESIGN STUDIOS WE PRODUCE THE MOST AUTHENTIC REPLICA HELMETS + ARMOUR FROM STARWARS [A NEW HOPE 1976]. The upshot was that Andrew stopped selling his Stormtrooper helmets in the US. It was calling out for some sort of audio communication system. We originally created iconic characters such as the Stormtrooper in 1976 and use the legacy moulds from the first production to maintain an incredible level of accuracy. George Lucas viewing the Stormtrooper mock-ups. Andrew, on the other hand, was new at the game and willing to carry the can, trusting that Nick was a man of his word. (Nick always used red clay as it was cheaper; the Studios' Art Department always demanded the best fine grey clay. Benefits. Made of HIPS it has a glossy white appearance and SDS has always voraciously maintained that it is … Back to Armour. Vat Number: GB787 5643 70, Company Number: 4400426 Prototype helmet incorporating split hose. Helmets from us here at Originalstormtrooper.com are truly unique as they are first-generation facsimiles of the on-screen designs and feature the same idiosyncracies as the original helmets. Nice. 32 years on, the source of the initial clay helmet mock-ups was a key piece of evidence in the Court of Appeal, London when Lucasfilm brought (and lost) a case of copyright infringement against Andrew. Let’s start with the bottles - modelled on the authentic stormtrooper helmets designed by Shepperton Studios, of course. With accurate detailing and a down-to-earth price, it’s perfect for the wear and tear of Trooper events. The use of plastics and composite materials was relatively new in 1976 and so Andrew built his own plastic moulding machinery (see right) to suit the size and type of products he designed. FAQs. I made no sketches, no models, no engineering drawings.I sculpted the production moulds directly, using my own blends of resins, fillers and metal dusts. Andrew constructed an ear moulding that not only suggested a radio-type communication facility but also covered the nasty joint and enhanced the balance of the helmet by increasing the overall bulk of it. Mollo had placed his hopes in Nick to produce the various helmets and allocated the Art Department at the Studios to start work on the Stormtrooper armour (Mollo’s sketchbook, page 214). The better quality Stunt helmets came on stream later when the white ABS used for the armour came in. The helmets we make today are from an ABS material that accurately conforms to the original moulds and in addition, has an Acrylic high gloss surface that protects the ABS from UV degradation. Shepperton Design Studios is a manufacturer of Star Wars props and memorabilia, based in England. Picture insert), but had to shot blast and spray them to get them white. The photo shows Lucas inspecting a grey helmet, as sculpted by Liz Moore at the Studios and beside it, the one Nick had presented in red clay. Whilst Nick was on his guided tour, Lucas was inspecting the various alternatives that he had for the Stormtrooper head. Work Experience. Andrew met with the production crew headed by John Barry, the Art Director, who explained to Andrew ‘We have been working on this film for three months and all we have to show for it is this’ as he held out one of 3CPO's eyes. Andrew's Victorian sweet shop was not always large enough... As Andrew reflects "There are many stages and processes along the way to make a movie. Vat Number: GB787 5643 70, Company Number: 4400426 sales@originalstormtrooper.com Glimmer Armour . A super-accurate E11 Blaster, with a superb level of originality, detail and quality. Andrew's task was to take his friend Nick's clay model and Ralph McQuarrie's concept drawings and sculpt the moulds which would form the iconic white plastic helmets worn by the Stormtroopers in ANH. SDS vacuum-formed ABS kayak with cockpit formed by undercuts (1975), Nick's diary states that at first, he only had contact with George Lucas, as at that early stage, there really wasn't anyone else - John Mollo (ANH Costume Designer) had not been employed at that stage - and in any event, Mollo`s remit did not include the Stormtrooper. Skip forward 32 years to Lucasfilm claiming in court that the red helmet was made at the Studios by Liz Moore and hence all copyright belonged to Lucas. Shepperton has been home to some of the world's best-loved films and TV shows. Lucasfilm then looked to enforce the American copyright ruling in the UK and brought the case to the High Court in London. By the 20 Jan, Nick was ready for his third meeting with Lucas at the Studios. I make each helmet by hand using the original moulds* I made in 1976 for ANH. My brother was a member of the 501st: UK Garrison, and being made by Shepperton Studios by the legendary Andrew Ainsworth (the original builder of the storm trooper armour), I had very high expectations. In any case, to achieve a complete plastic prototype, several separate moulds were required to produce parts that could be joined together to make a complete helmet. Nick was approached by the Star Wars 'buyer' to make various helmets and ancillary items for the film. He was a scenic artist and he had no concept of how to achieve armies of slick, three dimensional characters. It was an artistic and creative environment in which to work, surrounded by film and television studios, theatres and famous landmarks which heralded the early days of rock music. Our skilled craftsmen use the same materials and techniques used in 1976 to make todays replica. Our E11 Blaster includes all the features of the most complicated blaster used in ANH. In the past ten months the main stages have undergone complete rebuilding and Shepperton is now the largest and most modern Film Studio in Britain for feature and TV films. Learn More, Service Status: All in stock orders shipping normally, Happy New Year #Staysafe. John was an excellent communicator. Nevertheless, he took the job on, with the intention of convincing Andrew to produce the characters as Nick was impressed with the plastic moulding techniques that Andrew was developing, just a couple of doors away (see image below). Andrew's plastic kayaks incorporate a cunning feature that formed an undercut for the cockpit combing by leaving behind in the moulded part a pre-made insert. Ref #0231. Finally, 50 helmets were delivered to the Studios along with 40 X wing helmets and Andrew invoiced Nick for the work, still without any form of order or contract. 06, 1970 - The Filming of ''10 Rillington Place'' at Shepperton Studios: An exact replica of the No.1 Courtroom in London Central Criminal Court (The Old Bailey) has been built at Shepperton Studios for a film reconstruction of a trial that made English legal history. After a couple of long days working on the prototype, Andrew showed Nick the results and on the morning of 23 Jan 1976, John Mollo visited Nick to view the result. Nick's diary records that on 29 Jan 1976 - less than a week later - Mollo was back again to check over the work so far. You can see how the armour was made in our video, right. UK. The two halves of the helmet finally fitted reasonably well together although the symmetry had wandered somewhat due to the trial and error element of making the moulds. The armour grew in stages; matching it to himself as the dummy, Andrew cut and remoulded parts and adjusted the moulds until the parts fitted together in a coherent manner. Twickenham is in an old part of South West London. Andrew made 50 sets of armour in all and as they were quite versatile in fit, they were used over and over again for not only ANH but also the sequels. As this was restrictive on time and money, Andrew decided instead to sculpt an initial mould in two parts with the intention of producing the prototype with vacuum-formed plastic mouldings joined together. Read on below... On 20 January 1976, Nick Pemberton, local scenic artist and colleague of Andrew Ainsworth, went to the Studios and presented Lucas with a red clay helmet mock-up. I hope the exposure of the court evidence dispels this myth once and for all. The chemical welding process used for assembly required the parts to be substantial enough in thickness, so Andrew used a double step technique in the mould to stop the material from thinning when vacuum formed. Disappointing. As Elstree Studios Art Dept struggles, Andrew is called in to make the Stormtrooper armour in time for the first shoot in Tunisia - less than a month away. Andrew sculpted the moulds to take into consideration the post trimming and assembly. The mic tips were initially quite a crude moulding and so these were tweaked a little too. On top of the wardrobe were a few remnants of a past era - yes - Star Wars characters. 0. Learn More, Service Status: All in stock orders shipping normally, Happy New Year #Staysafe. Description Reviews (0) Size Guide Description. HDPE fishponds and rock cascades made by Andrew in 1976. Free delivery for many products! It was obvious that the film was to be made on a shoestring, as John Mollo states in an interview with Charles Lippincott on 6 April 1978: 'It was a live fashion show, and George said, "I don't like that" or "I don't like this". Yep, the very same studio that produced and created the originals for the very first Star Wars film back in 1976. Shepperton Design Studios Original Stormtrooper Battle Spec Full Armour 4.89 out of 5 9 customer reviews|Add a review $ 1,450.00 $ 1,350.00. As it was also a little hot, moulded sheets of plastic were turfed out on the front pavement to cool down. With precise details and a real price, Made of flexible white ABS perfect for costume wear … Andrew made about 27 of the helmets in HDPE (21. We've including castings from Sterling sub-machine gun parts which were used for the original props. Condition is "New with tags". John Mollo came on board about the same time. Now it was time to move from prototype to production... After I made the initial Stormtrooper prototype I was introduced to John Mollo, Costumer Designer for the film. Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931. Moulded sheets of plastic cooling on the pavement. In 1976, Nick Pemberton, a successful scenic artist and puppeteer and Andrew Ainsworth, a recently qualified Industrial Designer from Ealing Art School, lived a couple of buildings apart on Twickenham Green, England. Shepperton Design Studios is an England-based manufacturer of Star Wars replica props and memorabilia that was sued by Lucasfilm for copyright infringement.. The helmet production progressed, although several modifications were made. it did not take long to mould all the armour needed to meet the shoot date in Tunisia, however, the initial 'Sandtroopers' were cleaned up a little before the crew came back to shoot the rest of the film. Photo shows Diane Cilento seen smoking a cigar at the reception held at the studio today on the occasion of the re-opening. We also operate a cinema that is open to the public onsite at Pinewood and Shepperton. Why Pinewood. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Stormtrooper Gin was designed. My brother was a member of the 501st: UK Garrison, and being made by Shepperton Studios by the legendary Andrew Ainsworth (the original builder of the storm trooper armour), I had very high expectations. Everything is a compromise in manufacturing and so Andrew decided that the characteristics of HDPE that would allow the mouldings to spring off undercuts would outweigh the shrinkage and painting problems - after all, it was only a prototype. It's clear that my colleague Nick created the red clay mock-up which I then used to sculpt the original moulds which created the on-screen helmets. The studio is located close to Heathrow airport and 18 miles from central London. Trial and error was the order of the day, a process that was also used to achieve the maximum undercut with the HDPE plastic sheet. Nick returned home with the go-ahead from Lucas, even though he had no form of contract or order. He'd prepared a red clay mock-up of a Stormtrooper head plus ideas for the Tuscan Raider mask, Jawa mask, belt and holster. While Lucas was considering the red and the grey clay mock-ups, Nick was taken on a guided tour of the Studios' Art Department. Andrew Ainsworth won each of the copyright claims made against him leaving him free to continue producing and selling his authentic replica helmets in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world excluding USA. Andrew explains "We used to sell the same props, or derivatives of, several times over, as new production companies came and went. Through much experimentation, Andrew achieved a smooth surface on the moulds, (see pictures) and incorporated all the facial details required including a forehead location for assembly. Andrew achieved this by his unconventional 'trial and error' method of sculpting and manufacturing which was ultimately successful in creating a helmet that Lucas preferred over any other. 0. Similar to the effect of a lion's mane, the helmet had now become more menacing and suitable for the threatening, military position the concept drawings had depicted. His first attempt was to make 'blister' eyes, by sucking cast acrylic sheet through a frame the shape of the Stormtrooper's eyes, resulting in a menacing eye that could also - just about - be seen through by the actors. In 1976 prop maker Andrew Ainsworth of Shepperton Design Studios created the original Stormtrooper helmets and armour for the first movie. 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