I'm new here - so hopefully my point won't be taken wrong. I started my "Custom" with the intent that if Lucas himself ever needed a "Desert Mandalorian" he wouldn't have to look far and his prop dept would have the day off. I had alot of help - one - ASOK lead me here and aided me in the correct way to do weathering that looks real. I wanted not to take away from Lucas and his vision. But I knew that doing a custom it had to "maybe" look a little different. As one member pointed out -- Mandalorians fought in several wars - picked up several traits of other cultures, etc. Which is why I incorporated a few things from my experiences in Iraq. At the end of the day - it still is "high;y" representative of what Lucas presented in the Star Wars movies. I can only say this - if one decides to stay close to home - perhaps not much will be said and those who are S/W fans will see that this "mando" did just walk off the set. However, if one decides to stray away from what Lucas has defined - then there might be criticism from a large population - i.e. "cannon folks". I have a Stormtrooper armor set - I went out and bought the correct hand pieces - since my frown is black - and I have the static burst mod in there as well. I wanted that so when people talk to me -- it sounds and looks like the movie version. This is how I approached the "Custom." The photo above with Jango and the other mando in green detail is a perfect representation of what should really be considered.
IF members want to do a custom and their budget is tight -- they are not really "art'sy" - this is the best place to come and read and meet those who have done it and been successful. I read a large number of posts here way before I started my costume: http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=20544
I did so - did my homework - because I wanted it to be real. It was personal - but also professional towards those guys and gals that were before me. I didn't want to take away from their hard work in detail when doing screen accurate bounty hunters. This brings to my point. Being creative is fine - but seeing what is out there and viewing the situation - then understanding brings one to the conclusion of what should be done. For example : I have seen jet packs on here that should not be worn - I'm not saying mine is the best -- but I looked at what was out there - bought the materials -- asked questions - shopped for months to gather what I thought would work - and then started. My pack is heavier than the fiberglass one for sell - but I only spent about $85 on it. Yes I worked on it for about a month off/on - stopped and thought about the next stage. I was careful and not rushed. I wanted this to look real - so when a child came up or a S/W fan -- it would continue to inspire them to believe in Lucas and his work.
This of course is mine opinion and I hope that I did not offend anyone - just a different perspective on what as been discussed here. I - like everyone here - will help out anyone doing a custom. I had to hand make my jet pack and gauntlets from WOF & Lisafett templates. Yes I stayed close to home - but I saw it staying within Lucas and his vision - which I believe has set the standard which we all want to express. Therefore - if someone has never done a costume and needs help -- I have several photos of each stage of building each piece and what materials I used to complete it. I will send out those with instructions to help maintain a certain defined standard that we all know and respect - which is why we do what we do - continue the fantasy of Star Wars for generations to come!
Over to you guys,
Joe
IF members want to do a custom and their budget is tight -- they are not really "art'sy" - this is the best place to come and read and meet those who have done it and been successful. I read a large number of posts here way before I started my costume: http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=20544
I did so - did my homework - because I wanted it to be real. It was personal - but also professional towards those guys and gals that were before me. I didn't want to take away from their hard work in detail when doing screen accurate bounty hunters. This brings to my point. Being creative is fine - but seeing what is out there and viewing the situation - then understanding brings one to the conclusion of what should be done. For example : I have seen jet packs on here that should not be worn - I'm not saying mine is the best -- but I looked at what was out there - bought the materials -- asked questions - shopped for months to gather what I thought would work - and then started. My pack is heavier than the fiberglass one for sell - but I only spent about $85 on it. Yes I worked on it for about a month off/on - stopped and thought about the next stage. I was careful and not rushed. I wanted this to look real - so when a child came up or a S/W fan -- it would continue to inspire them to believe in Lucas and his work.
This of course is mine opinion and I hope that I did not offend anyone - just a different perspective on what as been discussed here. I - like everyone here - will help out anyone doing a custom. I had to hand make my jet pack and gauntlets from WOF & Lisafett templates. Yes I stayed close to home - but I saw it staying within Lucas and his vision - which I believe has set the standard which we all want to express. Therefore - if someone has never done a costume and needs help -- I have several photos of each stage of building each piece and what materials I used to complete it. I will send out those with instructions to help maintain a certain defined standard that we all know and respect - which is why we do what we do - continue the fantasy of Star Wars for generations to come!
Over to you guys,
Joe