Lucasfilm Licensing Art Reference Helmet (Don Post Prototype)

I just managed to unscrew the ears. Both ear platforms have #3 on them. Interestingly the (wearer's) lower of the right ear pieces has a #3 on them. Also, the metal ears are traced with pencil lines which suggest they were aligning them, as each metal piece is affixed with two screws. Since the ears are mass produced, why they are pairing specific ears to a specific helmet escapes me. It might suggest this is helmet #3, and if this is a non-production prototype, then it may suggest a #1 and #2....

Not sure what to make of the metal ear having a "#3". I don't imagine the metal ears are any different from that of the mass production helmets...
 
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Just noticed this ear platform has a "3" on it. It's an MR, photo courtesy of stormtrooperguy.

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What might the "3" mean here?
 
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So is this a casting of a screen used helmet, or was this sculpted for masks etc.?
 
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Based on what Fettpride has said (and bear with me because Art's lineage chart is still a steep learning curve for me) I think the lineage is that of the PrePro2 which many of the fandom's helmets appear to spring from. But because of specific structural differences, I think someone at Lucasfilm back in the 90's did take a 1:1 casting and somehow nipped and tucked it to create the master from which the DP helmets all came. I honestly hoped this was that master but I don't see evidence supporting that. But after measuring this and the MR and the Sgt Fang "Mystery" helmet, there are certain aspects of this prototype that are 1:1 scale and there are a few areas (e.g. ear platforms) that might be off by a few milimeters. The differences are disproportionate in that there is no uniform shrinkage to account for its size and shape. My personal opinion is that something had to have been physically modified, then molded to create the Don Post helmets.

Interestingly, it's been a challenge figuring out how they actually did the nipping and tucking, and if there is any possibility of taking one or two castings and widening those things back out to make a full 1:1 helmet. I'm not sure if it's worth doing but I'd love a project that is intellectually stimulating as I'm kind of getting O.D.'d on the Vader side of the hobby (where I've primarily been the last 6 years)!

There are some subtle things like the brow all around that seems more defined and deeper than the Sgt Fang Mystery helmet (and the Fang is of PrePro2 lineage), and there are some aspects of it that are inconsistent with the MR that lead me to think that that those might have been areas the helmet master had been cut to reduce its dimensions, and then got resculpted to make the surgery not so obvious.
 
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Did you just say this seems more defined then a fang? Are you sure your not looking at a recast mystery helmet?
 
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If you consider what I've learned of the helmet from the previous owner, in conjunction with what Art Andrews and FettPride have contributed, I feel there is absolutely no way this is a Sgt Fang Mystery Helmet recast. First, it preceeds the existence of the Fang. It's made of fiberglass, as opposed to the Fang which is some slush resin. Moreover, this came out of Don Post Studios. However, the Fang is more a full shape whereas the Don Post Deluxe might have been made smaller through nipping and tucking in order to appeal to the child-sized market. Moreover, the scars it has are identical with those in the mass production line. It makes no sense for someone to add them to a Sgt Fang so identically as these marks did not exist on the screen-used and are of no value.

This helmet came from the master mold used by Don Post Studios but wasn't part of the production, and LFL Marketing later sent it to the artist who used it as a reference for a Fett action figure he sculpted in the 90s.

Structurally, there are significant differences between the Don Post helmets and the Sgt Fang. The Fang has a fuller look to it whereas the Don Post Deluxes (fiberglass) and other DP helmets have a more blocky, parallel look to it.

Just pretend for a moment that you had a full size helmet made out of paper or aluminum foil. If you were to cut a certain amount out of the ear platforms and push the newly cut edges in, then apply bondo to re-establish the surfaces, you'd basically get a narrower helmet that otherwise is still roughly 1:1 scale.

Hope this makes sense. The lineage chart seems to suggest the Fang came from a lava helmet or some plug that had the blocky shape of the Don Post. If that was indeed the Fang's progenitor, then Fang did a pretty amazing job in building it out to a more full and rounded shape. If that's not what he did then the lineage chart might be a touch inaccurate. At any rate, I keep going over in my head what kind of mods this helmet ( or a casting from it) would have to go through to rebuild that full form and shape of the movie helmet, as it would be an incredibly fun and fascinating research project - artistically and mentally stimulating!
 
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Im aware of what this helmet is....I mean you said you compared it to a Sgt Fang Mystery...Im saying are your sure it was a Sgt Fang and not just a recast of the Sgt Fang. The Sgt Fang is very VERY close in size to the GMH....much better size wise then the MR helmet. I own a Sgt Fang BTW...so yeh...you misunderstood what I was saying.
 
Ohhhhh, gotya. Yes the Fang was purchased directly from the Sarge himself. It's real and not a random recast. Good question because I like to make sure I eliminate false positives and false negatives with comparisons.
 
I believe the DP line of higher end fiberglass helmets and their lower end plastic helmets came from the same master, as I understand that both FG and plastic helmets had these dremel-style scars. So yes. Interestingly, Rubie's Costume Company says they had leased the Don Post molds but their helmets look worse and quite scrunched-up in shape.
 
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