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Apprentice

Registered: 03-2008
Posts: 155
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Do You Know From the Pros - Movie Costume Info


Here is what a friend in the biz schooled me on. Thought I would share with all my bat bros.

I asked him about a contrasting bat on the Begins chest.

As to the bat on the chest we can contrast it, though it wasn't contrasted in the film. There are pictures on the net showing Chris with a contrasting bat, but that was actually photoshopped. Many fans felt it should have been contrasted and that the suit's matte finish was too bland. Actually the matte color was the result of how the foam was run and dyed.

In the earlier films Bob Ringwood did a lot of experiments with the foam latex, and by the later films was using inks and EMI powders to acquire in mold finishing. It resulted in nice metallic finishes, unfortunately lost to some extent on the big screen. For example, the Clooney costume, though it looked glossy black on screen, in person was a deep blue with lighter metallic blue highlights. It was very striking. The only ones you can really see the colors well were the Sonar, Robin and Nightwing outfits.

The Begins suit foam was simply dyed black and came out a little pastel. Originally they wanted something more striking and darker, but the new team just didn't have the bugs worked out. The new Dark Knight costume is much nicer in many respects, and has many contrasting shades which photograph much better and give greater depth.

Last edited by Deadly Lemur, 3/16/2009, 10:58 am
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Apprentice

Registered: 03-2008
Posts: 155
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Re: a do you know from the pros


I thought I would share this here as well, it has to do with mounting. I asked if mounting to a wet suit was good.

They do a lot of licensing with WB and DC.

As to mounting, many people do mount armour on wet suits. This is a common but mistaken practice that was used many years ago before the advent of many of newer fabrics and techniques used today. A wet suit is of course hot and uncomfortable, and unless you're a very slender individual, will add unwanted bulk to the outline of your look.

To professionally mount pieces many steps are required so the finished suit is comfortable and allows the actor or stunt person the largest range of motion.

The process goes like this. We begin with a measurement form that takes all the stuntman's measurements. That is given to our tailoring department who fashions a heavy Lycra body suit. This is the same heavy Lycra used for professional sports jerseys for the NFL.

The suit is then mounted on an appropriate form and impregnated with a special aerosol latex formula, and allowed to dry for 48 to 72 hours. Then each hollow aspect of the armour, which is made of another specially formulated latex or urethane, is filled with a 2 pound flexible foam to prevent any collapsing.

Then the armour is hand applied by our artists to the custom body suit with a variety of adhesives, giving special attention to the edges which are all hand seamed.

Depending on the type of armour and the desired colors the armour itself is either colored in the mold with special pigmented powders, or after fabrication and assembly the entire outfit is impregnated with a urethane over coating.

The entire process takes four to six weeks. Those are just a few of the steps that go into such a work. There are many other details and the entire process takes a team of talented artists.

Last edited by Deadly Lemur, 3/16/2009, 10:55 am
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inkmonkey Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 11-2005
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Re: a do you know from the pros


Very interesting. Are you able to share who this is? Be interesting to know more about the undersuit in particular.

---
-Kevin
6/5/2008, 2:30 pm Link to this post Send Email to inkmonkey
 
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Apprentice

Registered: 03-2008
Posts: 155
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Re: a do you know from the pros


I wish I could tell you, he has asked me not to. I can say he has worked and does work a lot with Warner Bros in the costume design department. Trade secrets and all i guess. I will ask him your question about the under suit and post most hast.


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Apprentice

Registered: 03-2008
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Re: a do you know from the pros


asked about the belt. it was made of actual kevlar and

• 26 FUNCTIONING N40 MAGNETS EMBEDDED IN ALONG THE ENTIRE BELT.
this is all he would give me on that. but he said think of it like a rigid wristwatch band.

Sorry that is all he gave me on that.

Trevor
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Apprentice

Registered: 03-2008
Posts: 155
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Re: a do you know from the pros


Kevin, here is what he said about the undersuit.

As to the foundation suits, if you mean our standard ones, they are all done from scratch here in our tailoring department, then shot with our rubberizing formula.

As to the Dark Knight suit, that is completely different. It is a radical departure from how the suits have been done in the past.

One of the issues with suits even constructed of foam latex is in certain positions they can buckle or collapse. In the first Begins film this was an issue because they wanted Chris and the stunt guys to squat down in a number of scenes. And of course the suit was buckling up and didn't look good.

The new DK suit is made up of very small pieces attached to a lightweight body suit. This had two advantages:

1. You didn't need a walk in oven to cure the foam. Even the largest pieces were small enough to cure in a conventional size oven.

2. The section armour has large spaces in between the plates so that there is no large section to collapse. This makes it much easier to manufacture and looks a lot better when worn.

I hope this helps. It sounds like a lycra spandex rubberized somehow.

Regards,

Trevor

Last edited by Deadly Lemur, 3/16/2009, 11:02 am
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Jedi Magnum Profile
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Registered: 07-2004
Location: Southeast USA
Posts: 3928
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Re: a do you know from the pros


That's a lot of interesting and useful info.

Thanks! :up
6/5/2008, 5:42 pm Link to this post Send PM to Jedi Magnum
 
inkmonkey Profile
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Caped Crusader

Registered: 11-2005
Posts: 5805
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Re: a do you know from the pros


Thanks for sharing this. It's quite fascinating. The undersuit info especially. Sounds like their rubberized formula that they spray on is proprietary to them. As in it is not available over the shelf for us. :eyes

Think he'd be willing to share any DIY tips for us costumers on how to spray an undersuit and get similar results? Maybe there are readily available rubber materials we can get our hands on?

---
-Kevin
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Batcouille Profile
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Dark Knight

Registered: 03-2007
Posts: 638
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Re: a do you know from the pros


Cool info indeed. The documentaries on dvds and so doesnt tend to go too deep into technical details.



---
Yan

"You're not the devil. You're practice."
6/5/2008, 7:31 pm Link to this post Send Email to Batcouille   Send PM to Batcouille
 
bohvyn Profile
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Apprentice

Registered: 03-2008
Posts: 155
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Re: a do you know from the pros


I am seeing if I can pry a chest piece away from him.
IF so I will then figure out the whole post a pic thing.

Trevor
6/9/2008, 10:45 am Link to this post Send Email to bohvyn   Send PM to bohvyn
 


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