Why are there no interviews with SW prop guys?

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Reading the thread on the ANH Solo blaster got me thinking, again, about why we never hear anything from the OT Star Wars prop makers. There are numerous interviews and books from the SW model makers. Have the prop people done any in the past? It might be something worth tracking down if any of the people are still around.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I guess nobody knows then. :lol

 

[Clutch]

I'm sure there are a lot that are no longer with us. It was 30+ years ago.

 

[jme3]

Agreed. There are prop makers I'd love to have interviewed even more than model makers. One stands out especially so in my mind with a certain Darth Vader mask. What I'd give to be able to pick his brain...

Reading the thread on the ANH Solo blaster got me thinking, again, about why we never hear anything from the OT Star Wars prop makers. There are numerous interviews and books from the SW model makers. Have the prop people done any in the past? It might be something worth tracking down if any of the people are still around.

 

[Stormy320]

I'm sure there are a lot that are no longer with us. It was 30+ years ago.

I don't know. I think most of the guys were 20s and 30s. It is interesting that no one other than Lorne has really surfaced. Hopefully that will change. :unsure

 

[Apollo]

I heard they are extremely shy

 

[jedimaster]

What about Brian Muir? I also know another "bill dennis" .I worked on some stuff with him. Brian knows him also. I could probably do a you tube interview with him. He also worked on raiders , dark crystal , a ton of bond stuff as well as the OT etc......

 

[magneto1138]

I recently heard Joe Johnson had a part on the FX crew. Does anyone know exactly what he did?

 

[Sym-Cha]

Hello there,

Joe Johnston was a sketch- and storyboard artist on the original Star Wars movies and also developed and made some of the screen models like the X-wing etcetera. Here you see miscelaneous pictures of him modeling the early Darth Vader Suit as well as portray a rebel commander and building on models :

Joe Johnston - Google zoeken

He continued his career as a director with his debut : Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in 1989.

Joe Johnston - IMDb

-Chaim

 

[Supa troop]

at the UK RPF Prop Party later this year Brian Muir will be giving a Q&A and a talk about his time working in movies

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

After finishing the new Making of ESB book, they only showed one picture where they referenced anyone making the props. The guy they showed did look to be in his 50s or 60s. BTW Joe Johnston seems to have done more than I had known. They showed him doing some matte paintings and some of the location shooting (not sure what he did, but he was listed as there).

 

[Clutch]

Are you referring to the book that didn't show one AT-AT pilot?

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Yes. I'm glad you're not bitter about it though. :lol

 

[Stormy320]

Do you think with the new Rinzler Blueprint book that these guys would come out of the woodwork so we can give them our thanks?

 

[voice in the crowd]

One stands out especially so in my mind with a certain Darth Vader mask. What I'd give to be able to pick his brain...

Which Vader mask?

Obviously Brian Muir is a board member here for the ANH mask.

Do you mean the reveal mask?

Cheers Chris

 

[lonepigeon]

Basically for the OT you only ever see interviews with the US crew (ie ILM).
There are very view interviews with the UK crew although Bantha Tracks (the original Fan Club newsletter) had a few questions with prop master John Stears way back in the day.

I think it was mostly because of accessibility. ILM was a Lucas owned company while the UK crew were outside contractors. You don't see much from Stembridge either even though they were based in California.
"Official" interviews seem to all be internal company affairs.

 

[Stormy320]

What was Stembridge?

 

[lonepigeon]

What was Stembridge?

Stembridge was the gunmaker that made the blasters for ROTJ (DL-44's, E-11's, Blastech A280 - Endor trooper rifle, and I believe the Jabba's guard blasters). They were the US equivalent to Bapty in the UK who handled the main guns for ANH and ESB, but apparently had a lesser role in ROTJ.
These gunsmiths were required for the blank firing guns but also handled the Hero props.

 

[Stormy320]

Can anyone confirm, I think Stembridge closed their doors around 1999?

 

[jme3]

Yes, the reveal mask is the one in question. The ROTJ reveal to be exact.

I private messaged Brian Muir after he first came on the rpf (however long ago that was) with a "welcome" and an enquiry about whatever he might know of the original ROTJ reveal and I never got a reply. Maybe he didn't get it; maybe he just ignored it. Who can say? Either way, my enquiry went unanswered.

Which Vader mask?

Obviously Brian Muir is a board member here for the ANH mask.

Do you mean the reveal mask?

Cheers Chris