All productions, in order to save money, will commission "beauty" or "hero" props. This is generally one or two really perfect versions of whatever it is they are looking for...especially if it's a gun or a hand-held prop that'll be seen close-up on screen. Have you ever wondered why most of the stuff in the Star Wars exibit looks like dookie? I mean aside from the fact that it's over 30 years old... its because none of that stuff was ever meant to be seen close-up. There's alot of things they get away with in film that will be more and more difficult as Hi Def comes into use.
Most of the background blasters on Galactica looked like felgercarbe. Once again, because they were never intended to be seen close up. If you look at the helmets sitting in the holder shelf at the back of the warriors quarters, you can see that some of them don't even have crests on them.
Anyway, if you're having a bunch of background extras, you don't need to equip every one of them with FullBores and a flawless blaster casting and a working computron. You can give them wooden blocks painted black and detailed with red gumdrops and silver mylar for computrons. The camera won't know the difference... and neither will the audience unless you blab about it.
If you go to
www.starshipexeter.com and watch the "Tressaurian Intersection" act 1, you'll see a bunch of seeming "sets" that look like they've been torn to shreds. They're all miniatures. And not exceptionally detailed ones at that. I built them.
My wife and I are what we term "chronic helpers". We like to help people do cool stuff.
This could be cool stuff. As long as you make it so.
-Gordon
