With accurate detailing and a down-to-earth price, it’s perfect for the wear and tear of Trooper events. Dispatched with Royal Mail 2nd Class. ", In 2004, Andrew Ainsworth at Shepperton Design Studios began producing and selling replica ANH Stormtrooper helmets. Original Stormtrooper, Genuine, Authentic, Quality At Shepperton Design Studios we are committed to producing the highest quality helmets, armour and props available. These companies come together to form a unique cluster and centre of excellence for the entire creative industries, supporting productions on and off the lot. Back to Armour. Now it was time to move from prototype to production... After I made the initial Stormtrooper prototype I was introduced to John Mollo, Costumer Designer for the film. 0. The trick was to get them to a near state of fitting and continually vacuum form material over them, adjusting the sculpt each time until a satisfactory fit was achieved. Finally, 50 helmets were delivered to the Studios along with 40 X wing helmets and Andrew invoiced Nick for the work, still without any form of order or contract. The 35 mouldings that go to make up the armour were developed over a period of time, with visits to the studios where Lucas vetted the latest developments. However, occasionally we do hold special events and openings at the studio. it did not take long to mould all the armour needed to meet the shoot date in Tunisia, however, the initial 'Sandtroopers' were cleaned up a little before the crew came back to shoot the rest of the film. Pinewood Studios Group. These products are based on the original moulds Andrew produced, as close as it is possible to get to the original film props. Andrew’s first effort was to incorporate a flexible split hose around the neck of the helmet, suck the hot plastic over to form an undercut, leaving the hose back in the job every time (see left). 0. Find out more. In court, in a short dramatic court statement by Liz Moore's boyfriend (John Richardson), it was established that Liz Moore only ever used grey clay. Please register your interest here. John Barry (Production Designer) told Nick that they were at a bit of loss as to how to make the armour. 0. My brother was a member of the 501st: UK Garrison, and being made by Shepperton Studios by the legendary Andrew Ainsworth (the original builder of the storm trooper armour), I had very high expectations. As Andrew had now been introduced to Mollo, it was agreed that if there was any future work, Andrew would deal directly with the Studios and maybe just give Nick 'a drink' for the contact. Andrew’s large vacuum forming machine had a 15 ft x 3 ft bed that could accommodate all the moulds in one hit. This meant that many of the first batch that went to Tunisia for the desert scenes were all shapes and sizes. John Mollo came on board about the same time. Shepperton Design Studios is an England-based manufacturer of Star Wars replica props and memorabilia that was sued by Lucasfilm for copyright infringement.. Everything is a compromise in manufacturing and so Andrew decided that the characteristics of HDPE that would allow the mouldings to spring off undercuts would outweigh the shrinkage and painting problems - after all, it was only a prototype. We have carried out some minor renovation work on the moulds to ensure that the helmets we produce today are as close to the originals as possible. Andrew continues "We mean exactly what we say 'The Original Maker, The Original Moulds'. ", While at Shepperton Studios Andrew meticulously kept all moulds on racks in an organised manner and all with protective skins moulded and left on them until further use. The helmet would, therefore, be able to filter noxious gases and the armour be so flexible that it could have actually grown on the character that way - much the same as an armadillo has natural armour. Training & Development. The armour grew in stages; matching it to himself as the dummy, Andrew cut and remoulded parts and adjusted the moulds until the parts fitted together in a coherent manner. There is no content for this region. Shop unusual presents and gift ideas with our curated range of personalised gifts, presents for the home, tech and gadget gifts, and more! Out went the Stormtrooper armour moulds, but he kept the protective skins for reference. Andrew Ainsworth talking about the armour development. During its early existence the studio was branded as Sound City History 1930s–1960s. Andrew saw no evidence of any armour being made, but Nick had said that he had seen some grey armour being worked on, probably in the same style as the grey clay helmet from Liz Moore. He'd prepared a red clay mock-up of a Stormtrooper head plus ideas for the Tuscan Raider mask, Jawa mask, belt and holster. Nick asked Andrew to produce 50 Stormtrooper helmets and 40 X wing Pilot Helmets to be invoiced to him. Why Pinewood. This worked okay but it was slow and required complicated tooling. This Battle spec Full Armour set by Shepperton is expertly made and the most authentic set available. I started to make the helmets and sold around 19 of them to Star Wars fans in the US.". We are writing to confirm what was said by Mr Bloch QC to Mr Wilson QC this evening, namely that we will not be seeking to establish for the purpose of these proceedings that the dimensions and design features of the replica props being produced by the Defendants differ in any material respects from the props which Mr Ainsworth produced for Star Wars: a New Hope, and that consequently, we will not be calling Ms French. The studios sent over a few useful plaster casts for reference, but they could not be used to make moulds, nor did they in any way constitute a complete set of armour. Invest in our helmets and armour and you acquire a piece of movie history.". About Us In 1976 prop maker Andrew Ainsworth of Shepperton Design Studios created the original Stormtrooper helmets and armour for the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope. The premises were tight for this sort of plant, and so finished mouldings were often stacked in front of the shop before shipping (see below). The night before the hearing, both sides laid out their respective sets of armour in court and both barristers Mr Bloch QC (Lucas) and Mr Wilson QC (Ainsworth/SDS) inspected the respective sets of armour. The Studios operate a free shuttle bus service to local underground and mainline stations for all Pinewood and Shepperton staff, Studio tenants, production staff and visitors. Disappointing. Learn More, Service Status: All in stock orders shipping normally, Happy New Year #Staysafe. The die was cast! With accurate detailing and a down-to-earth price,Fabricated in white flexible ABS perfect for the wear and tear of costuming & trooping events. Condition is "New with tags". However, with the concept drawings, Andrew had enough information to sculpt a set of moulds, hued from a metal dust filled resin system that he had developed for producing moulds for previous products. Andrew recalls "We were back in the house in Twickenham which we'd rebuilt after the fire. As this was restrictive on time and money, Andrew decided instead to sculpt an initial mould in two parts with the intention of producing the prototype with vacuum-formed plastic mouldings joined together. Closes 15/01/2021. 9 Feb 1976: Mollo and Nick have a meeting to discuss money. The use of plastics and composite materials was relatively new in 1976 and so Andrew built his own plastic moulding machinery (see right) to suit the size and type of products he designed. And so anyway, there was very little drawing done, it was really more of a practical make do and mend.'. Whilst Nick was on his guided tour, Lucas was inspecting the various alternatives that he had for the Stormtrooper head. Sep. 09, 1958 - Shepperton Studions Re-Open: Shepperton studios were officially re-opened today. Stock controlled website, all products in stock and available for next working day dispatch unless otherwise stated. We had an empathy - an understanding of what was required and John used every character I gave him. He asked Andrew if he could make the armour in time for the first shoot in Tunisia, less than a month away. Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931. Andrew Ainsworth remembers his first Star Wars meeting, 23 January 1976. We also operate a cinema that is open to the public onsite at Pinewood and Shepperton. Feb 28, 2018 - A super-accurate E11 Blaster, with the level of originality, detail and quality you expect from Shepperton Design Studios - SDS. He was a scenic artist and he had no concept of how to achieve armies of slick, three dimensional characters. My brother was a member of the 501st: UK Garrison, and being made by Shepperton Studios by the legendary Andrew Ainsworth (the original builder of the storm trooper armour), I had very high expectations. Invoicing straightaway was a standard tactic for Nick. Shepperton Design Studios Original Stormtrooper E11 Blaster [ A. AINSWORTH FILM PORTFOLIO ] Menu. Condition is New. The mic tips were initially quite a crude moulding and so these were tweaked a little too. Andrew Ainsworth won each of the copyright claims made against him leaving him free to continue producing and selling his authentic replica helmets in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world excluding USA. All these years later, Andrew produces genuine, authentic replicas using the original moulds, as close as it is possible to get to the original film props. On top of the wardrobe were a few remnants of a past era - yes - Star Wars characters. Andrew recalls "The movie memorabilia market had really grown in popularity by then and there was a great deal of interest in my authentic replicas. Being an experienced operator in the film business, he knew the routine and foresaw the potential pitfalls of getting paid. To achieve this they had to be sculpted independently of each other. In 1976 prop maker Andrew Ainsworth of Shepperton Design Studios created the original Stormtrooper helmets and armour for the first movie. By the 20 Jan, Nick was ready for his third meeting with Lucas at the Studios. In addition, there was a note to get a couple of samples from the USA - a US Navy helmet and a helicopter pilot helmet. He could not use Nick`s mock-up in any way as it had no features such as surface, eyes or face. His first attempt was to make 'blister' eyes, by sucking cast acrylic sheet through a frame the shape of the Stormtrooper's eyes, resulting in a menacing eye that could also - just about - be seen through by the actors. Mollo had placed his hopes in Nick to produce the various helmets and allocated the Art Department at the Studios to start work on the Stormtrooper armour (Mollo’s sketchbook, page 214). I was being hassled for school fees (how life changes). Each helmet was handmade by Andrew using the original moulds that he'd kept in his prop store since they were first used to make the on-screen helmets used in the 1976 Star Wars film. More information Stormtrooper-costumes.com - On Sale Now - Shepperton Design Studios This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Helmets from us here at Originalstormtrooper.com are truly unique as they are first-generation facsimiles of the on-screen designs and feature the same idiosyncracies as the original helmets. Andrew's plan was to make them in a better quality white ABS plastic at a later stage. Pinewood Studios Group. FAQs. Based on the original Stormtrooper Stunt helmet, this Battle spec helmet is made using modern production processes but retains the feel and soul of the original. It was an artistic and creative environment in which to work, surrounded by film and television studios, theatres and famous landmarks which heralded the early days of rock music. With precise details and a real price, Made of flexible white ABS perfect for costume wear … While these did not suffer from shrinkage and conformed to the mould shape accurately, the ABS was more fragile so most of these did not survive. Shepperton Design Studios Stormtrooper Helmets and Armour: SDS Stunt Helmet: in 2004, the first helmet Andrew Ainsworth made from his newly-reformed Shepperton Design Studio's company was the Stunt helmet, which was the most commonly seen helmet in ANH (50 Stunts as against just 6 Hero's). Mould without severe shrinkage and shepperton studios stormtrooper to paint meeting to discuss the Stormtrooper head PORTFOLIO. $ 20 million in damages against him yours faithfully... Andrew Ainsworth notes i... The protective skins for reference helmets in the UK and brought the case to the original props attempted! Of them to get to the High court in London of eye with more than just unidirectional vision suit. 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