Gerry Anderson - Space 1999
Gerry Anderson - Space 1999
Keith Wilson gave his sketch to Andrew, of an Alien creature for the television series `Space 1999`.
Pretty good sketch and lots to work from.
Creating an Alien
making monsters is usually a messy business, Andrew used plaster and clay to form the basic shape.
Latex rubber coagulates with plaster and so the skin of the Alien was strong and flexible enough to support more detailed components.
Alien`s in the command Centre
These Alien`s were about 8 ft high with an actor inside, supporting the weight on a yoke placed on his shoulders.
Not being the fastest movers, the Alien`s soon made the command centre overcrowded.
Pumping blood and strobing lights
A single large eye made the Alien into a `cyclop`.
Veins for pumping blood were made for plasticized PVC tube and an internal peristaltic pump was used to make the blood flow.
As the latex skin was semi translucent a light strobing system inside the Alien proved to be quite effective.
The final disgusting slimy skin was made by randomly throwing expanding Polyurethane over the latex skin. A dribble of oil & `Slime` completed the effect….
A bit smelly, but a good effort to represent Keith Wilson`s sketch.
Commander Koenig confronting the Alien`s
Through telepathic communication from the Alien`s, Koenig realised that they were Lamnians from the planet Lammos on an exploration reconnoiter trip to support their survival.
Monsters
Plaster, clay and Latex rubber are very versatile materials for the making of monsters.
Fight scenes
The toughness and durability of Latex lends itself to challenging action shots..
Internal support frame
As Latex can be quite heavy when built up into the Monster, a support framework, fitting either the head or shoulders, can assist the actor to perform more convincingly.
With this monster, Andrew made a support frame from one of the Rebel helmets he made for Star Wars ( A New Hope).
The monster’s mouth movement was articulated from the jaw of the actor by the use of lightweight ABS plastic components.
Horn construction was made from Polyester resin filled with microspheres and honed to the desired shape.
Other props for Space 1999 were made from more conventional materials. This Space suite was thin PVC quilted with `Hollowfill.`
A spin off from Andrews production of mountain duvet jackets sold through his Watersports business.