Long-Lost Blade Runner Filming Model Found!

[@tested]

Propstore's Entertainment Memoriabilia Live Auction: Los Angeles 2024 propstoreauction.com/auctions/info/id/386

[@vandliszt]

Saw a man find a very old pocket telegraph. There are two versions sold in America for a very short period of time. They are inside the body of a pocket watch and could pick up signals of Morse code or other communications. The more expensive version had a button on the side and could also send signals. Because of it’s expense it wasn’t a common tool but could be the first idea for portable communication... inside a pocket watch.

[@John-yf8qh]

Adam, we get that you’re excited, you put this show on a lot. What you DO NOT need to do is to keep talking over the top of the other bloke. It’s SO rude, I just want to jump through the screen (a chap my size going through the screen of an iPhone mini would be an huge the sight) and mash you to a paste. There’s never any need to be that rude to other people. You’re not Jack Nicholson (not that he would do such a thing), you’re that much of a minor celebrity that you’ve no place being rude to anyone old bean. Just so you know flower.

[@williamdunbar2449]

@@John-yf8qh gee, you ever think you might have, oh idk, anger issues. Its not that bad, and hell, its a conversation, cutting off happens, its a pretty normal part of conversing. Unless youre just like incredibly afraid of everyone and everything and afraid of interjecting when need be. Cause you realize you threatening to want to badly hurt someone, is ruder than cutting someone off, right ? You as an adult understand that I hope

[@Merennulli]

I couldn't not think of the Futurama quote, "When you do things right, no one knows if you've done anything at all."

[@hifijohn]

Godfellas episode.

[@theHardChargerVids]

How cool is it that Adam is friends with an organization that receives movie props that thinks…”Adam will love this”. What a relationship

[@tested]

We are very lucky, plus the Prop Store peeps are delightful.

[@johnhunt2390]

Plus some free exposure via Tested.

[@John-yf8qh]

What isn’t at all cool is how he keeps talking over the other chap. We m owhes excited, he does it a lot, there’s never any need to be so hideously rude. Aaaggghh!!

[@TheGreatAtario]

@@John-yf8qh You may not have noticed, but in real life people talk over one another all the time and no one gets insulted. It's conversation.

[@thepropstorechannel]

@@tested The feeling is mutual!

[@saintceee]

Really enjoyed Brendan asking Adam questions too! Really nice back and forth and history and technique snippets!

[@gordonfarrell2718]

I always learn something listening to them talk.. Brilliant

[@tested]

Really appreciate that, thanks. More to come!

[@filmdesigner800]

We used the left over BR etched brass at SVSI for a number of projects. There was a chunk of the original hades landscape in the storage container. I got so many cuts from that trying to get passed it to grab something. After they closed their doors they sold all their assets to Digital domain where the original art, photo transparencies and lots of left over brass remained until that shop closed. Not sure what happened to it all after that. I remember working at Boss film in 88/89 and I was the only other person besides Matt that came in at 5am. I remember getting to the shop and hearing polka music in the distance. I made my way up to Matts room where he worked and he was painting a matte while listening and dancing to polka music. Such a great experience being able to sit and watch him paint.

[@tested]

Wow. Wow!!!

[@filmdesigner800]

@@tested As I recall it was Leslie Ekker who did all the original artwork for the Hades etched brass.

[@askjacob]

@@tested [comments you can hear]

[@danzo5521]

Did your dog died ​@@askjacob

[@ryan_j_peck]

I love the direction this video went at the end with the discussion about Adams father's shop and the inspiration it had on Adam.

[@licensetodrive9930]

If anyone hasn't seen it yet, "On The Edge Of Blade Runner" is an excellent UK Channel 4 documentary which only aired once back in 2000, and is available on this site. It has some unique stills of the models they shot for the film, and interviews with the creators & actors, including Rutger Hauer talking about the famous "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears, in rain..." line he came up with.

[@toodlesX14]

I love the art of matte painting so much. It's so cool to look at them up close and see how expertly the artist decides where to have detail and where to deliberately *not* have detail, in a way that effectively mimics how our eyes see the world.

[@forgivemenot1]

I remember when I first heard about matte painting, it was from a Starlog magazine back in the eighties and one of the movies it mentioned was Blade Runner. I remember how amazed I was at the whole process including the colour shift that they had to account for, it also mentioned that for the glass they also had to paint it in reverse which put things on a whole other level. Such a shame this is now a lost art because looking back it’s sometimes better than the current CGI.

[@5055hunter]

Every time I see one of these videos, I want to go back and re-watch the film and look for those props or paintings!!

[@EverettGuess]

Blade Runner was the first HD BluRay I ever bought to watch on my first HD TV. It was interesting/funny to see things that were good enough for the screen back in the day stand out like crazy in HD. That's more true now with 4K, 8K, and beyond.

[@stevemuzak8526]

That spinner it truly the first spinner in the opening shot of Blade Runner. It's incredible!

[@benjaminwigley4132]

the spinner was cool... but that MATTE PAINTING, holy sheet. just gorgeous...

[@TheBonsaiZone]

I was so nervous with Adam waving his hands all around it!

[@adriangeorge1175]

Brandon is always great when he's on. I feel like he knows about techniques and things just from professional research, but he's always there with a good question to prompt Adam to explain a process.

[@Ravege98]

I just KZbin’d the scene of Decker hanging over the matte painting, amazing! They even had a car “driving” over it to give it life that really sells the scene.

[@awandererfromys1680]

The VFX in _Blade Runner_ are insane. And with the Vangelis score, it's mesmerizing.

[@michaelmoore7975]

Working through-line while shooting _Blade Runner._ "Crop it. Drop it. Flip it. Flop it. If that doesn't wok, add a lens flare." It's pretty funny that something like a lens flare makes a scene much more real and authentic, but in reality it is a completely artificial phenomena that occurs entirely _within the lens of the camera._

[@SungazerDNB]

​@@michaelmoore7975Well, we have been looking at camera images for two centuries now. Sure that explains it.

[@portland-182]

The Lobster Spinner is based on an older Syd Mead painting of an ambulance 'Emergency 20', done as one of a series of paintings promoting steel

[@HonkeyKong54]

Syd mead mead was such a legend but I'm so glad they never went with his concept for deckards blaster. Hated that design lol.

[@Brain_Juice]

I'm blown away by the mat painting, beautiful piece of work, brilliant historic sci-fi film, excellent scene from the film, what a gem!

[@tiphares2355]

it's so detailed.. they should have used that model for further shots / scenes - it looks very convincing to me, even close up. is there more information about it? i don't find anything about it on the net. no mentions about it even on blade runner fan sites..

[@PabloLaConecta]

I could listen to these two looking and talking about props for hours.

[@robertweeks4240]

I LOVE THE ETHOS of a gallery/studio of items meant to be touched and fully appreciated.

[@ryand.3858]

I love Blade Runner but I’m pretty sure that’s the captains chair from TNG to the left of the street painting. I watched every new episode with my father at night when it was on the air. One of my favorite TV shows growing up. ✌️

[@wendymontie5660]

It is! I looked at the propstore’s website. They don’t have a full preview though. Sigh.

[@ryand.3858]

@@wendymontie5660dang. Hopefully Adam covers it. It’s like a celebrity cameo haha.

[@Rob-z7k]

...Engage!

[@NotThatOneThisOne]

Marty McFly's guitar too

[@KuroSanArts]

As a big Blade Runner fan and about to get into model making and painting, I'll be watching this a few times over!

[@kh40yr]

Love that stuff when it comes back, to see it again. Thanks Adam. What alot of people forget about Bladerunner is that Deckard is "saved" by Rachel and Roy Batty.. Rachel shoots replicant Leon(ammo loader) from Slap killing Deckard. Roy Batty grabs Deckards hand right at the last second, before he falls into the Matte painting. Longing for some of those long-key weeping Vangelis tunes, as you slide thru Hades. There are Bladerunner youtube channels that run Vangelis music keys and bladerunner background city movement for 8 hrs straight. Blade Runner radio is one.

[@lefthandedpress]

These are always my favorite videos! I love a good deep dive into film, art, & sfx. Plus a mat painting to boot! They are honestly a piece of modern art. I love how messy and dirty it is out of frame out of necessity. Can't wait for more of these.

[@RADIOSUICIDIO]

I vent and check the "deckard hanging" shot to see how they composed the frame, AND THEY EVEN RAN A LITTLE CAR WITH LIGHTS IN THE STREET. Seriously, this movie is still peak visual fx

[@darkwinter7395]

Fun fact: that brass etching technique is similar to how printed circuit boards are made; except that what's being etched away is copper that is bonded to a fiberglass substrate.

[@simonrussell77]

Love this. The idea that you 'don't see' the stuff in the final presentation is analogous to in my profession of mixing music both live and in the studio, the listener doesn't 'hear' the mix if it's done right, but experiences the music as the musicians and the song.

[@MrHws5mp]

The gun on the spinner is a 1/76th or 1/72nd scale German 88mm flak gun turned on it's side.

[@colnago6501]

Ha! I was going to post the same thing. It'll be 1/76 for sure. Airfix.

[@MrHws5mp]

@@colnago6501 I thought probably Airfix, but other kit companies have made them too, so without measuring, it's hard to tell.

[@jmalmsten]

Lately I have been looking for matte painting videos on youtube. And it is a bit sad to see that while there are quite a few old videos of matte painting classics and artists. Whenever I see videos with matte paintings from after 2000, it's always ultradetailed photobashing. So detailed that the eye has no clue where to look. It really is a dying artform even in the photoshop arena. People just can't help doung too much "photoreal". And that matte painting from Bladerunner is such a breath of fresh air. So impressionistic but does its job perfectly in just suggesting the details.

[@vfxartds]

I've painted with Chris Evans and Frank Ordaz a couple of times and the term photo-impressionism tends to kick around describing the approach to mattes. The color shifts were always controlled by projecting slides onto the krylon base at every stage, relying on ref constantly to get through the work.

[@roccogioffre4788]

Nice comments and great observations. The foreground footage of Harrison Ford for the matte painting was not done as a blue screen shot. It was a white screen and used a more simple contrast difference matte element. I worked on this painting for the initial "block-in" and it was completed by Matthew Yuricich ( my mentor )

[@Thomas_Esson]

Thank you for your contributions to this, and so many other films. One of yours that I found particularly stunning was Apocalypto; such extensive visual effects in some scenes, yet never once drawing attention; totally seamless worldbuilding.

[@wildsmiley]

Tom Servo, right there, below and behind the matte painting!

[@LaidOffProd]

I haven't looked at the catalog yet but I think there is a Crow in the auction as well.

[@austingregory1443]

I hope we get a video if they have other mst3k props!

[@wendymontie5660]

I peeped him down there chilling with Harley Quinn. ❤️

[@HonkeyKong54]

I was thinking of purchasing some replicas. There are a few good ones out there

[@RobHill00]

That picture is incredible!🤯 even with the camera panning along it in the studio lighting it looks amazing!👌🏻

[@BillyMandalay]

Love your energy and enthusiasm. Infectious.

[@glyph2011]

13:38. Makes me feel old and nerdy. Having to have a matte painting explained. My instant reaction was “Duh” of course! But then..I grew up with physical filmmaking. I forget those days are almost gone, if not gone already 😢 can I also add I was picking my jaw off the floor with these pieces of my favourite movie. Pieces I thought had been lost to time. To see they still exist makes me so happy. 😊

[@michaelmoore7975]

Matte guys always have to paint what the camera sees, not what they see. I find that amazing.

[@bobbressi5414]

The astounding thing about 80s films and written fiction is how far advanced the creators imagined humanity to be. Vast city scapes and flying cars and androids. They were simultaneously overly optimistic and overly cynical about the future.

[@KnugLidi]

frankly, not nearly cynical enough.

[@TheChild888]

Love the Blade Runner matte painting of the end part of the film where Decker hung from the building. Looking closely also reminded me of Katsuhiro Otomo's AKIRA animation background with the concept of futurism and cyberpunk that '80s exude in film noir way...

[@HonkeyKong54]

Toshiharu Mizutani the art director for the akira film recently teamed up with a gallery and brought in amazing paintings he either kept or got a hold of that were used in iconic shots from the film and they made high quality solegraph prints of them. They're pricey but they're hand signed by him and the print quality is so good that you can literally see what looks to be tape marks that were holding down the page for production. I bought the iconic first shot of the film where you see an Ariel view of Tokyo and it was so worth it. Very expensive for a print but i doubt this will happen again and they don't look like prints imo it looks like the actual original piece. If you like akira you should check it out he brought in more paintings from the film also. Riekeles gallery...

[@dgymnast6473]

I love the blooper real merch plug!

[@jubjub64]

I love how excited Adam was! My was a little worried though that as he was talking that spittle was getting on the model. Maybe it was from some other source haha.

[@petergivenbless900]

I love that he mentioned that the matte painting was painted to interpositive colour values; truly, a lost art!

[@gomey70]

I saw BR as a kid when it came out in a near empty cinema and it blew my mind. Quite moving to see these things so many years later. That painting is just an amazing thing. I can almost hear the Vangelis music when I look at it.

[@ed_halley]

Brandon: "So some crazy collector could potentially have a collection of just this kind of brass stuff." Adam choking back tears, "well, yeah..."

[@fvckingtest]

That was the best part. Adam's somewhat reluctant, almost, "...as a matter fact" dry delivery of how he has a collection of etched brass was hilarious!

[@3DPFactory1]

I love this. Blade Runner is amongst some of my favourite stuff to make

[@michaelmoore7975]

Working through-line while shooting _Blade Runner._ "Crop it. Drop it. Flip it. Flop it. If that doesn't wok, add a lens flare." It's pretty funny that something like a lens flare makes a scene much more real and authentic, but in reality it is a completely artificial phenomena that occurs _within the lens._

[@PlinioNagata]

12:34 freddy kruger paying attention to the explanation...😂

[@grievesy83]

This video has my favourite Tested outro.

[@darenrobertson9199]

Prior to lasers, most of the brass that I've etched as an engraver was done with a photo-resist emulsion that we made in house, but we always etched the metals via electricity as opposed to etching with acids. Much easier to dispose of brine than acid.

[@michaelmoore7975]

Hands down the best pure science fiction movie ever made.

[@alanne1212]

i love it. He remembers every movie artifact in history, but cannot recall his merch store website name. Thank you for all the great content.

[@valentine_puppy]

I sincerely hope Adam takes copious amounts of high resolution pictures and 8K video of these things. The reason is, once they are sold off, he won't get the chance to see them again. If he has any desire to model them in the future, he better have uber detailed images or video to go from. Measurements etc.

[@Thomas_Esson]

You never know. Certainly good advice to document while the opportunity is present, as some pieces will enter (or re-enter) a black hole - for a time, anyway. But collectors frequently loan to museums, they may one day donate, a museum itself may bid, or items could easily return to market within a few years.

[@HonkeyKong54]

That model is gonna sell for lots of cash

[@HonkeyKong54]

I could see rich ppl getting into a bidding war, and it selling for way more than they estimated. It's in such good condition and it's blade runner lol. That matte painting is also amazing.

[@matthewring8301]

The stories are cool. What I like to do in these videos is watch the background for all the random things they have sitting on shelves.

[@billbucktube]

So fabulous! 👍👍‼️

[@stevemuzak8526]

Blade Runner is the greatest cyberpunk sci-fi movie ever made.

[@Fuzzycat16]

The painting is really beautiful. I wish i could own such a piece.

[@Thomas_Esson]

Just keep in mind stuff in these vids is top-of-the-line, whereas far cheaper (yet still notable) pieces can be had with sufficient patience, flexibility, and research. I recently picked up several prominent screen/photo-matched props at opening bids of 50. Not to say the high-end isn't wish-worthy, but if you'd like to collect, there's more low-end opportunity than many realize.

[@mskulls83]

as a guy who studied film became a set builder and now works as a furniture maker. It is sad to see what film has become, we can be so proud and privileged to have been part of an era of truly creative story tellers and passionate filmmakers!

[@davidf2281]

It's not often I wish I was wealthy but that matte painting, holy heck. What a thing.

[@zachmoyer1849]

it would be cool if The Prop store took reference style photos with accurate scaling so you could print it out and have a reprint for yourself.

[@PhilG999]

Interesting you talk about the differences between "retouching photos" by hand and now digitally! My Father was a photographer as a hobby. As am I (shot my 1000 rolls). One of his pictures that I still have, framed, hanging in my house is a shot that was originally a B&W picture that he "colorized". It is of Bata Bano Cuba done before the embargo. He and his best friend would travel to Cuba almost yearly, long before he met my Mother. It is mostly in pastels of roof tiles and buildings, and you can't tell it wasn't originally a color photo! To think he did it all with Q-tips and tiny brushes is mind blowing!

[@hallmadehobbies1159]

My mum was asked to be an animator at Diseny in or around 1966, she turned it down as she discovered she was pregnant with my older brother and my mum and dad decided to stay in the UK and raise a family here instead of moving to the US. The chaps at Diseny sent my mum 12 cells from Sleeping beauty as a thank you... including 2 of the queen as the dragon... in 1982 my parents had to sell them to keep my brother and I alive basically, they were sold for for about £1000 each, which at the time saved us our house and kept us fed, it was amazing.... They are of course worth 10x that each now, but they kept my family safe when we needed and I will be forever thankful to the people at Diseny in 1966 for that.

[@canestrini808]

A show and tell with all the etched brass from your cave would be so nice!

[@gordonfarrell2718]

Wow... what a find...

[@UncleManuel]

Adam is definitely the right guy to nerd out about movie props - because he worked in the industry for numerous years. 😎🤟

[@Felice_Enellen]

It's so fun looking at it up close. I see a model kit sprue, I see small car radiators, I think I see a tank hatch, and I think I see tank tread wheels on the back. Kit-bashing is such a cool concept. 🙂

[@petermot645]

Once again, Adam finds Xmas morning gifts to appreciate. Great video.

[@jasondiasauthorpage615]

Man. Now I want to watch Bladerunner again.

[@rdcartoon1022]

That was so cool and fascinating. Thank you!

[@JPadArt]

What a fantastic opportunity to get up close and personal with an original prop from the greatest scfi film in history.

[@tested]

Adam feels VERY lucky.

[@nateriley8765]

It would be amazing to see Adam on mythical Kitchen's Last Meals. Adam being able to talk to Josh and being able to talk about everything and anything would be amazing to watch.

[@corrinastanley125]

Really cool pieces, cant wait for the next episode.

[@SAVERIOCASADONTE]

I don’t know why, but I get very nostalgic as the aged surfaces of this thing are shown up by the camera movement..it seems a lot of time has passed by and the model itself and me have grown so old..1982..what’s beautiful age it was

[@PrimeMKTO]

These are some of my favorite Tested videos. The stories are incredible. If only we could hear the entire 40 year history of the Lobster spinner. Who owned it? How did they get it? Where has it been for the last 40 years? So many questions. How many more long lost props are out there? Thanks to the Prop Store and Tested for the stories.

[@jontnoneya3404]

Adam is giving me anxiety with how close he's getting to the piece. At one point he waves his hand over it quickly and it looks like he's just barely an inch above it. I would much prefer it if he would back off of it and just admire it without wanting to touch it.

[@zachmoyer1849]

i have no idea what some of this stuff is but adam can make me jazzed up enough to be exited about anything

[@ChristopherHillman]

Etched Brass is a big thing in super-small-details in model-railroads ... AND for making your own circuit-boards(!) ...Radio Shack sold a kit with the Solid circit-board and the Acid :)

[@SaturnCanuck]

That was amazing and it’s so great that these important pieces of history remain. One thing however. Douglas Trumball did not use blue screen matts. He preferred high contrast black and white mats to stop blue spill. I think Adam knows this but he was so excited to see the painting. This information comes from Cinefex #9

[@robertwinsper7409]

As a child I was spellbound by the works of Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds etc.) and loved the model making, Derek Meddings et al. This led me to a deep appreciation of the art of film making and Blade Runner is still one of my favourite movies with its blend of Sci Fi. , Film noir and Bogart detective themes. I appreciate that there is probably great skill in producing a modern CGI film. However my disappointment with modern era movies started when I learned that the scene in Terminator 2 where the Harley gets jumped into a storm drain was painted up with early CGI and wasn't an actual stunt. I love the idea of "Craft" in a movie. Once the craft gives way to computing, what you have is effectively a "better cartoon". Matt painting and model making may well be up there with being "The Best Buggy Whip Maker" and fall to the steam roller of progress but it won't stop me missing them.

[@NickLMears]

Please do an extreme amount of prop store videos.

[@tested]

More coming!

[@Fencer]

It's only a matter of time before Adam damages one of these items waving his hands and arms all around and near them. It has probably already occurred.

[@tested]

It’s never occurred, no. Ever.

[@thomashenden71]

😮😅😂

[@DanTheRazorRamone]

that’s awesome I love it. thank you for sharing

[@robertburgess6100]

Very cool. One of my favorite movies.

[@clivemacken552]

It’s a shame this is now a lost art for movies now so brilliant artwork that actually brings the movie to life

[@critter42]

Talking about all the Blade Runner stuff but I'm eyeballing the Enterprise D Captain's chair in the background... TNG Or Picard?

[@BenGoldNYC]

I would love to hear Adam talk more about his Dad!

[@nathkrupa3463]

Great video sir

[@seannalexander]

gosh that's beautiful

[@bryondevine4224]

Adam has the best job ever 🤗

[@walt_man]

You're so cool Mr.Savage. This iteration of me is a Power Engineer, but my heart is always in model making and crafting. "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life." Or something like that. :)

[@capitalv8062]

I love how Adam knows more about these things than the actual auction house.

[@warlockcommandcenter]

I went to a sale where they had a on board oil painting of Kirk Douglas in a WW 2 Generals uniform, I had seen this painting in a movie I would swear it was “cast a giant shadow” But some where it was cut out.

[@benred9833]

Deker hanging from building with the matt painting in shot at 0'27'': kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKCkq6OXZt1qoLc Same shot in Adam's discussion at 12'36'': kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5_Ven9qqqyehq8 Duplicate your browser tab and show side by side, everything lines up. So cool.

[@kevinhaynes9091]

Fantastic episode...

[@pihermoso11]

Syd Mead was the consultant for the architecture and cars in Blade Runner, he is a legend in the realm of futurism

[@paullambert4445]

Thanks! Blade Runner is one of my favorites. 🎸🔪

[@j.r.millstone]

Yo that's Tom Servo in the background!

[@jonlb2532]

You can see the corresponding flying prop of Gaff's spinner (with model Harrison Ford and Edward James Olmos in the seats) at the French Museum of Film ( LA CINÉMATHÈQUE FRANÇAISE) in Paris. If I could I'd attach photos of it I would. The detail is incredible.

[@MatthewBrown-bf5lz]

How can they ignore Captain Picard's chair behind them!? Or Wolverines jacket!?

[@c1ph3rpunk]

Bring back matte paintings please Hollywood, I’d pay extra for movies made using old school techniques.

[@UberSprite]

@Adam Savage's Tested [] How does your KZbin channel not have a playlist for Blade Runner videos?

[@CarboniteDreamer]

That is so freaking cool! i wish i could afford the pieces but i can't however i can hope they go to a home that will care for them.

[@Thomas_Esson]

Just keep in mind stuff in these vids is top-of-the-line, whereas far cheaper (yet still notable) pieces can be had with sufficient patience, flexibility, and research. I recently picked up several prominent screen/photo-matched props at opening bids of 50. Not to say the high-end isn't wish-worthy, but if you'd like to collect, there's more low-end opportunity than many realize.

[@sarahdisco-dolly1150]

Stunning

[@weezercollector]

A Tom Servo from MST3K in the display cabinet behind the Blade Runner matte painting. 😱😁