Serenity RPG 101 » Development

Serenity BDR SFX Edition, Now SFX Signature Edition!

Serenity RPG 101 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:04:11 +0000

You’ve all been waiting patiently for the final price of the Serenity replica, so without further ado, here it is: The suggested retail for Serenity - The Big Damn Replica is $2,495.

Remember, each replica takes 46 hours to build and is made to order by professional model makers entirely in the U.S.A. It consists of more than 250 resin, aluminum, brass, ceramic and acrylic parts, 30 shades of paint and 32 lighting effects. The Big Damn Replica comes in an edition of just 1,000 ships and includes a wireless remote, stand and base with an individually numbered builder’s plaque signed by Captain Tight Pants himself…

Didn’t we mention that before? No? Well, it does. Nathan Fillion has agreed to sign the builder’s plaque for each and every Serenity in this edition. And we couldn’t be more thrilled!

But that’s not the only “surprise” bonus – each replica will also come bundled with a Jason Palmer original art print, a portrait of the Serenity replica herself. Jason, the premier portrait artist working in fandom today, was so impressed by our girl, he offered to paint a picture of her just for the folks who invest in The Big Damn Replica. And, heck, we just couldn’t say “no”, could we?

Preordering will open October 30, 2009 at 12 p.m. PST. You can purchase your Big Damn Replica with a credit card, PayPal or using our new online layaway system, which will debut with Serenity.

Inara’s Shuttle – Paint Test 1

Serenity RPG 101 — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:09:51 +0000

In what may be the only example of a secret we actually managed not to blab in advance, folks who made it to Creation were treated to a little surprise – only 18 inches long, in fact. At the very end of the “Building Serenity” session, to a standing-room-only crowd, we unveiled the very first casting of Serenity. Amid gasps from the audience, the legendary Whitefall himself carried a fully-assembled, unpainted Serenity on stage. Then, just so he could share in the moment, we called Wolvster (Serenity’s brilliant sculptor) and asked the crowd if they had anything they wanted to say to him. The resulting tumult just about brought the Burbank Marriott down around our ears. Over the course of the next week we will be sharing with you what those folks were cheering for: The finished Serenity sculpt. But before we start what will be a multi-part photo essay, I wanted to share with you another, smaller milestone: The first paint test of Inara’s shuttle, done by The FX Company. Below are the photos of that first unit. Just keep in mind this is only a paint test; it’s not the final master. I know the folks at FX already have plans for how to make it even shinier. Looking these photos, though, that’s kind of hard to imagine: One last thing: While we still have a lot more work to do on Serenity, what would you think if we made up a couple hundred of Inara’s shuttles to, say tied you over until the main event? They would, of course, all be done by The FX Co., would be numbered limited editions and probably come in nice little acrylic display case – perfect for your personal work space. But, before we start on that, we wanted to know whether that’s something you’d be interested in?

More Rivets

Serenity RPG 101 — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:04:47 +0000

Wow, with all the buzz and great feedback we’re getting on the Map of the Verse (which is now on the QMx site and will be available for purchase this weekend – pass it on), I almost forgot we’ve got another cool product we should talking about – Seren-something. No, give me a minute. It’ll come back to me… Okay, all kidding aside, we have mucho updates coming on the Serenity replica. With pre-show prep in full swing, I don’t have time to post a lot right now. But couldn’t help but want to slip this one in: Rivets. Lots of Rivets. Lots and lots of Rivets. Oh, and look at all those hand-carved armor plates – shiny! By the way, this is a casting, not a master. Pretty sweet, eh? Before I forget, just curious how many of you Core-Techs are going to make it to the Creation show in Burbank? If you can possibly be there, be there. Not sayin’ anything else. Just – be there.

“I Got Rivets on my Fingers!”

Serenity RPG 101 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:43:39 +0000

So, noticed that it’s been a while since we posted any new pictures of Serenity. I’ve got a couple updates (including this one) coming, but to be honest, we’re in the “Devil in the Details” phase of the project where updates will be more sporadic as Wolvster is getting everything just right. Just right means, for example, recreating the hundreds of rivets on Serenity’s hull… by hand… one at a time. Below are two shots: one of the canopy master as the rivets are being attached. Below that is a nice big shot of all the rivets in place (50 to be exact). Be sure to click on that image, it’s the biggest one we’ve posted to date. Couple things to note as you admire the awesome that is Wolvster’s work: This piece is all of 3.75 inches long and it’s not done yet. There’s still more detailing to come. The other thing to keep in mind is this is just one piece. As Wolvster continues the part consolidation process, he’s adding all the final bits. Thousands of details. Like these rivets. Like the several hundred vinyl and styrene “armor plates” that each must be cut to size and placed by hand, but more on that in our next update. There’s not a single bit of Serenity that’s exactly like any other bit, and so each must be sculpted separately and by hand with ridiculous precision, or it won’t all fit together in the end.

The Shuttle Has Landed

Serenity RPG 101 — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:22:18 +0000

It’s crazy time at QMx. Last week’s launch of the Kaylee maquette was our single most-successful product launch ever. Seriously, over three-quarters of the entire edition evaporated in the first 72 hours. Meanwhile, we’re ramping up for what’s looking to be our biggest live event since we started going to cons – Creation Entertainment’s Serenity show in Burbank, Calif., November 22-23. We’ve got at least two (and possibly up to four) new product intros at the show along with several prop sessions and celebrity appearances – including Jane Espenson who will be signing copies of her Finding Serenity and Serenity Found books at our booth along with doing a session on writing Battlestar Galactica. Fact is, we’ve got so much in the works for that show, it probably warrants it’s own post (note to self: write post on Creation show). With so much happening right now, it’s easy for stuff to get lost in shuffle. Or perhaps I should say shuttle? Because we hit a major milestone in the Serenity replica project in the last week, and one that I think is well worth noting: The sculpt of the Serenity Shuttle is finished! Wolvster declared them done last week and sent a box full of master casts down to The FX Company who are developing the paint masters even as we speak. If everything goes well, we should have photos of the first mastered units for you within a month. In fact, there’s a distinct possibility you’ll be able to see one of these lovelies fully pimped out at Creation. Just in case meeting Jane, seeing a bunch of as yet undisclosed new products and hearing Marian Call live isn’t enough to get you to beautiful downtown Burbank. Here’s some pics of the shuttle master cast. Ain’t she purdy? Wolvster has done a great job of consolidating the shuttle down to just three parts. And before you ask, the wings will not move in the final build – too easy to break resin this small and thin. Underside of the shuttle – note both the intake and landing jets. The, um. money shot. (Okay, I know, there’s a special place in Hell for people who make bad puns, too.) Our shuttles don’t land on a dime, but they do stare down quarters pretty good (yes, I know, special Hell.)

Master Caster: The Cargo Bay Assembly

Serenity RPG 101 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:25:46 +0000

Wolvster (the sculptor) thought you Core-Techs might like to get a closer look at the mastering process. So he sent me a bunch of pictures showing how he cast the cargo bay and support struts – the two wall-like sections that come down on either side of the cargo bay and the bay itself. A couple things to note before we dig into the pictures (if you’re already familiar with the model mastering process, feel free to jump down to the pics): What you’ve been seeing of Serenity up until now has been a mix of master pattern and test castings. A master pattern component is the shape from which a mold is created and a casting is the part that comes from that mold. When Serenity is done, each kit will be pulled from a mold taken off the original master. That means the kits we’ll be using to make the Artisan-edition Serenity replica will be only one generation removed from the master. A 1G kit is as close to the master sculpt as you can get with any replica and are generally indistinguishable from the original sculpt (as you can see in the images below). For all practical purposes, a 1G kit is the best quality and most-accurate. Many replicas tout being pulled from a screen-used prop or model. This sounds good in theory, but by definition a mold that’s created from a screen-used prop is at least second generation, and that’s assuming the reference prop wasn’t itself pulled from another casting or that, when mass produced, the molds weren’t pulled from other casts. Sometimes this is unavoidable because the original master of a screen-used prop was used up or destroyed or simply lost (this is the case more often than you might think). That’s part of why we sometimes refer to our Artisan replicas as “film quality”, because, just like most screen-used models, your replica comes directly from a master mold. Hope that explanation wasn’t too long-winded. On with the pics: When you master a part from CG files you start with a rendering of that part. Here you can see the two support struts that go on either side of the cargo bay; the cargo bay was removed in the rendering so you can see both the inside and outside of the strut. And here’s the cargo bay itself. Notice the notches in the side? That’s where the struts will attach. The piece above is the master pattern for the cargo bay. Remember this when we get to the casting of the cargo bay below. Back to the struts. Above is the master pattern (left) and casting (right) of the struts, showing the outside surface. Here is the inside surface of the struts. Again, the master is on the left and casting on the right. And here’s the mold that was pulled from the master. A close-up of one of the cargo bay strut castings. Back to the cargo bay itself : Here you can see the inside of the cargo bay master pattern. This does a pretty good job of showing exactly how the struts and bay interconnect. Finally, a casting of the cargo bay. Go check out the master pattern earlier in this article. Spot on, eh?

Engines

Serenity RPG 101 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:51:22 +0000

As people who know me will no doubt confirm, I am seldom at a loss for words. But this morning, I got another package of images from our sculptor and the sound of my jaw hitting the floor could be heard two counties away. Seriously, it sounded like a gunshot. I have always been in awe of the work of Serenity’s sculptor, but in this case he has truly outdone himself. Seriously, as shiny as everything about this design has been, it’s the images of the final engine design that’s making me positively giddy. I really am at a loss for words here, so I’m just going to give you guys the gallery and stand aside as the river of drool rolls by. Just two notes – First, I understand a couple of folks didn’t realize exactly how these galleries work, and because I don’t want you to miss a single detail, let me explain: Clicking on A thumbnail below will bring up a medium-sized version of the image, along with other thumbnails below you can click through. However, if you click on the image a second time, it will bring up the full-resolution image on a new page – about 800 pixels wide (too big to display in the website template). Second item is, after many months of servitude to the Serenity cause, our sculptor has come up for air and may be dropping by the FFSW. He may even reply to your comments. No guarantees, mind you, but if you have a specific question or two for him, post them here.

Gravity Rotor – All Together Now

Serenity RPG 101 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:18:52 +0000

Hey there Core-Techs. Things have been a little too quiet here for the last few days (entirely my fault), so I thought it’s well past the point when I should get something new up here for you fine folks. I’m assuming after the last two weeks this bit needs no introduction, but just in case, here it is: the fully-assembled gravity rotor and skid structure. This bit is so utterly shiny, I won’t sully it with a whole lot of comments. Just, maybe, “wow”. Or, “oh my!” On another note, please don’t interpret my silence as a lack of activity. Quite the opposite – things get quiet when things get busy around here. And let’s just say things have been really, really quiet lately (was that enigmatic enough?) Anyway, enjoy the finished sculpt. I know I did.

The Gravity Rotor

Serenity RPG 101 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:53:47 +0000

In creating Serenity’s look, Joss gave the production team one simple direction: Make It Real. As the ship was developed, each rev got more roughed-up, grungier and looked more and more like it was cobbled together from spare parts. “Too slick,” was The Boss’ feedback. “Make it look more real.” The result is a ship design that could be described as the anti-Federation starship: Held together with equal measures of love and duct tape, Serenity makes me think of the space-faring equivalent of a 20-year-old Volvo wagon. Rusty and rough around the edges, she still gets the job done. I say all this because today’s update is focused on the one part of Serenity that violates Joss’ “Make It Real” rule: The Gravity Rotor. Even her designers admit that the grav rotor is there because it has to be, but unlike the rest of the ship, has no basis in current tech or even physics (one of the most impressive things about Serenity is how much of it could be built with today’s technical know-how). It’s Serenity’s Heisenberg Compensator – a MacGuffin that exists so that things the producers needed to be true – like artificial gravity or a ship that can hover menacingly outside a bar – have an excuse to be true. The grav rotor is also the next component in the rotor and skid assembly, and a darned tricky bit of sculpting: The Inside Track: This is the upper half of the rotor frame. Notice the detailing along the edges – yet more greeblies that will be almost impossible to see in the finished replica. The upper half of the grav rotor frame. In this shot you can see more of the front detailing. The frame and rotor, about to be assembled. And here it is – the two primary sections fitted together.

The Landing Skids

Serenity RPG 101 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:23:26 +0000

For the next few weeks we’ll be focusing on the grav rotor and landing skid assembly. In a project that has been full of challenges, the rotor/skid assembly has proven to be the most challenging yet: The design is essentially that of an exposed generator flywheel with elongated sled blades coming out the back that connects to the main fuselage at only one point – the base of the reactor. Easy enough to create in a CG effect (okay, maybe not easy, but certainly doable). Just try and physically sculpt it so it’s stable and secure, yet still screen-accurate and elegant. For the first installment of our tale of the tail (sorry, couldn’t resist), let’s start with the skids. You got a glimpse at these past week; this week, we’re going show you the full monty. To design the skid framework you start off with, well, the skids (duh). This isn’t as simple as it sounds as the skids themselves have a lot of curves and hidden surfaces with lots of little details. Pictured above are the skids with the outside surfaces facing up. What you can’t see (in this picture, at least) is that the top of the skids integrates into the bottom of the gravity rotor housing. It’s a tricky and unforgiving bit of design work to get those components to connect in a smooth and seamless fashion. The two images above show some of those little details I mentioned earlier. Another thing you can begin to see on these photos is the skids are far from flat surfaces. There’s lots of nooks, crannies and bonus curves all over these “simple” struts. Connecting the skids on the bottom of the assembly – directly under the reactor – are three latticed crossbars. These plug into the skids on the inside, making for a structurally strong base for the works. Here you can see the crossbars plugging into the starboard side skid. In this picture you can see that every possible inch of the skid is curved in some manner or other. There isn’t a straight line on this beast! And here it is, all together. The sculptor has taken a nightmare component and made it both beautiful and rock-solid. You can also see hints of where the gravity ring plugs into this part of the assembly. Next Week: The Gravity Rotor.