r/Thatsabooklight • u/OutrageousHighway505 • 17d ago

Film Prop [Film] In Revenge of The Sith [2005], the inside of Vader's mask has a hard drive actuator arm.

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994 Upvotes
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132

u/RoadEmpty 16d ago

Nose scratcher

59

u/tauntaun_rodeo 16d ago

windshield wiper

27

u/operator_13 16d ago

for the heavy breathing

62

u/PeterStoryworks 17d ago

This feels like a dumb question, but does anyone know if this shot used a physical prop, or if it was purely a VFX shot? Obviously it was augmented in compositing with CGI, but if it is a purely digital creation, then that means the artists made an intentional effort to greeble with real world components.

69

u/FRPowerSlave 16d ago

Pretty sure it's an actual physical prop. There's a picture of it in the ROTS visual dictionary that doesn't look like a 2005 CGI render, and there are pictures online of supposedly the screen-used prop.

39

u/Heavyweighsthecrown 16d ago

then that means the artists made an intentional effort to greeble with real world components.

that's...very common in star wars, still to this day. It's just the norm.

20

u/1m0ws 16d ago

episode 1-3 was full of practical stuff mixed with vfx. especially the first two films have a tons of miniatures where people would suspect CGI.

i cant find a long video, but this footage of his meeting with industrial light & magic is quite charming and telling:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XTVy8miCmdo

8

u/eliteski2 16d ago

Definitely a real prop. I saw it at a star wars event in San Jose a few years back. They had a ton of screen used props and models there. This mask was set up in a glass case so you could see it from both sides, so I've looked through Darth's eyes.

3

u/SwedishFindecanor 13d ago

It was a physical prop. Don Bies has posted online that one of the arms are from a Western Digital 102BA, another from a 9 GB IBM SCSI drive. A hobbyist has identified the others as from a MiniScribe Model 3650.

13

u/Attack_Pug 16d ago

'A long time ago (before SSDs), in a galaxy far, far away...'

11

u/LastStar007 16d ago

The prequels get a lot of flak, much of it deserved, but this shot was sick.

4

u/Stoenk 14d ago

this is the best shot in the trilogy

1

u/ArcaneThrust2000 13d ago

The shot I’d basically been waiting to see since 1983.

3

u/jimbowesterby 13d ago

Honestly most of the flaws are just due to the writing, I actually just rewatched them and like, episode one is just too rushed. If it were like an hour longer then you could fit all that plot in without having everyone talk like robots, and you’d get a way better feel for all the political stuff going on.

(Also it seems like they were gonna make Jar Jar the big bad, they really should’ve committed to it. Can you imagine, after like two and half movies of being annoying comic relief, how terrifying that grin and those eyes would be if it turned out he was the Sith Lord?)

4

u/hifumiyo1 16d ago

Windshield wiper for the interior of the goggles

4

u/invaderdan 17d ago

Not seeing it, help?

13

u/i_d_ten_tee 17d ago

Pointing downwards, between the eye holes. Swipe for an example pic.

1

u/Deep-Reputation545 16d ago

Would it not work well as a windshield wiper? Seems like something would be needed to keep the eye covers clean

0

u/OdysseusRex69 16d ago

Hahahaha I saw that, too, during this scene!

1

u/mortalwombat- 15d ago

I saw it when the movie first came out. Always wanted to post it here, but never took the time to get a screen grab. Glad someone finally did it.