I have on my gear what I want its basic and that's the way I like it, mostly because I want my load to be as light as it can be and I cant be bothered to carry around everything so for me its BDU's, (polish as that's all I could get at the time) Armour, Pulse rifle and a leg holster, my Armour graffiti is an original design from the man above and it looks amazing

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SSgt Kris "Bloodsucker" Kobus, VAS.
A09/TQ2.0.12136E1

"Personally..." I try for as close to what was seen in the film as money and personal expertise (or lack thereof)
can get me.

I'm completely torn though on the replication of an actual character's armor. My paint scheme is a reasonably
close copy of Terry English's Hicks, but I'm still not sure is I should finish it off with the full "Hicks effect"
graffiti and mods... or just put my name on it and call it even. The main point of contention for myself is the
bloody padlock on the chest. That thing just screams "shoot me here," and I'm not a big fan of that.

Decisions, decisions.

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"A writer needs a pen, a painter a brush, and a filmmaker an army." - Orson Wells.

http://www.rookscastle.com
http://www.alchemyarms.com

As mentioned on the other thread - Given that a massive loud Dropship, followed by an APC, followed by the clomping of a herd of elephants, usually being shouted at by some Sergeant yelling stuff like, "LET'S GO, MOVE IT OUT, HEAD 'EM UP, LET'S MOVE" is what usually preceeds that actual arrival of a squad, topped off by every one of them having this massive spotlight on their shoulder - I really don't think avoiding enemy attention is part of the USCM standard operating procedure!!

True, but in the LV426 situation, that was a "rescue mission" and not a "combat mission."
I'd imagine noise policy would be slightly different if the USCM were sent in to suppress a rebellion
or some similar action.

Of course, when the first shot is fired all stealth goes right out the window.

Or in Rex's case when his boots hit the ground.

_________________
"A writer needs a pen, a painter a brush, and a filmmaker an army." - Orson Wells.

http://www.rookscastle.com
http://www.alchemyarms.com

Look at it this way:

Are you doing this to please yourself?
Or are you doing it to obtain the approval of others?

I'm pleasing myself, so the level of Screen Accuracy is to a level that satisfies me....Someone walks up to me and states "Dude- they didn't have that pouch in the film" etc, my response has been "Yep. But it's my gear, I like it and it works for me"

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2nd Lt Jon "Jaylo" Lopez
A11/TQ1.0.72144E1
USCM Quality Assurance Division- Aerospace and Space Products- Earth
"Checklists Save Lives- No Service Stations at 30,000ft"

It is all down to personal preference.

And the ethos of the UKCM of 'anything goes' is both a blessing and a curse.

I am a bit of an accuracy nut, but a stylised accuracy nut.
As someone mentioned earlier, the screen used stuff was not built to last and had certain elements that were merely visual and not functional (such as the foam filled pouches). Plus they were made for fast action shots and not for close scrutiny.
So when I make something, I try to go for something that has the look, but is both functional and can stand up to close scrutiny.

How the minds eye sees it from the film.
Stormtroopers in the film were built like a bag of spanners, but you remember them being gleaming white perfect warriors.

Then couple this with doing it within an acceptable budget....

So a massive tall order. But possible if you take your time and put in some effort.


The biggest problem I find is the filming filters. The age old OD/Brown Bess argument.
Do you go with how it appeared on screen, or do you go with how it was in the flesh?

Personally, I like to go with what you see on screen, as this is how you remember them.

I love the trivia of exactly what it was like for production, it's all part of the fun.


But at the end of the day, I like what I like and do it to how I feel happy with it. Others will do the same but to a higher or lesser spec.
That's their choice and they should not be derided for it.

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You don't have to be pitilessly sadistic to work here.... But it helps.
http://www.chefs-creations.co.uk/shop/index.php/colonial-marine

http://www.kgbairsoft.com/wordpress

I believe that different people can enjoy this hobby in different ways, thats what makes it so fun and accesable to many.

For me the enjoyment is making props as close to screen used as possible. The biggest compliment for me would be "is that a screen used......?". I love scouring ebay at all hours of the night looking for the real accurate parts and then being able to offer casts to everyone who wants a copy.
But I also like to know my items are as well built and sturdy as possible which is why im happy to use casts of real items on my gear riveted/bolted together. Like Spat said as long as what you see on the outside is as close to accurte as possible the inside can be a little different and sturdier than the SU stuff.

Even though i dont do the convention thing i like to know that if i did wear it for hours on end nothing would come loose or break etc.

Of course all this "stitch counting" can be a real headache so seeing the EU gear of others is a real breathe of fresh air. I can really appreciate folks doing their own thing

fair play for opening this topic up and the fact we're on page two and its still civil is nice

For me its all about perception, not just for myself but for others who see me. I like to think when I walk out in front of the public people recognise me because (to the best of my ability) I've walked off the film set. The minute the costume is filtered away with other various bits of kit you lose that, and become just another cosplayer at a convention. The CM costume is quite distinctive but only to a very very small group of people. On the flip side, the public expect people to look like they've walked off the set. A star wars character wearing a cardboard helmet and armour will only ruin that illusion.

Everyone has their own reasons for doing this and I wouldn't decry anyone for doing things differently, its your hobby, enjoy it with the knowledge/ budget etc you have

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Cpl Ade Philpott
A08/TQ1.0.62145E1
UKCM XO 501st Regt. 1st Batt. The Bucketheads

"Game over man!"

And fortunately for the Colonial Marine costume, the whole rag tag, beaten up nature of what was seen on screen really helps those people to have some individuality.
Couple this with the dark, fast paced nature of the film, it really does help hide the detail unless put under close scrutiny.

So people can get away with different elements on their costume and it still look incredibly convincing. In fact, the more rag tag and individual, the better the whole thing looks.

Unlike Stormies, who were all shiny white, very uniform and incredibly distinctive.

_________________
You don't have to be pitilessly sadistic to work here.... But it helps.
http://www.chefs-creations.co.uk/shop/index.php/colonial-marine

http://www.kgbairsoft.com/wordpress

I'll try not to repeat the many excellent points already brought up, but to me creating any costume is no different than creating any work of art; it will always be a work-in-progress and in this case the desire for having screen-accuracy is a personal thing of how far an individual wants and how comfortable he or she will be in venturing into getting the details right at the expense of time, cost, skill, and effort. Let's be honest, if you're a convention-goer the average con-attendee isn't going to be able to call you out on not having the correct "Hicks" lighter or not having the right shade of green on your rifle, and they'll never gawk at the little obscure piece that cost triple digits to replicate so the effort often feels wasted (maybe). But we being a little more passionate about it have come together like this so we can give (hopefully) more constructive feedback, praise, and appreciation on our efforts.

I'll be one among many to say my costume doesn't follow many SA protocols: Currently my uniform is Ukranian, my armor color scheme is slightly Deathworld (Warhammer 40,000), and my pulse rifle was converted to a DMR using a real 4x20 scope and a faux suppressor and it's all airsoft-rated. I intend to create an IMP for it sometime down the road. I think the only SA-elements right now are my shoulder lamp, grenade harness, pistol belt, and my boots. I've made decisions for both personal and financial reasons and am very happy with the results so far.

I think the trick with any and all EU material has always been being creative or deviant enough that it still fits the context of the universe it is trying to emulate. You try to pick out certain recognizable elements like the pulse rifle, the armor, or the camo and hope the common fan and/or community still recognizes you. There's no reason why anyone couldn't make an EU CM that was stationed on worlds with predominant arctic conditions, or desert conditions, or urban elements. Certainly enough fan-made material and the infamous Technical Manual has illustrated this.

I honestly don't think there is a right or wrong on the issue as long as it doesn't interfere with the core of why we pursue hobbies in the first place: for the fun of it.

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"I'm just an old city cowboy trying not to fall out of his saddle."