Hello folks,
OK so in spending various hours researching the Motion Tracker for my Prop build I have noticed a couple of things, and these especially have not come up in searches I made on this forum for them, so I wanted to ask the opinion of the experts here.

Firstly, Do I spot a Green LED in the handle of the tracker, at the bottom here? Its not something I have seen mentioned on any other prop builds and not visible on versions such as the Master Replicas version etc, but I am looking at the screenshots of Hudson's tracker in the Hadley's Hope hallway during the initial sweep and I'm sure that there is a green LED in the handle. See here:
https://i0.wp.com/caps.pictures/198/6-aliens/full/aliens-movie-screencaps.com-5680.jpg?strip=all

And again here;
https://i1.wp.com/caps.pictures/198/6-aliens/full/aliens-movie-screencaps.com-5651.jpg?strip=all

You can see the tracker has not been lit by the production crew in order to ensure the tracker screen is fully clear with no glare, but this clear light is visible on the handle.

What do you think?

Secondly, am I right that Hudson's tracker in this same scene does not have the calculator keypad on the top of the Transformer?
https://i1.wp.com/caps.pictures/198/6-aliens/full/aliens-movie-screencaps.com-5660.jpg?strip=all

Thanks in advance.

Nick

Hey Nick,
The light might be reflecting off the sling clip in those shots, I would have to review the scene to be sure.

Good catch on the missing keypad though! Hudson's gear takes a beating throughout filming, in the APC before the drop he has. Broken buckles etc. on his armour. Somehow we don't really notice it!

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Hi there, I thought that was what it was first, but when watching it, and reviewing the screenshots it stays consistent, and I think you can see the buckle below it.

Nick

Just had a look at my 1080p rip - One shot looks like light reflecting off the sling swivel but the other shot is unexplainable as it definitely looks like a light, it doesn't alter as the tracker is panned around. It's in such an odd spot though. That tracker was on display at the Prop Store a few years back and I can't see anything in that spot.

https://youtu.be/imGWFzEEjuI

As for the keypad, it looks like its still there to me in the film BUT I could be mistaken. If it really isn't there, that's a heck of a "spot"!

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Yeah I looked at that video also, and would agree the prop store one has no indication of the light in the handle.

On the keypad, Im not so sure, that Hudson one in that scene sure looks like it has dropped off maybe. I know from experience that props get banged up during scenes and can change from scene to scene. I'm not sure if any other research has been done as to how many actualy props they had. I would estimate from what I can see that there are at least 2 hand held versions at any time, plus the one with the screen working.

Nick

They only had time span of one weekend to build them from parts they could source locally. The estimation of two units may not be wrong.

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Knowing how films go (I have experience first hand) and also knowing what I know about how Cameron's production of Aliens went, I can imagine that probably not more than 2 were made.

The setup will have been that 2 of them are needed, one for each team during the corridor sweep, one each for Hudson and Vasquez during the lock-in in operations, one of which Ripley takes off Vasquez while she welds the doors shut. And they will have wanted to see the screen on one, so that will either have been another version with detail focussed on the screen, or a simple part swap on the others to do those shots once the hallway wide shots have been completed.

Always love doing this kind of research.

Nick

About a thousand years ago I was part of the team that interviewed Terry Reed (who made the Tracker props) for 'Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models' magazine in the UK.

I think the issue that it was in is in storage so I can't access it but I have a feeling he told us that he made four of them.

Harry

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Ooh that's interesting.

Nick

Thanks for this info Harry. I hope one day you can access it. Would love to read that interview.

Harry, would that be this issue from July 1997 do you think?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154081902235

Nick

I think that’s the one, good find!

Harry

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