This suit is not a natural formation.

Sometimes, when attempting to find the figurative needle in a haystack, you have to pay attention to the specifics in order to achieve success, and a recent situation I found myself in at Halo Fest is proof of that fact. It was the evening of the VIP party, and the cake-cutting festivities were rapidly approaching. A certain Spartan was supposed to assist with divvying up the Halo-themed dessert but I quickly discovered he was missing in action. There was a costume contest going on at the main stage, so—using my sharper than average sleuthing skills—I approached the steady stream of super-soldiers on parade. Instantly confronted with numerous green, near identical cosplayers, I focused my attention on the lower half of the costumes. Within a split second, I found who I was looking for, and quickly escorted the Halo 4 Master Chief to the appropriate destination. I even provided him with a weapon. Assuming you consider a long, serrated knife a weapon, that is.

If you had the pleasure of laying eyes upon that suit, sans or with cutlery, you were undoubtedly impressed by its craftsmanship. That’s because the team behind the creation—collectively known as Blue Realm Studios—have perfected the art of making Spartan armor. Not many people are familiar with the process of bringing fictional Halo items to life, so I sat down, virtually of course, with Adam Grumbo—one of the talented people that make up that particular prop-fabricating group. Here’s what he had to say in response to my numerous awkwardly phrased inquiries.

The only thing I know about armor making is what is being made, which is armor. Can you tell us a little about the creation process? Also, is it super hard, super easy, or somewhere in between?

“The process is a difficult one. Lucky for me, Devin—who was leading us on the project—had to think of all the tough stuff. Since there was only a certain amount of time to plan, start, and finish this project, everything had to be put into overdrive from day one. We created the suit in much the same way as a lot of the existing suits are made, with the exception of a few time-saving methods, including CNCing some parts. CNC is computer numerical controlled milling, which is great for scaling quickly and getting the proportions correct. It does not, by any stretch of the imagination, mean it makes life easier for detailing the build, as we had to refine and clean up some parts for at least a week to get them ready for molding. The final suit was cast out in urethane plastic, and some parts in urethane rubber. There was more molding material used in this than any previous Blue Realm costume project.”

You had me at urethane. Well, either that or rubber. But back on-topic, how long did it take you to complete this project, and how many people worked on it?

“Devin and Charlie put in the most hours and really got to know this armor inside and out. It took us right around two months to get the project done. That was some feat for us, as the original Halo 2 Blue Realm suit took around two years to complete. For the Halo 4 suit, there were up to seven or eight people working around the clock on it.”

That is an impressively short time frame! What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome, and did anything go wrong?

“There were so many challenges, I don’t even know where to begin. The first and most obvious was the fact that not everyone working on the suit lived in Dallas where the operation was taking place. Charlie was from New York, Walter from Houston, and I came up from Austin. It was a big slumber party without the slumbering. There were a few points of frustration with the suit, including masters that floated in the silicone, gold visors coming out too dark to see through, mother molds getting fused on, and much more. There were lots of problems one weekend with moisture contamination of the plastic, which turned the urethane into a foamy mess. You might not understand all the details of what that means, but it equaled many hours of lost time and money—something that can happen from time to time when you’re under a deadline and don’t have the luxury to wait for weather to cooperate. We documented as much of the process as we could on video, so hopefully that will be out soon for everyone to enjoy. With so many cooks in the kitchen, the only accident that was pain-worthy was when Charlie dripped a good amount of liquid plastic onto his hairy legs. Upon removal of said plastic, needless to say, they weren’t hairy anymore.”

I was wondering why his legs were smoother than mine. Do you have any other fun stories, either about making the armor or transporting it to Seattle?

“The funniest part to me was the night Walter and I arrived. For some reason, we thought it’d be a good idea to sleep in the airport until Devin and Charlie arrived with the suit. I wimped out, and we got a hotel room and ordered pizza. It’s sad and funny to think that while Devin and Charlie were putting the final touches on the suit at 3 am, Walter and I were watching TV and chowing on pizza in a nice comfy hotel. With some help from other members of the 405th, we picked them up at the airport at 1 am Seattle time. Their flight was delayed, and they were completely beat. Knowing there was a long weekend of PAX-ing ahead of them was probably not a great feeling but hey, who sleeps during PAX, anyway? The suit was checked as luggage and arrived safe and sound. We did wonder for a bit, with the last minute modifications, how well the suit would fit me. They did well though, and the suit looked and wore exactly how it should.”

I thought it looked amazing. Minus the mass amounts of ogling by yours truly, what were some of the reactions people had upon seeing it?

“This is the interesting part. The pressure was certainly on when we had our Halo 4 suit, standing feet away from the masterpieces Legacy Effects created. Plus, the Halo 4 suit is so new, not everyone recognized that it was a new variant of Mjolnir. Those who did recognize it as Halo 4 were blown away. We study the look of armor probably more than most communities out there so for us, it’s very cool to see that certain parts of the armor translate into real world applications. What I mean is you can see where ammo might clip on or where armor might disassemble or connect. Those things make a difference to those of us who really appreciate seeing Halo in the real world. When Frankie made the announcement of the suit on Sunday at the Halo 4 panel, people cheered loudly, and that was a good feeling—knowing that the fans appreciated all the hard work that went into it.”

Speaking of sporting the suit during the Halo 4 panel, what is the best and worst part of wearing this particular costume?

“The best part about wearing the costume is the same great part of wearing any Mjolnir armor, and why we love to do it. Putting it on totally makes you feel like a super-soldier. It feels like so much more than a costume. You feel like the Chief. People come running up and look at you in awe. I’d compare it to when kids first see a life-size T-Rex statue. It’s something they’ve seen photos of, read about, and thought about. But when you see it in real life, it really brings you into the Halo Universe. That, combined with Weta’s Warthog, really completed the experience for many Halo fans. The worst part about it is when the fan inside the helmet runs out and the visor fogs up. It’s only moments before you can’t see two feet in front of you!”

I imagine that last part is probably a good thing if I’m standing in front of you. Regardless, I’d like to thank Adam for giving us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the Halo 4 Master Chief suit. Semi-related, I’m pretty sure that interview is equivalent to a year’s worth of Halo 4 information. I now consider us good on Halo 4-related news until September 2012. Man oh man, this job is getting easier every day!

Original Post http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/news/headline/the-halo-bulletin-9811-/230739

Project Arbiter has been blessed with the talents of many skilled crew members and today we are happy to bring you a Q&A with Devin White, one of the founders of Blue Realm Studios which is responsible for the fabrication of the XO-7 Arbiter invisibility suit, his “Inferno” knife, and the skull-faced Arbiter “Reaper” helmet. Here is what Devin had to say…

Q: How did Blue Realm Studios come about?

A: Blue Realm Studios was founded in 2007 one year after I met my partner in crime, Adam Grumbo. At that time I was working on a hand sculpted Master Chief costume replica based on the popular video game Halo and had posted some pictures on the web. Adam had just created the 405^th.com and invited me to join and show off my progress. Through email and inviting him to my wedding, Adam and I became great friends. Together with our talents we created Blue Realm Studios. I’ve always wanted to create movie props and costumes ever since I was a child and Blue Realm is that outlet for me. I’ve grown from making cardboard and duct tape costumes to utilizing the same methods that the big time studios use these days.

Humble Beginnings – Blue Realm begins Fabrication of the Arbiter "Reaper" Helmet

Q: When Mike Chance first approached your team with the concept of Project Arbiter, what were your thoughts and what made you join the production?

A: Mike Chance is a great guy and has a lot of enthusiasm for his new project. We were honored that he approached us and decided to hire us for such a cool short film. After a few conversations and seeing Robert Simons’ renderings of the Arbiter, I knew I had to be a part of this project.

Q: What were the development stages of fabricating the suit?

A: The first stages of fabrication come from the concept artist, in this case Robert Simons. After reviewing the drawings, we planned our method of attack and came up with solutions to obstacles that might not be ideal when worn by an actor. Once we picked our game plan, the work was divided up among artists and the fabrication began. Once the separate pieces came back to the studio we did some rough fittings utilizing the soft parts we ordered off a WWII clothing website. After scale was approved, we moved on to strapping and creating harnesses that would hold the armor in place for the actor. Once we had a working costume we then sent the parts into the paint booth for some nice battle ready paint and finishes. After the paint was dry and final approval was submitted, we had the final props delivered to the filming location for their on screen debut.

Making of the Arbiter Armor

Q: Creating such an intricate suit required a lot of time, talent, and attention to detail. What were some of the challenges you faced when working towards the final product?

A: One of the major challenges we faced was the backpack that allows the Arbiter to become invisible to his opponents. Robert did an awesome job creating a complex design that in the end was a hard nut to crack. The original design took inspiration from the V-Twin of a Harley Davidson motorcycle and was rendered with chrome pieces straight out of the future. With time and budget constraints we decided to take the overall concept of the backpack and came up with a smaller more grungy style pack that would allow the actor to move a little more freely. After talking to Mike, we decided that chromed parts and the sheer size of the prop would be too much of an undertaking in such a short amount of time. We were happy to hear that Mike embraced the new design and was happy with the finished product.

XO-7 Arbiter Suit Back Piece

Q: What sort of “tools of the trade” does your team use? What equipment is needed to transpose an image to a life-size prop?

A: One of the techniques we utilized was the vacuum form machine. Much like the Stormtroopers from Star Wars, the armor was created by heating up sheets of ABS plastic, forming them over positive forms and then sucking out all the air to pick up the detail. We also utilized an old school artisan method of sculpting to create the “Reaper” helmet. It was hand sculpted over a few weeks and then was molded and cast in Polyurethane plastic. We had our team of painters come in and give the props a really nice grungy battle damaged look. For some secondary props such as the resperator pack that the Arbiter wears, located underneath the large invisibility pack, we took the high tech approach and CNC milled a positive from a pre-rendered 3D model. We were able to utilize a lot of different methods with this project and learned a few new ones as well.

time to walk around town as a metalic soldier from WWII – SWEET!

Q: In addition to Project Arbiter, what other exciting projects is Blue Realm Studios involved in?

A: Blue Realm Studios is busy working on a lot of fun new projects some of which we aren’t allowed to talk about. Let’s just say we are working on some really cool costumes and weaponry. We also have some practical props we are working on for the game industry to show case at trade shows and other gaming events.

Q: You’ve done a lot of work with the Halo franchise. What is the most challenging part of working with a story that millions of fans love?

A: In a sense Blue Realm got its start making Halo props. Because we’re fans of the game, we like to make things from the Halo world to show off our capabilities. The unique sci-fi genre of Halo really hits home with what we like to produce as well as offers challenges we like to face. Currently we’re working on some cool helmets and weapons for some Bungie employees.

Master Chief suit created by Blue Realm Studios

Q: What was the working relationship like with Mike Chance? What made it successful?

A: Mike Chance is an inspiring director and it was a joy to work with him and his team. We look forward to working with him in the future and any new projects he dreams up. I’d like to say I can now call him a friend as well as a creative genius that took a chance on a small studio.

Q: If there was one thing that you wanted to share about the artistry of prop fabrication to those who are unfamiliar with your industry, what would it be?

A: The prop industry is a very competitive market and it takes a lot to gain recognition and master your craft. My advice to anyone out there that is interested in this type of work is to pick a project and start building. Even if you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t be scared to try new things. Sculptors aren’t born sculptors. They become that after they sculpt for hours and hours to determine methods that work best for them. Keep an eye on the industry and read lots of books about the craft. I can’t tell you how much reading and doing research has helped me in my prop making journey.

We encourage you to check out the orginal post at http://www.projectarbiter.com/blog/blue-realm-studios-briefing-on-prop-fabrication/

Click here to view the embedded video.

As the Director of Project Arbiter (tentative title), my challenge was to seek out a top-notch fabrication studio that could deliver a detail yet practical hero suit for my lead character – all within a specific budget and timeframe. The result – weeks of searching and no luck. Either too expensive or way too expensive. That’s Hollywood. Then I saw this jaw-dropping Master Chief suit in the heart of Dallas, Texas. Amazing.

I picked up the phone and typed away on my keyboard. After a casual kick-off meeting, I knew that Devin and Adam were the team to bring my vision to life. Throughout the creative process, they were constantly looking for ways to make the suit more functional, practical, and durable.

What is truly wonderful is that I know I can rely on Blue Realm for my future film fabrication needs, no matter the complexity or the genre – they have the expertise and more importantly, they have ingenuity and innovation in their veins.

I encourage you to consider Blue Realm Studios for your next project.

Michael Chance
Director
Burning Ideas