We visit one of our favorite effects shops, Phil Tippett Studio, where Phil is working on his stop-motion passion project, Mad God. Norm and Sean get an update on the status of the film, and stop by the studio’s model shop to see how the team there is remaking two figures originally designed for Star Wars’ holochess sequence!
Napkin Ring Problem – Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project – 8/15/17
Adam, Will, and Norm talk about Adam’s recent visit to Jack White’s Third Man Records, analog music recordings compared to digital, stories from a space show at our local science museum, and the most recent One Day Build with VSauce’s Michael Stevens. Plus, Adam tries to explain the Napkin Ring problem.
This Old FX Shop: Painting a Latex Alien Mask
For this week’s visit to the FX shop, we geek out over a latex mask from talented sculptor Francisco Charlie Hernandez, whose work we’ve long admired on Instagram. This latex mask presents some interesting paint challenges, from its elongated form to smooth surfaces.
Adam Savage Meets Alien: Covenant’s Xenomorph Animatronic!
On the set of Alien: Covenant, Adam gets up close with the animatronic Xenomorph head that’s worn by the film’s creature puppeteer. Seeing this head animate and lunge, we learn how the animatronic operators work with the performer to breathe life into this 9-foot tall creature. (Alien: Covenant is now available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD.)
Adam Savage’s Maker Tour: MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms (Part 3)
The next stage of machines making machines isn’t rapid prototyping, it’s rapid prototyping of rapid prototyping. In this third part of his tour of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms, Adam delves into some mind-bending meso technologies. (This series and tour is made possible by The Fab Foundation and Chevron.)
Laser Cutting the Maker Puzzle, Part 3
Sean and Norm tackle the third piece of Jen Schachter’s maker puzzle design. The theme of this piece is engineering, and Sean picks out some interesting materials to test with our Universal Laser Systems laser cutter to give the puzzle some highlights. Plus, we try a technique to reduce the scorching on the edges of cut pieces.
Adam Savage and Vsauce’s Michael Stevens Build a Kendama!
Adam is joined by Vsauce’s Michael Stevens for a special One Day Build in the cave. Michael has recently taken up playing the Kendama, a Japanese cup and ball toy, and Adam helps make one from scratch that helps optimize his play. This build engrosses both into topics of machining, knot tying, and geometric conundrums.
LEGO with Friends: Bucket Wheel Excavator, Part 12
We all share our favorite examples of space exploration in film and television, including some guilty pleasures. Thanks again to Ariel for joining us this week, and check out her book “What’s It Like in Space?” today! Find her awesome space videos on YouTube!
Adam Savage Incognito in the Alien: Covenant Spacesuit!
In this very special incognito walk through Comic-Con, Adam puts on one of the actual spacesuits from Alien: Covenant! This beautiful suit was made by FBFX, and is packed with incredible detail, digital displays, and lighting that makes it look believable on screen. Of course, we can’t help but scrutinize every inch of this suit, from the soles of the boots to the inside of the helmet!
Episode 411 – LEGO Voltron Assemble – 8/10/17
We record a little earlier this week to talk about Intel’s new Core i9 processors, the first photo of Cable from Deadpool 2, that incredible Game of Thrones episode, and a phone accessory that will read Gameboy cartridges. Plus, self-driving car and science talk, and the VR minute!