Brainstorming Affordable ET Predator Costume Ideas

Let's brainstorm ways to make affordable alien costumes.

Let's rule out hairy beasts because all that hair has to be done by hand.

I like reptiles because they can look scary. I remember reading the old OMNI Magazine article years ago about what if the dinosaurs never became extinct? But, instead evolved into an intelligent form of reptile life. Can reptile costumes be made inexpensively?

The next option would be two legged bug creatures with arms.

And, there's the traditional ET look with big bold heads, big eyes, small to no mouths and small chins, and long thin bodies.

Any other ideas?
 
The aliens in "The New Daughter" or whatever that movie was with the aliens under the mound in the backyard looked convincing to me and they looked like nothing more than body suits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efDKZ6wkI7w
 
The New Daughter would be great for night scenes. But, I'm looking to shoot during the day.

Besides, I don't want them looking like my Black Ops Special Forces Cyborgs who will arrive to hunt the aliens and save as many humans as possible.

Gail%20Storm%20LR.jpg


DSC00172.JPG


I'm getting ready to turn the design work over to the same company who designed my Black Ops Special Forces Cyborgs in the illustration shown here. So, I need ideas for the frame work. After I get the art, I'll send it to a costume construction company I use in China with the actor's measurements later.

Right now, I need ideas.
 
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Why don't you back up and figure out the aliens' capabilities, that should give you some idea of how they might look.

BTW, there is the Eden series of novels by Harry Harrison about evolved reptilians (West of Eden, Winter in Eden and Return to Eden).
 
Maybe you can keep it simple (Cheap) in the story, like the aliens simply assume human form, but each has a…
glowing jewel or strange glowing crystal (or something) on their forehead that if removed or damaged returns
them to a vaporous (Smoke) life form. (Easy FX)

This crystal or whatever can also be a source of defense, like a beam or ray emits from it thus eliminating the cost
of weapon props if you have several aliens to outfit. (Again, easy FX)

It might also by color or shape or something indicate social status (Like royalty or servant), and somehow display
“Life force” if needed, or light up when communicating (Post or not) for if you needed to do their "Voices" in post.

I guess some kind of jeweled or crystal baring headband prop is what I mean. It might be cheap and practical.


-Thanks-
 
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Capabilities:

These predators are supposed to be fierce. That's why they prefer battleaxes and machetes to laser rifles and photon guns. They like to save human skulls as trophies.

They are like the old school assassins who want to be up close and personal with their victims. The modern assassins with their high-powered rifles, scopes, and infrared don't get to see the fear in the eyes of their victims just before they die like the old school assassins enjoyed.

Maybe coverall silver suits like zentai where the silver has something to do with their invisibility with light refraction at times from a gadget on their belts?

I'm trying to stay away from the mind-bandits from space on Wonder Woman. Although they wore green costumes and weren't invisible at times.
 
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So, they keep human skulls as trophis, have the power of invisibility,
and are being referred to as "predators".

I feel like I've seen this before, in another movie, but what was it called?

If you don't wanna do an elaborate costume, you could go the "Star Trek"
route -- give them a funny hair style, and bumps on their faces.
 
So, they keep human skulls as trophis, have the power of invisibility,
and are being referred to as "predators".

I feel like I've seen this before, in another movie, but what was it called?

If you don't wanna do an elaborate costume, you could go the "Star Trek"
route -- give them a funny hair style, and bumps on their faces.

You haven't seen it with the Amazon goddess Artemis and Cyborgs / Robots that are a cross between Terminators, Cylons, and 8TH Man.

The Star Trek route is one possibility.

Part of what I'm looking to do is explore the capabilities of the high tech chainmail battle armor the cyborgs wear when they are battling the predators.
 
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I’m having a hard time getting a feel for that kind of alien life form.
A silver suit with invisibility belt thing seems (to me) like one direction
of look, and a battle axe sporting assassin alien seems like another,
maybe more barbarian type look. It’s hard for me to fuse the two in my mind.


I’d get Awesom-O on board, all like:

“Beep Boop Beep-Beep-Beep Boop-Boop -- Time-To-Kick-Ass.”

AwesomeO1.jpg



However after a quick computation Awesom-O decides to get the hell out of there, but hits a pebble and tips over:

Fallover.jpg

-CLUNK!-

PrayforAwesm-O.jpg

“Pray-For-Awe-Som-O. (beat) Rosebud!”


Explodes.jpg

-KA-BLAM!-

THEEND.jpg

-DRAMATIC MUSIC-

-

What is the story rift between Predator and Cyborg? Protection of humans?
The chainmail sounds cool, but maybe expensive too.

-Thanks-
 
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So, they keep human skulls as trophis, have the power of invisibility,
and are being referred to as "predators".

I feel like I've seen this before, in another movie, but what was it called?

If you don't wanna do an elaborate costume, you could go the "Star Trek"
route -- give them a funny hair style, and bumps on their faces.

You stole my whole post, so I'll just repost yours.

But if you want fierce big types?? Go down to your local gym. I'm sure you can find some big guys/gals that would be willing to look "kick ass" on your film.
 
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You haven't seen it with the Amazon goddess Artemis and Cyborgs / Robots that are a cross between Terminators, Cylons, and 8TH Man.

The Star Trek route is one possibility.

Part of what I'm looking to do is explore the capabilities of the high tech chainmail battle armor the cyborgs wear when they are battling the predators.

Sorry, I was just being my usual smart-ass self. It was way too early in the morning, I only had gotten one hour of sleep, and I was about to head off to work, perhaps a bit cranky.

Anyway, the nice way of saying what I meant to say is that, although you did mention, in the title of this thread, that the creatures are inspired by "Predator", I think you should be careful about letting them creap too close to the original.

I think one direction you could take it, that might capture the same spirit of "Predator", without blatantly copying it, would be to take it in a different direction by making them technologically primative. I mean, in "Predator", they visit Earth. But in your movie, we visit them -- they might very well still be using stone-age technology. In fact, that might be kinda cool, especially if you make the stone-age technology realistic.

So, you take Nick Clapper's idea, and have them wear freaky-looking suits of skin. Then combine it with my idea, and it makes sense that these stone-age extraterrestrial cavemen would wear suits of skin, and collect skulls -- cuz everybody knows cavemen are insane-crazy killers.
 
I’d get Awesom-O on board, all like:

“Beep Boop Beep-Beep-Beep Boop-Boop-- Time-To-Kick-Ass”

AwesomeO1.jpg

:lol::lol::lol:

Oh, my God. Thank you, for the good laugh. Honest truth -- ever since you dropped the idea of making an Awesome-O movie, I've been kicking the idea around in my head. I'm giving it serious consideration. It could be hilarious.

I'd have to get permission to use the character -- not sure if you're aware, but he is from the South Park universe. The South Park guys are some crazy awesome mofos, though, so they might actually give permission. If permission isn't granted, I could see the same movie, with a generic, non-copywritten name.

If this ever comes to fruition, it is essential that you be part of the screenwriting process. These pictures you've posted are priceless.

Sorry for the digression, Modern Day Myth. I actually think Buddy's suggestion is worth considering for your movie, but that takes it in more of a comedy direction, which I know you're not really interested in.
 
Make them wear the skin of their victims.

That could be cool. But you could have it so the alien form is bigger than the humans they've killed so the skin is really stretched and gross. That way you'd never know what they actually looked like, but just see them in deformed, human skin all-in-one-suits. Sick.
 
Sorry, I was just being my usual smart-ass self. It was way too early in the morning, I only had gotten one hour of sleep, and I was about to head off to work, perhaps a bit cranky.

Anyway, the nice way of saying what I meant to say is that, although you did mention, in the title of this thread, that the creatures are inspired by "Predator", I think you should be careful about letting them creap too close to the original.

I think one direction you could take it, that might capture the same spirit of "Predator", without blatantly copying it, would be to take it in a different direction by making them technologically primative. I mean, in "Predator", they visit Earth. But in your movie, we visit them -- they might very well still be using stone-age technology. In fact, that might be kinda cool, especially if you make the stone-age technology realistic.

So, you take Nick Clapper's idea, and have them wear freaky-looking suits of skin. Then combine it with my idea, and it makes sense that these stone-age extraterrestrial cavemen would wear suits of skin, and collect skulls -- cuz everybody knows cavemen are insane-crazy killers.

I'm looking for the aliens to take the Amazons to a neutral planet that is "Class M" type so they can set the stage with traps in the woods and they are familiar with the terrain for the hunt. To kidnap soldiers and bring them back to their home planet would be taken as an act of war. These aliens are game hunters.

The working title of this short prequel is: I, CREATOR 2: GODDESS OF THE HUNT.
 
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I'm looking for the aliens to take the Amazons to a neutral planet that is "Class M" type so they can set the stage with traps in the woods and they are familiar with the terrain for the hunt. To kidnap soldiers and bring them back to their home planet would be taken as an act of war. These aliens are game hunters.

The working title of this short prequel is: I, CREATOR 2: GODDESS OF THE HUNT.

Okay, you just described pretty much the EXACT premise of the "Predator" universe (in addition to the skull-collecting and invisible-suits). I'm not gonna hate on you if you wanna just blatantly copy it. In fact, I've got an idea for a movie that is a total rip-off of another movie. However, the movie I wanna rip-off is not at all well-known. You're talking about ripping off one of the most well-known and beloved sci-fi franchises in history. People are gonna notice the very obvious parallels. If you're okay with that, hey, make the movie the way you wanna make it.
 
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