Go Behind the Scenes of ‘Ghost In The Shell’ with Adam Savage

Adam Savage has proven time and again his passion for all things related to nerd culture. On a recent visit to Weta Workshop in New Zealand, he was taken behind the scenes and given access to some of the costumes and props from the forthcoming movie Ghost In The Shell.

In the first video, Adam spoke with costume technician Flo Foxworthy as they discussed the thermoptic suit worn by actress Scarlett Johansson in the film. For something that’s so form-fitting, you would expect it to be made of spandex or a similar material, but in fact almost the entire thing is made of different kinds of silicone! They talked about both the many designs elements of the suit, as well as some of the unique challenges they faced in making it.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbCyXVEVpKk]

 

In the second video, Adam talked with Weta’s co-founder Richard Taylor about some of the practical props used in the film. Taylor showed him the mechanical geisha masks used, and explained why they chose to go with full masks instead of just prosthetics. He stated how director Rupert Sanders wanted them to be practical effects rather than digital. Adam was happy to learn that the masks actually had a measure of comfort to them, being both easy to put on and having foam pads and tiny fans to circulate the air inside. As most cosplayers know, the most uncomfortable part about wearing a full mask is there’s no air circulation!

Taylor also detailed the fabrication process that went into making the masks, adding that he personally worked to get them as perfect as possible, and the different design elements that influenced both the masks and the animatronic puppets used. Adam marveled at how creating these pieces required artists, engineers, and craftspeople all to work in concert so that everything fit together seamlessly to achieve the desired effect.

Taylor stated that today’s technology was a big reason they were able to make this movie what is will be, because even two years ago not everything they used was in existence or worked together in they way they needed it to.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KosBvDyWgnA]

 

Anywhere from 120-150 different people from Weta worked on Ghost In The Shell at the highest point, and you can tell that everything was created using painstaking detail and passion. There is a reason that Weta Workshop is so highly regarded in the realm of filmmaking, and you can most certainly see why.

Ghost In The Shell will be in theaters starting on March 30th.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvBQu8IjkY0]