Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1316563
has layers and layers of additions added over time as needs evolved. The ship rarely received a total new paint job at once, but instead was redone piecemeal with colors which almost, but not quite, matched. It was all these variations that needed to be captured. The director liked to refer to them as the specularity of the set. The set wall panels were created in layers of Masonite with shims between to reproduce these irregularities and add to the interest of the walls. These were sealed, textured, painted, overpainted and aged. There was a form of a primitive insulation covered in painted canvas on portions of the interior walls. Hardware and all types and sizes of piping and couplings were gathered and sent through the same painting process before being installed. For the ceilings, there were thousands of feet of wire-covered "electrical cabling" made using various diameters of plastic tubing as a base to reduce weight and save on costs. They too went through all the texturing and painting processes before installation. The matching porthole windows were cast from one of the Kidd's originals. Spears sourced amazing period equipment from local collectors, rental houses, other ship museums, as well as from the Kidd's own storage. He did a remarkable job of finding matches to almost all the major pieces. What he was not able to obtain was built. All this structure and original equipment was very heavy and as the gimbal had a weight limit, everything was constantly assessed so as to not throw off the balance of the gimbal. Though complicated, all this would not have been as difficult had there not also been the addition of weather effects. The original discussions centered around occasional rain and mist to be used in filming. arious methods to repel water were discussed and tested, and all the layers were waterproofed as they were built. In the end, the mist turned into an almost constant rain, quite heavy at times. The irony is that most of what is built for filming is really a prototype which gets pushed into service early with little time for improvement. Only afterward does one so clearly see what should have been done. Water will find your Achilles heel faster than you can blink your eyes. Fortunately, the crew was able to keep the problems in check, and usually had enough time in the schedule with company moves to repair any problems and keep things moving ahead. E. NAVIGATIONAL BRIDGE SET COMPLETED. PHOTO COURTESY OF APPLE. E