Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/780285
bought some parts to be used in the early mock-up phase. On October 5, he started working seriously on the Ecto-1. He visited the primary ambulance on the backlot at The Burbank Studios, took reference photos and measurements, then went home. He drew up isometrics, of the vehicle and its roof rack and various views and elevations of the exterior and interior. After Reitman approved the Ecto-1 design, studio painters and prop makers at The Burbank Studios mill went to work on paint and detailing. The prop makers also repaired the ambulance to driving condition, cleaned the interior and installed some equipment. Stephen oversaw construction and directed the building of the car based on his designs. After about two weeks, the paint job and details were blocked out. On October 17, he bought materials for the Trap mock-up. By the time Ecto-1 was shipped to New York on October 19, the ambulance was about half-done. It was fully painted but lacked the roof rack. Dane bought parts for the roof rack. Once it was done, it was shipped to New York separately, where it was to be attached to the vehicle. On October 22, Dane bought and manufactured graphic materials which he hand carried to New York on October 27. After one or two days of finishing touches, Ecto-1 was ready for filming. Dane worked on-call during principal photography from October 28 to November 8. He mainly finished work on the props and the Ecto-1, but he also did additional design and addressed prop needs that came about during filming. During the New York City Hall filming, Dane was walking west on Park Row toward Broadway when the Ecto-1 drove past him on its way to reset for another take. Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson all waved at Dane and he waved back at them. On Ghostbusters II, Stephen was brought in at the beginning, designing the Giga Meter, Slime Scoop and Slime Blowers, revising the Proton Packs and Traps, and redesigning the Ecto-1 to the Ecto-1a look. Like in the first movie, he used script references and face-to-face talks with Reitman to hone his designs. For the new props, he incorporated leftover warning labels and symbols from his work on Blade Runner. In 2004, after working in the movie industry for thirty years, Stephen retired from films at the end of Ladder 49 in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2008, he was an Art Director on a theme park to be built in Abu Dhabi, and he continued to work on house designs and landscape planning. Stephen suffered a stroke and passed away on April 25, 2016. Now, thirty-five years after he first designed it, the Ecto-1 is arguably one of the most identifiable props in motion picture history—thanks to Stephen Dane. ADG Right: A 3ds Max rendering of Mr. Dane's Spinner police vehicle from BLADE RUNNER, drawn by UK digital artist Adam Vickerstaff. This flying police car can drive on the ground, take off vertically, hover and cruise using jet propulsion much like Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft today. The concept design was initially created by Syd Mead, and Mr. Dane translated those sketches into working drawings for the vehicle. Below: A model of Mr. Dane's Voight Kampff machine used by the police in BLADE RUNNER to identify replicants. It was drawn in 3ds Max by a fan of the film who calls himself Benares and lives in Milan, Italy.