Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1474575
were luckier with Tom's helmet, since Gibson arnes already had a vintage Maverick helmet in their collection. So the helmet that Tom is holding on the teaser poster is from 1986 and not one of the current helmets used by today's S Navy. Once the threeday shoot was complete, the crew took a short hiatus before beginning preproduction on principal photography. t that point, I knew we had a helmet problem that would need to be solved. In une of , a small group from the film took a scouting trip to NS Naval ir Station Lemoore. It was primarily a research mission for rt, set decorating and props. I typically don't make research trips like this, but Production Designer eremy indle and Supervising rt Director Clint allace sent me along to better understand the aesthetic and communicate with the S Navy about the film's graphics needs. I wasn't really prepared for the world of fighter pilots that I was walking into. There is so much graphic information to process, from plaques, photos and awards to simulators, cockpits and Fs. Everything has a function or label and the individual squadrons are so specific in the design of their ready rooms, paralofts and training spaces. It was an overwhelming process and I was going through memory cards like crazy trying to document every last detail. So much of what I shot was used as reference, not only for myself, but the other departments as well. I met a lot of pilots during this trip who would answer so many of my questions throughout the production. During our visit to Lemoore, I met a lot of the contractors and active duty servicemen and women whose ob it is to get these pilots equipment airready day in and day out, in addition to the pilots themselves. It was during one of these visits where I started seeing helmets on display and being worked on. hile the rest of our group was meeting with a pilot about his flight suit and gear, I told the Navy liaison that I wanted to meet the guy who was doing the graphics on the helmets. After further inspection, I could see that all of the vinyls on the "real" helmets were reflective vinyl on a white reflective shell the S Navy requires all helmet bases to be white in case a pilot is lost at sea. It provides a reflective surface that is easier to locate in the ocean. s luck would have it, I was introduced to an Aircraft Mechanic 1/Life Support Contractor named Ivan Romo who had done hundreds of helmet designs through the years. I fully expected him to have a little vinyl cutter at his desk, but what I found was an artist with an Xcto knife and impeccable skills. Ivan and I traded numbers and he sent me a mountain of photos in the days that followed of all his work for reference. A. & B. 1986 MAVERICK GENTEX HGU-33 HELMET. C. PINSTRIPE TEST CURRENT GENTEX HGU-33 FOR MAVERICK HELMET. D. TOP GUN: MAVERICK HELMET, GRAPHICS BY CLINT SCHULTZ, RENDERING BY C. SCOTT BAKER. E. MAVERICK HELMET. PHOTO COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES. F. ROOSTER (RASCAL) HELMET. PROCREATE SKETCH BY CLINT SCHULTZ. G. ROOSTER HELMET. PHOTO COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES. A B C D F