ByYourCommand.net

I was the lucky winner of the Monogram Cylon Raider filming miniature listed in the last Propstore auction held in London. After years of searching and hoping I finally grabbed what I consider a holy grail from the TOS Galactica series. Now I know that this model from Monogram was used in hangar scene from HOG but I remember reading somewhere that those models were also used as background raiders during sequences with squadrons approaching the Galactica and in fighting scenes for forced perspective shots.

It would be interesting if someone can shed more light on this. The Monogram models were a bit less detailed than the hero models from the show so they could only be used for distant shots. Furthermore they don't have front or rear mounts for motion control rigs but only one attaching point on the bottom limiting filming possibilities. However voices seem to confirm that those Monogram models were used quite often to cut on budget and limit use of multiple optical mattes and double exposures for large numbers of raiders on screen. I tried to contact David Stipes for more info on that but no response so far.

Would be great to have further details on this.

WOW! That's great you own such a treasure.
Very interesting how it was employed to save production costs... hummmm.... Yes. We Cylons must research up on the use of the Monogram kit in the original series - great idea.

The missing mounts on the Monogram Raider might provide the answer we seek.

So I doubt it was used for any background shots.

I rather think cardboard cutouts were used for multiple Raider shots like they did on the Viper.

So the Monogram Raider was only used for the Basestar hangar scene in "The Hand of God" IMHO.

yes, perhaps but the triangle ship from the rtf had one mounting point too and it was on the bottom. it lacks mounting points on the rear, side and front. so at least theoretically it's likely that they used them for shots without complex moves for which mounting point on the rear and front would be necessary. it's all speculation of course as long as a reliable source can or cannot confirm this.

That is great you scored the Raider, but for the story of the miniature being used in the background I haven't heard that before. I wouldn't bank to much on it either since principal filming of the models was completed before they released a study model of the Raider to Monogram, and Revell models. No matter that is a great score.

well an exact date of the monogram model release from revell is indeed unclear but it was somewhere in 1978. on a starlog issue from 1979 an article claimed that those models were used several times during the show and other sources, auctions and forum discussions, seemed to confirm that but never someone who worked on the show. it would make sense for budget and timeline. it is not the first time that off the shelf model kits were used for filming. in starwars this happened too. it is more cheap and less time consuming to use a ready casted model for shots instead making one from scratch.

The premier was a wrap, and the crew started to move onto other work on the other 2 made for TV movies when ABC dropped the bomb and went full on series over the TV movies. So the things they were working on for the other movies were wrapped, and moved over to Universal Hartland. Picture documentation at Apogee/MCA 57/ILM fantastic, while at Hartland not nearly as thorough and not seeing any construction pictures at all of the off the shelf model Raider helps back my beliefs (at least in my own mind) it was built by Hartland.

I've created a new separate folder in one of my current Gallery updates dealing with the forced perspective Raider miniature.

Check it out here: http://www.byyourcommand.net/cylongalle ... album=4668

GoldCylon wrote:The premier was a wrap, and the crew started to move onto other work on the other 2 made for TV movies when ABC dropped the bomb and went full on series over the TV movies. So the things they were working on for the other movies were wrapped, and moved over to Universal Hartland. Picture documentation at Apogee/MCA 57/ILM fantastic, while at Hartland not nearly as thorough and not seeing any construction pictures at all of the off the shelf model Raider helps back my beliefs (at least in my own mind) it was built by Hartland.

The auction from this one claimed the model was painted and finished for use on screen by MCA-57. Not sure if any documentation of this exists.

That is very interesting, but sometimes things get lost in translation. Point being when I sold the Gold Cylon screen used suit somehow the claim it was used as a park walk around Cylon. No truth to that what so ever and even down valued it is since they didn't claim it as a screen used Cylon. The new owner was told after the fact it was, and a smaller final value percentage was taken for their mistake, and giving it a legacy that wasn't true. Any photo evidence or vintage original documentation is great to strengthen your stance. I am still jealous.

there's a photo from an unused shot of the episode the gun on ice planet zero where you see a viper sourrounded by 3 raiders, 2 of them are most likely monogram models as they appear much smaller. this episode was made during the transition from mca-57 to universal hartland and supports the theory that those model were used earlier.
i asked the propstore if they have a history of the model regarding the statement involving mca-57.

You are correct about that, but I always thought it is a elevation contrast difference (model dept placement). That theory I do like.