Designer Con 2017: A Conversation with Jose Fernandez from Iron Head Studios

Hey Everybody, it's Norm from Tested, and I'm kind of hiding behind this massive helmet here, because it's Hela from Thor Ragnarok. Jose Fernandez, Jose, it's great to see ya! Iron Head Studios. Is this your first Designer Con? Yep, first one. And tell me, what's with Iron Head? You guys have made a lot of costumes. Yeah, it's the end of film as it goes, but we've been consistently busy.

Hela was an amazing project for us to work on, for sure. The movie was well-received, and all the images look amazing to me. I think when the first trailer came out for Thor Ragnarok, people were stunned by this silhouette as a helmet. You have Thor's Helmet, you have Loki's helmet, with the big antlers. They're all so unique and distinct. Hela, it could have been CGI didn't realize you guys made a physical helmet for her to wear.

Yeah, I think most of it was CG, but they did want moments for her wearing it. Even just for her own feeling, and she had that. It was a great challenge, because it's pretty big, for me. The challenge was getting the weight right, the balance on her head, and getting it secure without actually having it come down too far her forehead. So, I think we nailed it. When I first saw it on her, walking around the studio, it was pretty impressive.

Let's talk about fabrication. There's a bunch of ways this could have been made. I assume the original thing was a 3D model? Correct. And then, is this hand-sculpted? Or is it printed? No, it's pretty much all 3D. So we modeled it in the computer, we scanned her. So we had her data, and then made a skull cap for her so it fit really well. And then we just started modeling it. Marvel was heavily involved in every minutiae, which was great. They were really on top of it.

And once they were happy, we started printing the pieces. It was a very interesting composite. It's called SLS, but there's also one with carbon fiber field. So it's very light. Structurally, pretty sound. How many pieces is it? Almost every antler is separate. This cluster here in the middle. There are four of these there together, and there's an extra one added. And all these large ones are all separate. They're wanted also modular, so they can remove some. So she can wear partials. So she can remove the large ones. Those can be CG'd in. She'd have like a more tailored helmet. So they're all kind of... they all come off.

And then balance is something you mentioned. How much does the whole thing weigh? I don't know. I should have measured. Think it's in the neighborhood of 4 pounds. That's light! That's so light! Somewhere in there. And is it affixed to her head? Is she wearing a skullcap underneath? Yeah, exactly. It's attached to multiple points. It's like magnetic closures so you can't see that stuff. So there's the physical fabrication, I'm assuming there's no rods or anything to hold that?

Now with 3D printing, the finishes the SLS the SLA, they all come out with different finishes. This looks like... it's almost like metal, but also maybe like a jade. So how do you get this finish? This particular process is very rough. As far as the outputs. It looks like a sand casting. Everybody in my shop, everybody's at the top of their game, so they finish it to this degree, so that it's just beautiful, and then the painter Mike Walachuk, who's a super-talented guy, seems like those colors are to me, it's beautiful, but... it's like mottling. It's like a mirror chrome and then we mottle into that. It's multiple layers. Like a candy green, then you mottle some more. It's pretty cool.

Other than, it's pretty solid. I can't wait for people to start seeing the imagery come out. Yeah, and then of course, there's imagery, and there's seeing this in person. And that's why it's so great seeing you at shows like DesignerCon Where we get to get up close with... wow. A real helmet, a beautiful prop from Marvel Thank you so much, Jose. It's great to see you again. Thanks.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey Everybody, it's Norm from TestedHere at the Designer Con 2017I'm kind of hiding behind thismassive helmet here, becauseit's Hela from Thor RagnarokJose Fernandez. Jose, it's great to see ya.Iron Head Studios. Is this your firstDesigner Con?Yep, first one.And tell me, what's with Iron Head? You guyshave made a lot of costumes.Yeah, it's the end of film as it goes,but we've been consistently busyHela was an amazing project for us to work on, for sure.The movie was well-receivedbut all the images look amazing to meI think when the first trailercame out for Thor Ragnarokpeople were stunned by this silhouetteas a helmet.You have Thor's Helmet, you have Loki's helmet, with the big antlersThey're all so unique and distinct.Hela, it could have been CGI didn't realize you guys made a physical helmet for her to wear.Yeah, I think most of it was CG, but they did want moments for her wearing it.Even just for her own feeling, and sheIt was a great challenge, because it's pretty big, for me.The challenge was getting the weight right, the balance on her head.And getting it secure without actually having it come down too far her forehead.So, I think we nailed it.When I first saw it on her, walking around the studio, it was pretty impressive.So let's talk about fabrication.There's a bunch of ways this could have been madeI assume the original thing was a 3D model?Correct.And then, is this hand-sculpted?Or is it printed?No, it's pretty much all 3D.So we modeled it in the computer, we scanned her.So we had her data, and then made a skull cap for her so it fit really well.And then we just started modeling it.Marvel was heavily involved in every minutiae, which was great.They were really on top of it.And once they were happy, we started printing the pieces.It was a very interesting composite.It's called SLS, but there's also one with acarbon fiber fieldSo it's very light.Structurally, pretty sound.How many pieces is it?Almost every antler is separate.This cluster here in the middle.There's four of these there together, there's an extra one added.And all these large ones are all separate.They're wanted also modular, so they can remove some.So she can wear partials.So she can remove the large ones. Those can be CG'd in.She'd have like a more tailored helmet.So they're all kind of ... they all come off.And then balance is something you mentioned.How much does the whole thing weigh?I don't know.I should have measured.I think it's in the neighborhood of 4 pounds.That's light! That's so light!Somewhere in there.And is it affixed to her head?Is she wearing a skullcap underneath?Yeah, exactly.It's attached to multiple points.It's like magnetic closures so you can't see that stuff.So the ugly business is all underneath.So there's the physical fabrication, I'm assuming there's no rods or anything to hold that?No.Now with 3d printing, the finishes the SLS the SLA, they all come out with different finishes.This looks likeit's almost like metal, but alsomaybe like a jade. So how do youget this finish?This particular process is very rough.As far as the outputs.It looks like a sand casting.Everybody in my shop, everybody's at the top of their game, sothey finish it to this degree, so that it's just beautiful, and then the painterMike Walachuk, who's a super-talented guy,seems like those cholo cars to me, it's beautiful, butit's like mottling, it's like a mirror chromeand then we mottle into that. It's multiple layers.Like a candy green, then you mottle some more chrome, then mottle again.it's labor-intensive.Lots of layers, to make it look like an other-worldly material.8-10 layers at leastGosh. Wow.And then have that cut and polished.So it's just, you know, beautiful.So when you're printing it, is it printed a little larger?So you can sand it down?No, it's 1:1.It's a rough surface, but it doesn't really add much.It's just rough.Got it, got it.That's unbelievable.So much of this new technology.What else is Iron Head working on? That you can talk about?We've worked on AquamanWe didn't do Aquaman; we worked on Black Manta.It was a cool villainI like villains.Can't talk much about it.Other than, it's pretty cool.Oh!It's pretty solid. I can't wait for people to start seeing the imagery come out.Yeah, and then of course, there's imagery, and there's seeing this in person.And that's why it's so great seeing you at shows like DesignerConWhere we get to get up close with... wow.A real helmet, a beautiful propfrom MarvelThank you so much, Jose. It's great to see you again.Thanks.\n"