Tentarcticles (Mesonychoteuthis / Colossal Squid)

Clem · Oct 2, 2003

Steve,

Will that maquette be used as physical reference model for some nifty digital animation?

Clem

Steve O'Shea · Oct 2, 2003

.... Hmmmmm, I was a bit naughty posting those online, coz now people are going to ask questions ....

It is a template in the making for a life-sized robotic Meso, but as we're not prepared to let our Meso out of the office (to get it covered in dust, and played with by all and sundry, as a reference specimen), and because it is damaged, the maquette is a work in prep. The nuchal cartilage/fushion, and two areas where the mantle fuses to the funnel, need to be added to the model, the arms trimmed to their appropriate lengths, then built up and endowed with their suckers and hooks, the eyes need the lenses (and a little more work), but in general, bearing in mind this is the earliest stage in a model's construction, it is not looking that bad at all. Mk I was hilarious ... a bad dream!

For those of you who have no experience making one of these things, or with special effects crews, the final Meso will not be an inflexible hunk of green foam, and the arms will not be strands of wire. We'll post the next stage online soon (it is developing away nicely).

Cheers
O

Tintenfisch · Oct 21, 2003

Hi gang,
We've just been out to the studio where they're building the models and filming the Face Off series. They've made the full-size polystyrene model now and wanted us to take a look at it... I guess all I will say is, we were impressed.

Everyone should have one!

Tintenfisch · Oct 21, 2003

Here are a few more...

Tintenfisch · Oct 21, 2003

... and a few other models they've made for this series.

um... · Oct 21, 2003

all around. The eyes are that big? Wow.

Thanx for sharing.

Clem · Oct 21, 2003

Tintenfisch,

That's really something. When will it start to move?

Also: where's the animatronic penguin?

Clem

Phil · Oct 21, 2003

Clem said:
Also: where's the animatronic penguin?

That is a good point. Do we get an animatronic Patagonian Toothfish too?

Seriously, this animal looks utterly terrifying. Has the model been made to the estimated fully grown adult size of Mesonychoteuthis? It looks larger than the photos I have seen of your specimen.

Are the eyes really that large? Or will they be covered in a fleshy membrane which will reduce the appearance of the overall size?

Tintenfisch · Oct 21, 2003

Phil said:
Are the eyes really that large? Or will they be covered in a fleshy membrane which will reduce the appearance of the overall size?

Oh, they're that large, all right. Can you imagine looking into a live one?! And this model was built to the specs of our specimen from April - DML is about 2.7m, and we do believe it could grow to 4m. So... this is just a baby.

um... · Oct 22, 2003

At last, science discovers eyes that actually fit Elton John's sunglasses.

Steve O'Shea · Oct 22, 2003

They're pretty far out (those eyes). We've had to 'scale them' from a small Mesonychoteuthis (mantle length ~ 0.9 m) [this had HUGE eyes], and from another, similar looking cranchiid squid, Teuthowenia pellucida, because the eyes on the large brute we had earlier this year were missing/extensively damaged. The animal you see is a composite squid, but until we see it live, in situ, we'll not be able to do anything else.

There is so much work that still needs to be done to that model; an edited pic attached will give you an idea what happens next.

The eye lens (a substantial bulbous dome - probably a little too large as illustrated in yellow - in reality will be a clear dome) will protrude from the flattened face of the eye. The mantle and funnel both need to be excavated (black), and the hooks and suckers attached to the face of the arms. The tentacles on the model need to be thinned somewhat, and a webbing between the base of the 3rd and 4th arms run around the base of the tentacle. I'm rather limited in my choice of colours, and what can be done (on MS Paint ... obviously I don't have a career in computer graphics), but the whole thing will be painted, with a surface texture on the mantle much like an orange skin.

In 'at work.3' I've shortened the arms (the strings you see in the original are just to hold the animal together; the arms terminate at length ~ as shown).

They'll make a resin cast of this puppy yet - a couple of days away we should have the next stage ready to show you.