All Skiff images are copyright Polygram Pictures.

Skiff Tactical Transport
Photos by Mark Eichler
Web site by: Phil Broad
 

This plucky little transport is from the soon-to-be-released movie "Pitch Black".  It is apparently a tactical military shuttle designed for maximum utility and probably provides the films characters with their main source of transport.  That is, after something goes seriously wrong with the intergalactic mothership they are traveling on...

 These photos have been very kindly contributed to the Vault by Mark Eichler.
See Mark's description below about the film and his visit to the studio.
Thank you Mark!
 
 

A visit to Warner Bros Studios, Australia

My job sometimes takes me to Warner Bros Studios on the Gold Coast near where I live. They have a few props scattered around on display and one in particular has caught my eye. It’s a full-scale mock-up spacecraft called a “Skiff” from the new movie “Pitch Black” which was filmed in a desert near here. It’s on display for the trolley bus tours that constantly go through, however it seems the tourists are not allowed to approach it for a closer look. I spent quite a while examining the mock-up and it’s very impressive when seen first hand. I guessed at the time that it must be for a serious space film, at least this prop had the look of a high budget project anyway. So I snapped off the ten-photo survey of it you see above.

Description

This mock-up is not one sided, the interior and exterior are complete and detailed all the way around. It could be filmed from any angle. One wing has a damaged fabric skin exposing the wing frame; the other wing is completely missing, possibly because the truck driver dumped the main body too close to the trees for anyone to attach it afterwards. Its difficult to tell but I’d say its plywood construction generally (and possibly fiberglass parts) covered with a veneer that’s coming off in some places and painted much like a military helicopter. The side Perspex windows (on one side only) are there to cover the holes left by the removable panels for filming the interior cockpit and passenger sections. The panels are stashed inside.

The ship has been designed with only the one window (up front of course) and one ramp at the back, which has working hydraulic rams. A Perspex barrier blocks the ramp opening to prevent people from entering it. Unfortunately the reflections on the Perspex made it near impossible to get a decent interior shot. I walked up the ramp and held the camera up to the opening at the top and took a shot that was clear but aimed too low.

Engines

The engines feature two well-detailed exhaust nozzles with metal ribbing and hydraulic brake lines from a car, along with a circular array of plastic pipe fittings as smaller nozzles of some sort. Black spray paint gives it that burned look. Behind each nozzle there is a couple of silver painted plastic pump or filter housings where one has come loose. Both sides have open panels for showing engine detail with braided hose, mostly metal pipes and parts. It is very effective looking overall.
Interior: The interior is highly detailed throughout and quite realistic too. Two pilot’s seats up front and six sideways inwards facing passenger seats all complete with harnesses. It’s all there, hoses, gas canisters, rubber non-slip floor, sound proofing lining on the walls, and one fully detailed control panel up front with now-empty computer screen frames marked “Flight status”. The pilot seats were not just thrown together either, they were made of wood with a few gas canisters, joystick’s and mounted on rails to slide.  I can see a fair bit of time went into making them.

Exterior

The fuselage features inset climbing holes up the side. Moulded engine air intakes, which are obvious dead ends when seen first hand but not so obvious on film. Two landing skids and a somewhat hidden small one at the back. Four retractable downward thrust nozzles (the front right has broken off.) which most probably fold in and out on cue.  Because of this I assume it flies very much like a helicopter on film, only faster. The whole thing is painted like a military helicopter, with red trim and faint yellow “warning”, “danger” and “no-step” markings. There is a “Huey” helicopter from the film “Matrix” parked next to it and they look like they belong together.

The total completeness and realistic nature of this prop impressed me no end.
Its refreshing to see that the film-makers actually built the whole thing, instead of just partial cockpit sets and relying on computer graphics to do all the rest.

 The Movie

I was told by locals on the site that the first test audience didn’t like "Pitch Black" so the whole project got canned. However a second test audience did like it but by then it was too late. So I was told anyway, I’m sure the full story is more complicated than that.

I looked up “Pitch Black” on the Internet and discovered a couple of good web sites. If there is an “official site”, and I’m sure there is, I haven’t found it yet.
The best I found is Dark Horizons, it has pictures of scenes from the movie, and reviews etc.
Also look up Cinescape if you are keen.
 
 

Please contact Phil Broad if you have comments about these images or corrections to the information presented here via E-Mail.