Hey guys,

I've been tasked with designing an analog commerical airline cockpit (i.e. 747, though exact model is unspecified) with a rear nav station for a very small independent movie. The story takes place in 1974 and therefore the entire unit should be vintage/analog, if possible. Now for the hard part: I have about 4 weeks & $3k to design a superficial set that only needs to LOOK authentic.

Again, it's merely a fabrication-- a shell of a cockpit that looks good enough to fool (very critical & intelligent) audiences. I don't need working gauges, needles or simulators (we can green-screen FX those in post production, I'm told), though it would be great if we could have the ability to backlight some/all of the gauges (or if you have easy/cheap ideas for creating gauges that one can manipulate, I'm all ears!).

Particularly, I'm looking for advice on faking seats, steering wheels, yokes and wall textures-- as well as finding matching sets of vintage gauges.  I realize it's a tall order on such a budget and time constraint...

The exact dimensions we will likely fiddle with to compensate for camera men/lighting, etc, but do you guys have any advice on how to fake or where to find accurate-looking gauges and wall textures, etc? We're looking for the cheapest options possible but it will be the highest definition photography, so painted cardboard may appear to be no more than just that, unfortunately. 

Any and all advice would be EXTREMELY helpful. I really appreciate you guys taking a look at this. I truly admire that great amount of detailed information many of you have already posted on this site!

Thank you so much for your time!

Matt

Thanks for the vote of confidence there Shane, but I've worked on some movie sets/shoots in the past........ and with the description Matt gives above...... my setup won't pass the test even on a long shot.

Matt.... if you really mean the "fool the highly critical eye" comment above,..... it is certainly doable... but you probably want to add a zero to the budget figure you quoted.

Get your set designer looking at cockpits on Airliners.net.

There are suppliers of all of that kind of fake aircraft panels and guages and such ........perfect copies...... ....and you could have much of what you need shipped almost overnight..... BUT it is going to cost you. Cost you a LOT.  Go down to the "Homebuild Cockpits" section of SimV and have a look around.  You'll get ideas and see what is possible.

Some people's work is about indestinguishable from the real thing or a Level D simulator (the real simulators).  Maybe ask one of them for a price to help you out.  But if they were using commercial panels... it'll totally bust the budget.

My suggestion is to search the web for the keywords "simpit" and "747-200" (about right vintage) and see who shows up.  And then see if they will rent their pit to you for the shoot.  But once again....... I don't think your budget would cover what most people would ask to move a simpit.

I know that if you said to me, "Your setup is perfect...... can we move it on location?"  (and I KNOW that my pite is NOT... it is not a 747 for one simpe thing)............. $3000 would not even get my attention.  It'd be a HUGE project o disassemble and move it.

Static backlit gauges can be nothing more than laser or inkjet transparencies backlit with a sheet of white paper and white leds.  Gauges can be nothing more than computer graphics on a monitor hiding behind MDF and masonite facings.

If you are needing this for shots "in the air" you are going to need some gauges and indicators that are "active".  Stuff like the Ellie Avionics stand alone PFD / ND. and standby gauges might be useful for creating that "in flight" look of slight changes happening.

A good set designer can build the whole thing out of plywood, MDF, and masonite and a lot of toggle switches from Radio Shack and be pretty convincing.  Add the correct color and shape knobs and switch coverings from the simpit suppliers that specialize in that stuff (see the stickies at the top of the Homebuilt section) ...and it gets better.

Finding vintage gauges and panels is not cheap.  The simpit market has resulted in the boneyards finding a new market for what used to be useless junk.  Now it is expensive useless junk  .  Ditto for old cockpit shells, seats, and so on.

Hope this helps Matt, but is not too depressing.

best,

....................john

For $3K you might be better off finding a mothballed 747 you can rent or get permission to use where it is, or at least the nose from one.