Alien Explorations: Alien: Building the Space Jockey in cockpit

leading from

Alien Production Timeline September 1978

and
Alien: The Space Jockey

and

Alien: Unlocking the design of the Space Jockey

work 380 "Pilot in Cockpit" by HR Giger

a) Planning to build the Space jockey

a.i) Making a model

On July 25th 1978, Giger had been working, in the Shepperton Studios car park hut.

He had been working with Peter Voysey on the model of the pilot, using plasticine.

Like all of the models, it would be in the scale of 1/25.

There were no objections coming from above, so they worked exactly from one of his designs.

a.ii) Ideas about how this pilot was presented

In the derelict vessel in the movie Alien, the remains of a huge alien pilot are found 'fossilised' into its chair.

Ridley Scott told Giger that he wanted to show the pilot of the space vessel and he should be installed in his operating position, sitting in front of his levers and his chair should be at the centre of this architectural curve that would be the pilots chamber.

This pilot was conceived as one of Giger's biomechanoids, attached to the sea so as to form one single unity.

(See also "Space Jockey Fused With The Chair" to read about the idea of the biomechanics)

a.iii) One set for two different scenes

For financial reasons, the background of the egg silo would serve as the cockpit as well.

He didn't find this to be reasonable, but he had to agree without argument that the two scenes would be shot on a single set.

The cockpit would have to be converted into the egg silo within a week.

a.iv) The broken floorboard

The broken floorboard which looks like a turntable is 1.50 meters (five feet) above the floor.

In the original script the egg silo would be below the cockpit so that one of the holes in the floorboard would act as a way down for the astronauts into the silo below,

In his seat in the centre of the 'turntable' is the pilot, standing altother with his telescope eight metres (26 feet tall) with an internal framework of steel tubing to ensure stability.

HR Giger: 25th JULY 1978. Shepperton Studios car park. Working with Voysey on the model of the pilot, for which we shall use plasticine again. Like all models, this one will only be to a scale of 1/25. We've had no objections from above, so we're working exactly from my designs. The pilot is conceives as one of my biomechanoids, attached to the seat so as to form one single unit. Once again, for financial reasons, the background of the egg silo has got to serve as the cockpit as well, This doesn't strike me as reasonable, but then I had to agree without argument that two scenes will be shot on a single set. The cockpit will have to be converted into the egg silo within a week. The broken floorboard, which looks like a turntable, is some 1.50 metres (five feet) above the floor. In the original script the eggsilo was immediately below the cockpit, so that one of these holes in the floorboard acts as a way down for the astronaut into the regions below him (plates 377a and b). In his seat in the centre of the 'turntable' is the pilot, eight metres (26 feet) tall; he has an internal framework of steel tubing to ensure stability(Giger's Alien p34) (N.B. The height of the space jockey as eight metres tall refers to the sculpture with telescope as a whole which is a mistake that some people make)
Ridley Scott: J'ai simplement dit à Giger que je voulais montrer le pilote de vaisseau, et qu'il devait être encore installé à son poste de commande, assis devant ses manettes, et que son fauteuil devait se trouver au centre de cette architecture courbe. (Ecran Fantastique Hors Serie #20, 2012, p13) (Google Translation Ridley Scott: I just told Giger that I wanted to show the vessel's pilot, and should be already installed in its operating position, sitting in front of his levers, and his chair should be at the center of this architecture curve.)

b) Peter Voysey working on the maquett of the Space Jockey in his chair (377O, p37, Giger's Alien)

c) Building the space jockey

On September 22nd, the construction of the Space Jockey goes ahead in Stage A.

The semi circular bakcground and props are already in position.

Peter Voysey had made a clay model of the pilot and the back of the seat,

As usual, a red plaster cast is taken from it and it used to make a polyester positive.

The remaining sections of the seat and telescope are cut from styrofoam or moulded in plastic foam.

Giger observed how all these different jobs went ahead together.

He found it as a pleasure to work with this crew who were all skillful, exact and always civil and cheerful

Brian Muir who was a significant part of the team, had watched Giger struggle with some of the more frustrating elements of the film making process.

He noticed that Giger was pleased with their work and he found Giger to be a pleasant man.

HR Giger: 22 September 1978, Shepperton Studios. The construction is going ahead in Stage A. The semi circular background and props are already in position. Voysey has made a clay model of the pilot and the back of the seat on his own (plates 380g and f). As usual, a red plaster cast is taken from it (plates 38oh and i), which is used for a polyester positive (plates 380k. The remaining sections of the seat and of the telescope are cut from styrofoam or moulded in plastic foam (plates 380p and q). All these different jobs go ahead together. It is a pleasure to work with the production crew, who are skillful, exact and always civil and cheerful. (Giger's Alien p34)
Brian Muir: The jockey was modeled in clay, and then cast in clear resin. When finished it stood a remarkable 28 feet tall. Although Giger struggled with some of the more frustrating-elements of the film making process, he was pleased with our work and I found him to be a very pleasant man (Scifi Now #52 2011, p115 & In the shadow of Vader by Brian Muir, p37)

e) Construction of plaster casts of pilot.

e.i) Clay model of the pilot and back of the seat by Peter Voysey (377F, p36, Giger's Alien)

e.ii) Photograph from Giger's Alien Diaries, which looks as if could be the same photograph as above but more brown in colour

e.iii) Clay Space jockey

e.iv) Construction of plaster casts of pilot. The pilot being covered in red plaster (377G, p36, Giger's Alien)

e.v) Workmen covering the space jockey in plaster

e.vi) Workmen covering the space jockey in plaster

e.v) Construction of plaster casts of pilot (377H, p36, Giger's Alien)

e.vi) Construction of plaster casts of pilot (377I, p36 Giger's Alien)

e.vii ) Space jockey mould

f) Constructing the alien pilot in chair

f.i) The telescope with Mae West mouth

f.ii) Lower end of the telescope

f.iii) Pilot in transparent polyester (377K, p36, Giger's Alien)

f.iv) Photograph showing the larger area as seen in Giger's Alien Diaries

f.v) Space jockey behind the telescope

f.vi) Styrofoam work on the telescope (377P, p37, Giger's Alien)

f.vii) Brian Muir "Carving section of Space Jockey in polystyrene" (https://www.brianmuirvadersculptor.com/alien.html)

f.viii) Styrofoam work on the telescope (377R, p37 Giger's Alien)

f.ix) Space Jockey without base or platform

h) Space Jockey with platform

h.i construction work on cockpit (377A, p35 Giger's Alien)

h.ii) The space jockey being turned around by men using ropes

h.iii) construction work on cockpit with scaffolding (377B, p35, Giger's Alien)

h.iv) Space Jockey set with scaffolding

i) Coming to paint the Space jockey

i.i) Creating a skin for the the space jockey's head

Giger went to work on the head on 25th which was the day before they would start filming it/

To make things easier for the painters, a scaffold was erected around the figure. .

He found that he couldn't move enough on the scaffold and work directly on the pilot's head sitting down. struggling to keep his balance

He had coated the transparent body of the Space Jockey with a sepia glaze and when the glaze is dried, he puts a coat of rubber latex on it.

First the latex liquid was like milk but when it dried, it became a transparent skin.

He rubs latex against the polyester with his fingers, and when it dries, smoothes it down here and there with his hands, and then with his fingers rubs holes in the dried latex.

What he was aiming at was the impression of porous skin,

While he makes his 'cosmetic' improvements, to the pilot, the painters give a final polish to the telescope

i.ii) Painting the cockpit with Ken Hill's crew

On September 27th, HR Giger painted the cockpit with the help of Ken Hill's crew.

He used a very watery sepia paint and sprayed some white on the upper parts

Peter Voysey came to attach the helmet and worked on the hole in the chest of the space jockey.

(NB The Helmet for the space jockey, although it appeared in the original artwork, it must have been taken off when it was filmed.)

HR Giger: September 27, 1978. Painted the cockpit with Ken Hill's crew. P.Voysey attached the helmet and worked on the hole in the chest of the space jockey. I used very watery sepia paint and sprayed some white on the upper parts. (English translation in Giger's Alien diaries)

i.iii) Alterations on September 29th

They were still filming the Space Jockey scene on September 29th in the A stage.

For the closeups, the space jockey's head needs to be reworked better.

So he climbs up and squats on the figure working on the head

Here he would go as far as with his fingers rubbing holes into the latex and so this reworking would gives the character a mummy like quality.

At 1pm, they look at the rushes.

He thought that it looked especially good when the projection light was made darker. (NB Going by the original German text the projection light was made darker but then the translation in the diary says it;s when the projection light is turned on)

The scene has a quality going into the realm of the super-real,

HR Giger: 25 September 1978, Shepperton Studios The pilot in the seat has been mounted on the set and is now lifted on to the turntable by the scaffolding workers with the help of a block and tackle. To make things easy for the painters, a scaffold is erected round the figure (plates 377b, 380n). I can't move about enough on the scaffold and work directly on the pilot's head sitting down. Struggling a bit to keep my balance, I coat the transparent body with a sepia glaze, and when the glaze is dry put a coat of rubber latex on it. The latex is liquid, like milk. When it dries it becomes a thin, transparent skin, and I smooth it down here and there with my hand. What I'm aiming at is the impression of a porous decayed skin. While I'm making the last 'cosmetic' improvements to the pilot, the painters give a final polish to the telescope - and none too soon; they are actually starting to film tomorrow. It's so difficult, so tiresome to achieve one's best work under all this pressure of time. (Giger's Alien p38)
HR Giger: Freitag 29h Sept 1978. Im A Stage wird immer noch der Cockpit gefilmt. Für die close-ups muss der Kopf des Spacejockey besser überarbeitet werden. Ich hocke auf der Figur streiche mit den Fingern Latex an den Polyester. In den getrockneten Latex reibe ich mich den Fingern Löcher. Dies Überarbeitung gibt der Figur mumienhaftes. Um 1 h sehen wir uns die Rushes an. Es sieht gut aus Vor allem wenn das Projektionaslicht etwas dunkler geschaltet wird erhält die Szenen etwas überwirkliches (Giger's Alien diaries)
(Google Translaton: Friday September 1978.The cockpit is still being filmed in the A Stage. For the close-ups, the space jockey's head needs to be reworked better. I squat on the figure and rub latex against the polyester with my fingers. I rub holes in the dried latex with my fingers. This rework gives the character a mummy-like quality. At 1 o'clock we look at the rushes. It looks good Especially when the projection light is turned a bit darker, the scenes get something super-real.)
(Translation published in the diaries book: September 29, 1978. The are still filming the cockpit in the A stage. For closeups, the head of the space jockey had to be reworked. I rubbed holes with my fingers in the dried latex. This makes the figure look like a mummy. At 1pm, we look at the rushes, This something transcendant about the scenes especially when the projection light is turned on.)