Lobby Testors For A Science Fiction Line Of Paints!

i have tojump in to say that I too think this would be a bad marketing decision for the reasons previously mentoned.

Lots of royalty-driven items are currently collecting dust in back rooms.  Testors has a lot of lines of paint, and I use a lot of them, but I almost always custom mix my paint for jobs like this. Not to even mention the 'on screen" vs. "film studio" paint differences.

This would be an ultimate nice market; Gunze already does this for the Gundam line. Each kit, or series of kits, has its own box of "correct" colors, but I never paint Gundams the "right" color to begin with.

I can't see this being a good idea for Testor's. I love their paints, use them almost exclusively, and I don't want to see them take a hit on a bad business decision.

In addition to various reasons listed above, sci-fi models just don't sell as much as the more popular aircraft and armor kits. They'd be trying to sell to a much smaller market.

Additionally, I don't think most sci-fi modellers are sticklers for exacting colors. Its one of the reasons many of us build SF in the first place, because we're free to experiment. Also, a lot of SF kits are bought by kids who are just cutting their modeling teeth. Getting the seams to look right (or getting a spaceship you can play with) is more of a priority to them than exact color matches.

Lastly, I think anybody who really wants to make sure that they get the right Enterprise-D azteking colors has probably already done research on just that aspect of the build.

So really, it would only be a percentage of SF modelers who would buy the paints, reducing the demographic even more. I just can't see that being good business sense.

I would like Testor's to make some better flesh tones, or some weathering colors. If they could make colors similar to Tamiya's Buff, Deck Tan or Earth, that would rock!

Griffworks wrote:

Did you guys not read the part where it's mentioned that they would match exact color's or special-mix exact colors...?  Plus, not every Average Joe SciFi modeler knows the exact paint mixing ratios to get the hull color for the Millenium Falcon, Imperial Star Destroyer, Luke's Sandspeeder from ANH, TOS Enterprise, TMP Enterprise, TMP Klingon battlecruiser, etc...  From the sounds of it, these would be labeled so that most modelers could walk in to their LHS, scan the shelf and pick up those ST:TNG Enterprise-D hull colors and not have to mix anything.

There's a very basic problem with this, however - somebody's got to decide what those specific colors are - and there's no guarantee that they'll get it right.  Getting a color choice good enough for a printed color guide is one thing - but if you go as far as to sell specially-mixed paints - what happens if your targetting audience suddenly decides, as a group, that they don't like your choice?  A whole bunch of perfectly good paint gets wasted because the label says "Enterprise-D hull" instead of "Duck egg blue".  Likewise they'd face similar problems with unpopular subjects: their "Kazon Torpedo Hull" or "Romulan Scorpion Fighter" paint colors would be gathering dust on shelves, along with the respective kits.

And then there's another little problem: if Testor's were to suddenly start selling paints with colors like "Enterprise D hull", they'd probably have to start paying royalties. Is that really worth it? I can't see why it would be.

I don't think it'd be smart for Testor's to market a line of Sci-fi-specific paints - and if somebody's looking for an easy way to choose their paint colors, kits usually include a good color guide listing colors you can find in the store. The only way I see something like this working is for a kit manufacturer to bundle the paints with the kit - which for some people would be handy, of course - for me, it'd be a waste of money since I have certain preferences about what paints I use...

What's being proposed is a short cut for modelers.  Instead of having to do esoteric research on DaNet and having to go out and verify it - 'cause we all know that if you read it on the Internet than it must be true, so don't bother researching it any further! - independently via a number of other websites/resources.  You'd have "Empire Blue Gray" for your TIE Fighters, "Empire Battleship Gray" for your ISD, "Starship D - Part I"  or "Part II" for your Enterprise-D, etc... - and not have to try and figure mixing ratios, as I already mentioned.

Not every modeler out there has the time to do conceivably hours of research to find the FS#'s the studio model builders used, the mix ratios and all that.  Besides, there are similar lines of paints for all kinds of other models out there - such as what Testor's has in the way of WWII aircraft and ground vehicle specific color matches, or the Citadel line of paints for figures, etc...  Why should SciFi be any different?

If you want the accurate colors than look in a studio scale model forums like Resin Illumanati or RPF.

Paints are also mentioned on a number of the studio model sites.

EVERYTHING IS ALREADY IDENTIFIED INCLUDING MIX RATIOS. 

If you want accurate do the research it's all out there already.

Almost every model part used on the studio models has been ID'ed as well. 

RPF is one of the largest Prop and Model sites on the net and a number of people on there have either worked in movies or have access to inside info. 

I've spent vacation time at the the shop that used to make all the smaller hand props for Star Trek even worked on a few things for the show.

This paint conversion chart may make it easier for you.

Eric... 

Did you guys not read the part where it's mentioned that they would match exact color's or special-mix exact colors...?  Plus, not every Average Joe SciFi modeler knows the exact paint mixing ratios to get the hull color for the Millenium Falcon, Imperial Star Destroyer, Luke's Sandspeeder from ANH, TOS Enterprise, TMP Enterprise, TMP Klingon battlecruiser, etc...  From the sounds of it, these would be labeled so that most modelers could walk in to their LHS, scan the shelf and pick up those ST:TNG Enterprise-D hull colors and not have to mix anything.

Anyhow, thanks for the information, Mark!  Composing an email now!

ILM used off the shelf Floquil paints for the Star Wars Models, still available today.

Eric...