ANOVOS CEO interview @ SWCA

[tkrestonva[TK]]

Another SWCA interview with some interesting details on how ANOVOS did it vs how it was done in the film.

 

[Thomas Marinone]

Thank you for the input,look forward to the end of the year...movie & armor

[Anson Trask]

So, final verdict: Is the $1200 Premium "Completed Ensemble" ANOVOS offering 501st-approvable, so long as the wearer adds the appropriate footwear & / or weapon?

[svache[501st]]

So, final verdict: Is the $1200 Premium "Completed Ensemble" ANOVOS offering 501st-approvable, so long as the wearer adds the appropriate footwear & / or weapon?

 

You mean the ANH TK, and not the TFA?

 

Either way, in both situations the answer would be: it depends on a case-by-case base. No armor is approved out of the box. This is likely even more true when you buy it pre-assembled because it may not be fitting correctly to your body, and that is one of the things the 501st looks at with approvals.

 

The thing with the Anovos ANH TK is that nobody has seen that armor yet, and as such it would be a risk for the buyer to purchase. We don't know how, for example, accurate the bucket will be. If they went with a bucket that is inaccurate of proportions, you will likely not be able to get it approved. 

 

Right now, nobody knows, only after we see the actual armor (which (hopefully) will be in the winter, we can for certain if the armor can be approved at all, if build and worn correctly. But right now, nobody knows anything yet.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

You mean the ANH TK, and not the TFA?

 

Either way, in both situations the answer would be: it depends on a case-by-case base. No armor is approved out of the box. This is likely even more true when you buy it pre-assembled because it may not be fitting correctly to your body, and that is one of the things the 501st looks at with approvals.

 

The thing with the Anovos ANH TK is that nobody has seen that armor yet, and as such it would be a risk for the buyer to purchase. We don't know how, for example, accurate the bucket will be. If they went with a bucket that is inaccurate of proportions, you will likely not be able to get it approved. 

 

Right now, nobody knows, only after we see the actual armor (which (hopefully) will be in the winter, we can for certain if the armor can be approved at all, if build and worn correctly. But right now, nobody knows anything yet.

 

When they say 501st approvable they mean basic. FX with an approved helmet is 501st basic approvable. This means nothing really. For $350 if it's better than FX than it's a plus. If it can made to be EIB or Centurion without too much updating and $ than it's a steel. Time will tell.

[jacen66]

I just happened to be working the anovos pannel at C7 and was able to speak with both guys that run the company, very nice guys.I specificly asked if the price point for the TFA kit would be simular to the ANH kit. He said that the ANH is being made in China, and at least for now the TFA would be made in USA. That is the main reason for the large difference in price at this time. I ordered the ANH kit, I hope that they have good quality contol in China.

[TK4205]

 I heard a lot of things too. I was told by the boss that the TFA was mass produced in China as well. I think that the only things coming out of China are the ANOVOS helmets. 

I was also told that this new ANH stormtrooper was produced from the best parts from all of the "known Kits", a mishmash of ten different stormtroopers. 

 

I mentioned to the boss that the flashing was not cut on the EP7 kit, which producers do to discourage recasting, and was told that they had disney behind them to sue any recaster. 

OK, so they have a handle on this new kit, Good on them, They worked hard for it and have a right to protect their investment. I don't blame them.

 

But what about the ANH? Especially if it was recasted from existing suppliers. Would that give them licence to stop everyone else from producing an ANH kit?

If they can produce a good kit at the price they promised, I guess it's a moot point; the others will eventually go out of business.. But if it's recast garbage, I don't want it to be the only option.

[svache[501st]]

I was told by the boss that the TFA was mass produced in China as well.

Maybe in the future, but the current batches are coming from California instead. The supplier posted this on FB more than once

 

I was also told that this new ANH stormtrooper was produced from the best parts from all of the "known Kits", a mishmash of ten different stormtroopers. 

 

...

 

But what about the ANH? Especially if it was recasted from existing suppliers. Would that give them licence to stop everyone else from producing an ANH kit?

If they can produce a good kit at the price they promised, I guess it's a moot point; the others will eventually go out of business.. But if it's recast garbage, I don't want it to be the only option.

I'm not sure if all this should be too much of a worry. Dean has been saying before in the ANH Anovos thread that their ANH suits would built for wearability rather than accuracy... for all we know, it may need mods in order to get it accurate and approvable.

[TK4205]

No doubt. In my experience, pro vac shops pay more attention to easy demolding rather than what needs to look right. 

 

I didn't need to read anything but the plastic to know the who-what-when-and-where. When Paul and I opened the box, I pulled out a piece, flipped it over to check out the return edges and knew who's vac table it came off of.  I even matched up the flashing to clone scraps I had from the last clone I built.

 

Remember the FX and how it was formed? You can tell that it came from a commercial shop, with about 10 mercury (vac pressure).

[svache[501st]]

lol I never worked with his armor before, so I didn't know. I initially heard it from someone else, and then saw it confirmed on various FB channels (which, in a way, kind of irked me considering we were under NDA and things were said we weren't allow to speak of ourselves).