Nostromo terminals from the film Alien

[Kryten]

Hi all.

I'm interested in displaying the font used in those terminals just for my
own project.
It might be fun to add this slightly strange font and see people wonder
where they have seen it before.

I'm assuming they were actually real terminals, perhaps modified slightly.

I wonder if any one in this group recognises those terminals or their font?

I could try reproducing the font myself but obviously it would be less work
if I could scrounge the font data from somewhere.

Perhaps some special-effects fans might point me in the right direction?


Thanks in advance.

 

[Rich Grise]

I'm interested in displaying the font used in those terminals just for my
own project.
It might be fun to add this slightly strange font and see people wonder
where they have seen it before.
I'm assuming they were actually real terminals, perhaps modified slightly.
I wonder if any one in this group recognises those terminals or their font?
I could try reproducing the font myself but obviously it would be less work
if I could scrounge the font data from somewhere.
Perhaps some special-effects fans might point me in the right direction?

Perhaps there's a link somewhere for those of us who don't have a video
library like some people's? (i.e., how about a picture of what you're
trying to do?)

I seriously doubt if anything you see on a terminal in a movie that old is
displayed on an actual terminal, on location, in the shot.

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Kryten]

Perhaps there's a link somewhere for those of us who don't have a video
library like some people's? (i.e., how about a picture of what you're
trying to do?)

I don't have a video library either (though I may well buy the Alien DVD).
I got some pretty good images here:

http://www.markta.co.uk/alien/chapter09.htm
http://www.markta.co.uk/alien/chapter01.htm

The character cell seems about 12 pixels high,
2 scan lines for descenders and
2 scan lines for the underline bar.

It also seems to be a proportional spaced font.

I seriously doubt if anything you see on a terminal in a movie that old is
displayed on an actual terminal, on location, in the shot.

I think it is from around 1979, so terminals should be around by then.
Though proportional fonts would be very rare.

I had my project displaying the text from the Nostromo self-destruct
sequence (in throbbing red and yellow on black. Amused me to see that on my
TV screen.

 

[Lewin A.R.W. Edwards]

I seriously doubt if anything you see on a terminal in a movie that old is

I think it is from around 1979, so terminals should be around by then.
Though proportional fonts would be very rare.

At an educated guess, these graphics were custom CGI, not a standard
ROMmed terminal font. Recall from the film that a gold selection underline
moved amongst various menu items, which remained green. Text-mode
terminals of the era were fixed character cell, had color resolution only
down to the character cell, not the individual pixel level, and you would
clearly have been able to see the pixelization in the frames. Certainly
you would have been able to see them in the printed film book. I owned
that book, and you couldn't

The wireframe CGI effects in Alien were done by Systems Simulation Ltd.
(London). The text stuff was probably done in spare time by the same
people.

 

[Kryten]

At an educated guess, these graphics were custom CGI

I concur.

Recall from the film that a gold selection underline
moved amongst various menu items, which remained green. Text-mode
terminals of the era were fixed character cell, had color resolution only
down to the character cell, not the individual pixel level, and you would
clearly have been able to see the pixelization in the frames.

Hmm, I think a coloured cursor is certainly possible in hardware.
My project currently inverts colour under the hardware cursor/crosshair, but
it could equally well select a particular colour.

you would have been able to see them in the printed film book. I owned
that book, and you couldn't

Why not? Was it not available in the UK?

The wireframe CGI effects in Alien were done by Systems Simulation Ltd.
(London). The text stuff was probably done in spare time by the same
people.

These guys you mean?
http://www.ssl.co.uk/

Thanks. Maybe if I write to them nicely they might help :-/

I don't recall that stuff, maybe I should buy the DVD and look out for it...

My project also does graphics, so maybe I could emulate that CGI as well.

 

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

Hi all.

I'm interested in displaying the font used in those terminals just for my
own project.
It might be fun to add this slightly strange font and see people wonder
where they have seen it before.

I'm assuming they were actually real terminals, perhaps modified slightly.

I wonder if any one in this group recognises those terminals or their font?

I could try reproducing the font myself but obviously it would be less work
if I could scrounge the font data from somewhere.

Perhaps some special-effects fans might point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance.

I think that font will be included in your next Windows XP service pack.
The one that Microsoft will ship to you inside a large, leathery, egg
shaped container.

;-)

 

[Kryten]

I think that font will be included in your next Windows XP service pack.
Cool.

The one that Microsoft will ship to you inside a large, leathery, egg
shaped container.

Arriving this Easter perhaps?

I'll just get my landlord to open it.

<passes torch, hides under the bed!>