By Allen Voivod
If you were a fan of '80s movies, one of your favorites was undoubtedly Top Gun. That's the one featuring a hotshot pilot, call sign "Maverick," training with the best of the best at the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School. It was an adrenaline-fueled adventure, featuring some of the most amazing aerial footage ever filmed for the big screen!
Soon, we’ll all be heading back into the danger zone with Top Gun: Maverick, the highly-anticipated sequel to the iconic original, which hits theatres May 27, 2022. And what better way to join the fun than to get our own global jetsetter in to the action: Barbie! She feels the need for speed as she embodies the determination of Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, a character in the new movie. Phoenix is a supremely confident and capable pilot at the fiercely competitive Top Gun flight school.
Barbie Signature members had an exclusive first-access opportunity to land the Top Gun: Maverick Barbie Doll. (Not a member? Learn more and join today!) Now, she's available to all in the Mattel Creations shop.
Dressed in her pilot’s helmet with true-to-movie details and a jumpsuit bearing signature patches, Top Gun: Maverick Barbie Doll captures the effortless cool of this brave character. Sleek aviator sunglasses, dog tags, and a watch complete her flight-ready look.
Getting the details right on a doll like this is key. "We try to make sure the costume looks as close to the original reference as possible," Principal Product Designer Bill Greening says. "We wanted to make sure her flight helmet looks accurate and include other details like her dog tag. Her hair was also an important detail, and we tried to make her bun as her small and tight as possible. We also wanted to put her on an articulated body for those collectors who like to de-box and pose their dolls."
Whip-smart and talented, the character known by the callsign "Phoenix" commands the respect of her fellow pilots while conquering barriers in and out of the sky. To photograph a doll inspired by this character, we needed a set that was equally as impressive. So Senior Set Designer Lars Auvinen and Photo/Videographer Paul Jordan collaborated on one of our largest photo sets yet – an epic scale model aircraft carrier!
The carrier took more than two weeks to design and build this set for the shoot. It's 20 feet long, and more than seven feet across at its widest point. It features three airplane elevators, two launching catapults (with steam effects!), and a tower from which daily activities on the flight deck are coordinated.
"This miniature set is as unique as the real aircraft carrier flight decks," Lars reveals. "I designed a forced perspective set so that we can see all the daily operations on the flight deck – launching aircraft, landing aircraft, and directing flight deck traffic."
Here's the part, though, that will really blow your mind: "The foreground set (near camera) is in Barbie scale which is 1:6 and descends to 1:128 by the far end of the flight deck. In other words, the far end of the flight deck had three-inch fighter jets while the fighter jets near Barbie were 26 inches long," Lars explains. "Throughout the set, the scale of the jets and vehicles decreased in size as it moved further from camera. I had to lay out the flight deck design in the computer and then calculate the forced perspective. Then, I modified the deck shape to show the overwhelming size of those ships."
"The goal is always to make the images as life-like as possible," Paul adds. "We achieve this by making the photo as relatable to the original inspiration as possible. And lighting is also key. People's visual senses are not easily fooled. If something isn’t quite right, then the picture will seem unbelievable."
When the doll comes in for a landing to your collection, it'll arrive in a film-inspired doll box from Packaging Designer Sal Velazquez that’s ideal for display and gifting. She makes a great gift for Top Gun and Barbie fans – and it turns out we have fans of both on our team as well!
"I was in college when the first Top Gun movie was released," Paul recalls. "I remember sitting in the theater awestruck by the realism in all of the action scenes. So yes! I cannot wait to see the new film. I’m sure it will be quite the ride, or flight in this case."
All right, now that you've had your briefing, you're cleared for takeoff! It's clear skies ahead for your flight to the Mattel Creations shop and the Top Gun: Maverick Barbie Doll.
TM & © 2021 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
-
2
Recommended Comments
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.