Lifesize busts - How are the characters chosen?

I couldn't find anything about the selection process of the lifesize busts but apologies if I have missed a thread that addresses this.
Who decides on the characters chosen top become the next lifesize bust and from whom do they take advice?
Why are some of the more obscure characters produced before some of the main characters? Will a human likeness every be tackled or does the level of difficulty of achieving a really good likeness mean that human characters will be avoided?
A final question, unless I am wrong, all of the lifesize busts thus far have been from the original trilogy with the exception of Darth Maul. Was he done due to his iconic status and therefore commercial value and will any more characters from the first three episodes be coming along soon?
Loads of questions I know but I was wondering.

CaptainCaveTroll said:

I couldn't find anything about the selection process of the lifesize busts but apologies if I have missed a thread that addresses this.
Who decides on the characters chosen top become the next lifesize bust and from whom do they take advice?
Why are some of the more obscure characters produced before some of the main characters? Will a human likeness every be tackled or does the level of difficulty of achieving a really good likeness mean that human characters will be avoided?
A final question, unless I am wrong, all of the lifesize busts thus far have been from the original trilogy with the exception of Darth Maul. Was he done due to his iconic status and therefore commercial value and will any more characters from the first three episodes be coming along soon?
Loads of questions I know but I was wondering.

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General Grievous was also done.

They throw darts at a board. My only guess because they produced the a nus mouthed Figrin D'an instead of someone cool like Dooku or Luke.

I've always thought that they went for aliens (and now helmeted characters) because they look cool and distinctive, because you don't have to be too careful about the likeness, and because it can be difficult to do realistic paint jobs for humans. A paint job that looks okay on a PF or 1/6 scale figure will look like crap when it's 1:1. You really have to step it up, and that would be hard in a factory environment.

Also, I think people are more open to life size statues like these than if they were realistic versions of the human actors, since there would be a bit of a creep factor in having a bunch of realistic human heads and shoulders in your collection.

I don't buy 1:1 statues anymore, but if I did I don't think I'd want human characters like Obi-wan, Luke or Leia, for all of the reasons above. I don't think they could pull it off well, and even if they did I'm not sure it's something I'd want to buy.

icruise said:

I don't buy 1:1 statues anymore, but if I did I don't think I'd want human characters like Obi-wan, Luke or Leia, for all of the reasons above. I don't think they could pull it off well, and even if they did I'm not sure it's something I'd want to buy.

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Well I think if they could do it good I would love to have the ANH 4 (ben, Han, Luke & Leia) in life-size bust form... But that would only be if they could make it really realistic and not, as you said, what they do with their PF's. More like what HT does with their 1:6 figures.

No darts(too dangerous in this ball-less PC society). They use "Breck's technique"from Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Take a book of the characters,open it and turn the pages 3 times, then(without looking)put your right index finger on the page.Whatever your finger lands on is it(If you fall between 2,goto Plan b and flip a coin).Does this help?...PS

The thing is they have tackled 'human' characters, such as Brando's Godfather, Ardeth Bey, Lugosi's Dracula, ... and while the likeness on some is debatable, they gave it a go. Why not try a Han or Luke? Maybe take more time getting the likeness right and then increase the edition size as it surely would be a red hot seller.

The Godfather and Scarface are the only human characters I can think of off the top of my head that involve actor likenesses without any additional makeup or coloring, and I don't personally think they came out very well.

But who knows? Maybe there are other issues as well, like likeness rights.

Take a look a the Obi-Wan LSB it looks nothing like him. Imagine that fail in lifesize...yuck!

DarthTrafford said:

Take a look a the Obi-Wan LSB it looks nothing like him. Imagine that fail in lifesize...yuck!

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Very true. Then if this is really the case then the line has no real legs to stand on. Obscure five second aliens will just sit and rot in SS's warehouses. No matter how much of a following the minor background aliens have.

It depends on whoo they hire for the sculpt. Howard snenft who has done several of the busts has sculpted an excellent obi wan and han solo busts.

It probably has allot to do with likeness rights.

I know at one point Sideshow said that they liked to focus on Aliens and unique looking characters for their 1:1 bust series. I think they may have at one time even said that they would not be doing human characters in 1:1.

The only close exceptions so far have been the switch-out Anakin portrait and Emperor. But those are pretty messed-up and distorted looking face so I think it still fits w/in the rules.