Behind The Scenes

TERMINATOR SALVATION - T-600 Blown Apart Puppet Rehearsal

For McG's TERMINATOR SALVATION, Stan Winston Studio created T-600 robot puppets, including a "blown apart" puppet as homage.

August 31, 2013
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TERMINATOR SALVATION - T-600 Blown Apart Puppet Rehearsal

Creating T-600 Puppets for Terminator Salvation

By Matt Winston

Terminator Salvation introduced a host of new Terminator models, from aquatic hydrobots to hulking T-600s, and director McG was eager to realize them using the same blend of Practical Effects and CGI that had given the cyborg assassins of the first three films their gritty, tactile realism.

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John Rosengrant and Christian Bale wrestle a Hydrobot puppet.(John Rosengrant and Christian Bale wrestle a Hydrobot puppet.)

New Terminators for a new Terminator film.(New Terminators for a new Terminator film.)

Making the T-800's Hulking Predecessor

In designing the T-600, the idea was to construct a much more primitive-looking character than the sleek T-800, T-1000, and T-X from the earlier films. Comparing Terminator evolution to human evolution, John Rosengrant, co-founder of Legacy Effects and 25-year Stan Winston Studio supervisor, said, "The T-600 was kind of the Neanderthal version" of the T-800.

Early T-600 rendering to get the feel of the character by Scott Patton.(Early T-600 rendering - by Scott Patton - to get the feel of the character.)

Completed T-600 head design.(Completed T-600 head design.)

Combining New and Old Techniques to Make the T-600

To give life to the T-600, the Stan Winston Studio crew, led by Rosengrant, relied on a combination of techniques, both old and new. "The [blown apart T-600] puppet was created as a rod puppet with RC head movement and jaw," said Rosengrant. "Where there were advancements with this puppet came really from new materials that were stronger and lighter. [The T-600's] hands were articulated cable-controlled hands. That technology hasn't really changed that much other than the look of it. But it's still very effective."

John Cherevka details damaged T-600 heads.(John Cherevka details damaged T-600 heads.)

David Merritt puppeteers the T-600's cable-controlled hand.(David Merritt puppeteers the T-600's cable-controlled hand.)

Choreographing the Puppet Performance for John Connor vs. T-600

But all the work that went into creating these new Terminators would have meant nothing if they weren't able to perform on set with the clock ticking and a brutal production schedule to keep up with. "We started rehearsing with Christian Bale's stunt double so that we would get this down before we worked with Christian on the day," recalled Rosengrant. "Like any puppet performance it becomes a matter of choreography and everybody getting very familiar with their role and what they have to add into it to bring it to life."

T-600 puppet rehearsal with Christian Bale's stunt double.(T-600 puppet rehearsal with Christian Bale's stunt double.)

Richard Landon, sitting, puppeteers the T-600's RC-controlled jaw.(Richard Landon, sitting, puppeteers the T-600's RC-controlled jaw.)

He'll Be Back

Their preparation paid off, resulting in one of Terminator Salvation's most memorable sequences. "John Connor (Christian Bale) thinks he's killed [the T-600]," recounted Rosengrant. "He empties the clip into it and then pushes it off of him, and then, in typical Terminator fashion, it comes back at him."

John Connor (Christian Bale) struggles with a tenacious T-600 puppet.(John Connor (Christian Bale) struggles with a tenacious T-600 puppet.)

Maintaining a Live-Action/CGI Blend for Terminator Salvation

"When we were first brought in by McG to work on Terminator Salvation, he was really a proponent of getting the live action," said Rosengrant. "He wanted to tie in his movie with the previous three so that there was a seamless connection to the past."

-Matt Winston

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