How to replicate the origami figures in Blade Runner

March 10, 2016 6:28 AM

Kenneth Thompson searched the internet to find a place to purchase one of Gaff's unicorns from Blade Runner, and when he couldn't find any he decided to make it himself. And while he does sell them, he has provided free instructions and videos to help anyone make their own Blade Runner origami unicorn or chicken. Includes bonus matchstick man instructions.
posted by Room 641-A (32 comments total)

Technically you can still purchase the collector's edition of the movie (I have the HD-DVD version haha) that comes in a briefcase and includes a plastic model of the unicorn as well as bunch of other stuff, but this is cooler and much cheaper. Although the briefcase also has a model of the cop car and... a plastic briefcase.
posted by Huck500 at 6:55 AM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

I believe that cutting off a bit of your origami paper and re-attaching it is very bad form.
posted by Major Tom at 7:00 AM on March 10, 2016 [10 favorites]

This is another one of those "what the internet is for" sites. This guy is doing important work.
posted by phunniemee at 7:09 AM on March 10, 2016 [4 favorites]

I've folded things you people wouldn't believe. Cranes in flight off the coast of Hokkaido. I wet-folded Canson paper gorillas on the dark paper near the Tokyo Gate Bridge. All those models will be collapsed in folds, like creases...in...paper.
posted by leotrotsky at 7:25 AM on March 10, 2016 [34 favorites]

Wow. Let's show how to make meh Origami but you know, blade runner!
posted by clavdivs at 7:29 AM on March 10, 2016

includes a plastic model of the unicorn

Why would you do this, Warner Brothers?
posted by beerperson at 7:40 AM on March 10, 2016

Yeah, I was super excited about this (I'm trying to do a origami model each day this year) and BLADE RUNNER UNICORN OMG!!1 but then when I saw the diagram-- 2 sheets of paper and a chunk glued on?-- I was disappointed. There are other unicorn models out there that I think could be engineered to be close. Will investigate.
posted by Capybara at 8:00 AM on March 10, 2016 [6 favorites]

The second I saw the cutting and attaching instructions, I figured this would go like any other nerdy obsessive pursuit.

Put the instructions out there
Have people go "hey you did it wrong"
Then iterate until finally you come to the one true unicorn (which no one will ever agree is the one true unicorn)
posted by drewbage1847 at 8:07 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Okay, fine, it's a kirigami unicorn.
posted by Rangi at 8:24 AM on March 10, 2016 [5 favorites]

Arguing about cuts is the essence of the Blade Runner fan experience, so I approve of this thread.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 8:28 AM on March 10, 2016 [31 favorites]

I'm not even entirely sure it counts as kirigami. The unicorn calls for cutting and pasting back together, whereas kirigami involves folding, cutting, then unfolding.

But there are surely other traditions of paper-folding that allow for cutting something and then pasting the pieces together. So,
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'd love to know what technique the prop-maker actually used, though.
posted by tobascodagama at 8:30 AM on March 10, 2016

The James Olmos link is 404d so here's the actual link:

http://www.mybladerunner.com/secrets-revealed-origami-means-and-more/
posted by I-baLL at 8:44 AM on March 10, 2016 [4 favorites]

Glue is allowed in origami of ***THE FUTURE***
posted by beerperson at 8:45 AM on March 10, 2016 [3 favorites]

It's too bad these aren't really origami. But then again, what is?
posted by aureliobuendia at 8:52 AM on March 10, 2016 [24 favorites]

Thanks for tracking that down, I-baLL!
posted by tobascodagama at 8:53 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

You've done a man's job, Kenneth!
posted by haileris23 at 9:04 AM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just some nice peaceful Blade Runner music to make origami by
posted by I-baLL at 9:29 AM on March 10, 2016

Fold both layers - Enhance - Reverse fold only the front and back layer - Enhance - Fold and unfold to circle point - Enhance - Enhance...
posted by lagomorphius at 9:45 AM on March 10, 2016 [7 favorites]

We actually tried to watch Bladerunner on netflix last night, but, it's the cut with Ford's VO. Couldn't hack it.
posted by valkane at 10:22 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Google Play has the Final Cut, but I don't know if it's available for rental.
posted by tobascodagama at 10:43 AM on March 10, 2016

Will investigate.

OK, Capybara, holding you to this. Bring on the unicorns.
posted by BlueHorse at 10:51 AM on March 10, 2016

I'm going to be That Guy and say I actually like the version with Deckard's VO. It makes it feel very noir-ish, and I'm a sucker for noir.
posted by xedrik at 11:43 AM on March 10, 2016 [6 favorites]

I'm going to be That Guy and say I actually like the version with Deckard's VO. It makes it feel very noir-ish, and I'm a sucker for noir.

I usually prefer it without voice-over, but sometimes I do with, for this reason, basically.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 11:53 AM on March 10, 2016

Voice-over translation: "Because I know you're not really paying attention, I'm gonna slap some exposition over this long slow following shot so that you won't be too confused later when things start to happen."
posted by Existential Dread at 12:33 PM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

"For those who were wondering, Blade Runner Origami is not my full time job."

Whoa. So the field is wide open, then?

I actually like the VO version too, probably because I watched it so many times and it's part of The Experience.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 12:53 PM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Holden: Describe in single words only the good things that come into your mind about the VO cut.

Parasite Unseen: The VO cut?

Holden: Yes.

[Parasite Unseen leans forward, speaking in a soft, angry tone]

Parasite Unseen: Let me tell you about the VO cut! [shoots Holden]
posted by Parasite Unseen at 1:20 PM on March 10, 2016 [4 favorites]

TIL that the Ultimate Collector's Edition is worth five times what I paid for it. I'm rich!

Wait, I threw away the plastic slipcase, dammit. Worthless to true aficionados (i.e., more money than brains). Back to work.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:24 PM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

[nerdiness] Ok, on studying this thing and the film stills... the one in the film might *have* to be made with two sheets (that wasn't as unusual in the diagram books of the 70s/80s-- I remember lots of quadruped type designs made with two square sheets), but I feel like one should be able to get enough snout/head-paper extra to back up into a horn, especially with as stumpy a head the one in the film has. This must have been a published model back then-- I wonder why the source hasn't been unearthed? There was another Japanese-diagrammed version on the internet some years ago before its page disappeared--I haven't compared the two carefully but it looks like it might be the same design that's being linked to again (edited-- ah, after the end that person notes that you can do it with "one" really funny shaped paper, but the horn's still a problem)
posted by Capybara at 4:21 PM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Google Translate has led me to:

http://origamisho.com/archives/528

EDIT: Scroll to bottom of:

http://origamisho.com/archives/528/4

for the end result.
posted by I-baLL at 6:43 PM on March 10, 2016 [3 favorites]

Nice find!
posted by rifflesby at 7:33 PM on March 10, 2016

Wait, the chicken was just serendipitous?
posted by lucidium at 12:33 PM on March 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

The new set of Field Notes is out, and the pages are perforated. This video shows off different uses for the pages, from shopping lists to hold-up notes. And at the end, a certain paper unicorn.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:25 PM on March 11, 2016 [1 favorite]