The Full Story – The Blade Runner Vid Phōn

Posted on by

Sometimes what you hear about a famous movie prop doesn’t give you the full story.

This is the real story behind the design of the Vid Phōn, the video phone booth in Ridley Scott’s film Blade Runner, that Harrison Ford’s character Decker, uses to call Rachael (Sean Young).

The Vid Phōn Hero prop. Now in the collection of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Syd Mead is given sole credit for the design on the signage at the Academy display but the prop was completely redesigned by Tom Southwell during pre-production.

Syd Mead did a lot of concept illustration work for the film that contributed to the futuristic look. But as is true for a lot of concept artwork, the execution of it can become problematic when it comes to translating it into a 3D ‘shootable’ reality.

Tom Southwell, who is a Production Designer in his own right, (Disturbia, The Salton Sea) was the production illustrator on Blade Runner, as well as many other films, and designed all of the graphics for the movie. He was also called upon to design hero props for the film that not only had to work but be ‘shootable’ as well.

In the Art Department on Blade Runner. L to R – Production designer Larry Paull, Production Illusrator Tom Southwell, Art Director David Snyder.

This weekend, on February 28, Tom will be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work as an Illustrator and Production Designer at the Art Directors Guild Awards Banquet in Los Angeles.

Tom’s original sketch and final logo for the Spinner Car
Some of Tom’s other graphics for the film.

Leave a comment