These are screen caps taken from the Region 2 DVD of the film.

[attachid]sonic03.JPG[/attach]

This shot was blurred deliberately in post production so you can't tell which way the sonic was facing when used.  Sylvester was holding it "backwards" and the director didn't catch it.  Instead of the point of the bullet facing the chest it was facing the camera.  For fear of purists pitching fits they added a little blur so you couldn't tell.

From the BBC Website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/gallery/tvmovie/index.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/gallery/tvmovie2/index.shtml


vs. the screen cap:

Also from the research done by Karl "Phase Pistol" Tate, purpleblancmange, myself and a few others here is a technical drawing and some comparison images.  Please note this technical drawing is NOT from Iguana Props (the people that built the filming props) but a fan research work based on the screen caps and watching the film way too many times:

Quote from: greatwazoo42 on Dec 18, 2010, 05:50 am
This shot was blurred deliberately in post production so you can't tell which way the sonic was facing when used.  Sylvester was holding it "backwards" and the director didn't catch it.  Instead of the point of the bullet facing the chest it was facing the camera.  For fear of purists pitching fits they added a little blur so you couldn't tell.

Did the sonic ever have a definitive wrong way? I looked into this when I was designing my custom sonic, Pertwee seems to have consistently used the "blunt" end while Tom Baker has been seen to use both, this is Why my sonic has two emitters for different uses.

It depends on who you ask.  If you ask me there is no wrong side - front or back of the head does the job.  If you ask who ever was in charge of visuals in the 1996 film there is a definite business end.   

Remember though, in Robot it was used completely without an "emitter". I suppose that were someone ambitious enough they could go back through, and catalog the different emitter positions and what it was being used for...


I wouldn't do it, but it's an idea. I just think that the results would be very frustrating to try and make sense of.   

The test builds of the prop had been achieved using the piston out of the back hatch window of a early 80's Firebird or Camaro.  The hero build of the prop, in metal, was done completely custom in 1995.

Also, from what I learned from talking with one of the members of Iguana Props most of the shots you see above are actually of a wood "stunt" version of the prop.  They built one metal version that telescoped out with spring and a few wood ones for rough handling and pocket stuffing.  According to the story Sylvester McCoy broke the metal prop (jammed it most of the way closed, not to come back out) during filming of the locking of the Master's Casket.  "There!  That should do it," has more than meaning I guess.

All the scenes following that show the prop are achieved with a wood stand in until the final scenes back on set with McGann fixing the console and then heading off to get back to his book.

That might explain the slight differences in the measurements between the scenes in the Tardis and outside. 

When I asked Sylvester about this in 2003 he took a little umbridge at being accused of breaking something but admitted he didn't really remember the scenes very well since it was a whirlwind during filming.

Anyone know if the dimensions for the 7/8 doctor's sonic are the same as Tom Baker's. If so, I could easily make one, using Scarfwearer's plans

If you look at Phase Pistol's diagram in my post here in the thread you'll see the relative dimensions.  The general assumption is that the prop is 8 inches long like the Pertwee and Baker versions.