Prop Making

I have completed a course in WETB in Prop Making for Stunts and Set decorating.

As part of this course, we have learned a range of techniques and methods to create

1. Fruit, vegetables, bread and meat

2. A gun

3. A final project

This was a follow up upskilling after doing my Design For Film and Theatre degree. It let me delve into a more specific area I am interested in, a mix of modelmaking and design/ decorating. I covered what I have learned previously and a lot of new techniques that are currently used in the industry.

Parsnip ( albino carrot )

As my food item, randomly selected I had to make a mold and cast a parsnip and then colour it with a wash and dry brushing.

This required using silicone, foam and resin.

Making food means it can be used on set for continuity for weeks even months without it going off.

Gun

As the gun, we made a two part mold which we cast and poured in expandable foam. Used an airbrush and a copper red metal to cover the gun.

Since the gun is replicated in this manner, it will cause less damage on set to actors. When it comes to weapons, they need to look realistic but at the same time be durable and as soft as possible upon impact.

Photos taken by: Emma Mc Namara, Odyssey Studios

Voodoo Box

I made a voodoo box kit as part of my final project. Heavily inspired by Hocus Pocus and Goosebumps I have created a voodoo box and made it as spooky as I could. I absolutely loved making this box. So much fun and work was put into it.

Box : Top of box lid

made a mold of chicken bones, cast and sandpapered them.

sculpted the eye over a vacuformed eye shape. Laser cut key hole.

Laser cut panels with ruins

Dremelled plain box

Inside of box lid

Laser cut and overlapped runes wheel with image.

Cast more chicken bones

Used Fiber glass A1 to layer two part mold. Poured in foam.

Decorated lid by adding metal copper and bronze. Super glued dry maggots. Acrylic painted the lid and used sandpaper and dry brushing technique

Sides of box

Dremelled, sawed and scraped. Laser cut images. Supeglued dried chicken feet and cast chicken bones to wooden plank and stuck down.

Inside of box

Shrunken head

Sculpt face onto skeleton head with tools and hands using Sciovant. Made a mold out of resin, filled with expandable foam

Hot glue gunned hair from an old wig, feather and sprayed layer of aging sprays over the head. Glued threads on.

Hand

Cast out of expandable foam. Aging sprays were used

Runes

Laser cut runes. Aged bag with sprays and soaked in acrylic muddy water.

Candle

Melted onto box, carved runes into the candle with a scraping sculpting tool

Cloths

Aged with sprays and soaked in acrylic muddy water

Vial

Scraped down with sandpaper. Added cut up wig hair, twigs and paint in

Cobwebs

Hot glue gun airbrushed on

Skills gained

Overall, this course has taught me a lot about making props and all the methods used in the film industry. I am fully qualified in the following:

- Manual Handling

- Fire Safety

- First Aid

- Safe Pass