Where to begin… This week has been great, albeit a little odd (because of You-Know-Who).
On Monday, my wig sculpt was officially approved by Art Director Curt Enderle. He did have a small note, about the gravity of buns (something I had never really considered), but George reminded him that it is for a background character (thank you George!) and my wig was approved with no further adjustments. From here I worked on finishing my caterpillars (background eyebrows), and by the end of Monday these were approved as well.
And this my friends, officially launched me into my Mould Making phase! Cue hip hop air horn.*
* I have been watching a lot of Parks and Rec recently, and I think that was my own little Tom Haverford moment. Context.
So under the guidance of senior mould maker Aaron Matthews, I set to work on my first mould, of my caterpillars. I only needed to create one half of this two part mould as the face buck I had been sculpting on would act as the first half. I learned so much new language this week, “Buck” being one of the words I have added to my vocabulary, referring to the form that you sculpt on to, whether you are sculpting a wig on to a scalp buck, breasts on to a chest buck etc. Bucks are cast from moulds, created from the sculpt of the actual character you are creating the extra appendage for. So that when it is added to that character, it will fit perfectly.
On Monday and Tuesday I worked closely with Aaron, following him around, shadowing him as he worked, being guided through processes and techniques all quite new to me. Aaron has worked in the movie industry for over a decade, specialising in stop motion puppet fabrication and practical effects, so has a wealth of knowledge for me to absorb! Having had only a small amount of mould making experience prior to this placement, I have been vigilantly documenting all of the new language I am learning in the mould making realm, as well as all of the new materials and techniques (something I will try to put together in to a legible format at some point and can share with those interested).
Mould making is a science… Throughout the week I have come to think of mould making (and casting for that matter) as a mix between baking and chemistry, neither of which I am particularly proficient in, but the former at least makes sense to me. Like baking, there are great recipes to follow, but the best bakers can create somewhat instinctively.
On Wednesday, Mattzilla Duron entered the fray. My amazing housemate and colleague had been away for a long weekend visiting family, so returned eager to take me under his wing and teach me the ways of the Mould Maker! Highly experienced, Zilla has worked as a mould maker in the stop-motion field for 13+ years, so knows his stuff!
Bit of Trivia: Zilla’s first feature film was Coraline.
Between Aaron and Zilla, as well as tips from junior mould maker Bica Heilman, I have been learning so much. My brain struggled to absorb the information permanently at times; for one thing chemistry, science in general, and maths have never been my strong suit, and there are elements of all three involved in mould making, and for another, the information is coming thick and fast (as there is just so much to learn). Hence, the vigilant note taking. I have also been giving Aaron and Zilla pop quizzes, revisiting language and materials I have written in my note-book during a demonstration or my own attempts, and asking them to elaborate. I think they are enjoying my pop quizzes if I am honest!
Zilla and Aaron have worked together for a long time, and have a great rapport and respect for each other. I have been sharing a desk with Aaron the whole time I have been here, and our desk is connected to Zilla and Bica’s as well, so my own rapport with the mould making team is very comfortable and playful and has made for a nice smooth transition into this department. The fun thing about how Aaron and Zilla teach is that they exemplify what I mentioned earlier about baking & chemistry; Aaron is the science teacher, and Zilla is the food tech teacher. Where Aaron will go in to great detail about the molecular structure of the materials we are using, Zilla will explain how much of something I need and give me a recipe to follow. In saying that, I don’t want to pigeon hole either of them, as they both in fact lean in to both realms. I guess, like anything, it is a spectrum. It is interesting to have both angles represented though, and they are both very generous teachers, giving me a lot of time and patience as I tackle new things.
In terms of the particular processes, techniques and materials I have been using/ learning about. Well, there are a lot, so I don’t know if I can talk about ALL OF IT! I have had the chance to do some mould making and casting this week. The two departments do work very closely and often the lines are blurred and people move in-between. In fact, on this production the boundaries of all of the puppetry teams are flexible and artists cross over between departments frequently, something that I have heard is quite unique to this production, and very appreciated by the artists involved. It certainly creates a great culture of camaraderie and team work and prevents anyone from being pigeon holed as only one thing. Everyone is in this together. Something that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is determined to interfere with… but let’s not dwell on that here.
Something Aaron told me early on (day one under his tutelage I believe), is that the mould maker’s play a supporting role, they are the support team for all other departments. He reiterated often throughout explanations and demonstrations, that it is part of the mould makers role to really consider how their work will effect everyone and everything following on from their work. I love this philosophy, and am coming to realise that this really applies to every team in the stop-motion puppet fabrication process, it is a big well-oiled machine.
Mainly I have been working with different types of Urethane and Silicon, both for moulding and casting depending on what the purpose of the mould is/ the desired outcome. It is a very different pace to my time with the sculpting team; there is a lot more moving about, which my body is certainly grateful for, and there is a lot more information to take in on a daily basis.
Crash course in mould making!
With the most highly qualified teachers!
In a real world setting!
Helping to create this incredible film!
I honestly couldn’t be more grateful.
Some simple tips that might help those out there already making moulds. I was cleaning clay out of a Urethane mould (a rigid 2 part urethane called 1630), and got some hot tips on how to get it done more effectively.
1. Don’t use metal tools as this type of urethane is toolable after it’s cured. Use wooden tools to clean.
2. Bundle up some toothpicks, say 6 or so, and create a little toothpick brush for yourself. Use it in circles to remove excess clay from your mould.
3. Use some isopropyl (rubbing alcohol) to remove further residue. Can use a coarse paint brush to help this process. Cut two thirds off the length to create a nice short stubby brush.
4. Cleaning fine detail moulds can also be assisted by an air gun, to blow out any remaining clay crumbs. Brush with alcohol and then blast it with the air gun. If you don’t have access to an air gun, the keyboard cleaning compressed air I mentioned last week is an alternative.
Again, I do plan on creating a written resource throughout my placement that I will share with anyone who is interested as it comes together. It will be interesting to see how the materials differ at home in Australia, names, availability etc. But I feel confident that my plethora of amazing contacts here and at home will be able to help me label relevant Aussie alternatives where necessary.
The second half of the week, there was a very odd vibe in the studio. There was only one topic on everyone’s minds’ and lips and the rumour mill was hard at work with whispers and chatter of You-Know-Who moving around at a rapid pace. And though we made light of it, and joked where we could (Aaron even finding a 6ft wooden tube to measure how far away from each other we should be), the anxiety level was high, and it did make it difficult to focus on our work. The rumour that the other two stop motion studios in town had closed down for 2 weeks set us all to wondering whether we too would be sent home.
At midday on Friday it was announced that we would be semi-closing down the studio till the end of the month (or till further notice). Basically everyone was given the option to work from home if it is possible for them to do so, but if they are unable, and still prefer to be at home, to spend the time learning a new skill as the production will still be paying everyone a full time wage. We were also given the option to still go in to the studio if we feel safe doing so. At the moment, Zilla and I plan to go in to the studio as normal, but we will play it by ear. Luckily Zilla has a pretty functional basement studio at home, so we can get some work done here at home if it comes to that. The people on the ground at the studio will likely be minimal, so it will be very interesting to see how this next couple of weeks play out.
I will continue writing my blogs as planned; remaining hopeful that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named doesn’t disrupt the production any further. But I will of course keep you all posted!
To finish up, I want to explain my reasoning behind Harry-Potter-ising the bizarre and dire situation we find ourselves in. I mean no disrespect, and certainly do not want to downplay the seriousness of this awful reality we are facing. But I have heard and read the name hundreds, if not thousands of times this week… just a few too many, and for my own anxiety levels, I need to distance myself from it at times. I want this blog to remain a fun and informative space where you can read about my adventures in the world of stop motion, and feel safe that you won’t be blindsided with more talk of You-Know-Who.
In saying that, I hope you are all safe out there. I know the Australian Arts and Entertainment community has been hit hard, so please, if a concert, event or show you were attending has been cancelled, before you seek a refund for your ticket, think about the artist(s) and consider (if you are able to spare it) donating your ticket fee to them in this trying time. Also if you need a babysitter, or some other job done, consider reaching out to your freelance artist friends.
And so ends Week 6 on Pinocchio. Next week I will be continuing my Mould-Making adventures with Zilla at the the helm. I am sure it will be an odd week in a quiet studio, but I intend to make the most of it and continue doing my PB!
And why on earth Voldemort needs so much loo roll… is beyond me!