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Battles With Bits of Rubber

This podcast is a joint venture with Stuart Bray and Todd Debreceni. It's all about the making of stuff for makeup effects and prosthetics. Todd is author of 'Special Makeup Effects For Stage And Screen', what many consider to be the modern makeup FX bible. Stuart Bray is a working makeup FX artist with many years experienc. Credits include 'Saving Private Ryan', 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Dr Who' and more recently 'Game of Thrones'. If you have any FX questions you would like to see made into a featured blog post, then get in touch: stuartandtodd@gmail.com
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Now displaying: November, 2018
Nov 26, 2018

We are back with more Don!

Even though I was there when we recorded, I still get a buzz hearing back what we spoke about.

Simply put, Don will make you better and get you thinking about sculpting. In part 2 we spoke to Don about: - Ego - Looking for the positives - Music whilst sculpting - Using the same tool to get many results - Sculptures that want to come out - Deadlines - Chisel shape tipped rubber clay shapers

Silicone-tipped Clay-Shapers

The Kemper D9 that Don refers to as a very versatile tool.

At the time of writing, Don had just finished his workshop in the week leading up to the Prosthetic Event 2018, which was fantastic. His stage spot was rammed, and it was great to see a live audience enraptured, although I shall always cherish this podcast opportunity where just the three of us got to share Don's space.

Incidentally, Don posts the latest upcoming workshop dates on his Don Lanning's D3 Studio page. If you can get the chance to go to a class, I'd urge you to do so.

He really is very good at making you better! Those classes fill up fast, so check on the latest dates.

 

The Prosthetics Event 2018 was a magical day!


Thanks again for listening, and if you would like to support us, as ever there is one thing you can do that helps more than anything - tell someone else about the podcast! Share this on social media and tell us how we are doing!

You can email us here direct at stuartandtodd@gmail.com

We appreciate your attention!

- Stuart & Todd


Prosthetics Magazine is THE magazine to check out if you are serious about learning more about making prosthetics. It only comes out 4 times a year, so each edition is packed with info, tutorials and up to the minute interviews with the folks who are doing this stuff for real!

This latest edition, #13, looks at the creation of the new Mask from Halloween with Christopher Nelson and Vincent Van Dyke. There is also an article on how a prosthetic appliance was made (and applied with great success) using purely 3D printed moulds. The future is now! https://www.prostheticsmagazine.co.uk/

Nov 26, 2018

If you have any sculpting ambition or love for any monster movies made in the last twenty years, then you should know the name Don Lanning.

Not only is he a gifted craftsman who has worked hard for his place, but he is also a gifted teacher who can help make others better, and he is damn fine fella the whole time he is doing it.

Don has been working away on productions for years as a hired gun on well know movies such as Hollow Man, Ghosts of Mars, Vanilla Sky, Hellboy, AVP, Silent Hill, The Avengers, and Aquman as well as TV shows such as The X Files, Nip/Tuck, Star Trek, The Strain, and Bright.

Possibly though, the pivotal moment which brought his method into the limelight was the Stan Winston School For Character Arts videos such as Sculpture Techniques and Character Design.

We weren't just treated to a 'how?' class, but also a 'why?' class and looking at the feelings on experiences whilst sculpting.

I often think sculpting classes are among the hardest to instruct largely becasue it is a slow, deliberate act which allows the brain to open up and weep out all the negative things everyone has ever said about you or that you imagined of yourself. It's all bullshit of course, and it takes someone to help you snap out of it and keep focus

Don Lanning's love of the Wizard of Oz is made real with these series of outstanding character studies. Check out the Facebook page to see more.

Simply put, you CAN do it if you want to. Maybe you feel like you're not great yet, but if you enjoy doing it then you WILL improve. If that matters to you, then to hell with all the naysaying. After all, people often say things about themselves that they would never say to another person - and looking at what you can actually do to overcome and improve your shortcomings is what Don does best, especially when you are face to face with the man.

"I was born with no talent whatsoever - I had to fight hard to get everything I got."

Todd and I took a trip down to his studio to talk with the man himself, and we got into so much dense material, we decided we had to split this one into two parts. In part 1 we talked to Don about:

  • How to actually start sculpting
  • Dealing with a blank canvas
  • Channeling nervous energy
  • Looking for what makes good art
  • Getting better
  • Making the changes for clients
  • Looking for what feels 'right'
  • Pivotal moments
  • Looking out for scam internships

You'll also see a love of magic and magic stores crops up again!


Thanks again for listening, and if you would like to support us, as ever there is one thing you can do that helps more than anything - tell someone else about the podcast! Share this on social media and tell us how we are doing!

We appreciate your attention!

- Stuart & Todd      

Nov 1, 2018

After the madness of Monsterpalooza 2018, we had the chance to grab the gang for a wind down chat to debrief about the trip and talk about what we got up to.

It was a fun time, and I hope the warmth of a truly magical few days comes across, as Todd and I were truly humbled at the non-stop kindness and generosity we were liberally soaked with.

Anticlockwise from bottom: Me, Sam Shuck, Adrian Rigby, Eryn Kreuger Mekash and Todd Debreceni hanging out in the magical trailer I stayed in.

Adrian and I met in 1995 when we both travelled out to LA to take a look at the FX scene and see how it worked at the start of what we hoped to be our careers.

It was so nice to be back out here 23 years later having been able to have those very careers we so badly wanted. I think that story needs it's own post, where we spent the day at Optic Nerve studios, on the set of Babylon 5 watching an episode shoot, and seeing the makeup touch ups happening with Greg Funk and Fionagh Cush working their magic. What a great time we had!

Anyhow, Todd had this cool banner made up to celebrate, and I'm so excited to share the podcast with you.


If you want to get in touch with us direct, email stuartandtodd@gmail.com and take a look at our Facebook page.

Until next time, keep it bloody!

Stuart & Todd

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