Hey folks, it’s just me today as Todd is pretty sick with a bad cold, so get well soon Todd. Hope you get fixed up and back on track soon.

We’ve got a great interview with someone who was the first person I ever got in touch with. Geoff Portass started Image Animation with business partner Bob Keen, and the company worked on some iconic genre movies and shows in the late 80’s and early 90’s. They also spawned the careers of some of the best known fx artists working today.

I still have my letters from 1990 when Geoff replied to my questions when I was 16!  I sent foam samples of foam latex I had made at home and asked about the makeup they used and replied every time. Check the blog post to see these

I also remember meeting Nick Dudman at my college in 1993, when I basically cornered him for half an hour and asked him all these questions that nobody else could answer – pre Goole etc.  I then went on to work for Nick on a few Harry Potter and Mummy movies.

Anyhow, I drove up to Geoff’s place and we chatted for a good few hours and I had to split this into two podcasts, as there was so much material and it seemed to fall into two logical topics – the film stuff and the teaching stuff. So, this is part 1 which looks at the film stuff and the next episode will be looking at the teaching stuff too.

Just a quick mention of some new workshops coming up at Pinewood studios in the next few months, keep an eye out for announcements and dates on the workshop page of the website:
http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/workshops/

Also, just to remind you that we’d love to hear from you. Feedback is always welcome and as we normally look at solutions to problems (hence the podcast being called Battles with bits of Rubber).

Our email is stuartandtodd@gmail.com

Finally, if you like the podcast please consider leaving a review or sharing this. It's the best way you can help us out, after all if you enjoy it then hopefully kindred spirits will.

#6 - Geoff Portass Interview (pt1)

The second (and final) hour of the 2-hour BOTTOM 30 of Kenny Everett's amazing World's Worst Wireless Show on Capital Radio 194 London, UK. This count-downs from #14 to #1. This was broadcast on Saturday 14th May 1977 between 13:00 and 14:00.
This was pieced-together from fragments as I had as I managed to lose the complete recording I made of the final hour of this show. Thus, this is not a "fluid" as the other 1977 shows I have posted. Doesn't matter - it's all great anyway.
There was a 1980 version of the show with some equally awful tunes... I don't have a FULL recording of this (I love the adverts and the period news broadcasts) so I will probably not post the show.

Kenny Everett : World's Worst Wireless Show No.5: The BOTTOM 30 Part 2/2, 14 May 1977. Capital Radio

Part 2 (hour 2 of a 2 hour show) of the 1980 version of the World's Worst Wireless Show. This recording is minus adverts and news (shame). Broadcast on 4th April 1980 between 13:00 and 14:00 hrs.
This show count-downs from 14 to #1.
(The #2 song is simply amazing ...)

Kenny Everett : 1980 Bottom 30 (Part 2) World's Worst Wireless Show. 4 Apr 1980. Capital Radio

I had the great privilege to be asked to teach some masters degree students at Theaterakademie August Everding in Munich, Germany recently.  I had a splendid time!

The three students I worked with all had ambitious, figurative projects which they had been working on for some weeks when I arrived for my five-day stint there.

* Daniel Riedl had made a full-size figure leaning out of a bath and was in the final sculpting stages preparing to make ready for moulding.

*Julian Hutcheson had just moulded his sculpt of a male torso, and in the week we mixed and cast out the silicone in the chosen flesh tone (Moldstar 20 from Smooth-On).

*Caterina Veronesi had sculpted a scale figure of herself which will be cast in silicone and was also in the final sculpting stages and preparing to make the mould.
--------------------------------------

We had a great group chat to discuss how things work there, the education system (It’s a free, the government paid education which requires an extensive interview process which is a completely different model to the business-style version most makeup education systems work to) and the expected quality of work such a system produces.

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Dividing up large appliances
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Michael Pennington got in touch through our email (stuartandtodd@gmail.com) with a question about how best to know where one should divide up appliance sculpts to break them down into smaller pieces. As Todd points out, much of this is a hangover from foam latex and the shrinkage which was inevitable with that material. Silicone however has none of these shrinkage issues, so we don’t always need to divide it in the same way.

That said, there are often good reasons to make a large appliance makeup into smaller, more manageable pieces. The most logical place to do this is where the sculpture is at it’s thinnest, and to try and keep edges in easier to hide areas where possible, such as where there is naturally a crease or shadow.

---------------------------------------------------------------
‘Cheap Cheap Cheap’ shouldn’t be ‘Shit Shit Shit’
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Whenever we do a video tutorial, I can guarantee that someone will want to do it for less money.  This is, of course, an inevitable occurrence, as it is quite sensible to not spend money you don’t need to. However, there does come a point where substituting can become so obsessive that eventually, the end result can just look like a pile of crap.

Whilst it is true that skill will ‘work well with anything’, I can assure you top pro makeup kits do not have packs of cured meats and jam instead of makeup products to use on their screen talent. If mashed banana looks just right for fat, or pus or brains then fantastic.

Just don’t extend that to ‘I’ll never need to buy another makeup product again’.

Once you’ve seen outstanding makeup work done firsthand, then your priorities change. You decide instead of trying to do something as quick and cheap as possible, you would rather try and do something as good as possible. Like that trinity of choices above, pick two and decide which you would rather have in your portfolio.

Jam may be fine for a kids Halloween party, but it won’t do you any favours in a working portfolio.

Till next time.
---
Stuart & Todd

Battles With Bits Of Rubber

#28 - Munich

Charlie Brooker- RHLSTP #5 - This weekend Rich has been working with 88 year old Nicholas Parsons and Charlie has been working with 81 year old William Shatner, but now they've ditched the octogenarians to create this long and fairly filthy podcast. They chat about the humiliation of losing a BAFTA to Stewart Lee, what order you should have sex with the women from the Russian entry to the Eurovision song contest, the vengeance Rich wishes upon Charlie's young family and who Dominic West should really have been thanking. Plus some terrific tips for terrorists and some obscure stuff about archaic adverts and 50 year old spoilers.... It goes on for ages. But that can only be a good thing. In fact it might never end. It might still be happening now.... Doesn't matter. We are all just a collection of atoms and everything we do is meaningless. Enjoy!

Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast - Episode 5 - Charlie Brooker

Making prosthetics and makeup effects for TV and film is fun, but it also means you are constantly working outside your comfort zone.  

That being the case, there are lots of things which try to trip you up and take your attention.  These podcasts will address either specific areas of interest for fellow FX nuts, or they will be real commentary on the things that come along and mess with the programme.  

I also have a habit of writing about this stuff too:
http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/blog/

#28 - Munich

Stuart Bray

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