KW
Full Head Cast
These photographs show the process of creating a full head cast of a model. It allows the sculpture of a whole head piece that will fit over the model's head. It is a slightly more involved process that a simple face cast, however the result allows for much more scope in creation of prosthetics. It is important to complete this process with a professional attitude as it may be daunting for the model to undergo the process as their whole head will be encased in the alginate and plaster. It is therefore crucial to complete the process in the fastest possible time without error to remove the model as quickly as possible. This means that the equipment and materials must all be preped before hand so that the application and removal is completed smoothly.
Equipment and Material List
Plaster Bandages - Various Lengths
Alginate or Lifecasting Silicone
Nivea Hand Cream
Buckets with water for plaster
Bucket for mixing Alginate or silicone
Bald Cap
Mastix/Prosaide
Super Glue
Permanent Marker
Water Based Paint
Bin Bag
Masking Tape
Whilst searching through my Makeup Artist Magazine subscription I found a very helpful article concerning the hairline of the model during lifecasting. It states to use a syringe full of bondo to draw on the line around the head as this will pick up much better in the silicone used for lifecasting. I will also give a definitive line that cannot be crossed during the sculpting phase. The picture of the result can be seen in the article below. I believe this to be a very helpful find that will allow me to create a much more professional result.
Prouty.S. (2013) A little Mold Magic, Makeup Artist Magazine, Issue 103 August/September, pg 76-77
Debrecini.T. (2008) Speical Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics. Amsterdm: Focal Press pg 79-99 and 100-102
This series of photographs taken from Todd Debrecini's Special Makeup Effects book goes into thorough detail as to the process of creating a lifecast of someone. There is extra information given concerning the process also some tips which are particularly helpful in order to create the most effective cast.
(Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop (2012) pg 72-73)
(Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop (2012) pg 79-80)
(Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop (2012) pg 96-98)
The book below. Tokyo SFX Makeup has many detailed process included in the book, two of these are the process in which to create a full head cast and how to crate an ear cast. I have taken photographs of each of these pages to display what they have suggested for each technique. The first photographs display their traditional way of creating a head cast and the second section portray the 'Hollywood' style there are very minimal differences between the two. The second shows the work being done by KNB employee (A renowned company for speical effects in Hollywood.) I think that this display of the technique is particularly helpful as it has a clearn step by step visual aid as to the processes that are being completed. I have a visually active mind, therefore being able to see the steps allows me to remember these steps much more easily, while also giving in depth detail as to the process.
This process for creating the ears in this book is different to the process that I completed for the short film I worked on which required ears. This process requires building up clay where the ear will be rather than using a plaster cast of the ear. This methodology involoves creating a clay wall divide between the front and back halves, then moulding each half with plaster to create a plaster mould. Once the two halves have been created for the ears,the process involves painting layers of silicone into the halves. Slowly building up the layers to around 3 layers. I am unsure as to how they have created a full ear in this process as the steps seem to jump from the layering of silicone to a fully finished ear. I therefore think that that step in the process does not portray itself clearly. Although this stage in the process is unclear, the remaining techniques are very helpful for the creation of the ear, and will be utilised for creating my makeup.
Overall all the research that I have conducted into the process of creating lifecasts of a model have been very helpful, if some gaps in certain areas. However my other research from other books has managed to fill in the missing parts to ensure I have a well rounded idea of the process. I will utlize these techniques and tips when creating my lifecast for the project in order that I achieve the highest quality of lifecast possible. It is important to make sure that this step in the process is completed correctly as it will ruin the remaining process of the cast is slightly off. The pieces may not fit the model at the end and there are many safety issues if done incorrectly, insisting upon the upmost importance that this process is done professionally and effectively.
For practise at creating a full head cast I helped another student complete theirs, this was completed after mine, therefore I felt much more confident and we completed the process much more quickly and efficiently allowinghthe model to only be under the plaster for a short period of time. I think the cast was very effective. There was a small aesthtic problem with too much alginate on the lower jaw, however the cast itself worked very well. The reinforcements were located in the right area and made a strong cast. I found the practise to be very informative as it allowed me to understand what makes a good cast join between the two and where to line up the alginate and plaster bandages.
At the UMA expo this year 2015 Shaune Harrison completed a demonstration on the use of silicone Go Cast. He spoke through the process at the beginning of the talk and then completed the procedure. He made sure to cover the model's hair with release and ensure that the safety procedures were upheld during the application. He mixed the Go Cast in a 1:1 ratio and began applying, first on the top of the head, down the sides of the face, then continuing to apply onto the face. He completed the cast in a very fast time frame, working the silicone as much as possible during the setting time. He ensured that the final result was very smooth and looked professional. He used spatuals to smooth the surface, which is an interesting technique to ensure the result is successful. I will use this technique in the lifecast that I create for this project as I will be using the same material as in the demonstration.
Full Body Lifecast
Here is a video of a full body lifecast using platsil gel 10. As mentioned above platsil gel 10 can be used as a lifecasting material. This demo also is very informative showing the entire process and noting any important factors that must be considered in the lifecasting process. The video mentions that the whole amount of platsil gel 10 material cost around £500 for the whole body cast. This is clearly a very expensive way of creating the cast, however it creates a professional and reuseable cast that can be used for producing many cores. There are two ways to complete a body cast, one is lying down, the other is standing up. The way in which one is cast depends on the use for the cast. If the model will be lying down cast as such, equally if they are standing cast the other way. I have included a video below showing the lifecasting method standing up using alginate as a casting material. I have not had to create a full body lifecast for this project, however I felt it important to research into the techniques and to understand the materials that can be used. I may utilize this reserach for further use in upcoming projects.
Products
There are various products that can be used to create a lifecast of a model. Alginate is the most common product that can be used to create the lifecast. It is also the cheapest product, when mixed with water to the desried consistency it creates a casting material that will pick up all of the detail of the model's face, it sets in around 5-10 minutes according to the temperature of the water and the room in which the cast is completed in. Alginate cannot have fibreglass cast straight into it, therefore a plaster positive of the face must be created and then a silicone mould of that can be produced into which a fibreglass core can be made. Alginate dries up very quickly causing the cast to shrink which can be an issue if there are time constraints. It also means the cast can only be used once, unlike silicone which can be repetatively cast into.
Different types of silicone can be used as a casting material such as pro gel 10 however it is very expensive doing it this way, and the setting time is very long. Therefore there are specific silicone casting materials that can be used to create a lifecast. One such material is Go Cast, this is displayed to the right. It is quite expensive, therefore if the budget of a film is low the alginate route may be better however more time consuming. Go Cast sets in around 10-15 minutes and can be used repetatively to make posotive cores of the lifecasted area.
Brick in the Yard Mold Supply (2013) Lifecasting Tutorial: Gel 10ody Mould Part 1 [Online] Available From:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDPc8ckbCq0 Date Accessed: 09/04/2015
Brick in the Yard Mold Supply (2011) Lifecasting Tutorial: Body Cast with 880 Alginate [Online] Available From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Y6kjDpeAU Date Accessed: 09/04/2015