Battles With Bits of Rubber

By Stuart Bray and Todd Debreceni

Arts Education Visual Arts

What's Battles With Bits of Rubber about?

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: [email protected]

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LAST EPISODE

#76 - 1.9 Million Sq. Ft Ne...

10.18.2021

Filming has really picked up now productions have found their 'Covid feet'. This being the case, studio space is in demand and there are many expansions taking place right now as studios increase capacity to meet demand - that is ...

Battles With Bits of Rubber episodes:

10.18.2021 #76 - 1.9 Million Sq. Ft Needed Filming has really picked up now productions have found their 'Covid feet'. This being the case, studio space is in demand and there are many expansions taking place right now as studios increase capacity to meet demand - that is ...
07.20.2021 #75 - Cutting Edges & Flat Moulds We covered cutting edges in episode #61 but this one is specifically about cutting edges on flat moulds. Cutting edges on appliance moulds do the work of separating the fine appliance edge from the flashing and excess, allowing the mould ...
06.21.2021 #74 - Foam & Filament In episode #74 we talk about running lots of foam latex and overcoming the things that can go wrong with foam latex. Despite silicone being the material most go to first, it is a very real material that needs to ...
02.20.2021 ~73 - Rod Maxwell Rod Maxwell is a bit of a Renaissance man, and the more we talked the more you can see how wearing many hats has informed his approach. Looking at his Instagram, you can see trailblazing work with 3D printed moulds, ...
02.10.2021 #72 - Adam Beane Adam has become well known for his miniature and smaller-scale work which has both great expression as well as high levels of detail, and even developed a material which allowed such tight detail for miniatures called Cx5. He also has ...
01.08.2021 #71 - Daniel Parker Daniel Parker has recently been praised for his work as makeup and hair designer on The Queens Gambit (Netflix) and Chernobyl (HBO). He has an extensive range of credits spanning 37 years. We talked about how often simple techniques and ...
12.28.2020 #70 - Dominic Hailstone Part 2 In this second and final part of the chat with Dominic, we look at his art and discuss the drawing and sculptures. As usual, this podcast episode is a tale of two stories. Todd and I talk about the difficult ...
12.13.2020 #69 - Dominic Hailstone Part 1 In this episode (and the next), we have a chat with artist Dominic Hailstone. He works extensively with visual effects and has a background in makeup effects and practical effects which inform his approach. Being an early adopter of visual ...
11.29.2020 #68 - Q&A This episode is a catch up on some emails and questions we had over the last couple of weeks. We have some great questions this time around, so many thanks for getting in touch! We talk about epoxy surfaced moulds, ...
11.15.2020 #67 - Brian Kinney Brian Kinney is a primetime Emmy-nominated makeup artist and a Journeyman in IATSE Hollywood Local 706 Make-up Artists and Hairstylists Guild, where he serves as Makeup Craft President and Executive Board Member. Brian came to my workshop just after Christmas ...
11.10.2020 #66 - Lars Carlsson Lars is a generous self-taught artist from Sweden. He works in film, TV and theatre productions often using new technology to scan and print items for practical effects. In this episode, we talk scanning, printing and sculpting in virtual reality, ...
10.29.2020 #65 - Ghosts, Goblins & Cutting Edges It’s Halloween. A Saturday! A full moon! Also not happening because of Covid. Boo. In this episode, we talk cutting edges, cap plastic on the back of a piece (and why it isn't always a good idea) plus scary audiobooks ...
08.27.2020 #64 - Danny Marie Elias Danny has done some interesting things with prosthetics, leading with fashion and high concept looks and bringing appliance work into the mix. It was a great chat and we got fired up as you'll hear.
08.19.2020 #63 - Things That Go Wrong We have all spotted things in shows which were never meant to be there. Those are the things which you notice, and maybe take great pleasure in spotting and shaming those unfortunate artists who were 'responsible'. We go through some ...
06.21.2020 #62 - Mould Closure Closing moulds correctly is vital to get good casts out of them. There seems little point in making a good mould and then getting bad casts out of it. In this episode, we take a look at things to consider ...
06.11.2020 #61 - Cutting Edges Cutting edges are the point at which a core meets the mould, and is crucial in creating a fine edge in many appliances. In this episode, Todd and Stu take a deep dive into all things cutting edge.
05.17.2020 #60 - Tim Baggaley Tim Baggaley played the one-armed zombie in Shaun of the Dead. He's a damn nice fella, an actor, talented graphic designer and a fabulous dancer. In this episode, we chat about his experience on set and his recollections of being ...
05.17.2020 #59 - Mark Donovan Here is a little treat - an additional little episode that checks in with Mark Donovan who played The Hulking Zombie in Shaun Of The Dead. We talked through the difficulties involved in getting ready to be attacked with records ...
05.17.2020 #57 - 'Little John' Cormican It was a great pleasure to chat with John face to face (before lockdown, I hasten to add) back in December of 2019. John is a well known FX artist who has since gone on to work at Tussauds and ...
05.17.2020 #58 - Air Bubbles Air bubbles of one kind or another are inevitable if you deal with materials which start out life as a liquid and then later solidify such as plaster, latex, silicone and resin. Let’s take a look at what can happen, ...
04.28.2020 #56 - Q & A This episode of the podcast, we catch up with some questions left on our answerphone, emails and comments.
04.25.2020 #55 - Shaun Of The Dead: An Appreciation The Shaun Of The Dead prosthetic team reunites and talk through the movie effects shots.
04.17.2020 #54 - Approaching Workshops It's nervewracking to be judged by anyone, but your folio is maybe pages of your heart and soul now made visible for others to assess and rate. Here we discuss some main points to help you get your head straight. ...
04.12.2020 #53 - 5 Big Questions Commonly Asked There are often a number of questions about prosthetic makeup that get asked often. We put together the top 5 that keep cropping up and do a deep dive into our responses. 1. How do I match an appliance to ...
04.02.2020 #52 - Brandon & Jacquie Ryan Todd talks with his good friends and fellow artists, Jacquie & Brandon Ryan. In this episode looks at how people teach, learn, and maybe don't learn. Learn how to make mistakes and pick yourself up. Nobody likes failing, but using ...
03.19.2020 #51- Neill Gorton One thing I have always noticed about Neill is that he has a seemingly fearless approach to problem-solving. He will go directly to the source and grab whatever is the root of the issue in order to overcome it. This ...
01.16.2020 #50 - Richard McEvoy Crompton At IMATS London 2019, I sat and had a great chat with Rick from Bolton University. We chat about new tech mixing with old skills. Todd and I discuss safer mould materials for those without easy workshop access, and studio ...
12.18.2019 #49 - Matthew Mungle In this episode, I got to chat with Matthew Mungle & visit his jail cell! Matthew and his company, WM Creations have been responsible for makeup effects on scores of shows and racked up a lot of awards and nominations ...
12.12.2019 #48 - Neil Morrill Colorado and chat about our collaborated efforts on the makeup we did for The Prosthetics Event 2019. Neil is originally from the UK but moved to Toronto in the early 2000s and has worked on a number of high profile ...
11.18.2019 #47 - Kate Benton Earlier in 2019, Stu got to sit and chat with some fine folks at IMATS London and a chat with makeup designer Kate Benton kicks off the first of these finally edited up after a crazy industry year.
11.10.2019 #46 - Makeup Education This episode is prompted by seeing a few questions on forums about how best to learn about makeup FX and prosthetics. Where to go and what to learn? There are some great colleges out there with tutors doing sterling work. ...
09.10.2019 #45 - Jordu Schell Jordu Schell has been pushing clay around for a while and knows a thing or two about sculpting. Creating concepts for characters and creatures, masks, makeups and beautifully crafted designs, he also teaches his craft all over the world and ...
08.15.2019 #44 - Colorado 2019 It’s been a brutal few months, mainly as I have been on the new Netflix/BBC version of Dracula which has kept my hands red and my days long and busy. In this podcast, we chatted outside in Todd’s back yard ...
04.23.2019 #43 - Paul Savage OBE Training those who deal with emergency and pre-hospital medicine is no mean feat, and making sure casualty makeup used in training medical personnel is both accurate and hard wearing is a key part of that. It was because of this ...
02.27.2019 #42 - Sculpting with Pauline Fowler Pauline was the first person I ever saw take a lump of clay and make it look like a real person when she made a fake head of Michael Gambon for the film 'Mary Reilly'. It was to me complete ...
01.23.2019 #41 - Richard Redlefsen Richard Redlefsen is someone I saw for the first time a few years back at the UMAE where he was applying his demo makeup on the PPI stand. What was of note for me was how particular and precise everything ...
12.14.2018 #40 - Rick Baker In 2015, when it was announced that Rick was to close his shop, the FX world was stunned and the bell tolled once again for the end of all practical effects as people speculated the end of live-action anything. What ...
12.04.2018 #39 - Halloween, Harm & Rubber Chickens We look at Halloween makeup dangers, The Prosthetic Event 2018, a new cap plastic from Motion Picture FX and how to avoid being taken advantage of in the FX world as a newbie! Know your worth!
11.26.2018 Ep #38 - Don Lanning part 2 We are back with more Don Lanning magic! 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. ...
11.26.2018 #37 - The Mighty Don Lanning part 1 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, ...
11.01.2018 #36 - Trailer Chat 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 ...
09.04.2018 #35 - Steve LaPorte Steve LaPorte was a joy to speak with. For one thing, he is incredibly talented and has a fantastic body of work. Steve talks about the importance of knowing how to make things work rather than always relying on an ...
08.29.2018 #34 - Michael Westmore Makeup Man Michael Westmore has done battle with rubber for a few shows, it's fair to say. With a long career spanning every aspect of makeup, he comes from a several generation deep family which practically bleeds greasepaint. Many know of his ...
07.31.2018 #33 - Contact Lenses With Cristina Patterson & Bob Smithson Contact lenses are pretty easy to find nowadays. It wasn’t always so, and the increased use of lenses has meant an increase in opportunities to have problems with eyes caused by them. We chatted to Cristina Patterson of Eye Ink ...
05.27.2018 Ep #32 - Allan Apone & Brad Look Respect The Craft! Todd and I had a great morning chatting with Allan A. Apone and Brad Look at MEL headquarters (Makeup Effects Lab) based up in North Hollywood. MEL now occupies a huge area of workshops and produces effects for shows as ...
05.19.2018 #31 - Steve Wang One of the great things about Monsterpalooza, and other makeup FX heavy trade shows is you get to meet the people who make a life around doing the work, and who care enough to help others do it too. For ...
05.03.2018 #30 - Chris Lyons & Fangs FX Chris Lyons and Fangs FX make incredible teeth for films and TV shows. They have worked with the biggest names in Hollywood, and if you've seen a movie with explosions and huge orchestral scores, you've probably seen their handiwork whether ...
02.20.2018 #29 - Packrat (mini episode) Let’s face it, most of us have too much stuff. Stuff we don’t use, stuff we don’t need, and stuff we don’t even remember getting. So how do you get rid of it?! I can look around my office, shop, ...
01.30.2018 #28 - Munich This episode, Stu and Todd talk up Germany's education system, talk down on foodstuffs replacing makeup and laugh at lot at the soapboxing. We get ino dividing up sculptures when making appliances as well as dargons tails, burn makeups and ...
01.25.2018 #27 - Stu Musings Being so slammed busy teaching a class, I recorded a short episode about some valuable things I noticed during the day. Recorded from my car at Pinewood studios - needs must!

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