Mold Making and Casting in the Movies

Mold making and casting are fine arts that are used to create lovely replicas of both inanimate and animate models. The artists use varied materials from the humble clay, plaster and alginate to resins, latex rubber and silicone rubber to make a range of molds and casts.

These molds and casts are for a range of uses – from candy, candles and show pieces to life casts of people and everything in between. In fact, mold making and casting is not just restricted to fine arts and craft works per se. They are popularly used in making culinary molds, fake foods, garden statuary, sculpture reproduction, antique restoration and prototype tooling. Not many people may know that the same techniques help with prosthetics, taxidermy and fossil preservation too.

Mold making and casting enjoys a wide patronage in the world of performing arts as well. Molds and casts are often used to bring our television shows, movie and theatrical plays to life. For instance:

Props – Many of the props used on stage and screen like weapons and gargoyles may look heavy and dangerous. But they actually are very light and flexible as they are made of latex rubber or resin. Similarly, the mouth-watering food and drinks in the commercials are actually fake props that no one in their right mind would ever put in their mouth!

Special effects – The wrinkles, scars and gashes that we see on screen are also courtesy of special effects created using latex rubber. Latex masks – both of real people and ghoulish characters - are also commonly used on stage and in shoots without anyone being the wiser for it. The masks look very realistic and life like and are yet very easy to make.

Animation – Not all the cartoons are generated through computer graphics and other hi-tech technologies. Many a times the virtual creatures are actually physically present and made to move/speak in front of the camera.

Animation artists first started using clay models to create the moving images in what is known as stop motion animation or claymation. Some of the popular claymation characters are Gumby and Pokey, Wallace and Gromit and the California Raisins. This slow and meticulous style is still favored by some studios.

Similarly, many of the mythical creatures, plants, animals and even humans we see performing on screen are actually robotic devices that have been created with animatronics. Molds and casts are used to design inanimate figures with lifelike characteristics – their actual movements could be mechanized or controlled by computers. Think Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park and you will get the picture.

In sum, mold making and casting techniques as well as materials like alginate plaster, silicone and latex rubber add an extra dash of excitement to the films, shows and plays we so love to watch.

The author is a mold maker by profession. He has penned the article down to highlight the uses of latex rubber in mold making and casting.