Student Filmmakers - June 2008 - (Page 54) FX Makeup & Props to wear latex, nitrile or vinyl gloves when mixing the two parts together. Polymer clays like Fimo and Super Sculpy need heat to cure and should be placed in an oven at a relatively low temperature (200o – 250oF) for 15 to 30 minutes to harden. TIP: If you don’t have an oven or toaster oven on set or in the makeup trailer, you can cure it with a heat gun or hair dryer… as long as you’re putting your piece to be hardened on a heat-proof, non-flammable surface. I’ve heard that placing it in boiling water will work, but I’ve never done it. If your pieces are delicately shaped, I don’t think this would be a good method. Under NO circumstances should you attempt to cure polymer clays in a microwave oven! Personally, I think The Container Store is one of the greatest sources for makeup artists for repackaging materials we use in our kits, especially since glass containers can be somewhat hazardous when traveling. Most of the work I do is within relatively easy driving distance, but it’s still important for me to have containers that are space-efficient as well as functionally effective for powders, gels and liquids, and are unbreakable and easy to clean. I rarely travel with my large kits; I have two oak cases that are designed to house machinists’ tools, but they’re outstanding chests for makeup artists. The drawback is that they’re kinda heavy. They’re oak! But they house practically everything I can think of to have on a show. Even though my oak cases are pretty solid, they are hardly ‘flight worthy.’ Before my 8-week stint in Central America last winter, custom-built cases were made for my large makeup cases so that they would withstand the rigors of international air travel. Since September 11, and more recently when alleged terrorists attempted to smuggle explosive ‘liquid bombs’ onto airliners in Great Britain, sweeping new rules were put into play governing what could or could not be brought on board Here’s a TIP from an awesome artist, Mark Garbarino: Mark warns that reheating gelatin more than two or three times will affect the stability of the gelatin and weaken its bind and melting temperature. Gelatin is, after all, an organic material (collagen), so that makes perfect sense to me. Mark suggests using a double boiler or a hot plate instead of using a microwave whenever you can. In fact, getting your hands on a coffee mug warmer is a great way to keep your gelatin in a liquid state for quick effects, without keeping it too hot. a commercial flight, even as carry-on. We were prepared for that, and shipped hazardous materials by ground and sea months before shooting began. What you can and can’t travel with by air when it comes to your makeup kit can be found at the TSA website: www.tsa.gov. Consider when making plans to travel by air with your kit: TSA will inspect your kit, and they do not care about the contents, though they should. I pass along this information because it is a lesson I learned, and a mistake that will not be I want to thank to Barry Koper, Charles Porlier and Mark Garbarino for sharing their expertise. Remember: There’s no such thing as being too prepared! repeated if I can help it. TSA baggage inspectors painstakingly inspected every individual crème foundation in both of my kits, unscrewing each lid and sticking a finger firmly into the center of the crème disk and then replacing the foundations to the drawer where they were found, many of them upside down, and all of them without the lids. This happened both leaving the US and coming back through different airports. To be fair, I can’t say for certain that it was TSA because there was no tell-tale card in the cases stating that TSA had inspected them, but from the treatment of my professional belongings, why would they want to admit they did it? Regardless of the culprit, be forewarned. Before leaving, ensure that the materials you cannot take with you are available at your destination. If they’re not, then advance ship. Ship your kit by ground or by one of the express companies if possible, for early arrival. This would be the most convenient choice, though not inexpensive. Even FedEx to where I was in Central America would have taken weeks and cost a lot. In most cases, production offices will reimburse this expense. 5 studentfilmmakers June 2008 http://www.tsa.gov
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