The prop: before & after restoration. Recreating the missing eye to match the original, aged eye was a challenge
This movie prop was initially cracked, dry & fragile. Steps were taken to both repair & strengthen the piece.
"The Engineer" from Hellraiser. Large foam latex movie prop puppet restored by artists Tom Spina and Mike Thomas
BEFORE: An original Sir Didymus puppet from Labyrinth, movie prop sent to us for restoration.
AFTER restoration: Lip and eyelids were rebuilt and the teeth, snout and nose repaired.
Care was taken to keep the piece as original as possible and make all repairs visually consistent with the age of the piece
A Lord of the Rings, Return of the King Orc mask, prior to our work. It had been torn during removal from the actor.
The back splits were patched internally, several smaller cracks repaired and the ears reattached and blended.
With some light paint touch up, original teeth and our Deluxe Display Stand (available in the SHOP) this piece shines!
Movie Prop Restoration - Misc Film and TV
SERVICES
We've restored a variety of
pieces from many films!
The Star Wars Films
Gremlins and Gremlins 2
An American Werewolf
In London
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Dark Crystal
Ghostbusters
Labyrinth
Hellraiser
Army of Darkness
Critters
Lord of the Rings
Troy
Short Circuit 2
Dr. Who
Soulkeeper
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Jumanji
Dune
Spawn
Restoring and preserving screen used original television and movie props as well as foam latex masks and costumes is a painstaking process.
Our approach emphasizes maintaining the integrity of the original and wherever possible preserving the original "feel" of the piece and evidence of age and use in a production.
The goal is not a result that looks "brand new" (the way a replica might look) but to gently bring a piece of history back to life... to make it look "great for its age."
We have several other Restoration Galleries featuring many more pics and projects!
We have years of experience in the field of restoration and stabilization of movie props and masks, specializing in foam latex restoration such as screen used pieces that have deteriorated with the passing of time.
Each restoration has its own challenges, so please contact us to discuss potential projects or inquire about availability for on-site work.
We constantly research new techniques and materials in order to enhance the archival qualities of the work we do.
We strive to only use materials that are safe for the long term.
Wherever possible, our solutions are flexible, non-tacky when dry, non-yellowing and acid-free.
We can also create a range of finishes - from high gloss to completely flat/matte or anywhere in between! Whatever the client prefers, we can achieve.
We take a great deal of time to discuss these projects
with our clients.
Based on the their desires and the specific condition of the original, we arrive at the proper techniques and style of restoration that is right for each particular piece of film history which we work to preserve.
Many collectors won't trust
their cherished and valuable film props to anyone else!
Only the repaired areas were repainted, leaving as much of the original paint work intact as possible.
We worked very hard to maintain the "feel" of the original sculpt and paint by the extremely talented Chiodo Brothers.
An original prop Critter puppet from the 1986 film Critters, seen before and after our restoration work
With the client's input, we designed a custom acrylic base & plaque to beautifully display this original movie prop.
Film wardrobe from Dune. Initially crumpled & stuck to itself, great care was taken in mounting it to a customized form
Missing bits were rebuilt & each quilted panel was emptied of deteriorated foam, filled with a more stable material & reglued.
"Evil Ash" foam latex mask used in the film Army of Darkness. Half of the face was severely damaged & caved in.
In addition to repairing the deteriorated face, the client also asked us to create custom eyes to complete the piece.
Rebuilding was a challenge as the piece was extremely inflexible & permanently stuck on a styrofoam head.
BEFORE: Screen-used "Barbie" mask from Hellraiser III. Condition was very brittle and large sections had crumbled.
AFTER restoration: Large areas were rebuilt and the mask was permanently mounted to a foam head and sealed.
As always, care was taken not to make the repairs "too new" so that they'd blend in with this vintage prop
Painting of the restored areas was carefully matched to the existing colors and pearlescent look of the original work.
AFTER restoration: Face was rebuilt and many details had to be sculpted from scratch. Much of the neck is fresh material.
BEFORE: Landstrider from The Dark Crystal. Condition was very poor & fragile. Large sections missing or crumbling.
Foam latex Maniac Cop 3 mask, before & after restoration & the addition of a custom eye insert to enhance the final display
A "Scarran" foam latex mask from the Farscape TV Movie. Several areas were gouged & the mohawk had torn loose
The client requested a custom head form &glass eye insert to help display his mask on a mannequin w/the original wardrobe
A screen used "Deadite" prop mask from the film Army of Darkness before & after restoration of the face and "bib"
The restoration of the face: areas of exposed orange foam were rebuilt, paint matched & missing teeth recreated
BEFORE & AFTER rare latex head casting from Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein. Brought in for repair, finish & display
The client requested a finished piece. Thin spots & holes were repaired & the piece was painted & haired in a "vintage" style.
Be sure to see our FULL GALLERIES of Star Wars, Gremlins and American Werewolf restorations on the Movie Prop Restoration link in the top navigation bar!
Mike Thomas' repair of this original movie mask from the film, Spawn. At the client's request, custom glass eyes were added to complete the display.
Candyman's iconic hook from Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh - gently restored and displayed with a themed base to help visually connect it with the film.
An original animatronic cat puppet from Dr. Who - in poor condition on arrival and shown to the right after Mike Thomas restored the piece!
A closer look at the puppet and the process. It's a more drastic restoration than some of our other work, but made the client quite happy!
An original "Leatherface" mask from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, shown before and during our conservation and repair work
Once folded flat and very inflexible, the mask is now restored to its proper shape and displayed on a velvet flocked form
Click any of the below for larger images
A giant, full scale (big!) lion movie costume from the film Jumanji, which we recently refurbished for a private movie prop collector.
Some of the details we addressed, including the creation of several claws carefully sculpted and painted to match the original, screen used ones.
A before and after look at our work restoring the fragile foam latex of the lion's face and mouth. Our client was thrilled with the work!
A before and after look at a scaled Johnny 5 movie prop from Short Circuit 2, which we carefully repaired for a client
A vintage Don Post Frankenstein mask, a cherished memento of Bob Burns, had become malformed and rigid. We reshaped the mask and foam filled it for stability
An original movie prop shield from the film, Troy, damaged in storage post-production. We carefully spot-painted the damaged area to blend away the bare spot.
Another foam latex movie prop restoration, an incredible demon head from Soulkeeper (2001). The very large head had sustained post production damage.
Patrick Louie carefully patched and spot-painted damage to blend with the original paint. Missing horns were recreated by casting existing horns for a perfect match
In addition to our restoration of the movie prop, we created a welded wall mount with a decorative faux stone plaque to give the ultimate display a suitably gothic look
Our preservation form improved the "posture" of the mask and better supports it to help minimize gravity's effects and aid long term preservation.
An original prop Silurian mask from classic Dr. Who. The latex mask received careful cleaning and seamless repair, performed by the talented Mike Thomas
We repaired shipping damage on this life-sized body of Justin Long, used in the climax of Jeepers Creepers
We also created a "hanging" display for the piece, and added hand-laid hair to complete the head.
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Website, products and photos © Tom Spina Designs, your source for custom sculpture, mannequins, statues, busts, theme props, home theater art furniture, foam latex mask restoration and movie props displays. Other photos used by permission. All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are for reference purposes only.