Equinox Demon Stop Motion Puppet Restoration
Restoration of a screen used Equinox Demon Stop Motion puppet for Dennis Muren
This Demon puppet from the 1970 supernatural horror film Equinox was brought to us by legendary FX supervisor, Dennis Muren, from his personal collection. Stop motion puppets like this Demon requires a lot of repeated movements and they are often made from foam latex. Over time, this prop foam becomes fragile and can crack with even light handling. This puppet was unfortunately no exception.
Before beginning any work we discussed with Dennis his hopes for the look of the final display and how far he wanted to take the restoration. Generally we recommend making the props “look good for their age”. This maintains the history of the piece while also giving an aesthetically pleasing display. We chose a very neutral and flat pose that would show off all of the details of the puppets while being able to safely support the delicate foam latex.
Luckily Dennis had wisely kept many of the pieces even after they detached. Upon arrival, we received a large number of small bags with bits of the demon inside. That’s an odd thing to say in a normal work environment but around here, that’s quite normal! The first step of the restoration was like a large jigsaw puzzle. Lead artist, Ricky Vitus, went piece by piece trying to reassemble the Demon’s wings. Whenever possible we try to keep as much original material even if it is a more time labor intensive process. Where the pieces were missing all together, Ricky rebuilt those small missing areas in a way that blended with the existing textures. This also added a bit of extra stability to the surrounding material. Once the Demon was reassembled the patches could be painted to match the surrounding material. As always, we use “in-painting” where we only paint the new material or cracks, leaving all original film-production paint untouched.
The entire puppet was given a full clear seat to give the foam another line of defense against the effects of time. To support the delicate puppet we created a support stand similar to a bed with custom cut out which perfectly fit the shape of the body and wings. Set back at a gentle angle, this will help the piece resist gravity over time.
Do you have an original movie or television prop that is in need of restoration or display? Email or call today and let’s discuss your project!
