Conservation and Display of They Live Makeup Appliance
Conservation & Display for Original Makeup Appliances from They Live!
Some film prop conservation prokects are a mix of our restorative work and our display work. Support is one of the most important elements in preserving original foam latex appliances and creating the right form and using the right application can make all the difference. Our friend Greg Nicotero came to us with this project and commissioned us to preserve these original They Live makeup appliances from the 1988 film for John Carpenter… a horror legend and the film’s writer and director!
These foam latex pieces were originally worn in the film, creating a mask of sorts to show what the aliens (spoiler alert) in this 80’s classic looked like when you had the right glasses! While condition was quite good consider the age of the thin foam prop mask, there was some expected brittleness and areas that were folded onto themselves in storage. Additional items like teeth and eye rings were present, but separate from the appliance.
We blended the original vac-form plastic the appliances came with and a fiberglass head and torso to create a custom support. With added clear eye domes and then applied the original mask elements over top. Lead artist on this project Patrick Louie, carefully got all of the pieces back into place and the folded elements apart and back into proper position. When the pieces were properly realigned, a bit like a puzzle, there was very little missing material. Areas like the upper lip were recreated to match the surviving foam. Melissa Ocampo carefully in-painted any missing paint to complete this project. In-painting is a specialized technique where only the new material is painted, leaving all of the originally paint as untouched as possible. After that, the pieces were given a generous application of archival sealer to help slow the hands of time.
We were honored to be a part of preserving the legacy of one of our favorite films, especially for a pair of our favorite film-makers!
Have an original movie or television prop in need of a unique or themed display? Email or call today and let’s discuss your project!
