For this film I wanted some really distinctive props, stuff that couldn't be bought or rented. This meant sculpting and casting quite a bit of stuff. I'll show you some examples here.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPfCxiblYv3nCMMucEEPXyUSvnX8qpzh3Goch1kK7vTq5EtHkYScOC3fK9HLe1v_tQdQkWIc9Hi9vazigpaNEFk7nFnXRjHNma_DvT3p9Z3PPhyphenhyphenO4gnby3jSm9FyV6x9Hz-772eBhrUh1/s400/brosch1.jpg)
This very simple Chavant clay sculpture, with added pearls and buttons, was duplicated in plastic from a silicone mold. I added a big safety-pin on the back of it, painted it gold, and voila; A cape clasp. I made about eight different clasp in this way.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk9ADLiKUL3ufGJXv0A0oblXoADYgc5EJ40z9Re039-WgdybGojGyYk35nekWb-OjnhO2Dbkqo7WoAe4d-1omnFUDy6cMSA8uvsOqF-01nLE4ztvWQz_apXuccYP6Kwvqlmlo1ivzPjoD/s400/ishtar1.jpg)
This neck piece for Ishtar started off as a clay sculpture. I made a plaster mold for casting latex, since I wanted the neck piece to be soft and comfortable. In this photo the latex piece has been painted with brown PAX paint. Below it's been dry-brushed with gold paint.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0W5T_-NWLf5gfAtsiqvHRapwel0UHODqubH8UnmtwceWSskU9WLDSwMxVphhyphenhyphens4Bj1I_SYyRukLzz878FgDVF49NgUAAIQE-UIAiz1VoeE9jiv9J4t2CMUrIVRYG-74BxtlSP5PuCWxS/s400/ishtar2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidP2Hyb8PCddRxJ-vAp88NptzkotedfSQV6thwwt2Bqmdiqdi6hJseDdCvkvH4XEJnZRBQF_KcoTF1XyP6wQE0Za4px3T2KkFawEVDsRgYp5oSOTmaNX9XNgvT3aw2GwU6yaOjgpC1c5u3/s400/ishtar3.jpg)
This Chavant clay sculpture was also reproduced in latex and used as a bracelet for Ishtar. The rounded arcs with their straight centerpiece are actually an old Sumerian symbol of divinity.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6VC0VkqCq20r-_UE2J_IZyeWWVGN9g6-KEXER-IuDDRzJc8i-AGN9Us1aWmimIKccvTYRniFNlmzlZhUtCM2z-AwiLAGGPj7TPuN2vVz7-t5V_DMY93mSiQKcdWp3ypRAQxmqfC4KhBl/s400/kingsword1.jpg)
Now for some complicated stuff; the king's sword. I read that some of the very first swords ever made were made out of gold and copper. Bronze apparently came later. I wanted a short, simple sword that was also light and easy to use. I decided to cast the sword in durable plastic (SmoothCast 325 from SmoothOn.com). I have an old African (?) spear head I bought long ago that was the perfect lenght and shape for the blade. I sculpted the grip in Chavant clay.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnji7MNtdRGo761TdpSwxTjGgmXmJa61mgFub6-6YI4njN3O8qepHfx5xGgAYU7hK2YADaWx0wsbR11aB1dW8MuorCMch_ed4goKegRBQXugwxvwKHI0-8lCSUKbejzj48nOQy04bNoZ-8/s400/kingsword2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvplMlRRZm8JzWXLFrfVIzupUv2Z7E0K5E0H4_HYivG3OE6N03V6pOOmV5je8JkLz6DHGxSncZyl2F5AoTFdRvsYpodHCGzaPL4kGecY3swzk-0PEHJzvCulGgDylolz6p0MKztpNzJbF/s400/kingsword3.jpg)
I brushed a layer of Dragon Skin Q silicone all over the sword and let that set. Then I made a makeshift mold brace out of cardboard and filled it with more silicone, and lowered the sword into the goo. After the silicone had set I removed the sword by cutting through the middle of the mold, almost all the way down.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjllO5RtPuTZtzAvZYo_YJ1gcojIdUZ0F-PbCgLVoZmGCAtd0wJCS6MMWrUon7WVG9-PMzrg_lchvMHrxCCnfMFgdMGdPedALjMWyPBFGB5rTKfWTN_NhhC2POijlB1QcaNtxRdo_p79Z-/s400/kingsword5.jpg)
The silicone mold itself is very jiggly, so I had to add some kind of support when casting the plastic in it. I simply duck-taped it up against a wooden board and that worked. The finished sword came out nice and straight. Maybe I was just lucky this time.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7KAmI7w9JwpoIJNmnhHhhQfWGR7HeLqwFWsRljZTFa1FjK9_YNyuRd7tOavM1qi5pfDX-SYxfipP81DH19EmM4qJCuUp8_skFnqHiwXjvGOAIWxRBu_AjhG07e9Q251OxDslf3umbp_Q/s400/kingsword7.jpg)
The plastic sword, with its thin blade, would have been to wobbly on its own, so before pouring the plastic I lowered a thin piece of coal fiber (the top piece of a fishing rod) into the mold. This added the needed strenght and stability. In this photo a coat of brown / green color is airbrushed on.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutBtqkjiXxZekCan1Phyphenhyphenklp-18C6vZHwG-Q9UjMkui5HzEltcixzjCao-7dxZ9qZqRW0w3MCYknJpO7dB8_VJ-5eJmbbJPVMrQX_fsl2AOebZLDmHFkGgQKYigUHEuJxrjvgEtGompiji/s400/kingsword8.jpg)
A mix of purple and gold has been airbrushed on to highlight the sword. Finished!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimckNAx7vNM7JBl2Kh3plraY7SrQFImFri5iTtnvcSPlqXuX4NktEkaLY_SBe6w23geibMSp8875jKLk3ECPDRBC9jPM56aplLpFxoW-NM1JTsu1Ve0rwl0IznGZxn7E32Eyn1ZpzTMWPX/s400/kingsword9.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2p2CT63et6CdrXD6m1WOGOkNM7JASG2Ab9vchHX-YCFIDWOxQ1fcwKucsQr8536R6iJGyaaAPhYWWJDiSzbGLRIdWobO3YkUMYc8zYnL6gSM7HRlFyRyx20e9e9AeaE3fYm6ygJ0714G/s400/kingsword10.jpg)
Well, nearly finished. The sword needs a sheath, of course. I made mine out of sturdy cardboard, reinforced with ducktape.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnI8cOyUsDlXA-OUYEXx7KsRCPgSAKnqLzSqjSDIyJnmlqNQhaYO1q95ILGGR9tp31zY20YhSuEfhT3IHlSkSZaCaMA7moVrsHLG6qphjaMJUuBYS3VGXEqGnbK-MUX4D28PXeTdjSczTD/s400/kingsword11.jpg)
On the top and bottom parts of the sheath I sculpted clay fittings, later reproduced in plastic from silicone molds.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhiopFmhOirtOOOkjkIzbfoQ8J-AvFvhY3GEzF269ijWm8bi5r9IP5jy3F5Um0vGntWg10x3nevaFBtHd8V0EvPwNhBCG1hj1oEkUInt0BfGFzTXfGmHunaqpU0XuJ07xUx-qoSb8IwAf/s400/kingsword12.jpg)
Before adding the fittings, the sheath was covered in leather-imitation PVC cloth.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzPiQmGB9PXDzfMTZjqoFtpk9Nzo2kuCp2NgzMoTHbqj1MR2HWwwsudq9Fn6LuaDmMojOdUQdh4DLEIgFCHo7Jpmdda0sHHVmUa-SV9MO1OciAzc22MwZHXvzTzfxbRFDPP8SI77bKZDG/s400/kingsword14.jpg)
And when finished and in the hands of a king, even a plastic sword can kill demons and chop of octopus tentacles.