|
In an all out attempt to bring the MGM Classic 'The Wizard of Oz' to life, the producers needed to recreated the famous talking apple trees that taunt and tease Dorothy on her way to see the Wizard. Taking this lead from my art director friend Jimmy Cuomo, I submitted my portfolio along with a bid to the scenic house in charge of the production and secured the job. Five of these trees were needed for the production and they all had to be built in little more than three weeks. In addition, three of the apple trees would need to have personality, be able to talk and throw apples on cue. With the aid of one assistant, I was able to successfully produce all of these trees for the show. Here's how: With very little production time I decided to work full scale on my wire armature. After the patterns were pulled, I would hand the pieces to my assistant to trace, key and cut out of industrial foam. Step by step the pieces of the character went together until there were five, ten-foot tall creatures standing in front of us. Using three of these drafts I began to alter and modify their shapes, adding features and branches in order to make each one different from the last. By free forming the features this way, I was able to bring a lot of expression to their faces. They could all move their eyebrows, wiggle their noses and open and close their mouths. A right arm branch using a specially designed glove allowed them to throw the apples. Sight lines and ventilation ports were added along with a closure up the back to enter and exit from. Once complete these polyurethane trees were slipped onto welded A-frame supports and painted by the scenic crew.
All Rights Reserved
|
|
|
The Wizard of Oz
