Jennie Marino

Props Intensive Tech Event

Broadway Teachers Workshop
Sunday, July 8th, 2012
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Opening

Welcome, Introduction

Section 1

Explanation of various foam types.

Blades, saws, rasps, hot wire tools and sanding demo.
Bullet points on infrastructure and supports.
Safety demo knife handling.
hand out knives & foam samples.
Assignment = craft a rock, a fantasy weapon or a piece of food.

Section 2

Demonstration of foam coatings for durability and textures.

Classic Dutch: muslin, cheesecloth & glue.
Sculpt or Coat, Rosco foam coat, Jaxsan coatings.
Aqua Resin, water based fiberglass tech.
2 part polyurethane coatings – plastics.
Textures and Painting.

Section 3

Introduction to expanding urethane foams and molds.

Demo & prep an assortment of silicone molds from various Broadway shows.
Demo cast quick release castings in hard and flexible foams.

Wrapping up

Q&A and resources

The following companies have generously provided literature, catalogs, and materials for this
workshop. In appreciation, please mention the Broadway Teachers Tech Event with
Jennie Marino if you order with them.

Smooth-On, Inc.
2000 Saint John Street, Easton PA 18042
| Order Desk: 800.762.0744 | Fax: 610.252.6200 | Tech Help: 610.252.5800

Polytek Development Corp.

55 Hilton Street
Easton, PA 18042
Phone : 800-858-5990 or 610-559-8620 Fax: 610-559-8626
Jennie Marino
Props Intensive Tech Event
Broadway Teachers Workshop
Sunday, July 8th, 2012
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Aqua-Resin®
Tel: 212.226.1208
info@aquaresin.com
Aqua-Resin®
16 Greene Street
New York, NY 10013

Hot Wire Foam Factory

HWFF, Inc.
216 East Laurel Ave.
Lompoc, CA 93436
Phone: 805-735-9255 Toll-Free: 866-735-9255 Fax: 805-735-9285
eMail: faqs@hwff.com
Special for Tech Event attendees: 10% off online orders. Use coupon code BROADWAY2012 -
expiration date, August 8, 2012.

Other favorite resources for custom properties creation

Rose Brand East

4 Emerson Lane
Secaucus, NJ 07094 Toll Free: 1-800-223-1624 Phone 1-201-809-1730 Fax: 1-201-809-1851

McMaster-Carr
Sales and Customer Service
(609) 689-3415
(609) 259-8900
200 New Canton Way
Robbinsville, NJ 08691-2343
http://www.mcmaster.com

Plastic Coatings Corporation (jaxsan)

PO Box 1068
St. Albans, WV 25177
Office: 1.800.279.9151 Fax: 1.304.755.0229

Sculptural Arts Coating, Inc.  

P.O. Box 10546 Greensboro, NC 27404
Ph: (800) 743-0379  Ph 2: (336) 851-0355   Fax: (336) 851-1357

The Complete Sculptor

90 Vandam Street
New York NY 10013 800-9-SCULPT 800-972-8578 212-243-6074

Glue Advice: http://www.thistothat.com/

Foam: http://www.albanyfoam.com/

With some communication, a reasonable budget and a little drying time,

all things are possible.
Jennie Marino
Props Intensive Tech Event
Broadway Teachers Workshop
Sunday, July 8th, 2012
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Tips, tricks & resources to help solve your prop dilemmas.

1. It takes 3 things to produce a custom crafted piece, time, talent and money. In
any theatrical production you are lucky if you get 2 out of 3. Usually you get
one, amazing is all three. The unsung hero of production, research and
development, directs the fleet that you captain. RESEARCH is your first task.
Discovery of your resources comes next.

– Your available talent and labor pool is usually an uncharted,

untapped and underused resource. By providing your team, whether
they are students, parents, coworkers, friends, or relatives with
example photographs of what you need and samples of materials they
should use, you will truly amazed be the quality of work produced and
that hidden talents abound. Inexperienced but budding sculptors,
painters, computer graphics artists, tailors, woodworkers, engineers
and DIY’ers are all around us. What people need is direction and
specific details of what you want. After that, their desire to achieve and
own creative processes will generally produce the item or treatment
you requested.

To direct towards success:

Identify the item and its use. What does it need to do? Bounce? Break?
Dance? Make coffee?
Does the actor need to do anything special with it? Wear it? Throw it?
Use it as a pole vault?
What is the place in history? What world? What time period? What
economic? What culture? How long does it have to last?
Do we need to do anything to this item to make it safe to use or
perform?

Google images of items that look or feel like the thing you are trying to
create. Print out samples of what you want it to look and/or feel like.
Identify your building materials. Are you building boulders from brown
craft paper and glue, or muslin, fiberglass, foam, tinfoil, rubber, & so
forth?

By giving clear direction and providing the tools, you give your charges
a comfortable space for personal growth and artistic discovery while
promoting the success of the collaborative process.

2. Always build in time for tests. Some of the greatest discoveries are made in
the “what if” zone. Some of the greatest failures are realized when you mix
materials that aren’t compatible and destroy hours of work.

3. Study adhesives. Study labels. Study Chemistry. Building is adhesive

dependant. Contrary to popular belief, hot glue does not work on everything.
What works on plastic can eat through foam. Know and love your adhesives
Jennie Marino
Props Intensive Tech Event
Broadway Teachers Workshop
Sunday, July 8th, 2012
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm

but consider use, drying time, and future complications before applying. And
see rule above. Then proceed to rule below.

4. Don’t Glue what you can sew, wire or bolt together. A physical join
connection like wire, thread, or a bolt will allow for repairs, reuse or recycling.
Physical joins + adhesives = dependable.

5. Use your common sense and body wisely for repetitive and potentially
dangerous tasks. While working with chemicals, using protective dual
cartridge respirators in a well ventilated area is mandatory; but other tasks,
such as carving with knives, rasps, or even sanding can be dangerous. Get in
the mindset of protecting yourself for the long haul. Wear gloves to increase
grip on tools and protect your hands. Use “green” technology whenever you
can, not only for yourself, but everyone around you. Many new products are
becoming available to replace some of the most beloved but highly toxic old
standbys.

6. Think low tech, grass roots, form follows function. Design and make it as
simply as possible and it will work every time, 8 shows a week.

7. Make your local hardware store your favorite hangout. Squint your eyes and
scour the isles for things that look like other things. Look lovingly at empty
packaging plastic.

8. The big home improvement stores carry construction foam, adhesives, paint,
and knives, but the dumpsters behind them have the coolest packaging
materials that can be used to make stage magic as well.

9. Order samples and small test kits when you can. Not many manufacturers
offer free samples of their products anymore but there are some that still do.
Companies now offer trial or sample kits that are extremely affordable and
usually provide enough material to do a one small to medium size job, often
enough for a school production. Be aware that many products have specific
storage parameters and a very limited shelf life once opened so your
investment won’t last forever.

10. Experiment. Craft and hobby stores have many wonderful kits for fake water
or rock, gold leafing, or painting on glass. Simply follow the directions, run a
test, and allow some drying time.

Best of Luck!
Jennie Marino