~ 2018-2019 ~
Skills:
- Sewing -
- Pattern Making -
- Foam Sculpting -
- Painting -
For Denver’s Fan Expo I created a Beast costume from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Taking inspiration from the cartoon rather than the live action movie, I created a costume modeled around my body that gave the proportions of the Beast. This meant making a costume that had the bulk of Prince Adam's cursed form that was light enough for normal Prince Adam to walk around a convention center for a day.
The legs were made of foam and wood for a light construction. Inspired by the construction of human joints, elastic and spandex were used to mimic the function of ligaments. After many rounds of trial and error, the feet were attached to shoes in a way that my normal gate would produce an animal-esque movement.
The upper torso was made from foam and spandex to make the muscles. A shirt made of fur then was sewn and covered the muscles. This created a piece of clothing warmer than any coat I've worn in my life but looked quite close to the Beast. Sewing patterns for everything were made from scratch and sewn using various materials and a lot of fur.
I was also tasked with creating Belle's dress for my girlfriend/eyes and ears during the convention. Before this project, my sewing knowledge was limited to knowing how to string the machine and sew patches. I was given the opportunity to try, fail, and learn many sewing techniques while sewing the dress. I then applied these newly found skills to the more complex Beast costume.
Future Plans:
The only thing not made by myself in this costume was the mask. I did not have the confidence to do so at this point but am now feeling like I am up for the challenge. The plan in the near future is to make an animatronic mask that has moving eyes, mouth, and other facial features (as well as a fan so I'm not dying). Through my schooling at the Colorado School of Mines, I have learned how to code and work with Arduino. This combined with a course from Stan Winston School of Character Arts, I am currently working on the mechanical parts that will interface with electronics in CADland (Solidworks). Pictures of this project will be posted as they become more defined.
Picture taken outside of Denver Convention Center
Picture taken outside of Denver Convention Center
Test fit of muscle suit
Picture of patterning process
Picture of fur attached to legs
Test fit of full fur suit
Patterning of future mask using Deast doll
