Tutorial: Silicon Rubber Moulding & Casting

Silicon rubber moulding is an extremely effective process, allowing one to create exact reproductions of an item even with the finest of details.

• Plastic Solvent
• Small piece of dowel (approximately 1cm)
• Rigid material to make the mould box (e.g MDF or sheet of plastic)
• Glue gun
• Mixing pot
• Mixing stick
• Condensation cure rubber
• Hardener (condensation cure rubber catalyst)
• Polyurethane fast cast resin (parts A & B)
• Polyurethane pigments/metal powder (optional)
• Scalpel
• Tape
• Item to be moulded
• Appropriate PPE

Creating a mould:

To begin with, take the object in which you want to make a cast of, when casting the whole object (rather than just one side) you require a hole to pour the resin for the next half of the tutorial, so using your glue gun, glue a small piece of dowel to the top of your item and then again to a square sheet of plastic, roughly 2cm+ larger than the item. Then begin to build a box (taller and wider than the object), around the object leaving a 5mm-10mm gap. If you have chosen plastic to construct your box out of, use the plastic solvent to glue the edges of the walls together to form a solid piece. If you can see any gaps between these walls go along each join with a glue gun.

With a clean mixing pot, mix 10% of the hardener (a green/blue liquid) with the condensation cure rubber, check the manufacturers guide first though, as each may vary. Mix the two thoroughly until all traces of marbling has disappeared. Then put the pot into the vacuum degassing machine, designed to either extract air or add it - in this case you want to extract. At this point make sure that you have not overfilled your container with too much rubber, as it will expand under the pressure of drawing the bubbles out, if so put into a larger container before continuing. You will find that the rubber tends to look as though there is more air contained within it now, though this is just the air rising to the top, when it looks as if it is boiling take it out by gently pulling the leaver back, slowly drawing out the pressurized air.

To remove the bubbles that remain on the surface, begin to roll the rubber around the sides of the pot until all are burst. Pour this into one side of the mould, tilting it slightly, letting it slowly push itself into the detail - whatever you do DON'T pour directly over the object, this will create more bubbles!

Leave this to go off. Once it is dry remove from it's casing, and cut away any excess rubber. If you have cast a whole object with a scalpel cut a small slit down one of the sides of the rubber mould (it is better to cut with a wavy line). Do not cut in half as this will make the mould unusable or at least very difficult to mould again with! If you would like to reuse the mould, it is imperative that a small v-shaped vent is created at the top so that the air is displaced when you pour in the resin.

Pouring into the mould:

When you have removed your object used to create the mould, a resin must be made, but first off it is essential that the mould is sealed enough so that the resin mixture doesn't leak out. To do this simply wrap with tape, making sure not to distort the shape. The resin consists of part A and Part B, the Polyurethane is a fast-drying resin (about 5 minutes) so when mixed be sure to work quickly. The portions for this is 50:50 so shake well and weigh up the same amount of each and stir. The size of your cast determines how much you need - it is always best to make more than you need rather than less. At this stage you can add metal powders or pigments if you wish to have your cast coloured, although you can paint it afterwards if you give it a good scrub with detergent and plastic primer.

Pour into the mould, giving it a tap to make sure there's no air. If you need a flat backed cast, pour into an open mould, and with a larger piece of flat material, such as plastic, lay on the exposed resin and place a weight on top. Wait until it is cold to remove from the rubber mould, cut off and sand the nodule where the dowel once was. And voilà!

'My Boy Jack'

(Left to right) Rudyard, Caroline, John & Elsie Kipling.

Based on the true story of Rudyard Kipling (David Haig), My Boy Jack depicts tear-jerkingly passionate wartime tale of family life.

Set during the First World War, John 'Jack' Kipling played by Daniel Radcliffe, the 17 year old son of Rudyard, declares his intentions to sign up for war, but when he is repeatedly refused from both the Navy and the Army due to his poor eyesight, his father, a pioneer for the War cause, seizes the chance to use his influence to get Jack into the military, despite his wife Caroline (Kim Catrall) and daughter Elsie's (Carey Mulligan) objections.

Lieutenant John Kipling.

After a short dose of training, Jack quickly becomes Lieutenant, and a paragon of virtue to his battalion. Whilst John is away, the family become united in their shared yearning for their son and brother, living everyday with thoughts revolving around whether they will hear from him that day. Yet despite Jack's efforts, his family are informed that he is missing, presumed injured, and out of frustration Caroline pushes Rudyard to use the influence which got his son into the Army in the first place, to find out what happened. The Mother's devotion to the discovering of her son is particularly touching, though it is when we find out that the very thing that stopped Jack Kipling from getting into the Forces at the beginning was what killed him, really plucks at the viewer's heart strings!

Jack being eye tested in a military exam.

Not only did I find the story to be beautiful, but also visually; the subdued colours strengthened the audience's experiences of the solemn situation, but also added a kind of delicacy to the film. Together with the imaginative editing, so that one scene flows into the next, for example: the sounds of explosions on the battlefield links to the next scene with the pop of champagne, celebrating the 18th Birthday of Jack. The camera angles also echoed the experiences of the front-line - jolting and turning upside down with the soldiers, following their exact movements, initially acting as their eyes, (not to mention the blurring whenever Jack's glasses are removed!) which engages and makes viewers feel involved. One soldier at this point, is hit and falls to the ground, in which the camera is upside down and all we see is the feet of other soldiers running past. Such quality and creativity in films as this never ceases to disappoint me.  

' Jules et Jim'

The charming film begins in pre-war Paris, with best friends and writers; Jules, an Austrian, and Jim, a Frenchman - the pair are tied at the hip, so close we almost begin to question the extent of their friendship. Yet the duo become a trio when another dimension to their close-knit relationship is added; introducing Catherine - a vibrant bohemian young woman whose care-free attitude and alluring good-looks, entangles the two men into her web.

Both images: Jules et Jim - Jim, Jules & Catherine

Avant-garde director Francois Truffaut, one of the founders of the French New Wave cinema, had adapted and filmed the story in 1962, a semi-autobiographical book written by Henri Pierre Roche, to become a fresh, artistic film with passion pumping through its veins. Combined with the use of freeze frames and panning shots, there is a sense of fluidity with the scenes, which drift into another, sometimes leaving the viewer back-pedalling to regain their sense of time, but when, for example, First World War begins and Jules and Jim are called away, there is a clear separation between the first-person style filming of the friendship shared between the three and the speckled film clips that are shown of war.  
Unlike the majority of films featuring war, this one maintains a light-hearted approach which begins to fade towards the end, joined by a now slower pace.

Left: Catherine, Right: Catherine & daughter Sabine

Despite it's name, Jules et Jim focuses more on the attention-seeking Catherine, who tends to steal most of the limelight. Not long after Catherine's entrance into the men's lives, does an unhealthy love triangle begin to appear, in which they develop intimate relationships that are reminiscent of The Dreamers (2003).

The Dreamers - Matthew, Isabelle & Theo

Both men find themselves attracted to the femme fatale, but surprisingly it is Jules, rather than 'Casanova' Jim to settle down with her, but marriage and motherhood are unsuited to the flitty young woman and so from here on the story takes a downward spiral, revealing Catherine to be a Jekyll and Hyde sort of character, engaging in multiple infidelities (even with Jim!). Though her addictive personality keeps Jim and Jules returning, but it is only after her quite tragic suicide, also killing Jim in the act, that Jules is eventually free of her restraint.

'All Quiet on the Western Front'

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) is one of the early adaptations of the German author, Erich Maria Remarque's book, who alike the film, was highly Americanized, with close links to the stars of Hollywood. It depicts the tale of a young German foot soldier's journey through war, yet unlike Remarque, the film made no attempt to shy away from the stereotypically glamorous qualities of Hollywood movies, it was the Golden Age of film and so alike many others of its time, it contained the humour, drama, the American accents and the pin-up-like girls that sculpted that era.

The Director, a Russian, and former veteran of the Signal Corps, brings a particularly modern display of warfare - on par with some films even today. Many of the scenes featured have been creatively shot through windows or display a true to life depiction of battlefield experiences, including explosions and dust showering overhead after bombings, supported by the use of real locations, a subject which cinematographer Arthur Edison remarked, "We might as well have been in the war". Despite this realism, there is a lack of attention to detail in some areas, particularly in the idealized way in which the film cleanly depicts war, without at any time depicting blood and gore. Perhaps purposely replacing this with comedy so that it would numb the audiences reactions to such a subject? The often humorous and mischievous goings on of the soldiers is short-lived as situations go from fun and foolery to madness and depression as they witness their first death, shattering their beliefs (built up by their teacher and other adults) that this was a 'Great' War. From then on we see how war can break a man and change his reactions, through visions of desperate situations of ravenous wolfpack-like men, hungry enough to bludgeon and eat rats with a spade, turn against one another, disrespect and steal from the fellow dead. I found the most touching and symbolic scene though, was of the soldier, killed whilst reaching for a butterfly. It is the contrast of the delicacy of the butterfly and innocence of the soldier's intentions with the harsh realisations of war that made it the most memorable part for me.

(Left) Paul & Kat, (Top Right) The butterfly Scene, (Bottom Right) One of the many realistic effects shown in this film.

Alike the previous weeks films I took note or drew any prop, or interesting costumes seen. I found these to be slightly more relevant than those noted in last week's film, Oh! What a Lovely War, because All Quiet on the Western Front was particularly associated with the lower-middle class, small towns and rural villages, which are so embedded in our project brief.

'Oh! What a Lovely War'

The theatrical production-turn film, Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), is a refreshingly cheery satirical depiction of the First World War, in which we experience its development, as well as the social and political aspects, through the relaying narrative between the Smith family and the European leaders/British aristocracy.

'World War One' in glitzy lights is one of the first scenes we see - it is the first sign the audience sees of the glamorization of war. Propaganda is shown to be an essential link in the process of war; the public is sweetened through marching bands, parades and plays, producing a huge surge of patriotism, thus convincing many to sign up.

The Richard Attenborough film remains intact with its theatrical roots, with most scenes taking place in a simplified reproduction of the Brighton pier, with a backdrop that emulates a misty seaside morning, and has the cast singing sickly sweet songs. Yet its Alice in Wonderland-like twists and seamless transition from scene to scene gives Oh! What a Lovely War a dreamlike quality, in which soldiers horse around on carousels - a scene which is also mainly metaphoric, to symbolize the men galloping into battle. Such scenes of singing and dancing are often interrupted by the reality of war, and there is a constant juxtaposition of the 'keep smiling' and 'keep normal' attitude back home (which reminds me of the scene in Carry On Up the Khyber!) and the facts of the situation; that the soldiers were challenged physically and mentally, driven mad by the experiences they had witnessed, deafened by gunshots and in some cases severely hurt or even dead. Though the upbeat songs of the trenches tend to mask this reality, yet it is only upon listening to the lyrics that one realises the truth. 

Carry On Up the Khyber (1968)

I found this film quite eccentric, which is a quality I enjoy, I had never before seen a film that had theatre as such a huge influence to its final outcome, combined with its almost comic outlook on war. It is also a reasonably easy film to follow, especially in the progression of the First World War, which meant that you needn't know each and every event to enjoy Oh! What a Lovely War. Throughout watching it, I began to gain many ideas for my upcoming props project, which were influenced by the many objects featured in the film.

'The White Ribbon'

The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band) 2009 Michael Haneke

Haneke's The White Ribbon accomplishes a painful sense of Realism through the unidealised way in which the plot is depicted, revealing a quaint pre-war German village to be somewhat of a Pandora's box once the first of the sinister happenings have occurred. 
It has been composed in such a way that it could be mistaken for artwork. The monochromatic film, though made in 2009, retains the gothic essence of silent movies of the 1920's. The moody atmospheric lighting means that the dark is very dark and the lights very light, which I found to heighten the senses, lessening any distractions and adding focus onto the reality of the situations presented. Not only was it the way in which the film had been shot that manipulated the audience into believing it could have been produced decades before, it was also the quality of the characters, script and actors which seemed to compliment each other, thus adding another dimension - as there can be nothing as disappointing as a half-baked film!  

It is refreshing also to watch a film that does not overwork the scenes or script - leaving things unsaid or unseen, forcing the viewer to use the hints provided to work out what has happened, which for a film depicting such monstrosities, it tiptoes around these delicate subjects without leaving the audience feeling short

changed. 

We are reminded also of the shocking inequality of roles of the man and the woman, as well as the fundamental relationships within the family units of the different classes. Showing the stark differences in wealth and quality of life within the social hierarchy - which is thought to be its main objective, yet the moral of the story is that no matter what one's financial situation is, happiness is not guaranteed, but if one does have money it creates the illusion of happiness to the outsider, and it is only once becoming a fly on the wall, such as in this film, that you can only begin to see past the facade. 
Not only is the contrast in classes a strong theme, but so are death and violence, which combined with poverty and hardship, strongly opposes with the unexpected blossoming of love of the school teacher. The theme of innocence also has an important part to play; innocence so desperately trying to be preserved, is at the same time being quashed by the happenings of everyday life - the cycle of life and death, which is repeatedly reminded throughout the film.