Bog Bodies and facial reconstruction using rapid prototyping techniques
I've spent a few years working in the film industry in New Zealand and one of the processes that fascinated me the most was making creature masks for fantasy films (NZ=Lord of the Rings). The sculpting department was often responsible for designing the creatures and this happened at full scale in oil-based clay. Quite a few of the senior sculptors are obsessed with prehistoric man and in their free time work on sculptures featuring all sorts of hominids. I'm interested in collaborating with one particular sculptor - Jamie Beswarick. There are 3D scans of bog body skulls available, thus it would be possible to rapid prototype a skull to create a base on which to make a reconstruction of the bog body's face - I could then to use filmic techniques to create a realistic silicon mask. But I think the most interesting thing would be to see what came out of the collaboration because Jamie is a very talented, traditional scifi/fantasy sculptor.
Jamie Beswarick, Neanderthal, oil-based clay