Helmet Class 101

At the beginning of iSundae II, there’s a dramatic sequence that we use to introduce Fonsuger, the villain. In order to give a sense of mystery, the script calls for a full face helmet. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the helmet making fell to me, a low experience prop maker (uh oh).

Little did I know that a dramatic helmet was so tricky. Starting with a balloon, I covered it with paper maché, let it dry, added a second layer, and finally popped the balloon. Well, would you look at that! It only comes down to my forehead. Undaunted, I promptly ran screaming to Ruth for help. She quickly told me how to remedy the situation with a tube of cardboard. Breathing a sigh of relief, I went to glue on a cardboard tube.

Once the glue dried, I added a couple more layers of paper maché to smooth it out and strengthen it up. Then, I just had to try it on.

Okay, so it’s looking good. Except for the fact that it looks like it’s made out of paper! Paint job on the way. I rummaged around in our basement collection of spray paint, picked a few colors, and grabbed Dad to help with the job.

Dad turned out to be a natural helmet paint specialist. With a great artistic eye, he changed the paper look to a lovely battered metal look.

So, there you have it. A good looking helmet from an amateur prop fabricator. Of course, I had a lot of help. Next time, I might not be so lucky.

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