CONstruct and the world of Worbla

Cheryl and Tommy had a great time mixing it up with cosplayers and special effects makeup artists at the CONstruct event last weekend. From the grotesque to the fantastical, the spectrum of possibilities that can be achieved with Worbla, silicone and foam were on display.

Dhareza Mavamis & Becka Noel join Cheryl & Tommy at CONstruct.

CONstruct: Cosplay Stars

MWS was joined at CONstruct by Becka Noel, Dhareza Mavamis and Joanna Miranda, all extraordinary stars of the cosplay world who demonstrated how to accomplish a number of projects using Worbla. These three cosplayers  are true artists who possess the dedication to see their vision through down to incredible details.

Dhareza Mavamis & Becka Noel at CONstruct.

Dhareza, a previous winner of the Syfy reality television series Cosplay Melee, made a sturdy helmet that looked ready for intergalactic battle. Joanna made a perfectly chiseled Wonder Woman headband to top off a pitch perfect super hero costume.  Becka, also a Cosplay Melee participant,  made a beautiful mask fit for the mystery and allure of a ball and then, using the scraps, made a miniature unicorn. Nothing gets wasted! Their understanding of Worbla and its many uses has allowed these artists to create characters and worlds with no limitations.

CONstruct: Jordu Schell and Anthony Giordanna

Other highlights of the event included a live display by designer and sculptor Jordu Schell of Avatar fame, who sculpted a head out of clay with meticulous skill. Anthony Giordanna created a large scale Silicone Prosthetic creature that was truly creepy! It was fascinating to watch him paint details using European Body Art products and Iwata Airbrush to create the type of precise construction that has translated onto films as the creatures that have captured our imaginations.

Anthony Giordanna at CONstruct.

CONstruct: Women in the Industry

On Sunday, Cheryl was recruited to speak on a panel discussion with special effects makeup artist Stella Sensel, known for her work on Face Off Season 7, regarding Women in the Business. Wardrobe and Costume Design has always been an area of the industry where women have flourished, though light was shed on sexual harassment practices that existed in the past and now have been addressed with the advent of studio mandated SH meetings and seminars. Also discussed was how much technology has changed the industry both making the job in some ways easier and in other ways more stressful due to the fact that one is now always connected to the job even when you are not “on the clock”.

Special effects has always been dominated by men, but Stella feels that if you concentrate on your craft and becoming the best that you can be, you will succeed in the business.  She’s proven that to be true!

Ultimately, women have been able to express themselves artistically and rise to the top of these fields. Cheryl enjoyed including attendees of CONstruct in this discussion, many of whom were new industry professionals or aspiring special effects makeup artists, and discussing both the nitty gritty and the excitement of the industry.

Cheryl and Stella Sensel speaking at CONstruct panel.

For anyone interested in special effects makeup or Cosplay, CONstruct is a fantastic event, an opportunity to learn from top professionals and to discover tools and products that can open whole new avenues of possibilities in your work.