Battles With Bits of Rubber
Episodes
#98 - Chris Clarke
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Crafting Believability: The Art of Animatronics with Chris Clarke In this episode of 'Battles with Bits of Rubber,' Chris discusses his journey an...
#97 - Richard Martin
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Martin is a multi-skilled and astute operator. He combines creative flair with a very sound approach to business, problem-solving and meeting...
#96 - Brian Best
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mastering Digital and Practical Prosthetics with Brian Best In this episode of 'Battles with Bits of Rubber,' we delve into the intricate worl...
#95 - The Prosthetics Event 2024 Debrief
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode discusses our experience following the Prosthetics Event 2024 in Coventry. We mention our highlights, including networking, speaking to...
#94 - Practical Pixels & Imprudent Imposters
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This time around we discuss the technical aspects of 3D modelling and printing for practical work, especially in creating detailed prosthetics and an...
#93 - Falmouth Part 2
06 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this second and final part of our trip to Falmouth Uni, Neill Gorton joins us as we discuss making mistakes and learning the hard way in the works...
#92 - Falmouth Uni Part 1
29 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our trip down to Falmouth Uni preceded The Prosthetics Event 2023. It was a great trip, and so nice to see the work being done by students there and...
#91 - Digital Tools In The Workshop
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Makeup artists typically like makeup. It is a tactile medium, and they enjoy products, how they feel and smell and respond to brushes and pressu...
#90 - Joel Harlow
31 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Joel Harlow is an academy award-winning artist who started out in animation before he moved on to makeup. Gradually building multi-faceted skills, co...
#89 - Maddie Scott-Spencer
02 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Maddie is a talented concept artist and teacher known mostly for her ZBrush work. Coming from a practical background, her skills come from familiar g...
#88 - Adam 'KreatureKid' Dougherty
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Dougherty and his company https://www.kreaturekid.com/ are based in Colorado. An incredibly talented artist, he is an inspiring soul who makes t...
#87 - Frank Ippolito
14 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Frank Ippolito is something of a practical effects polymath. From starting out with makeup effects and putting in solid work in the lab, he has gradu...
#86 - More Noses, Fewer Horns
30 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we look at a makeup I did nearly 30 years ago at college. Adrian Rigby sent me a remaining original piece from the mould, along with...
#85 - Bill Corso
03 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"Bill, there's a scene where The Blob attacks a woman who's in a 'phone booth and it covers the 'phone booth, it crushes the 'phone booth and here an...
#84 - Pete Tindall
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk with materials maestro Pete Tindall about all things making related, along with a dose of rantage. I moan a bit about ZBrush...
#83 - Ian Morse & Cliff Wallace Part 2
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Check the shownotes on the blog: https://battleswithbitsofrubber.com/ This second part of our chat with Ian and Cliff takes a look back at the comp...
#82 - Ian Morse & Cliff Wallace Part 1
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was recorded at Cliff's studio, with all four of us present and correct. Ian and Cliff have worked together and separately in the indust...
#81 - Bolton Part 2
01 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Competence and comfort are the results of the repetition of activity over a significant period of time. In an age of endless self-promotion, this...
#80 - Bolton Part 1
26 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does digital sculpting have to do with battling with bits of rubber? Speaking in one of the VFX classrooms, a huge space with rows of m...
#79 - Jake Garber
18 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our conversation recently with Jake Garber at The Prosthetics Event in Coventry was, we think, a very important chat worth listening to for anyone wh...
Amelia Rowcroft: Strong Foundations
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Figurative sculptor Amelia Rowcroft lives in the lovely Sussex town of Lewes on the South East Coast of England, which dates back to 961AD. She was ki...
#77 - Truth Is Grosser Than Fiction
20 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Click Here For Blog Post Of This Episode Paul Savage is a returning guest on the show. We caught up with him at the Prosthetics Event in Coventry. M...
#76 - 1.9 Million Sq. Ft Needed
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is in two parts. The first part is the generally good news of the increase in film industry activity which sees many people run off thei...
#75 - Cutting Edges & Flat Moulds
20 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We covered cutting edges in episode #61 but this one is specifically about cutting edges on flat moulds. Cutting edges on appliance moulds do the work...
#74 - Foam & Filament
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In episode #74 we talk about running lots of foam latex and overcoming the things that can go wrong with foam latex. Despite silicone being the mater...
~73 - Rod Maxwell
20 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rod Maxwell is a bit of a Renaissance man, and the more we talked the more you can see how wearing many hats has informed his approach. Of late, Rod h...
#72 - Adam Beane
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Adam has become well known for his miniature and smaller-scale work which has both great expression as well as high levels of detail, and even devel...
#71 - Daniel Parker
08 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel was the first professional prosthetic professional to look at my portfolio. That stuff sticks with you. That was back in 1994, and there was s...
#70 - Dominic Hailstone Part 2
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this second and final part of the chat with Dominic, we look at his art and discuss the drawing and sculptures. As usual, this podcast episode is a...
#69 - Dominic Hailstone Part 1
13 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode (and the next), we have a chat with artist Dominic Hailstone. He works extensively with visual effects and has a background in make...
#68 - Q&A
29 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a catch up on some emails and questions we had over the last couple of weeks. We have some great questions this time around, so many ...
#67 - Brian Kinney
15 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Kinney is a primetime Emmy-nominated makeup artist and a Journeyman in IATSE Hollywood Local 706 Make-up Artists and Hairstylists Guild, where ...
#66 - Lars Carlsson
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lars is a generous self-taught artist from Sweden. He works in film, TV and theatre productions often using new technology to scan and print items fo...
#65 - Ghosts, Goblins & Cutting Edges
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
https://battleswithbitsofrubber.com/ It's Halloween. A Saturday! A full moon! Also not happening because of Covid. Boo. It's a damn shame, but I imag...
#64 - Danny Marie Elias
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Danny has done some interesting things with prosthetics, leading with fashion and high concept looks and bringing appliance work into the mix. Most...
#63 - Things That Go Wrong
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We have all spotted things in shows which were never meant to be there. Scars swapping sides, hair up one minute and then down the next, blood which ...
#62 - Mould Closure
21 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Closing moulds correctly is vital to get good casts out of them. There seems little point in making a good mould and then getting bad casts out of it...
#61 - Cutting Edges
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cutting edges are the point at which a core meets the mould, and is crucial in creating a fine edge for many appliances. In flat moulds, there can ...
#60 - Tim Baggaley
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Blog Post for this episode here. Tim Baggaley played the one-armed zombie in Shaun of the Dead. He's a damn nice fella, an actor, talented graphic de...
#59 - Mark Donovan
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Here is a little treat - an additional little episode that checks in with Mark Donovan who played The Hulking Zombie in Shaun Of The Dead. We talk...
#57 - 'Little John' Cormican
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It was a great pleasure to chat with John face to face (before lockdown, I hasten to add) back in December of 2019. John is a well known FX artis...
#58 - Air Bubbles
17 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Air bubbles of one kind or another are inevitable if you deal with materials which start out life as a liquid and then later solidify such as plaster,...
#56 - Q & A
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast, we catch up with some questions left on our answerphone, emails and comments. Clay issues, alcohol colours, and a nice...
#55 - Shaun Of The Dead: An Appreciation
25 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Shaun Of The Dead prosthetic team reunites and talk through the movie effects shots. Blog post for this episode here I thought it would be fun ...
#54 - Approaching Workshops
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Blog Post link: https://battleswithbitsofrubber.com/54-approaching-workshops/ Folio under your arm, at some point you may wish to appeal to those wh...
#53 - 5 Big Questions Commonly Asked
12 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There are often a number of questions about prosthetic makeup that get asked often. We put together the top 5 that keep cropping up and do a deep div...
#52 - Brandon & Jacquie Ryan
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Todd talks with his good friends and fellow artists, Jacquie & Brandon Ryan. This episode looks at how people teach, learn, and maybe don't learn....
#51- Neill Gorton
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I first met Neill with a folio tucked under my arm for my interview I had managed to arrange at Ealing Studios in 1995. My first job with him was...
#50 - Richard McEvoy Crompton
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
At IMATS London 2019, I sat and had a great chat with Rick from Bolton University. For those that may not be aware, a breif Rick bio: "Richard is a s...
#49 - Matthew Mungle
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I got to chat with Matthew Mungle & visit his jail cell! Matthew and his company, WM Creations have been responsible for makeup effe...
#48 - Neil Morrill
12 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Neill Morrill joins me in the workshop as we hit up Todd in Colorado and chat about our collaborated efforts on the makeup we did fo...
#47 - Kate Benton
18 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Todd and Stu talk about our week making moulds with epoxy, dropping sculpts and moulage effects for first responder training. Earlier...
#46 - Makeup Education
10 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Starting Education In Makeup Effects & Prosthetics This episode is prompted by seeing a few questions on forums about how best to learn about makeup ...
#45 - Jordu Schell
10 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jordu Schell has been pushing clay around for a while and knows a thing or two about sculpting. Creating concepts for characters and creatures, masks...
#44 - Colorado 2019
15 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a while since Todd & I have podcasted, so apologies for the slow return to form. It's been a brutal few months, mainly as I have been on th...
#43 - Paul Savage OBE
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
"Paul walked into a Lifeboat station on his 17th birthday and never left, initially volunteering at Poole and now at Tower Lifeboat in London. So far...
#42 - Sculpting with Pauline Fowler
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast we talk about art, what it means to be an artist, why we do it, and the challenges we face in trying to make a living doing this. Thi...
#41 - Richard Redlefsen
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Redlefsen is someone I saw for the first time a few years back at the UMAE where he was applying his demo makeup on the PPI stand. What was o...
#40 - Rick Baker
14 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Baker knows a thing or two about making stuff in rubber. It's also fair to say he knows a thing or two about the digital world too, as he has be...
#39 - Halloween, Harm & Rubber Chickens
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Something that Don talked about passionately in our interview was how (mostly) young, creative people can be in a position to get taken advantage of....
Ep #38 - Don Lanning part 2
26 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We are back with more Don! Even though I was there when we recorded, I still get a buzz hearing back what we spoke about. Simply put, Don will make y...
#37 - The Mighty Don Lanning part 1
26 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you have any sculpting ambition or love for any monster movies made in the last twenty years, then you should know the name Don Lanning. Not only ...
#36 - Trailer Chat
01 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
After the madness of Monsterpalooza 2018, we had the chance to grab the gang for a wind down chat to debrief about the trip and talk about what we go...
#35 - Steve LaPorte
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Steve LaPorte was a joy to speak with. For one thing, he is incredibly talented and has a fantastic body of work. That aside, he also recalls exactly...
#34 - Michael Westmore Makeup Man
29 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Westmore has done battle with rubber for a few shows, it's fair to say. With a long career spanning every aspect of makeup, he comes from a s...
#33 - Contact Lenses With Cristina Patterson & Bob Smithson
31 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Contact lenses are pretty easy to find nowadays. It wasn't always so, and the increased use of lenses has meant an increase in opportunities to have ...
Ep #32 - Allan Apone & Brad Look Respect The Craft!
27 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Todd and I had a great morning chatting with Allan A. Apone and Brad Look at MEL headquarters (Makeup Effects Lab) based up in North Hollywood. MEL n...
#31 - Steve Wang
19 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
One of the great things about Monsterpalooza, and other makeup FX heavy trade shows is you get to meet the people who make a life around doing the wo...
#30 - Chris Lyons & Fangs FX
03 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Chris and Fangs FX is who we call when we need teeth, but there is a lot more to Fangs FX than just...well...fangs! This is the first of a series of ...
#29 - Packrat (mini episode)
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
So, this is my turn at soloing for a brief episode of Battles with Bits of Rubber. And, depending on responses to my musings, perhaps Stuart and I ca...
#28 - Munich
30 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I had the great privilege to be asked to teach some masters degree students at Theaterakademie August Everding in Munich, Germany recently. I had a s...
#27 - Stu Musings
25 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Seven hours is a big time difference to deal with when trying to synchronise a podcast with two people. To help with that, Todd and I figured adding ...
#26 - Sangeet Prabhaker
03 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Most people learn techniques and perfect them. Some people then take those techniques and look at what can be improved. Sangeet falls into this camp....
#25 - Chris Dombos: 3D Prince
27 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
3D printing is having an effect on the way things are made. This episode talks about what those things are, how it benefits us all and how you can get...
#24 - Eryn Krueger Mekash.mp3
19 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast was a lot of fun to do. I met up with the Mekashes (Eryn and Mike) at their hotel as they were over for The Prosthetics Event here in th...
#23 - 5 THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW (OR WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE KNOWN) WHEN LEARNING PROSTHETIC MAKEUP
23 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
5 THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW (OR WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE KNOWN) WHEN LEARNING PROSTHETIC MAKEUP I'm still learning every day. I still make mistakes...
#22 - Rob Burns: Cutting Edge
15 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Burns makes great sculpting tools because he sculpts and knows what works. Blog post for this episode with video: http://www.learnmakeupeffects.co...
#21 - Allen Hopps: Scaremaster
20 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Allen Hopps is the director of Dark Hour, a huge haunt attraction in Plano, Texas. I wanted to take a tour and chat with Allen about what it takes to...
#20 - All About Cap Plastic
03 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Cap plastic is big....and it's not just for bald caps. Cap plastic is so called as it was originally pretty much used only for making bald caps, so t...
#19 - IMATS LA 2017
27 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast episode is the belated accompaniment to the blog post. We had a blast, learned some stuff and made some new friends. It was amazing, and ...
#18 - All Aboard The Freit Train part 2
09 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In part 2 of our discussion, Rob Freitas talks about the value of knowing about the unknowns. He sheds some light on the importance of knowing to look...
#17 - All Aboard The Freit Train part 1
05 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Freitas is one of the best-known mould makers in the industry and has a phenomenal reputation. Not only is he incredibly skilled at making moulds...
#16 - Rob Smith Master Of Blood: Part 2
27 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Smith continues his chat with me about foam latex, blood and other FX related goodies. Also, Todd and I talk about our favorite podcasts, and whet...
#15 - Rob Smith, Master Of Blood: Part 1
04 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Blood ! Podcast #15! It's something gets thrown around a lot in film, TV and theatre. There's bad blood, good blood, mudbloods, blood thicker than wat...
#14 - Scanners & Schoonraads
26 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A little look at the influence of digital technology on the practical effects workflow. Bear in mind the problems we try to overcome - namely to creat...
#13 - Mitch at Brick In The Yard
25 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Brick In The Yard isn't the most obvious name to give to a successful FX material supplier. There is a good reason for it though, as you will hear in ...
#12 - Rob Burman
17 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Rob Burman is a damned nice fella and kindly took some time to share some of his wisdom, and we are all grateful he did. Thanks, Rob! If you don...
#11 - The One With Thomas Surprenant
05 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The last time we talked about making foam latex, the craft and materials involved in actually producing the foam. This time around, we figured it woul...
#10 - Foam Latex: It's Smelly But Good!
22 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Podcast #10 - Foam Latex: It's Smelly But Good! Foam Latex was the main material appliances and pretty much anything skin-like was made of for long ti...
#9 - Symmetry, Schools & Fools
18 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
#9 - Symmetry, Schools & Fools Symmetry in sculpting appliances Whilst teaching a class recently, a student was hung up on getting the nose perfect...
#8 - Start Making & The Lowdown On Cap Plastic
24 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Blog post on this podcast is here: It seems it would be handy to have some sensible steps to actually start making things. So check out the podcast...
#7 - Geoff Portass Interview (pt2)
16 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the second and final part of the interview with Geoff Portass, we talk more Ken Russel, Pinhead and FX stories plus some insights into the right wa...
#6 - Geoff Portass Interview (pt1)
10 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Hey folks, it’s just me today as Todd is pretty sick with a bad cold, so get well soon Todd. Hope you get fixed up and back on track soon. We’ve ...
#5 - Colour theory In Practice
31 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Colour theory is a crucial part of makeup, especially if you are in the business of trying make a portion of the face out of rubber and make it look l...
#4 - Appsolute fools
27 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Todd and I have been chatting, as we both let the blogging slip because of work - so we are back with a plan to do more podcasts to give responses t...
#3 - Shooting at Meat. No, really.
16 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Read the blog post to accompay this podcast: www.learnmakeupeffects.com/shooting-guns-at-meat This time we take an interesting approach to captur...
#2 - Lifecasting tips and tricks
15 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Check out the blogpost on this subject too: www.learnmakeupeffects.com/lifecasting-tipstricks/ Lifecasting is an essential, basic skill used in m...
#1 - Sticky Situations: The Zen Of Prosthetic Adhesives & Removers
14 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is the first joint blog post venture with Stuart Bray and Todd Debreceni. Todd is author of 'Special Makeup Effects For Stage And Scree...