hi-fi murals - scenic

Hi-Fi Murals offers a variety of different services to the film business. Usually it is some form of scenic painting, although we have sculpted on many a set as well as illustration and now we are beginning to dabble in visual effects concept art.

Scenic painting is the painting of sets for film and theatre. This can range from making wooden wall "flats" look like rusted or shiny metal, or to make the same type of surface look like stone or concrete. This is achieved through an unlimited number of techniques. Whether you mix sawdust with paint for a textured surface, or use plaster, concrete etc. The materials and methods are limitless. Wood graining, marbling and other finishing techniques are often used and continue to push the boundaries and redefine the term "faux finishing".
The numerous styles of graffiti art always help to make a set look either colourful or "down and dirty", depending on the desired effect and delivery method.
Wall murals or backdrops are also commonly used in film, as well as sign painting and other graphics. Lets not forget the limitless aging techniques which are often overlooked. Almost all of these sets would not look convincing if not for the detailed eye of the "scenic painter". Clearly, some of the images here simply look like run down shacks, but a majority of the people visiting this page WANT to see exactly that. Much of the mural or graphics works are just some of the many elements whose job it is to create a setting for the players in these fine productions. Lets not forget the job of the set is twofold a) to assist the actor in getting into character, and more obviously, b) to look convincing on the small or large screen.

	The five images to the left are for a feature called "Whisper",shot in the spring of 2005. Presumably to be released in 2006 some-time. Throughout the shoot this show was referred to as "Whisper", but the name was changed to Hellion and now back to Whisper again. There were two reshoots, the second carrying the new name. Prominently featured in this movie, is a mural which grows throughout the film and it foreshadows unhappy events to come, eventually serving as a pictoral storybook for the events that take place. Milan worked quite closely with the director, Stewart Hendler, in ensuring the murals would help convey the mood of this feature through style and storytelling. Look for it!

	These images to the left are a few that represent a series for 2006 called "Blade". Based on the movies of the same name, we have more of the down and dirty and gore that we all know and love. It was enjoyable working closely with the sculptors to create the sides of beef for the slaughterhouse scenes. Where else would our favorite vampire killing vampire keep his secret hideout? The beef was first C&Ced out of styrofoam, which was then sculpted further with knives, textured and painted with musculature, then coated with a combination of two part plastic and latex rubber for the fat and skin. This was was then yellowed and bloodied up with paint and found it's way on a meat hook.



	Here we find more of that low end graffiti. The exterior of Blade's lair. The truck required some signwriting for the logos then a quick and dirty graffiti job to make it look a little more urban. It all cleaned off of the truck just fine. The building (Woodwards) had to be repainted.

	These are two examples of a generic marble which several of us mass produced for Blade. This is all through faux finishing techniques which are generally invented on the spot, but all of the principles are the same.

	"Supernatural" a modern day Hardy Boys scare 'em adventure loves the deeply weathered look for many of thier sets. Production Designer Jerry Wanek who also designed the sets of "Dark Angel" excels at this. Here are just a few of many photos to come from this series. A lobby in one of the buildings of the infamous Riverview Mental Hospital has been converted to a ghetto squat for some troublesome characters.


	Just playing with layering for depth and trying different styles and effects that I'd never used.
	This is from season two. The lettering is C&Ced medite, the flat surfaces are medite and the rest is styrofoam and plaster for stone texture. The whole thing was painted with a spray gun one surface at a time lying flat. The chalky areas are just an added wash to make those areas look unpolished.
	Here is a close up of the spattering. I started with a pink base and worked it up with several layers of spattered glazes. A high gloss clear coat gives added depth. Then the whitewash is later added to the "unpolished" areas with a paint brush. Any drips on flat areas are merely wiped away.
	Here is grey tombstone. What makes this look impressive in person is all of the pearlescent and metallic speckles. This is painted with the same process as the red stone, just a different selection of colours.
	Here is another quick burner from this show that I like. It's in a cleaner style than the above pieces and the colours are pretty nice.
	Here is a 16' tall telephone pole sculpted out of styrofoam and painted for realism. There was also the addition of rusted out staples, nails, tacks and other tiny details for authenticity.
	Here is a styrofoam figure who is to be holding a guitar while he's a work in progress
	This is the finished version of the sculpture you see above. This "Hollywood" graveyard was located at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, BC. More photos of this sculpture are forthcoming.
	Here we have a plume for the helmet of a life-sized fibre-glass knight. The plume is shown here in its raw styro-foam state. I never did get finished photos of this, but I will try as it sits locked away in the back of some storage space.

	This is a cenotaph created for the end of last season (2) of Supernatural. One face was lined with 1 1/2 inch foam rubber which had to be painted to match the rest of the granite and aged.
	Here is a close-up of the foam rubber granite. There is now one less stunt person out there with a headache.
	A newly painted ghost sign at Terminal City. An old foundry in Vancouver.
	After sculpting this crack and painting the granite finish, I was asked to make this cryt look more chipped and beat up, which meant more sculpting and then repainting.
	Another crypt. This one with CNC lettering and a granite finish.

These four images come from a series shot in 2005 called Killer Instinct" There are some examples of graffiti, some cut out flames from a motorcycle show display and a sign for a motorcycle shop with the image done in an airbrushed style

	Are We Done Yet? The latest installment of the Ice Cube features. This is a VW double cab which had just finished getting its airbrush treatment. The great thing about this vehicle is that it is a one of a kind in that a typical double cab has three doors, while this one got a custom treatment for this show and had a fourth one added. You'll also notice some doodling on the masking.

	Here is a life-sized boxer sculpted out of styrofoam. This was used as a stand-in on the set of 'Good Boy'.