The Agency's Posts

Apocalypse pretty soon, romantic yearnings now in 'Seeking a Friend for the End of the World': So much of the drama we respond to, from the heart, depicts ordinary flawed women and men....
Read More>

Check-out this great AGENCY Talent shoot, by AARON WARKOV: Several of our talent were shot last week for a project by AARON WARKOV ( www.aaronwarkov.com )......
Read More>

HBO's 'The Newsroom' delivers lots of opinion: West Wing's' Aaron Sorkin pens the new series about a TV newsman (Jeff Daniels) trying to tell it....
Read More>

For 'Magic Mike' crew, being sexy is a lot of work: Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello admit to a few nerves on the set of....
Read More>

'Portlandia' boosters wryly seek Emmy nomination: The IFC sketch comedy show's try for recognition has a David-versus-Goliath feel amid other....
Read More>

Maya Rudolph breaks down her 'SNL' host highlights: "Saturday Night Live"had its share of great episodes this season, but few delivered....
Read More>

Mike Tyson and Spike Lee are headed to Broadway. Together.: Edward Albee. Terrence McNally.Horton Foote.Mike Tyson? The ear-gnawing former heavyweight....
Read More>

Box Office: Cruise, Sandler lose out to 'Madagascar 3': Two A-list stars failed to attract moviegoers to the box office this weekend, as a musical....
Read More>

ABE LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER: The sun was just about to set over Lake Pontchartrain on a humid Louisiana day last May when....
Read More>

Saturday Night Movie Pick: ROCK OF AGES: Review: 'Rock of Ages' loves rock 'n' roll Put another dime in the jukebox, baby, because this....
Read More>

Usher finds a fresh groove in 'Looking 4 Myself': Seductive R&B artist Usher explores electronic music in his latest album "Evolve....
Read More>

'Dallas' premieres big on TNT: TNT's reboot of the"Dallas"struck oil. Its Wednesday premiere drew nearly 7 million....
Read More>

'Rock of Ages': Tom Cruise gets Bret Michaels' seal of approval: WhenTom Cruisepopped up in 2008’s “Tropic Thunder,” barely recognizable in....
Read More>

'Prometheus': Should Ridley Scott return to sci-fi full time?: Since making us cover our eyes and drop our jaws with 1979's "Alien," Ridley Scott....
Read More>
An armory of costumes for 'Wrath of the Titans'
Posted on: 03/24/12
Share/Save/Bookmark
 

In a Hollywood obsessed with futuristic CG effects, Simon Brindle does things the old-school way — really old school.

As the costume armor supervisor for “Wrath of the Titans,” the sequel to the 2010 Warner Bros. film “Clash of the Titans” due out March 30, Brindle and his team fashioned the suits of armor worn by Sam Worthington and other actors using leather and wooden mallets and other tools and materials employed by the ancient Greeks.

For the 44-year-old Brindle, it wasn’t too long of a journey from his parents’ farm near Liverpool to the mythological Mount Olympus. As a young boy, he took advantage of the ample space and old pieces of leather and wood that surrounded him to develop his skill for hand-crafting goods.

Armed with a passion for sculpture, history and epic films such as 1963’s “Jason and the Argonauts,” Brindle pursued a degree in fine arts sculpture at Manchester Polytechnic. After graduation, he got his first taste of costume design and manufacturing when he landed a job at a theater company that mounted historical productions.

Since then, he’s fashioned armor for films such as 2001’s “A Knight’s Tale,” 2004’s “Alexander,” “Clash of the Titans” and the HBO series “Game of Thrones.”

“I love to create things, and this gives me the opportunity to do that,” he said. “But the best part of it is to see your lead guy or your key actors try their armor on and stand up straight and really get a feel for the characters they’re going to play.”

Greek to him: For “Wrath of the Titans,” Brindle’s 15-person team fabricated armor for the principal actors and prototypes for the armies based on costume designs by Jany Temime, who had recently completed work on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” “A Greek picture requires essentially Greek skill sets, so it’s literally using wooden stakes, wooden forms, hammers and mallets; trimming away with sharp knives; and shaping and forming and so on,” Brindle said. “So the tools are quite basic — hammers and files, sandpaper, nothing too complex. It’s really what you do with them that counts.”

Best chest forward: To lend authenticity, much of the armor was inspired by the Greek muscle cuirass, a type of armor molded to fit and mimic the wearer’s torso, nipples and all. “They’re based on a perfect anatomical model in a piece of beaten bronze,” Brindle said. “They have a wonderful sculpted chest and abs, and they enhance the appearance of the wearer.”

Flax your muscles: As the king of the gods, the character of Zeus, played by Liam Neeson, required special armor. “Zeus is in a woven, soft-bounded leather and a compressed linen, which is another Greek armor technique,” Brindle said. “They compressed dozens of layers of linen together under an awful lot of weight, and it actually became impervious to blades. So Zeus’ armor was layers of linen and felt and woven leather with fine metal bounding running up and down the surface of the armor — just little bright details that catch the light every now and then.”

Fit for a lady: Brindle constructed Andromeda’s armor from a combination of rigid and soft leathers with etched brass metalwork around the neck and waistline. “The etchings were ancient Macedonian warriors in procession from archaeological finds, Greek vase paintings,” he said. “And that was really nice armor to make, because it’s very well tailored and fits well. It’s got a great line and silhouette to it, and it’s lovely deep reds and burgundies. It looks regal like a piece of armor, but it’s still quite feminine.”

Scale model: The character of Perseus, played by Worthington, needed particularly tough armor given his habit of battling sea monsters and gorgons. “Perseus’ armor is a lamellar armor, which is a series of overlapping leather scales that slide across each other,” Brindle said. “They were something like three by two inches, so it was hundreds of overlapping scales meticulously laced together. And lamellar armor was used in Greece, and it was also used in ancient Japanese culture. So it has an almost slightly samurai silhouette to it.”

 
COMMENTS
Be the first to post a comment!


Post A Comment:




  • It's 2020! Start booking roles in commercials, fashion, films, theater and more with The Agency Online!

  • NEW WORKSHOP with Barbara Barna & Sean De Simone!

    Hi Everyone and Happy Summer! Sean at Sean De Simone casting and Barbara Barna are teaming up for a super informative and fun Hosting for Home Shopping workshop. A great opportunity for established or experienced TV Hosts and Experts interested in learning how to get noticed and how to get in....
  • MASTERCLASS W. Robin Carus & David John Madore

    A Special Offer for the Agency Community, from one of our favorite NYC Casting Directors! EMAIL FacetheMusicWithUs@gmail.com Or Eventbrite To Sign Up! Class Size is Limited.
  • Don't Fall Into The Comparison Trap

    Hi Everyone! As the second installment in an ongoing series of features by the Agency's amazing community, here's some sage advice from our own Regina Rockensies; a humble (& awesome)veteran we've had the pleasure of working with for a long time. Have an excellent week! : ) - The Agency....
  • One Model's Agreement

    Hi Everyone! As the first piece in an ongoing series of original articles by the Agency community, here's a short reflection on some of the values of professional acting & modeling that we can all keep in mind for our next casting. Good luck on your castings &shoots this week! : ) -....




 
home       castings&news       privacy policy       terms and conditions      contact us      browser tips
Official PayPal Seal