Blog 4

Did you know that, in the Star Wars movies, Chewbacca’s fur was made with a combination of human hair and yak fur?  You can discover that fact and plenty more about film makeup and prosthetics at the Museum of the Moving Image!
The tour that I was on covered topics pertaining to the history of the moving image ranging from makeup, cameras, screenwriting, interactive gaming, photography and portraits, audio recording and even a specific interactive opportunity to create our own film flipbook.  However, one of the most fascinating exhibits involved costumes and makeup artifacts from Hollywood films. In addition to Chewbacca’s iconic fur suit, the fat suit from Mrs. Doubtfire and the entire collection of costumes from the Oscar winning movie Chicago are part of an ongoing display.  Perhaps one of the more enlightening aspects of this exhibit was the reveal of the fact that the costumes, while they might appear one way, are designed with hidden features and unique fabrics/products.  In Eddie Murphy’s costume from Beverly Hills Cop, for example, the seemingly inconspicuous nonchalante jeans and grey sweater were actually designed with mostly polyester and cotton in order to provide the actor with maximum flexibility, cooling and stretchability as to provide the most range for the actor to be demonstrative and flamboyant.  This was designed, also, with special consideration for the extreme temperatures the actors are subjected to with heavy key, fill and backlighting. Also, the costume (and the dress in Mrs. Doubtfire) also had pockets built into the inside lining in order to carry a condenser microphone set in the case of a directorial decision to record in that way for particular scenes.  

This is merely a glimpse at what the Museum of the Moving Image has to offer to cinephiles and fans of history and alike.  I have no reservations about offering a high recommendation for anyone to visit.

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