Mermaid tail/pyrate garb?

[breacanfeile]

So how do you make a mermaid tail? I'm trying to do a decent-looking fantasy film (meaning one that I can actually send to Sundance and places like that), but I have to costume a mermaid and I also have a group of pyrates to worry about (especially their boots and swords!). Any advice?

[Ace of Harbor Bay]

Hmm. The mermaid tail depends on how close your shots will get and your budget

I would personally go for a combination of cloth/foam core for the tail. Then is covered in many seperate layers of latex. The latex could be molded easily into the individual scales and easily colored a base color by adding acrylic based paint to the latex before brushing into the mold.

Then painted or airbrushed to add the details. These seperate chunks of scales could then be applied in an overlapping fashion like shingles on a roof and would be extremely flexible. It could be attached with more liquid latex to glue it all together and to the base.

This either wraps the legs or (depending on your shots/action) is basically a "puppet" tail and the legs are hidden in or behind the set.

Of course this is just my demented mind at work. You could probably get away with a lot less.

[breacanfeile]

I should have added, we are incredibly poor. Bad few months for plunder. But thanks for your ideas! I'm trying to do something with shiny fabric that was donated to us, possibly using hangers...but I'm not sure. I just learned costuming, so I don't trust my skills that much.

[Cut-throat]

If you want to make a mermaid's tail on an incredibly tight budget, and make it look the best you possibly can, first get some painter's tarp. Cut the tarp to wrap around the actor's lower half and legs. Taper the cut of course, and cut the top portion to fall below the actor's belly button.

Then I would suggest Ace's idea of liquid latex. If you use it sparingly, a bottle ( approx. $ 14.oo ) goes a long way.

Get a can, or cans, of Pringles potato chips. Take the lid and use it as your scale template. Pour a thin layer inside of the lid and let it dry. Once it drys, powder it wit some baby powder, remove it, and powder the other side (this will ensure that it won't stick to anything on it's own). Then cut the latex in half, and you will now have two scales to work with. Get some lackeys to help you and you will have enough scales to cover the tarp in no time !

Airbrushing will look better in the end, but for a budget, use spray paint. They have all sorts of colors. Even metallics. They're cheaper than airbrushing if you don't have your own gun and compressor + paints.

For the tail, cut the desired pattern out of the remainder of your plastic tarp. Cut out two identical patterns. Cover the two tail patterns in a thin layer of the liquid latex. While it is wet, you can play with striations, or designs, etc. If you want some areas thicker than others, keep applying fresh layers of latex to the dry ones. You can make incredible tail striations with a steady hand.

Once you have both halves of the tail complete, glue or latex them to the scale covered tarp. Once the two sides are fused together, you can stuff the tail with tissue paper however thick you want the tail to be.

This may seem like a bothersome process, but once you get going on it, it really takes no time at all. And you will save big $$$$$ in the process.

When you are ready to fit the actor in the tail, you can latex the tail shaft directly to the actors skin using spirit gum adhesive and a stiple technique. The wet latex will pick up on the color of the scales, and as it dries, it will automatically blend the actor's skin tone into the color of the tail. Cool huh ?

Well, I hope my idea helps. Good luck with the film. An if your ever in California and need someone to read a script for you. Don't hesitate to to call ol' Cut, aye ?

[Rumba Rue]

Well being a poor person myself, I think what you are going after is done much easier.

If you have material already, cut it to form around the body of the person that will be wearing it and sew it. Cut the fins (4 each so that you can sew them like a pillowcase), and use batting or even cheap cut up scraps of material to stuff the tail, and attach. Does this help?

Also check out costume rental places, some have some really good outfits for mermaids.

Also depending on where you live, you might be able to track down a group of pirates to help you out (check the No Quarter Given site for groups that might be in your area NQG), but be aware, no one works for free.

[breacanfeile]

Yes, thanks for the ideas, everyone! And I work for free...but I'm aware I'm a dying breed. I live on the Big Island of Hawai'i, which is the problem....hard to get stuff out here cheaply, and not a lot of meterial available. Plus I don't want to hurt the fish with chemicals or anything, which is the real problem. But I do like the idea of the Pringles can/spraypaint....I just have to find a place to have the actress so that the sea waer isn't tainted. And at this moment, since I'm doing my first film as a student, I'm not sure if I'll ever get to California (I already lived on the streets in LA; not an experience I'd like to repeat.) We'll see where this goes. Thanks again, everyone for the ideas!

[callenish gunner]

i have done several films and plays on the cheap ..... depending on the shot shedual you want to do try using spandex and airbrushed made over the lower half of your actress wearing swim fins inside the tail ad several layers of frabric for the actual tail fins but the swim fins will give her more propulsion for the actual swimming ....also try shooting in soft focus and with a starburst filter ...a few sewn on secquins can catch the light to add visual interest .... see if you can get a local airbrush artist to donate their talents for film credit to do the painting

[Ace of Harbor Bay]

Aye what Gunner be sayin' is smart talk fer yer budget!

It truly is all about planning your shots well. Heck you could get creative and keep it a thing of mystery and have your mermaid never fully revealed, but hinted at. Showing a flip of the tail before she vanishes into the deep.

Smoke and mirrors sez I!

[Ace of Harbor Bay]

Oh and speaking of finding folks to help out for the promise of credits...

You could always try to find someone to do the tail in 3D animation.

That's what I do by day and I can tell ya, it wouldn't be too tough at all (if planned properly).

[tishsparrow]

well, i dont know much about making mermaid tails (its never really been necessary) but i do remember this place in florida that does an underwater show, usually the little mermaid, but sometimes other ones. it was on the simple life 2 once. they dressed paris as a mermaid. ive been there a few times on vacation. its called weeki wachi. maybe they could give you a few tips on it. or you could borrow a costume. or just get ideas. Its a cute place to go, anyway.

[breacanfeile]

Hi,

I actually contacted Weeki Watchee first, and the guy didn't seem to understand that I just needed help and couldn't afford a $150 mermaid tail. As far as something like CGI goes, I always felt that it looked fake (even Gollum in Lord of the Rings I don't believe is truly interacting with the hobbits); I'm sort of a puppet buff, I guess (Yoda then versus Yoda now? I mean, really!). However, I think I will probably go the spandex route, as I have a lot of extra fabric lying around; it's just going to be a lot more time consuming than I'd like. I've seen some mermaid tails made with snorkel/dive fins inside so you can swim in them. Out here in Hawai'i, there isn't a lot of that kind of costuming talent around, so I wouldn't even know who to ask to donate something like that. So I guess I'll be doing it myself. Thanks, everyone, for your ideas!

[tishsparrow]

ah, well, just trying to help. always think of weeki wachi when i hear the word mermaid. used to love it as a kid.

[breacanfeile]

Ah, no worries, I appreciate the thought! It was the first thing I thought of, too. I've never seen it myself, but I bet it's cool. I think it would be fun to be a professional mermaid!

[tishsparrow]

yea, but theres ducks, otters, and fish in that river... not to mention the fishermen, tend to try to "net" the mermaids