Learn Professional Special Effects Techniques Used in Film & Television

Step behind the scenes and discover how professional special effects artists create realistic body duplicates, anatomy props, severed limbs, and blood effects for film and television productions.

Join Special Effects Artist and Filmmaker Dallas Harvey at RaYzor Sharp FX in Calgary for an intensive two-day hands-on workshop focused on lifecasting, mold making, silicone fabrication, custom anatomy creation, and professional blood rigging techniques. This course will be a mix of Instructor demonstrations and student hands on work.

Whether you're a filmmaker, makeup artist, prop maker, haunted attraction designer, cosplayer, or practical effects enthusiast, this workshop will provide practical, real-world skills that can immediately be applied to your own projects.

Over two full days, students will learn the complete workflow from lifecasting and mold making through to silicone casting, painting, and camera-ready blood effects.

No previous experience required. All materials provided.

Dates: August 1–2, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Daily (30 Minute Lunch)

Location: Location: RaYzor Sharp FX Inc.
32183A Highway 552 East, Foothills, AB
(30 Minutes Outside Calgary)

Instructor: Dallas Harvey – TV & Film Special Effects Artist
Tuition Fee: $1150 CAD

DAY 1 – Lifecasting, Mold Making, Snap Molds & Silicone Duplicates

Introduction to Life Casting

• Materials, safety, and preparation

• Understanding body casting techniques

• Choosing the correct materials for different applications

• Industry-standard life casting workflows

Full Head & Shoulders Life Casting

• Bald cap application and blending techniques

• Actor preparation and safety procedures

• Creating a full head-and-shoulders life cast

• Life cast cleanup, correction and refinement techniques

Face Molds & Snap Molds

• Producing accurate reproductions from life casts

• Mold design and material selection

• Creating silicone face molds and casting in plaster

• Creating a silicone and plaster nose snap mold

• Mold finishing and correction techniques

Finger, Hand & Arm Life Casting

• Working with alginate and silicone casting systems

• Capturing maximum skin detail and texture

• Students will create a detailed finger life cast of their own finger

• Silicone coloration, painting & tinting techniques

• Students will paint their silicone fingers with FX products

• Students will create a silicone finger cast for their life cast

• Students will learn how to create a detailed hand and arm life cast

Clay Pouring & Body Duplicates – Part 1

• Introduction to clay pours for body duplication

• Safety and handling procedures

• Creating a clay pour arm duplicate

• Preparing casts for sculpture and modification
  

DAY 2 – Silicone Body Duplicates, Anatomy Props & Blood Rigging

Clay Pouring & Body Duplicates – Part 2

• Demolding and cleanup techniques

• Correcting and refining clay pours

• Recreating skin pores and anatomical detail

• Transforming a body duplicate into a severed zombie arm

Silicone Body Duplicate Fabrication

• Mold preparation and casting procedures

• Silicone selection and mixing

• Pigmentation and intrinsic coloring techniques

• Demolding, patching, and seam repair

Painting Silicone for Realism

• Silicone paint systems and safety

• Hand painting techniques

• Airbrushing silicone effects

• Students will finish painting the detailed finger cast created on Day 1

• Creating realistic wounds, bruising, and gore

• Blood coloration and finishing techniques

Professional Blood Rigging

• Gravity-fed blood systems

• Pressure blood rigs

• Students will create their own “bladder” style blood rig & tubing

• Hidden tubing and concealment methods

• Blood effect planning for camera

• Resetting effects between takes

• Safe operation on set

Shooting Blood Rigs For Camera

• Integrating blood rigs into anatomy props

• Creating camera-ready gore effects

• Troubleshooting common production issues

• Photography and cinematography considerations for practical effects
  

Who Should Attend?

This workshop is ideal for:

• Independent Filmmakers

• Special Effects Makeup Artists

• Prop Makers

• Cosplayers

• Horror Creators

• Haunted Attraction Designers

• Film Students

• Content Creators

• Practical Effects Enthusiasts
  

What's Included?

✔ All materials and supplies provided
✔ Hands-on practical training
✔ Professional techniques used in film and television
✔ Small class sizes for maximum instructor interaction
✔ Networking opportunities with fellow artists and filmmakers

Why Learn From Dallas Harvey?

Dallas Harvey has over 15 years of professional experience working in film and television as a Special Effects Artist, Director, and Practical Effects Designer.

His work spans prosthetics, creature effects, body duplicates, anatomy fabrication, blood rigging, and independent film production. Drawing from real-world production experience, Dallas teaches techniques that are designed to work on actual film sets—not just in a classroom environment.

Whether you're creating horror films, medical simulations, creature effects, haunted attractions, or realistic injury work, you'll leave this workshop with valuable industry knowledge and practical skills you can immediately put to use.

Limited Seating Available

To ensure the highest level of hands-on instruction, workshop enrollment is intentionally limited.

Reserve your seat today and learn how professional special effects artists create realistic body duplicates, anatomy props, and cinematic blood effects for film and television.