blue box displays

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Creating awards for a prestigious event is always an exciting project, and when you are asked to create something as unique as ten 6ft statue awards for the IFTAs, it becomes even more thrilling. As a sculptor, I was more than happy to take up the challenge and create these stunning awards.

The brief was clear – we needed to create ten 8ft statue awards that would be identical to the original awards handed out at the Irish Film and Television Awards ceremony. The process began with scanning the original award via our CNC machine, which allows us to enhance the size from its original 1ft to an 8ft polystyrene three dimensional shape. This would serve as the foundation of the statue and would allow us to create the desired shape and proportions, followed on by hand sanding the polystyrene model to ensure a smooth to touch finish.

Once the polystyrene models were finished, we coated them with a fire-rated polyurethane hard coat. This coating is essential as it provides a fire retardant protective layer needed for all indoor use props. The polyurethane hard coat also adds extra strength and durability to the statue, making it last for a long time.

After the hard coat was applied, the next step was to colour-match the statues to the original award. This was a crucial step as the colour of the award needed to be consistent with the original design. We spent a significant amount of time getting the colour right and ensuring that each statue was an exact match.

Next, we sculpted the Celtic brooch from clay embedding the clay into silicone molds to cast copies in polyurethane plastic. After sanding, priming, painting and varnish we glued the brooches onto each statue. This was a delicate process as we had to ensure that each detail was perfectly executed. We used high-quality materials to create the brooch, ensuring that it would look authentic and add a touch of elegance to the award.

Finally, we applied a hard lacquer protective layer to the statues, giving them a high gloss finish. This added the finishing touch to the award, making it look polished and sophisticated, exactly like the original award.

Overall, creating these statues for the IFTAs was an incredible experience. It required precision, attention to detail, and a lot of hard work. However, seeing the final product and the joy it brought to the recipients made it all worth it. We were proud to have played a part in creating something that would be treasured and celebrated for years to come.

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Last winter, we were asked to create a vast outdoor immersive Christmas display scene for Janssen. The theme of the exhibit was a winter wonderland, complete with charming elf houses adorned with colorful baubles, candy canes, and lollipops, reminiscent of a typical elf winter village. Each house was thoughtfully designed to serve as a selfie spot for guests, allowing them to capture memorable photos as well as including an immersive element to the scenes. Additionally, the display boasted numerous Christmas trees that led visitors down a winding path of bark to a snow-dusted scene where they could meet Father Christmas sitting atop an enormous ice sculpture throne, surrounded by snow. The winter wonderland was enclosed by white fences adorned with decorative garlands, and the entire exhibit was illuminated with warm white twinkling lights.

Moreover, we also decked out the entrance to the Janssen building with festive decorations, including giant red and gold baubles festooning the garlands on the front archway. Nearby trees and bushes were also embellished with baubles, and a massive 40ft Christmas tree added to the merriment of the season.

Please click images to expand

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The Nightmare Realm undergoes a full redevelopment each year of everything – the set, the look, the design, the sounds, scenes and costumes, even down to the way we market gets changed year on year. We put ourselves number one in our own competition, only ever aiming to out do our previous year. That is how we stay at the top and why we a multi awarding winning attractions and the countries number one for Immersive Halloween Experiences.

Below are some of our concept design work that was used in the creation of 2021’s theme ‘We’re back’.

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We were approached by Ballyseedy Cafe to come up with designs for the Cafe for the upcoming Christmas season. Aiming for a traditional style Christmas scene in the front of the cafe with soft decoration, lights and atmosphere, as well as a more colourful kids zone for the play area at the back of the cafe- the below designs were created.

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Fox Carving for local community project 2019

We were asked by a local community committee to create a wood carving from a recently fallen tree.
The idea was to create a Fox as it is a much loved country animal around the area.
Never shy of a challenge we created the fox completely from wood, a first for our company as we are used to dealing with much larger and often lighter materials.

Carved entirely from a chainsaw and grinder, painted and lacquered with a weather resistant varnish. The Fox now sits proudly, greeting visitors and locals to the village.

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Bloom in the Park 2019 / 2018
Department of Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture contacted us in 2018 with ideas to create a stand for Bloom in the Park, focusing on the Protection of Ireland’s horticulture industry and wider environment from exotic pests and diseases.

A plant Health awareness raising campaign for 2018 and again in 2019 was created with the intention to bring awareness targeting at international travellers, tourists and commercial businesses who are bringing plants, plant products and other high risk items made of plant material into Ireland from abroad.

We were given a list of insects to recreate in larger than life sizes as well as creating a bright visual display to replicate an airport customs clearance desk.


These insects had to be the talking point of the installation. They had to be visually effective and large enough to stand out. Using images from the internet we hand sculpted these insects in clay, molding the body and limbs separately in silicone and finally casting the insects in Fire Proof Polyurethane. Each insect has a metal skeleton and anchor points to connect them to the stand. Each insect was hand painted and varnished to a high quality.

The client was so happy with the insects that we were commissioned again the following year to make more for their 2nd year in a row running their campaign at Bloom in the Park, Dublin.

Below are images from work in progress and installation

Press coverage around the Don’t Risk It! Campaign

Agriland

”The objective of the campaign is to highlight the social, environmental and economic impact of bringing in infected plant material or quarantine pests and diseases into Ireland”

Horticulture Connected

‘‘Through the mediums of the internet, social media and attending key events, the Department’s objective of the campaign is to educate the general public”

Merrion Street

”I am delighted to launch this new plant health awareness raising initiative by my Department here at Bloom”

Gov

”Minister Doyle launches ‘Don’t Risk it!’ Plant Health Awareness Campaign”

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The Voodoo Rooms Nightclub in Cork City, Ireland 2019

The rooftop bar of Voodoo Rooms required a full renovation keeping in with the new theme ‘The Afterlife’. We worked closely with the clients to bring their vision to life. Skulls, Day of The Dead, Jungle plants and Mardi Gras made this space really pop.

What the space looked like before we got to work –


Essentially a blank canvas with heaps of potential. Our designs below won us the contract.

Gallery images ranging from work in progress images from our workshop, installation shots and press photos from the grand opening of The Afterlife in June 2019

Press coverage welcoming the reopening of the rooftop bar

Cork Beo

”As you might expect, given the name and link with The Nightmare Realm, The Afterlife has a number of frightful features”

Yay Cork

”The top floor has been completely renovated with the help of Cork’s spooky specialists to create a haunted house party setting that Marie Laveau would be proud of”

Evoke.ie

”The new space was created by the makers of ‘The Nightmare Realm’ and as you’d expect  brings a taste of otherworldly glamour to the city’s nightclub scene in the form of installations teaming with skulls, Voodoo Dolls, Ouiji boards and much more.”

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2021 Concept Art: The Imperial Hotel

In 2021 we were approached to create designs for The Imperial Hotel in Cork city. After initially meeting with the prospective client we were briefed to design an Autumnal display for the beautiful Layfayette Cafe front and a design an interactive social media space of the new upcoming in-house cocktail bar, Sketch.

Unfortunately these designs didn’t ahead however we still feel that these images are strong concept art work and would love to work with the Imperial in the future.