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.