Things are crazy nearly everyday at TraumaFX. These past 6 months or so we've been working 12 hours days (sometimes more!) just to keep up with orders we've received from all over the world. None of our success would be possible without the dedicated people that have graced the shop over the past years. Each piece must be undergo six different hand-painted layers to look absolutely realistic to the human eye. And because of the special silicone we use, they feel that way too!

All of our products go through a rigorous quality assurance process. Everything that is ready to go out the door to your studio, set or home gets the thumbs up before a stamp is ever licked and stuck on the package!

Ice! Ice! Baby!

It seems like everybody at one time or another runs across the issue of doing "ice effects" during different weather conditions and/or environments.

Giving the illusion of being frozen (or nearly frozen) in a body of water can be challenging. One of the easiest ways I've found found involves a few simple materials, a little heat and everyday type applicators.

Use a double boiler at your makeup ...station and melt about 60% Parafin wax and around 40% Vaseline. Mix the two thrououghly and apply it using paint brushes for the thicker hair areas like the head, and masscara spoolies for eyelashes (but be really careful!). You can also use the spoolies to apply the wax/vaseline mix to eyebrows, and mustaches.

If you want to, you can add some pieces of zize or polymer to get "chunks". It works "ok", but the wax/vaseline mix will really sell the look a little better in my opinion. Get creative with it, add things like a light "dusting" of sugar or epsom salts and you'll be amazed at the realism you can produce with this effect.

A little something to remember: The more vaseline you use, the softer the wax is and the easier it comes off the hair.

 

Just a few thoughts I thought I'd share.......

No vacuum chamber for silicone?

I'm sure most artist's already know this, but I still get questions from people new to using silicone regarding how to get the air bubbles out if a vacuum chamber isn't available.

For years, I didn't have a vacuum chamber either (read: I'm "frugal"). I still got great results by simply pouring my mixed silicone from very high up - sometimes standing on a chair - and letting it pour into my mold in a very, very small stream. As the silicone is falling the air bubbles break because the the stream is so fine. Now, you won't get rid of ALL the bubbles, but you usually don't with a vacuum chamber either. So, if you don't have the money for a chamber, grab a chair; I'm sure you have one handy.

If doing a very large pour, be sure to know when you're silicone will start to kick. You don't want to be 3/4 of the way into the pour and have it start to thicken. Not good. In that case, break your pour down into manageable sizes. Silicone sticks to silicone so there's not a problem with that method. Some have said you can see the dividing line where two pours have met. I've never had that problem. I think allot of it stems from the intrinsic coloring of the silicone itself. If you do your own color mixing and matching with oil paints, etc., you might run into this problem. I use (and sell)the FuseFX silicone paint system. The colors are consistent ALL THE TIME! I never have to worry about shade difference - ever. FuseFX might seem a little high in the price range, but take it from me (read: frugal), it is WELL WORTH THE MONEY!

Do you need a vacuum chamber for silicone? Well, they're nice but not absolutely necessary.

Gelatin Joker Scars now on Sale!

ATTENTION!! I have taken the Gel JOKER SCARS off of the web site and assigned them to eBay! I did this because of the high demand for these screen-accurate prosthetic pieces and found that over 80% of my customers were eBay users and usually looked there first for products such as these. I apologize for not making that clear earlier this year.

Click HERE for Joker Scars on eBay!

At TraumaFX I get allot of requests for economically priced Joker Scars. Our Silicone Joker Scars are extremely popular but not for everyone. So I took the same sculpts and made molds for Prosthetic Grade Gelatin. That was a good move for me - they are flying off the shelves! And it was a good move for my customers whom all I want to do is make them happy. Now they have an option when it comes to scars.

Joker enthusiasts want only the BEST when it comes to realistic, screen accurate, PROFESSIONAL scars. They don't want something made in somebody's dorm room or in dad's garage. They want an adhesive that will stick and stay put. They want edges that blend seamlessly into the skin. And they want nothing but the highest quality at a reasonable price.

Our Joker Scars are made from Professional Grade Prosthetic Gelatin - the SAME type used by SFX makeup artists in many, many major motion pictures. It takes a specific type of gelatin and a special formula to produce scars that are soft, flexible and as translucent as real skin.

The photos of the scars seen here are fresh out of the molds and still have the "flashing" attached (thick parts around the scars themselves). Flashing allows you to position the scar on your face, apply adhesive and then literally dissolve the micro-thin edges into your skin using our Gel Blender fluid. The flashing then comes cleanly away leaving you with perfect scars and perfect edges (see example photos).







Some scars may have slightly separated from the flashing during shipping - this is NORMAL and will NOT affect the application. Now all you have left to do is apply the makeup. Instructions come with every set of scars.

Here's what you get:

* All 3 Joker Scars - right and left cheek and lower lip
* Gel Blender fluid
* Professional Adhesive (this is NOT spirit gum!)
* Professional Adhesive Remover
* Brush for applying adhesive
* Cotton Tip Applicators for blending edges into your skin
* Instructions

These scars are from the SAME sculpts that our famous Silicone Scars are. There is no difference other than the material they are made from.

If you want Professional Joker Scars at a reasonable price, this is the item you MUST have! Get them NOW at TraumaFX!

TraumaFX

The entire year has been GREAT for TraumaFX!

Let's see....what's on the post-Halloween production agenda today:

* 22 pounds of Prosthetic Grade Gelatin for our TraumaGels
* Half gallon of whipped Pros Aide for Prosthetic Transfers
* 2 gallons of Simulated Blood (people are LOVING how realistic it is!)
* 36 platinum Silicone Prosthetics (GFA's)

More and more people are finding out about the quality products we offer and telling others. Thanks. They realize that professional special effects makeup doesn't have to be expensive. Some of the "big names" in the industry are charging outrageous prices because their logo is on the package and many have farmed out their products production to other countries to save costs and reap larger profits. That's too bad. I still believe in the good ol' USA and the quality and JOBS that we can produce here.

TraumaFX is a small, but growing business for special effects makeup and accessories. We don't sell everything yet, but we're getting there. Customer service is our #1 priority. When you call with an order or a question (or even a concern), you don't speak with a disinterested secretary or overzealous sales person. You speak with the owner. Every single person is valued as if they were the only customer we had. Now, how many of the "big name" companies can say that?

Give TraumaFX a try. You'll be glad you did. That's a promise.

Our SECRET is out!

TraumaFX had a secret that just got out the bag!

TraumaFX is now the distributor for the Mountain West/West Coast for the world's leading Silicone Paint System - FuseFX! (Actually, we'll sell to ANYBODY!)

You've seen FuseFX products at work in films and television like Zombieland, Saw 5 & 6, Nip/Tuck, Gray's Anatomy, Private Practice, Saturday Night Live, Nurse Jackie and Dr. Who (UK) just to name a few.

For those of you who want the BEST in intrinsic and extrinsic silicone coloring, FuseFX is the unsurpassed leader. FuseFX is used by professionals around the world and now YOU can purchase the products you need for your projects and get them FAST! We ship the SAME day you order. You can specify either USPS Priority Mail or UPS.

Never used FuseFX? No problem - we offer trial kits too! Once you use FuseFX products, you'll never go back to coloring your silicone the old way. That's a PROMISE!

Check out our FuseFX products today at www.traumafx.com!

Starting Your Own Business? Worried About Failure?

When I started TraumaFX, I think allot of people laughed inside.

There were times when I wondered if this was just a stupid dream and I was the only one believing in it.

For the first year or so I told a number of people what I planned on doing and 95% of their reactions weren't making me feel any better about my plan. I suppose it was my fear of people thinking I would fail (my products are very specialized, not mainstream, but much needed).

There were many who said, "you want to sell what?". And the half-smile on their face I interpreted as feeling sorry me and my misguided venture that they believed was doomed to failure, but they were too polite to say it.

That's when I quit talking about it.

So I concentrated on success. I read everything I could on motivation, inspiration, marketing, attitude and faith. I sought out and talked to successful business owners. I listened and learned. I read books, I signed up for newsletters from motivation, inspirational and financial leaders.

All the while I kept planning and building - I did not give up because of other people's opinions.

Finally, a year ago, I launched my website - www.traumafx.com. I have received nothing but positive comments and incredible encouragement. Website visitors are up an average of nearly 1200% each day. Sales are beginning to follow this trend. It has been a very successful year at TraumaFX.

For those of you who have ever had the dream of starting your own business - whether it be a brick and mortar store or online, here's a quick bit of inspiration that kept me going through it all. I have it hanging (along with many others) in my office where I can look at it during those times of doubt. It was from a speech by President Theodore Roosevelt, at the Sorbonne in 1910.

Here it is:

"It is not the critic that counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
No, the credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and blood and sweat, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause. Who at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat because they have never even tried."

Here's the question you need to ask yourself:

"If you knew you couldn't fail, and you could do whatever you wanted to do, what would that look like?"

If you can answer that question, then THAT'S what you need to do in your life. Take the leap of faith.

All the Best,

Bob