Through my current set decoration independent study with UCF professor Vandy Wood, I had the opportunity to make all 40 of the meat pies for UCF’s production of Sweeney Todd. In the beginning, the props master sent me reference photos of empanadas, they wanted them to look like this in order to make them more hand-held than regular pies. I then sculpted what the meat pies would look like out of oil-based clay, which I then used to make 4 silicone molds. After all 4 molds cured, I was able to spray insulation foam into them in order to make all 40 of the meat pies. I decided to go with insulation foam in order to make sure the props kept the fine details of the mold while ensuring that they had a certain level of durability. After all 40 of the meat pies fully cured, I carved their backs flat and then painted them with watered down acrylics to give them a more wash/gradient feel. Lastly, I sprayed them all with sealant to ensure that they would last through the run of the show. These props will be used during UCF’s production of Sweeney Todd which will be performed at the Dr. Philips Center from April 11th through the 14th, so expect to see some onstage photos soon!

Pictured above are photos of the process, final product and initial references.