Venue: Zone Creations Ltd, London SW19
Dates: This workshop ran on Saturdays for two weeks from Saturday 9th August 2025 until Saturday 16th August 2025. Age Range: 16 – 19 years old.
Workshop Information
Course Outline
This hands-on workshop explores the art of sculpting original creatures and characters for film. Students will learn techniques to design and model fantastical or realistic beings, guided by principles of anatomy, storytelling, and cinematic design. Using clay and other sculpting materials, participants will bring their concepts to life from sketch to 3D form, gaining practical skills in form, texture, and presentation. Ideal for aspiring special effects artists and animators, this workshop emphasizes creativity, craftsmanship, and an introduction to the Film and Events industry. This course is for anyone interested in bringing imaginative beings to life.
Participants will begin by developing character concepts, learning how to translate ideas into designs. We will discuss the importance of silhouette, proportion, gesture, and surface texture in bringing life and believability to both fantastical and realistic forms. Concepts will take experience, and timescale into account.
Examples of building professional-grade armatures—internal support structures that allow for dynamic and stable clay sculpting. Students will be introduced to various materials and techniques for constructing armatures suited to different scales and types of characters. There will be premade or simple forms available to fit our schedule.
The course will then guide students through the sculpting process using either oil/wax-based clay or oven baked clay, for example Monster Clay and Super Sculpey. We will be focusing on sculptural techniques that emphasize basic anatomy, texture, and storytelling. Demonstrations and one-on-one feedback will support the development of technical skills and creative confidence.
In the final phase of the workshop, students will learn basic mould-making techniques used in the film industry to produce durable castings of their sculptures. This includes an introduction to silicone moulds and casting in resin or other materials, providing a professional-quality finish suitable for display.
By the end of the workshop, participants will have either a completed or work in progress sculpted character or creature, and a deeper understanding of how sculpture plays a vital role in character creation for film.
Timings
This workshop will start at 10am and finish at approximately 4:30pm.
Transferable Skills and Future Careers
TCDT workshops give a chance to develop a range of transferable skills and valuable insight to possible career paths. Some of the career choices our alumni have pursued include; Architecture, Engineering, Fine Art, Jewellery Making, Art Conservation, Glass Working, Theatre Design, Fashion Design, Costume Design – the list is growing!
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible to apply you will need to be 16 – 19 years old during the dates of the workshop.
You should be creative and have an interest in the careers listed above, or similar areas. You should also have good hand-eye co-ordination.
In your application you should demonstrate a passion for working with your hands.
You must be able to attend every day of the workshop.
Please be sure that you have read our Eligibility Criteria and Applications section at the bottom of the Workshop page before applying.
Course Funding
Our workshops are fully-funded by generous sponsors. Places are limited, therefore, we recommend you submit your application as early as possible.
There are only 10 spaces available on this workshop. If the workshop becomes oversubscribed, we will close the application process early.
APPLICATIONS CLOSEDBack to the Previous Workshops list