Dominik Plese
The Earth is threatened by an alien invasion. The aliens are conducting experiments on humans and animals, bioengineering weapons and camouflage to aid in their mission to conquer the planet. One such creation is a bioorganic weapon. It is more than just a tool of war, it's a parasitic symbiote that attaches to a host. With every shot it fires, it drains the host’s nutrients and fat, converting them into acidic projectiles. This weapon is discovered by the main character near a hidden alien base.
The project draws heavy inspiration from David Cronenberg’s films, known for their disturbing fusion of flesh and technology, evoking both discomfort and fascination through surreal, grotesque imagery.
I set out to challenge my skills as a modelmaker by creating an organic prop without visible seams or straight lines, helping me become more familiar with the materials and processes I’ll frequently use in my professional work. As a longtime fan of horror cinema and prop weapon design, my goal was to merge those two themes and leave the audience feeling slightly disturbed, therefore creating a lasting impression. The light-up and moving features were designed to make the gun feel alive and pulsating the moment it connects with its host.
Through extensive sculpting, molding, and casting with various materials, this project allowed me to push my skills as a modelmaker. It also made me more aware of additional steps that need to be considered before beginning fabrication. For the sculpting process, I started by creating two cores from Sika Block. One for the bell-shaped nozzle and the other for the body of the gun, onto which I sculpted with Chavant clay. Once the body core was sculpted, it was molded, and the first cast was made in a hard material to allow for sculpting the bone-like exterior on top. For a few smaller casts, simple silicone box molds were used, while larger pieces required brush-on silicone molds supported by a plaster or fiberglass jacket. The fleshy organs were cast in Ecoflex silicone, the bone structure in PU resin, and the gullet tube was created by brushing silicone over a rigid plastic tube. Fairy lights were used for the lighting effect, and the pulsating movement was achieved by connecting the hollow, flexible core to a syringe via tubing. The final result met my expectations, with all the intended details and functions successfully realized.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve seen the world through a slightly different lens, one that sparkled with imagination, adventure, and a hint of magic. Growing up, my days weren’t just about going to school, they were about stepping into extraordinary worlds that existed in the films I watched, the stories I read, and the characters I admired. I filled my free time with drawing, painting, and building things with my hands, such as masks, props, and weapons inspired by my favorite movies and animation. What others saw as play, I saw as preparation for something bigger. Today, I carry all those childhood dreams with me, but now I also have the tools, the education, and the vision to bring those ideas to life in ways I once only dreamed of.
