Case Studies
We’ve been fortunate to work with some major film production companies including HBO and Netflix. Find out about our work on the set of Game of Thrones as well as our promotional work for HBO.
FAQs
How big can ice sculptures be?
Ice sculptures can be as big as you need them to be. Some of the largest ice sculptures we’ve worked on for competitions have exceeded 5 metres in height. We frequently deliver ice sculptures up to 300kg in weight to clients around the country, but often need to deal in greater quantities of ice when working on television and film sets (due to the requirements of having back-up sculptures to cover continuity).
Can you make an ice sculpture based on any design?
We can sculpt ice to any brief that you set. We’ll work with your brief to develop a practical design that can accomplish the effect that you need within the given timeframes. Once the design has been approved, we can spec out the amount of ice required to construct what you need, and factor in any additional logistics required in delivering the sculptures within your timeframe and location.
What can ice sculpture bring to a film or TV project?
Our television and film clients understand that whilst digital technologies can fake the look of ice, there’s no replacement for the real thing. Real ice physically reacts to its environment, it melts, evaporates and refracts light in an organic fashion that is nearly impossible to emulate with digital trickery.
Studios such as HBO and Netflix, Chanel 4 and the BBC come to us to bring their ideas to life with practical ice effects and props that allow their lighting crews and performers to physically engage with, ultimately resulting in a more authentic, believable final image.
Can you deliver ice sculpture overseas?
No location is too far for us – we’ve transported ice bars to the Cannes Film Festival, and ice henges to Ireland, and Suits of Armour to Serbia. With the aid of refrigerated transport, we can deliver our ice across the UK and Europe. For commercial work that takes us further afield, we can source ice locally and carve on set.
Can you incorporate colour into ice sculpture?
We can incorporate colour into ice sculptures in a couple of way; either by using LED lighting or by incorporating physical objects. However, we typically find that the creatives we work with prefer for us to keep the ice clear of colour, so that their lighting and editing experts can retain control of how the final work appears.
How long do ice sculptures last?
The lifespan of a life sculpture is dependent on its size and shape, as well as the conditions that it’s kept in. The larger the ice sculpture the longer it will last. Fine details and texture melt first of all, leaving the sculpture to take on a smoother sheen as time passes.
A large-scale sculpture kept in cool conditions of -8°C can last for months on end, making ice a very practical material to use for props and set design when shooting in cold conditions. Even without these conditions, refrigeration units can be used to keep sculptures in stasis between shots.
How long does it take to make an ice sculpture?
It can take between 3 and 12 hours to make an ice sculpture depending on the size and design of the piece. In many cases, ice sculptures can be made weeks or months in advance and then stored in deep-freeze before being delivered in a refrigerated van to the wedding venue.
Are you fully insured to work on film and television sets?
We have full liability insurance covering us to work in a wide variety of working conditions, including on-location television and film sets.