Mannequin mans Blog

RYA Dinghy Show - Mannequin left on the stairs

2013-03-03T11:30:19+00:00

The RYA Dinghy show was really well attended on both days. On the second day I decide to use the latex make-up, which give a more mannequin-like effect. Just before the show was about to end, I was about to change on my way back to the dressing room, when I noticed that some of the exhibitors, planning an early escape, were using the same stairs to take kit back to the car park.

I though it would be quite fun to stand on the stairs, as if someone had abandoned a mannequin there and see what would happen and if anyone would to move me. A few people who had seen me walking about caught on, but most people where convinced I'd just been left there, and quite a few were planing to nip off with me, if I was still there on their next trip, very amusing.

Scleral Contact Lenses for a great mannequin eye effect

2012-06-17T11:30:19+00:00

Many years ago I had some contact lenses made up to look like the painted eyes of a mannequin. It actually took three goes, as the company that made them were used to making contact lenses for people with eye problems, e.g. unmatched pupil sizes or iris colours; so unfortunately the first two attempts were too realistic, and not what I was after. However, the last attempt produced just what I wanted, and I've been using them ever since.

Recently I've been using a lot more make-up, combined with the solid wig (noticeable in the waving mannequins) to get a more realistic mannequin, and less human effect. The last remaining issue is the eyes. I've tried creating a cover, but so far that has looked too strange, so I though I'd try scleral lenses. Ideally I would have used lenses of the same colour as the make-up, but I was not able to find any, so the next best option was to use black scleral lenses, as these also hide the eye's pupil. {{new mannequin head.jpg}} My first experience of putting in the lenses was not so good. I got the right one in but just couldn't get the left one in. In the end I took the right one out and managed to get the left one in, and then the right one; that took about 30 mins in all. I've had then in a few times since then and I'm getting a lot faster at getting them in. I think if you've never worn contact lenses before you might struggle a little. But it's well worth the effort for the overall effect. They also don't dry out as quickly as normal contact lenses, which is great when you are trying not to blink. (If you've ever worn normal lenses and not blinked you'll know the feeling of having Rice Krispies® in your eyes after a while).

Well all in all I think the overall effect is really good.

Tomorrow at Machine Mart in wapping at London Marathon 2012

2012-04-21T00:00:00+00:00

Please come along and say hello on the 22nd April at the Machine Mart store, 100 The Highway, Limehouse, London E1W 2AZ

Tube:

Limehouse DLR Station (0.5 km)
Shadwell DLR Station (0.7 km)

Nearby stations:

Rotherhithe Station (1.0 km)
South Bermondsey Station (1.2 km)

View Larger Map

Machine Mart mannequin at London Marathon 2012

2012-03-24T00:00:00+00:00

Please come along and say hello on the 22nd April at the Machine Mart store, 100 The Highway, Limehouse, London E1W 2AZ

Tube:

Limehouse DLR Station (0.5 km)
Shadwell DLR Station (0.7 km)

Nearby stations:

Rotherhithe Station (1.0 km)
South Bermondsey Station (1.2 km)

View Larger Map

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Repeat on Pick TV - Part 3

2012-03-24T00:00:00+00:00

Episode where I'm on Bid TV with Andrew Stone

24th March at 18:00
Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Series 1, show 8

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Repeat on Pick TV - Part 2

2012-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

25th February at 18:00
Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Series 1
The dance teacher makes headway with his revue show, and decides to cast his eight-year-old cousin Darcy, while Andrew has a makeover to bolster his bid for pop stardom. The Dreamboys begin their search for the next big bronzed beefcake, and there is an insight into the world of living statues

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Repeat on Pick TV

2012-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Starting 19:00 Saturday 4th Feb - Series 1. Episode 1/13

Then repeated Sunday 17:00

Harry Hill's TV Burp (Best Of)

2012-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

The clip of me saying "I just disappear" from Louie Spence's Show Business has been show again on on the best of Harry Hill's TV Burp..

Harry Hill Clip of mark the mannequin on YouTube @2:48

There will be more funny looks on the Tube again on Monday.

American Car Wash Mechanical Mannequin Kings Cross

2011-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

I thought it would be quite cool to go along to the Kings Cross branch, where the original mechanical mannequin used to stand, before he stopped working, and wear his old outfit; and then see if anyone noticed. Apparently he's quite popular, and one of the most photographed mannequins in London, probably because people are intrigued by his beckoning wave. Firstly, the outfit was filthy from dirt accumulated from may years standing outside. The day-glo material had really faded, and was actually disintegrating, due to many years of sun damage. In order to originally fit the trousers on to the mannequin, they had been cut down the seems of the legs, and then glued back together; So that I could wear them, we improvised, and stapled the seems back together. They gave me a similar pair of Wellingtons, and some of the blue gloves, that the mannequin normally wears. I then went upstairs, to start the process of making-up. It normally takes about an hour to get the make-up on, and then about 10 minutes to fit the wig; blending it in with more latex, so there are no visible joins. (In the past, I've lost far too may eyebrows when removing the make-up, so I always now use plenty of Vaseline, and cover them with a layer of tissue if possible, as this aids with the removal.) The actual mannequin stood on a large silver box, and as I wanted to emulate him as far as possible, I elected to do the same, although I knew it would make it more difficult to interact with pedestrians, but easier with motorists, which was the point. Simulating the mannequins movement was quite hard, as he has a beckoning action, with his other arm outstretched (annoyingly, after I looked at the videos, I realised I swapped the arm movements over, and it should have been the left arm doing the beckoning). Doing this for an extended period was very tiring, and sometimes I reverted to the waving action, which actually got more of a response, i.e., people actually waved back. In my previous blog I mentioned that the mannequin, affectionately know as Michael, was having a bit of a refurb. I found out that his new outfit had already been bought, so I thought it would be cool to wear it and see if it got a better reaction. Well the yellow colour of the outfit worked really well against the blue wall and the red sign, and I got a lot more notice.

American Car Wash Waving Dummy #2

2011-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Just got back from spending a great day as the waving mannequin outside the American Car wash in Highgate N6 4HX. Spent the whole day waving at passing motorists. I'm still amazed at how many people will wave back at what they believe to be an inanimate object, even if it is waving at them. Also had some great reactions when I waved back in a more human like way or twisted round as they passed, keeping my eyes on them. Had a few hi fives from the guys; a few of which were very shocked when I moved to catch their hand. Even saw Leigh Francis (Keith Lemon) drive past

Bunzl Greenham - Health and Safety North 11

2011-10-05T00:00:00+00:00

As soon as I arrived in the exhibition hall, I knew it was going to be a hot one. It had been quite sunny the day before and the heat had built up alreday. Together with the stand lighting and people, it wasn't going to get any cooler The Orange suit you can see here is not breathable, as it is designed to protect the wearer from chemical hazards, so you can imagine it was a bit like a sauna inside. I was also wearing a full face positive pressure respirator. This constantly blew air across my face and made me feel cool, even if I wasn't, which was quite an odd effect.

American Car Wash Waving Dummy

2011-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

In my continuing quest to develop my latest character, the automated waving mannequin, I tracked down a few pictures on the internet of one that was outside the American Car Wash in Kings Cross

Their waving mannequin was supplied by ADM (cyberquins.com) - http://www.movingmannequins.co.uk/custom_mannequins.htm After speaking to the American Car Wash, I found out that their mannequin "Michael", after many years of waving the public in to the car wash, was in need of some new clothing and a bit of a service. So to cut a long story short, I've arrange to go along to the Highgate branch for the day, and act as their waving dummy while "Michael" has a bit of a well earned rest.

Waving car wash mannequin - Gosport Part #2

2011-09-24T00:00:00+00:00

The drive down was quite pleasant, although I did pass through thick fog on the way. The car wash was on a fairly busy road, so I'd have plenty of people passing. I had used an older bottle of liquid latex on the wig, so when I finished my make-up, the wig was much darker. To remedy this, I had to quickly cover it in two coats of the more recent latex. This meant I took longer to get ready than I had planned. After fitting the wig, I notice that using more liquid latex, I could blend in the wig with the face and remove any signs of a join, making the effect look even better (more on the consequences of this later). After I finished the make-up, it looked amazing, and I was extremely pleased with the results, and even I found it hard to recognise myself. I also noticed I was getting much stronger reactions from the people around me working at the car wash, than I normally do; some of them were quite spooked, and they didn't like me staring at them. I'm quite used to this reaction, and to quote the famous bit of me on "Harry Hill's TV Burp" ... "when I disappear", i.e. when I stair through them, and seem not to be alive... but I was getting that reaction without consciously doing anything? There is a hypothesis used in the field of robotics called the "uncanny valley"; this hypothesis says that when human replicas look and act almost, but not perfectly, like actual human beings, it causes an uneasy response among human observers. I had a couple of waterproof suits with me, which seemed an appropriate costume for a cash wash mannequin. I wanted to see which one worked best. First I tried a yellow hi-vis one. Yellow hi-vis can blend into green backgrounds, which I think is why rail workers wear orange rather than yellow. I was going to be using my stand and short poles, as I was going to be standing for longer that 20 minutes, and this would allow me to stand for longer periods. I made my way to the spot I had picked out earlier (important to do this before you start), and docked with the stand, and started waving to the on coming traffic. No sooner than I had started, I noticed I was getting really good reactions, most people driving past were looking over, even if I wasn't waving, When I was waving the reaction was even better, they all looked as they drove past. What did amaze me was the number of people, young and old, who are willing to wave back, to what is to all intents and purposes, an inanimate object, al-be-it performing a human action, in a very mechanically stinted way... for all those people I turned it into a really obvious human wave and twisted round to see their reaction as they passed, which was mostly that of amazement. What I did learn rather quickly, was that constant waving was very tiring, and I had to swap hands quite regularly. It was quite fun to watch people at the bus stop, and see if they noticed that I'd switched waving hand; With some of then you could tell that they knew something was different but weren't quite sure what. After a full day's waving the time came to pack up and remove the make-up. The most difficult bit is normally removing the latex off the eyebrows. In the past, I have been a bit too keen before and lost chunks of them; so now I very carefully use hot water and soap, and ease the latex off. Unfortunately, this time, I'd done a very good job in gluing the wig on to my eyebrows, and couldn't get any warm water in, and I thought I was going to lose them for sure. Fortunately, with some patience, scissors, and warm water, the latex eventually came away, and my supercilious expression was saved.

Waving car wash mannequin - Gosport Part #1

2011-09-22T00:00:00+00:00

I've been working on a new character for the last few months and on Saturday I get the chance to try it out for the first time on the unsuspecting public. The character is a waving car wash mannequin. You don't see many of them about these days, but I remember when I was younger, you used to see them all the time, waving to passing motorists, advertising the presence of a car wash; One particular one in at the top of Lea Bridge Road by the Clapton Roundabout in Hackney, sticks in my mind. I believe that they were a hand car washes too; Maybe the rise in popularity of the automatic car wash caused them to disappear. As an aside, for the last couple of years, I had noticed a huge resurgence in hand car washes. These mannequins were motorised with a simple arm waving motion, and used to be generally dressed in yellow wet weather gear. I decided to make this character's face and hair all the same colour with the hair, hard and stylised, to look as much like a mannequin as possible. The first task was to make the wig. I've make a few hard wigs using Papier-mâché, and generally they have turned out well. Generally I start them out on Dave and then mould them to my own head. This time, I wanted to get a fairly stylised look, so big ridges representing the hair. So after trying a few materials out I struck on the idea of using cling film, twisting it into strings, and layering it on the base. The effect was great but it took many hours to cover the whole wig, so next time I may try untwisting some polypropylene rope as an alternative. After the wig was finished, I gave it a few coats of liquid latex, so that it would match my face make-up. Looking forward to seeing how the new character looks and what reactions I get.

Bunzl Greenham Health and Safety Scotland 11

2011-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

Just getting ready for job up in Scotland working for Bunzl Greenham, the safety and workplace supplier. I will be a mannequin on their stand wearing various outfits, so great opportunity for amusement. Will post pictures when I return.

Clancy Docwra Innovation Event #2

2011-07-21T00:00:00+00:00

Just put the picture up yesterday from the event. In the picture you can see me just about to be wheeled away, so as not to give the game away to anyone who hadn't seen me yet..

Volvo employee family day at Head office Duxford #2

2011-07-04T00:00:00+00:00

I arrived early and my first task was to orientate myself with the site and facilities. There were two main areas where equipment was being demonstrated, a small area with small diggers, and a lager area with lager trucks and earth movers. I decided to put one of the mannequins in the first area, and the other two in the larger area, where I would stand too.

The 3 Camille mannequins were alreday dressed in their orange overalls, gloves and boots, so all I had to do was place the stands into the correct positions, fit them with their wigs and hard hats, and carry them out to their positions.

Then to my make-up. I had about an hour left before the start, and the latex make-up normally takes about an hour to do. Given the day was to be hot, I decided to go with the pan stick make-up, even though I'd have to keep touching it up throughout the day, but I knew it would be the cooler option (if you sweat too much under the latex, it starts to degrade and comes away from your face).

It's 9:55, and I'm made-up and dressed identically to the Camille mannequins, albeit somewhat broader; then I take my place amongst the displays. I'd chosen to stand by a huge dumper truck (the A40F dumper), as that would be very popular with kids and adults alike, as you could climb up and sit in the cab and pretend you were driving it; and yes they were making the "brum brum" noises, and I'm not just talking about the kids.

Volvo employee family day at Head office Duxford

2011-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

We've got three real mannequins (arranged through mannakin.com), plus me this time, so great a opportunity to move around and get some good reactions; just hope its not going to be too hot as I'm planning to use the latex make-up this time, like I did at Volvo FMX event.

Clancy Docwra Innovation Event

2011-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

Had a great day at the Innovation Event held at Clancy Docwra's Head office in Harefield Middlesex. Two characters were required, one where I wore Pyjamas and stood by a sink holding a Toothbrush; and the other wearing the new Clancy Docwra uniform. It was quite a hot day, but I decided to use the latex make-up to give a better effect. Most of the activity required me to be outside standing in the sun, so it was not easy to stay cool with the make-up and the safety clothing. Fortunately during the Pyjamas wearing character session there were a few clouds that came over to give me the odd rest bite. Pictures coming shortly.

Machine mart Mannequin at London Marathon 2011

2011-04-17T00:00:00+00:00

Great day, with the London Marathon going on in the background. This is starting to be a bit of a tradition, this will be the 2nd year I've done this and I plan to do it next year too. I had wanted to do this for many years, as it's a great opportunity to have fun with all the people that turn up to watch the London Marathon.

This was the first year I used the latex make-up, which worked really well. (Update: In 2012 I intend to use full latex wig as used in the most recent waving car wash mannequin pictures)

Had loads of fun with passers-by pretending to be a mechanical moving waving dummy. One guy started videoing me on his mobile phone, so I just kept on moving robotically, and didn't let on. I guess he still thinks I was a robot. I also had some fun standing outside the shop, surprising passers-by by smiling or holding out my had, and waiting for some smart Alec to shake it

Got some great pictures and video which you can see if you follow the event link.

See me on Facebook mark mannequin man

Daylight Theory Launch Party

2011-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

A Great evening at the Embassy in Mayfair, ending up in the after show part in Jewel.

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 8 - Show 13 Airing

2011-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

Wed at 21:00 GMT on Sky 1, Episode 13 of Louie Spence's Show business aired, hope you enjoyed it. I'm in a bit with Martin Jordan (Gordon Ramsay) in the corridor, haven't seen it yet but its supposed to be funny.

Harry Hill's TV Burp

2011-02-05T00:00:00+00:00

Great news that I'm on the show, but at the moment I can't bring myself to watch it as I don't like watching myself out of character

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 6 - The Finale Show

2011-01-28T00:00:00+00:00

The funniest part of the day was just as the sun was going down, and we were going to the catering wagon for a piece with Martin and me wearing chefs outfits. I was in full make-up, looking like death. I had mentioned that I didn't really fancy walking past the infants school again, which was on the way to the food truck, as I had a feeling that this was about the time that the kids would be leaving school; and sure enough it was. To make the situation more comical, I was wearing a sandwich board, and I remembered that someone had written on the back "The End Is Nigh". Laughing with the make-up on is not easy!

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 5 - The Airing

2011-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

Tonight at 21:00 GMT on Sky 1, Episode 4 of Louie Spence's Showbusiness will be aired, enjoy!

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 4 - The preview

2011-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

I was very fortunate in that tonight's screening is of show 4, which I appear in twice. Apparently one of the best shows, if not the best, but then I'd probably say that. The Screening was in the middle of nowhere, and the most straightforward option was a 20 minute walk from Finchley tube station. There was an icy wind blowing, and I soon started to regret my chosen route. I finally arrived, somewhat chilled, but still had plenty of time before the showing. In fact I'm one of the first there, and get introduced to the producer for the first time, and we start to talk about some fears that I have recently had. I had stumbled across an episode of Pineapple Dance Studios (in Oslo of all places), and had noticed that the was a subtle and sometime not so subtle element of sarcasm in the narrative. There were some drinks and nibbles, and of course members of the cast a crew including Andrew and Louie. I'd already met Andrew for something we did in one of the next shows, more on that later. So the time of the screening arrives, and we all sit down to watch the episode. When I first see myself on the screen, I can only bare to watch through my fingers; a technique I mastered when watching Doctor Who as a child, but fortunately this time, I managed to stay in front of the sofa. It also has to do with a dislike from an early age of appearing in may Dad's Super 8 home movies. The family has reels of film of me briefly frowning and running out of shot; I quickly learnt that the safest place was behind the cameraman. So what did I think?.. so nothing on screen is made up, but Michael Buerk's narrative in the first segment did poke fun at me as the implication was I've lived alone with a mannequin called Dave for the past 20 years. With the with second segment, and the humour with Candy Man and my ending comments, you can see that I have a sense of humour, and the whole point is to make people laugh, after all.

Bloomberg Ad

2010-11-05T00:00:00+00:00

Travelling goes without a hitch and I arrive exactly at 8:00am. After meeting with the director and the cameraman, I go off to the disabled toilet (the performer's default de facto dressing room) to get ready. It takes about an hour to layer on the latex make-up, which goes on without any problems. There is no power socket for a dryer so I just have to be patient and let the latex dry naturally. Once this done, its just a matter of changing into the costume. I had decided not to use my cloth gloves but bring along my matching flesh latex gloves which is just what the director wanted. I also carry a number of spare stickers with me, as they tend to come off the costume with wear. After walking through the office to the usually strange looks, I complete the transformation with the new neck piece and red cap. Then we make are way around the corner to the clients premises, where the video is to be shot; again, I get some strange looks, but I'm quite used to it my now.

Bloomberg Ad

2010-11-04T00:00:00+00:00

Tomorrow is a shoot for an ad for an investment company that will be shown on the Bloomberg channel. The director had been looking for real crash test dummies and had found my website. Real crash test dummies can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds due to the collision instrumentation they contain; also they are not designed to stand or hold objects. I decided that I wanted to re-design the neck piece, to make it a more three dimensional; I'm very pleased with the results, and its a lot more robust than the old one even though its more restrictive to wear. Well it's getting late and its an early shoot, so I need to get some shut-eye.

Tricky TV Wicked Wind-up Life Saver - Part 4

2010-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

Video now on-line Tricky TV

Tricky TV Wicked Wind-up Life Saver - Part 3

2010-10-20T00:00:00+00:00

The show is due to be broadcast on the CITV channel at 17:00 on 21st October 2010 ... That's Tomorrow as I update this, just saw the preview on today's show, can't wait. I'll put the video up on line

Mannequin on bid-tv

2010-10-12T00:00:00+00:00

Pulse Films asked me if I'd like to appear on bid TV for their 10th Anniversary celebration week; Andrew Stone would be joining the host and they wanted me to be a mannequin in the show. The idea was that I would start of static mannequin and then start moving in a robotic fashion. It sounded fun so I said I'd be up for it.

The taxi arrives in plenty of time, and I set off to the bid TV studios in Acton. The Studio takes a little bit of finding as it is on an industrial estate, also once we finally find it, there is no one around to let us in; eventually I see someone I recognised from pulse and we are let into the studio.

I have over an hour to get ready, which is normally plenty of time. We sort out what I will wear and I start on my make-up. I decided to use the liquid latex make-up that I normally use for my CPR character; the only disadvantage is if you get it into your eye, it can all go horribly wrong, as your eyes water with ammonia and then the latex just dissolves, as it did on the Tricky TV shoot; sometimes you just have to pull it all off and start again (Since then I've developed a technique where I leave a gap round the eye and fill this in with the same flesh coloured pan stick. This also means your eyes don't start to hurt after a few hours).

The make-up goes on well, and I I’m pretty much ready. We now have to decide how to get me into the set during the "live" TV transmission!! I obviously hadn't been paying attention, because they said to me originally, "don't worry if it doesn't work, we can do it again", which lead me to believe that the show was being recorded. So live TV.. and only one chance to get it right....

We rope in two stage hands, and find them suitable "moving men" overalls to wear. The options to get me onto the set were 1) being carried on, or 2) being wheeled on, (which is a more controlled option, if you can find a sack trolley robust enough). They find one, but one wheel collapses when I stand on it, after a bit more searching, they manage to find a more robust one, that we decided would be suitable.

The plan was that I would be moved into position wearing a coat that bid TV are featuring on the show. The presenters are to talk about the coat, and then after 30 seconds, I am to start to move robotically. Pulse would then dub in "Herbie Hancock's Rockit", for use on the “Louie Spence's Show Business”, but in the studio I wouldn’t be able to hear this, so I had previously memorised the tune, and would play it in my head (In the end Pulse used the robotic performer's standard of Kraftwerk).

So.. I’m waiting in the wings, standing on the trolley. The stage hands are there, we get the signal to go, and they wheel me into shot. Everything works well, and they manage the difficult transition from trolley to floor, that we had practised a few times earlier on, which consisted of one of the stage hands standing in front of me and stopping me from falling over while I’m tipped forwards and the trolley is removed, and then pushing me back so I’m standing vertically on the set floor.

Everything is going well, and I’m counting down in my head 30 seconds, ready to start moving…. but the presenters are still around me, talking about the coat, which wasn’t in the plan… so following instructions, I start moving, which startles the presenters a little, but they continue like true professionals; (It's amusing to watch the video to see their reaction). After a couple more sets of robotic movement, the presenters move onto another item, and I simply walk off the set.

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 3 - TV Mannequin

2010-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

Andrew Stone from Pineapple Dance Studios would be there, and I would be wearing some clothing that there were selling. The shoot will be on 12th Oct in Acton. The plan is that they will carry me on, and they I will start moving robotic-ally to Herbie Hancock - Rockit Sounds fun...

Another quarry job

2010-09-17T00:00:00+00:00

Just got back from Birmingham and it went really well. Rather than a continuous flow of people at normal shows, groups were being shown around, which meant I had to use a different technique. I would make sure I was in place ahead of the next group, and stand totally motion less during the introduction talk. Then the group would disperse a bit, while they waited to have a go on the machinery, That's when I would pick them off slowly one by one. Of course it always helps when they come right up to you or someone (who knows) sets them up to have a picture taken with you.

World Statues competition update

2010-08-31T00:00:00+00:00

Had a great time and met some great people. The Dutch really appreciate living statues. Had my reality crew with me for the whole day - doesn't everyone ?

Further Thoughts

I would have liked to have won the World living statues competition, but in reality I realised that I had little chance as there was a fundamental difference in what I do as a living mannequin compared to a what were mostly street living statues. A Living Mannequin stays still then moves suddenly or robotically, to attract attention, and sometimes quickly enough to cause a big reaction, because the audience don't know they are real, whereas with living statues you kind of know they aren't real, and when you place some token of appreciation in their "hat", they normally "give" you something back, strangely enough, called "the give", which is a small sometimes audience interactive performance.

World Statues competition update

2010-08-28T00:00:00+00:00

I had managed to get book a flight from City airport to Rotterdam, which is ultra convenient for me; and then the world statues had arranged a taxi to pick me up and drive me to Arnhem. It was a bight sunny morning as I left London; City airport was quite busy with weekend trippers. I boarded the plane and an hour later I was in Rotterdam airport. I had expected to be met by the taxi driver, but there was no one there. Rotterdam is a small airport like London City, so quick to get through, but its not well connected to a transport infrastructure; there are buses and the odd taxi but no railway station. I decided to try and ring the driver, as I always make sure I have a contact numbers in case of delayed flights etc. For some reason my phone would not register with the available networks, and it took about half an hour until it finally connected, and at that moment I received and SMS saying the driver was here. Well the journey to Arnhem was pleasant, but just as we arrived the heavens opened and a taste of what the weekend was going to be like was revealed. I enquired with the driver, and apparently it had been raining constantly for the past week; this didn't bode well for the contest. The hotel seemed nice and modern; there was evidence that there were other living statues in the hotel from pieces of statue costume stored in the entrance lobby. I checked in and made my way up to my room. It had stopped raining so I thought I'd check out the area, have some lunch, and find out where we were suppose to meet tomorrow. I had may with me, and I headed out

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 2

2010-07-28T00:00:00+00:00

They had a large crew of 6 and rearranged my living room in order to create the right background. They wanted "Dave" in the background, as he had featured in part on my story as my 'muse' ? I suspect some piss taking at my expense will occur here. The interviewer's questions won't be broadcast, so you have to start your answer with the question you've just been asked, which takes a bit of getting used to and sometimes you just dry after repeating the question; I hope I don't look like a complete dick! Apart from that, it all went well. Apparently they got some great video footage of me scaring people at Hillhead... Next event will be the World Living Statues Competition in Armhen on the 28th August. They will be there, filming everything for inclusion in the show.... I hope they get some good footage

World Statues Competition

2010-07-14T00:00:00+00:00

The World Statues is annually held contest in Arnhem, The Netherlands. This is an international contest where Living Statues from many countries visit Arnhem to compete with one another and generally perform in front of large and very appreciative audiences. There are three main categories Professionals, Amateurs and Children. I have been accepted for the professional competition.... can't wait....

Video on mannakin tv

2010-06-25T00:00:00+00:00

Roz from mannakin.com has added my Hillhead video to mannakin tv

Show with real mannequins

2010-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

Volvo approached me with the idea of using me with some real mannequins. The event was a three day exhibition for Heavy Plant and Construction, held in the middle of a working Quarry in Buxton, Derbyshire UK. The idea was to have a couple of mannequins around the equipment and me, dressed in the same clothing. The two mannequins needed to be realistic, similar with one sitting and the other one standing. They were going to be dressed as road workers, placed around a road laying machine, as if laying a road. I would take the role of the third mannequin and of course, come alive as visitors passed by, to create some amusement on the stand. I contacted Roz from mannakin.com, who I'd been talking to only a month or so before about a combined living and mannequin hire scenario. The challenge was to find two matching realistic mannequins, one sitting and one standing. We managed to find Lee Sitting and Camille, who were both a good match. I ordered one extra mannequin stand for me and three matching black wigs, so we all looked the same. In order to match the make-up, I asked for one of the hands to be sent to me by post (quite gruesome), which I then took along to Charles Fox to match the mannequin colour with the closest matching pan stick make-up. Three matching sets of protective work wear were ordered, comprising of orange hi-vis overalls, boots, black work gloves, white hard hats and yellow hi-vis padded jackets if it was cold or wet. The real mannequins were dressed in the safety gear and then placed around the road laying machine, one sitting the cab as the driver, and the other operating the machine at the back; The mannequin standing at the back was placed on a metal stand, using the leg fixing so he could wear the boots, and to stop him falling over, he was secured to the machine by some black tie wraps around his wrist. One the first day, I had a closer look at the mannequin's make-up, and matched the cheeks and lips with a darker reddish brown make-up, I then donned all the safety clothing, got a matching tie wrap for my wrist, and placed the matching metal stand at the second operator's position, opposite the standing mannequin; then I took my position, and adopted the pose of the other mannequin and waited for some visitors to scare.

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 1

2010-05-28T00:00:00+00:00

The show will be called Louie Spence's Show-business, and it follows on from the characters introduced at Pineapple Studios in the first series,first broadcast on 4 February 2010 on Sky1. In the new show all of the the regulars will be present, but in addition, this show will introduce some new dancers/performers trying to make it in show-business. I will be in Show #4 due to air 26th of January 2011 on Sky 1. Pulse want to include me and tell my story as a living mannequin, as although there are many living statues, there are fewer performers that specialise in living mannequins. They will follow me at a couple of my events, videoing me performing as a living mannequin. I did have to think about this long and hard, as I do value my privacy, and I don't actually have any desire to be famous. I concluded that it would make an interesting story and would be cool to share some of my amusing experiences; after all, how many times do you get an opportunity like this presented to you? so I went ahead, even though I suspected that some of the fun would be at my expense!

Tricky TV Wicked Wind-up Life Saver - Part 2

2010-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

It's a rainy day as I make my way to the studios in Maidstone. I'd allowed plenty of time to get there and about 1.5 hours to do the make-up and get ready. I wasn't due on location until 14:00, for a shot start at 14:30. The Sat Nav gets me there on-time (I'd already checked it out with Google Street Map, so already knew the turning I was looking for). The studio seems deserted, I suppose as its a Sunday, not much is going on. I press the intercom button on the barrier, announce who I am and why I'm here and the guard lets men in. I enter the building, which is somewhat cold and has a hospital smell. I'm in the process of talking to the security guard, when the production assistant appears from one of the corridors, clutching a cup of coffee. We chat for a few moments, confirming the timings and specifically when the taxi will arrive to take me to the shopping centre. I return to my car to get my make-up and costume and then get shown to my dressing room. Again my first impression are its cold and damp, like the eerie feeling of unnatural silence your get if you've ever been back to your school (or office) at the weekend. The assistant brings me a coffee and I start preparing to apply the make-up. I use flesh coloured liquid latex, which I apply in layers with a small sponge (well I get through about 4 or 5). I usually start around the eyes as this is the most tricky as you have to wait for the Ammonia evaporate a little; otherwise it makes your eyes water and this ruins the make-up. Everything was going well, I'd applied about 5 layers of latex and had about half an hour to spare. I was gradually moving the latex closer to my eyes, something I'd done many times before, when it decided to flow into my left eye. No matter what I did from this moment on, the latex kept going into my eye causing it to water and sting more and more. I decided to remove a complete section and try and re-build it, but my eye keep watering and a spilt appeared in the latex in the corner that would not seal. Well at the point I was panicking a bit; although CPR dummies can appear a bit "beaten up", being a perfectionist I wanted it to look perfect on TV. I decided to do some repairs with tissue paper, something I had done a few times before, usually to give the effect of a battered mannequin, but I thought I'd give it a go. I dried the area and finally managed to patch up the split. If you look at the pictures you'll probably think what was all the fuss about, it looks fine, and yes it does but I knew it could have been better. I've since refined my technique and now I don't go right up to the eye with the latex but fill in with a similar coloured pan stick. I'd used up all my time and taxi was due, I then quickly get dressed into the cpr dummy costume and walk out into the reception area. The taxi then takes a further 10 minutes to arrive, but we still had loads of time. We arrive at the shopping centre in the loading bay, and then walk up through the service access ways to where the tent is set-up. We then quickly walk to the tent in the hope that no one notices an animated cpr dummy. The director explains what he what he wants me to do and it all seems clear. I suggest that it would be better if I were to lay on the trolley rather than on mats on the floor as it will make it easier for people to do the CPR without having to kneel on the floor, and easier to film as they will be higher. I take my place on the trolley and we do a dry run so I know when I'm suppose to go "boo". Then some of the crew are sent out to find some people who want some CPR instruction; this proves difficult as they return initially empty handed. A few moments later, after being a bit more persuasive, they find their first customer. All the reactions are excellent, and they have no idea I'm not a real cpr dummy.

Tricky TV Wicked Wind-up Life Saver - Part 1

2010-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

They had seen my CPR dummy character on my website and wanted to use it in a prank for Tricky TV. The filming would take place in the Chequers Mall shopping centre in Maidstone. The idea was that members of the public would be asked if they wanted some CPR training, and led to a tent in the centre of shopping centre. After listening to a brief instructional talk, they would be asked to clasp then hands above the CPR dummy's chest.... that would be my cue to come alive. The link to the CITV site is Tricky TV The show is due to be broadcast on the CITV channel in October 2010

Display dummy in the window at Arrow Safety Wear

2009-09-03T00:00:00+00:00

From time to time I like to take on the challenge of replacing a dummy that people are familiar with, to see if any one notices. If they don't, then I consider the challenge is met. This was the case with arrow safety wear, and they were quite happy for me to replace their window mannequin for the day.

Television Appearance as living Statue on CBBCs SMART

2004-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

{{television_centre_dressing_rooms_2.jpg}}When I was asked if I would do it I said of course. It was going to be shot at Television Centre on a Sunday in Studio 1 (yes the same studio used for Blue Peter).

I arrived quite early and was directed to a multi story car park up the road. I made my way to reception, and was met by my contact and shown to my dressing room. It was like walking into a plush hotel room, the most impressive dressing rooms I've been given so far.

How I became a Ruthlee Fire Drag Training Dummy

2002-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

As I was walking back to get changed, I noticed noticed a pile of red and blue dummies, neatly stacked, looking very new.

I asked "what were they used for?" and "who manufactured them?". The answers were that they were used in BA training in the fire house and manufactured by a company in Wales called Ruthlee.

Seeing an opportunity here for another character, I wrote off to Ruthlee, who very kindly offered and made me a drag dummy costume suit.

Since then in my drag dummy guise, I've been used in many training exercises, being cut out of cars, used in collapsed building demonstrations, Firehouse BA training etc.

See my drag dummy page

Mannequin comes Alive At Safety and Health Expo

2002-05-13T00:00:00+00:00

The set-up was four mannequins wearing safety gear on the bacou-dalloz stand. The mannequins were standing on raised oval shaped plinths, and I would take the place as one of the mannequins for the four day show.

The stand had a good footfall flowing past, but if I soon realised that if I just stood still or only made sublet movements, then people would just walk past and wouldn't notice me. So I developed a technique of jumping off the plinth just as people were walking passed, which had quite a dramatic effect and reaction.

Mannequin wearing Uvex workwear in the corridor

1996-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

I was to be part of a small exhibition of new UVEX safety products, just outside the room where the conference was taking place. During the breaks, the delegate would come out and look at the exhibition, and then return to the seminar for the next part. I decided that as there were a finite number of people at the seminar, being subtle was going to be the best way of not blowing my cover in the first 10 minutes.

So I paced the reveals, remaining totally still, and just winking if someone got really close. During the seminars, I could go off and take a rest, but was back ready in position for the next break in the conference. For the next break I was a bit bolder, and allowed more people to see with bolder movements.

Finally, during the last break I was even more obvious, but even so, when the event was over a few people came up to me and told me that had thought I was a real dummy throughout the whole day

Mannequin mans Blog

RYA Dinghy Show - Mannequin left on the stairs

Scleral Contact Lenses for a great mannequin eye effect

Tomorrow at Machine Mart in wapping at London Marathon 2012

Machine Mart mannequin at London Marathon 2012

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Repeat on Pick TV - Part 3

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Repeat on Pick TV - Part 2

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Repeat on Pick TV

Harry Hill's TV Burp (Best Of)

American Car Wash Mechanical Mannequin Kings Cross

American Car Wash Waving Dummy #2

Bunzl Greenham - Health and Safety North 11

American Car Wash Waving Dummy

Waving car wash mannequin - Gosport Part #2

Waving car wash mannequin - Gosport Part #1

Bunzl Greenham Health and Safety Scotland 11

Clancy Docwra Innovation Event #2

Volvo employee family day at Head office Duxford #2

Volvo employee family day at Head office Duxford

Clancy Docwra Innovation Event

Machine mart Mannequin at London Marathon 2011

Daylight Theory Launch Party

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 8 - Show 13 Airing

Harry Hill's TV Burp

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 6 - The Finale Show

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 5 - The Airing

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 4 - The preview

Bloomberg Ad

Bloomberg Ad

Tricky TV Wicked Wind-up Life Saver - Part 4

Tricky TV Wicked Wind-up Life Saver - Part 3

Mannequin on bid-tv

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 3 - TV Mannequin

Another quarry job

World Statues competition update

Further Thoughts

World Statues competition update

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 2

World Statues Competition

Video on mannakin tv

Show with real mannequins

Louie Spence's Showbusiness - Reality show - Part 1

Tricky TV Wicked Wind-up Life Saver - Part 2

Tricky TV Wicked Wind-up Life Saver - Part 1

Display dummy in the window at Arrow Safety Wear

More Fire Drag Dummy stories

Television Appearance as living Statue on CBBCs SMART

How I became a Ruthlee Fire Drag Training Dummy

Mannequin comes Alive At Safety and Health Expo

Mannequin wearing Uvex workwear in the corridor