„Knabe Mix“ advertising campaign with HandOfBlood – Instinct3

Project at a glance

Client: Instinct3

End client: Knabe Drinks

Performer: Maximilian Knabe (HandOfBlood)

Industry: Advertising

Project: „Knabe Mix“ advertising campaign

Services:

• Lifecasting

• Character design

• Traditional sculpting

• Mould making

• Encapsulated silicone prosthetic

• Hair punching

• Painting

• On-set application

• On-set support

Materials:

• Encapsulated platinum silicone

• Baldiez Cap Plastic

• Custom painting

• Hand-punched hair

The challenge

The commercial called for an ageing effect that was humorous yet believable at the same time. The body prosthetic had to hold up even in high-resolution close-ups and blend harmoniously into the character of „President Knabe“. At the same time, the surface had to be designed so that liquids could run naturally over the skin during filming without compromising the realistic overall impression.

The execution

The basis of the project was a full lifecast of Maximilian Knabe's upper body. Working from this positive, the character design was developed first, before all ageing features were sculpted traditionally in plasteline.

Particular attention was paid to natural anatomy, realistic skin textures and age-related changes such as slackened skin, wrinkles and loss of volume. Once the sculpting was complete, the mould making followed, from which the encapsulated silicone prosthetic was ultimately produced.

This was followed by the custom painting and the precise hair punching of the chest hair, in order to make the ageing effect believable down to the smallest detail.

The result

The finished body prosthetic convinced both at normal viewing distance and in high-resolution close-ups. The combination of realistic anatomy, fine skin detail and precise painting produced an ageing effect that integrated seamlessly into the advertising campaign.

During filming I also took charge of the application and on-set support, ensuring the effect worked reliably throughout the entire production.

What made this project special

• Custom-developed character design

• Full lifecast of the performer

• Traditional sculpting in plasteline

• Encapsulated silicone body prosthetic

• Realistic skin ageing for close-ups

• Hand-punched chest hair

• Liquid effects on the prosthetic

• Personal on-set support

Behind the scenes

From the first cast to the finished special effect, every step was created through careful handwork. After the lifecast came character design, sculpting, mould making and the fabrication of the encapsulated silicone prosthetic. Finally, the prosthetic was custom-painted, fitted with hand-punched hair and applied directly on the day of the shoot.

Related industries

• Advertising

• Influencers & content creators

• Social media campaigns

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was encapsulated silicone used?

Encapsulated silicone prosthetics offer especially fine transitions to the skin and are ideally suited to high-resolution film and advertising productions.

Was the body prosthetic made specifically for the performer?

Yes. The prosthetic was sculpted and fabricated specifically for Maximilian Knabe on the basis of a full lifecast.

How long did the fabrication take?

From lifecasting through sculpting and mould making to the finished prosthetic, a project of this kind involves – depending on its scope – several stages over an extended production period.

Did you also attend the shoot?

Yes. In addition to the fabrication, I also handled the application and the care of the prosthetic during filming.

Conclusion

This project shows how modern special effects go far beyond a mere character transformation. Only the interplay of character design, precise sculpting, mould making, high-quality silicone fabrication and professional on-set support ensures that film prosthetics convince not only in the workshop but also perform reliably under real filming conditions.