Price Waterhouse needed a large Maple Tree to fall into a new swimming Pool for an Insurance Commercial for television.
Using a real tree was out of the question, as it would have caused real damage and may not have survived the several takes that TV and film often requires. The tree had to be museum-quality realistic and somewhat lightweight, so that it was maneuverable on the set and could be lifted and re-set in time for the next take.

After a recent windstorm, we just happened to have a fallen tree on our land, and so pressed it into service as a mold maker’s model.The tree was brushed clean and tarps spread under it before we covered it with silicone and shim lines. The mold making process was completed in the woods, and finished parts were molded in the shop.

The tree was cast with lightweight urethane core, sprayed in the mold with hard coat rim and a grey top coat primer. Scenic artists completed the realistic bark and added the silk foliage. Reports from the film production set came back to us – that they filmed the commercial in one take, and that the tree fell beautifully!