- [Narrator] Is this
food making you hungry? Well, don't try to take a bite because these delicious looking
foods are actually fake. (whimsical music) TV shows and movies will
try to use real foods on screen when possible, but there a number of
reasons why food props might be used instead. For example, if ice cream is used, they don't want it to melt between takes, or if you need a lot of food
in the background of a shot. Companies like Independent Studio Services and Display Fake Foods
offer pre-made food props that can be ordered in bulk. But often times, movies
need items specially made. That's when they seek
out a fake food artist, like Lisa Friedman. - For people who need something specific, that's why the reach out to me. I'm an artist. I went to school for art and
I also love to cook and bake. There's not a lot of us
out there that do this. - [Narrator] Brenda Chapman also makes fake foods in Oklahoma. - I just kind of figure it out. I've had no formal training,
didn't go to college. I started this just so I
could be a stay-at-home mom with my kids. - [Narrator] Both women work
out of studios in their homes. They can recreate pretty much anything. Much of their day-to-day business is in restaurant displays and food shows. But prop masters will contact them if they need food items for movies. - In the last 20 years, I've
done almost 3 million dollars worth of fake food business. - [Narrator] Brenda has
had her work featured in a number of productions. For Glee, she made some ice
cream for this diner scene. - [Brenda] In their diner scene, they wanted milk shakes
and hot fudge sundaes and banana splits that were
new, half-eaten, quarter-eaten so that they could switch
them out during the takes. - [Narrator] She says
you don't always know where your food will end up. Like when some of her items
popped up in the Muppets. - When Miss Piggy eats my doughnuts, I didn't realize they
had bought my doughnuts. (gluttonous munching) - Pardon moi, Mademoiselle Cochonne? - Can't you see I'm busy! - [Receptionist] Of course. - [Narrator] And sometimes your food doesn't even make the final cut. - Thor, the movie, actually bought like $500 worth of doughnuts, and they had a building
that said Donut Shop or Donut Land, they never went inside, so I didn't get to see my doughnuts. I was very sad. (laughs) - [Narrator] Here's a
creamsicle Lisa Friedman made that was featured in a scene from Kevin (Probably) Saves the World. - The coldest thing they have. - Oh, thank you. - [Lisa] I guess, his eye was swollen, he got hit in it. - [Narrator] While the details
may vary based on the artist, the creation process is pretty standard. We stopped by Lisa
Friedman's home in New York to see how she makes her fake foods. After the order is submitted, typically the customer will
send her a real version of they want duplicated. Then she will produce
a mold out of the item to get the exact size and shape. - We try to mold it close to the color, so that we're not starting
with a blank white canvas. - [Narrator] Typically fake foods are made with rubber or foam. She pours the material into
the mold and lets it set. Foam rises like actual dough, so she needs to prevent
it from spilling out. - [Linda] It's like I'm
baking a cake, right? I'm baking my bread. - [Narrator] Then she sands
the excess pieces down. Once the item is dry, it's painted and detailed
to look like real food. - With my background in painting, I can color it to be
as realistic as it is. - You just kind of have to look at things a little differently, um, and think, okay, it's not made for this but it does look like this. We use a lot of Styrofoams, a lot of stuff from the local
hardware store, you know, caulking, and dry wall
patching, and sheet rock mud. - [Narrator] To replicate
granola and ground beef, Lisa uses crushed cork board. - Cork is kind of breaks up like granola, so we took some cork boards and
we started breaking it down. - [Narrator] Sometimes real food is used. Like covering actual
popcorn, cereal, or candy in resin to preserve it. It's often hard to tell
the finished product from the original. - I don't do this for the money. It's more for the accolades, when my customers write, oh,
I love it, it came out great. - [Narrator] And while these items might make your mouth water, they're only a feast for your eyes. (whimsical music)
