THE BRIEF
If you're wondering "Who made the giant glasses for Ozzy the Bull?" well... you found us! The brief was simple - we're looking for someone to make a pair of iconic Ozzy Osbourne glasses for the mechanical bull that currently resides at Birmingham New Street train station. Originally the idea was to have purple sunglasses but we wanted to go a step further - iridescent sunglasses! So depending on where you stand you'll see purple, green, blue. In true Ozzy fashion we wanted to cover as many colour options as possible.
THE PLAN
Rach immediately headed into Birmingham to take a good look at Ozzy and figure out, can we even do this? It seems simple but the mechanical bull is actually made of lightweight materials so the glasses would have to be lightweight but still look legit. We'd worked on Perry the Bull for the Commonwealth Games - making a GIANT (but very lightweight) barbell and we thought that foam would be perfect for this job. Durable but easy to cut and super lightweight.
THE MATERIALS
While the frames were made of lightweight foam, we couldn't compromise on the lenses - perspex was the only option. After calling many (many) suppliers it was clear that purple iridescent perspex basically doesn't exist so we'd have to make it ourselves. We ordered two 80cm clear perspex discs and applied purple film to one side and iridescent on the other. Rach even made me stand on our balcony with it so she could see what it looked like - it was mega eyecatching, a true tribute to Ozzy.
THE TOOLS
Surprisingly, we mostly used simple hand tools to craft these enormous glasses for Ozzy Day. A super sharp blade and a heat gun to soften the edges. It made a nice change to not have to use power tools.
FUN FACT!
The arms of the glasses are hinged and actually fold like real glasses! Not only did we want them to look as authentic as possible, it made transport and set up super simple and fast.
THE BUILD
With an 18 month old baby who's not yet in nursery, this was a tag team project between me and Rach. Including one SOS to Nanny T who provided some emergency babysitting on the Sunday before installation! Rach designed the process, collected the materials and marked out the dimensions and it was my job to make all the cuts. Oh, and painstakingly melt the foam to give it a rounded edge around the frame.
THE INSTALLATION
Rach had the best time working with the OPUS (Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces) team to fit the final product on the incredible work of art that is Ozzy the Bull. Up on the scissor lift at 1am - it really is what prop makers dream of, being right there at the moment a prop goes from being a 'thing' to an experience.
FEEDBACK
REFLECTIONS
We are so grateful to have been commissioned for this insane job, not only was it immense fun - it was a tribute to a Brummie legend in the most visited place in the city where we grew up. Rach remembers being floored when she saw the mechanical bull on tv during the Commonwealth Games - never dreaming she'd get the opportunity to touch his nose, let alone make an accessory for him! What a dream come true. Birmingham Forever.