The Goblin Ball 2014. What can we say? So many astonishing guests and so many amazing adventures were had on the evening of the 14th of July 2014. The realm of Ember Rule was a far cry from the Ice Kingdom and everything was so different. We offer a reflection on our past and give hint to the future of THe Goblin Ball in 2015.
Photos in this post are on behalf of Ellen Duffy Photography who provided the photoshoot for the evening! Be sure to check your shots here!

The Goblin Ball: Ember Rule was phenomenal all thanks to our guests and the artists involved. Lizzie Sharp provided the makeup crew who created the creatures who inhabited the event and the photographers made all of our guests feel special.

Guests were welcomed to a Goblin Marketplace that had several amazing artisan stalls including Nightshade FX and Roseberry bay soaps.

Pintina arrived, forcefully returned to face a family of Gods who were quick to forgive. Guests were invited to choose her fate - Bless or Damn. In the end Pintina was presented at the end of the Walk of The Gods and Blessed with Demi Goddess status.

Through the evening Animata String Quartet played renditions of songs from Game of Thrones to Labyrinth allowing our guests to be immersed in the romance of the evening. Lamplight Circus and Lee from Melbourne Magic festival provided the wandering entertainment  and Shimmy Bliss once again proved hypnotic. Omega kept the Gods inferno pumping with song requests in a red lit room of DOOM!

The Quests were more popular than we had intended with over 200 quests being completed before 10pm. Next year we will grow this side of our guest experience and maybe making things a little harder and more immersive!

By the end of the evening as guests had grown weary of photoshoots and adventures we closed the doors at 12. Pintina had double crossed Ember Rule by stealing the heart of the God and left  a clue beckoning us to follow her to Terra Bayou.

Next years adventures will surely be interesting as we explore The Power of Voodoo!

Just Who were these Ringmasters who ran around the venue?
You may have seen the 5 Ringmasters running around the venue and sometimes talked to a few. But what were their roles on the evening?
The Ringmasters are actually the production crew who have been working hard (sometimes up to a full 12 months before) to make sure the event runs as best as it can.
The story line of the Ringmasters isn't something that was accidental. The Ringmasters are here by appointment of Jaggies - a mysterious figure who may be revealed in an event or two - but all you need to do is remember to seek them for help and fun on the evening.
The Ringmasters were all amazed by everyones efforts on the evening and we can't wait to see you again next year!

Pintina
Congratulations, thanks to our guests Pintina survived another Goblin Ball. Last year the brat Princess schemed and harassed our guests to make sure they felt uncomfortable. This year with the possibility of being granted Demigoddess status, Pintina grew up a little and with some handy positive PA from the Acolytes from the realm of Ember Rule Pintina reached that goal - only to double cross Ember Rule at the final moment replacing the Gods heart with a Voodoo doll. This could only mean we must follow her to Ember Rule and experience the Power of Voodoo in 2015!


The Acolytes
Our VERY valuable volunteers for the evening were wonderful in supplying help to the guests who were a little lost to find their way! Even the Guards of Ember Rule who provided Fire twirling and Belly dancing made quite the impression. Next year who can we expect to help our guests through Terra Bayou?

The Quest Masters worked tirelessly at taking our guests on adventures and making sure their motives where known.

Hasina made sure her love of Pintina won over the crowd and successfully won over the hearts of the guests.  Would the fact that Pintina double crossed Ember Rule sway her devotion?

Amak from The Ice Kingdom was unsuccessful and grew in anger toward Ember Rule. We wonder if he will attempt to travel to Terra Bayou to gain revenge. 

Bodhisattva was key in gathering guests runes to expose the future and she was able to use this information to expose that Maude was intending to steal the Gods heart - but did she know more than what she was letting on?

Maude - framed or foe? Next year as we travel to Terra Bayou we may see more of what he was attempting to do with the God's heart.

Paiva the Fire Goddess was awaiting the return of not only her God but also of Pintina. When Ebon came with the promise of forgiveness the were able to accept Pintina into her rightful place of Demi Goddess. 
Do they have forgiveness in their heart (the one left between them) to see past Pintina's shortcomings to allow her to reclaim her place in the family at a later stage or has Pintina escaped with the blessings, and the heart?

The Walk of the Gods at 10pm was amazing! There were so many fantastic costumes however Tracy and David (who came as a tree!) were the ones who the Gods bestowed the Title of Gods Honored. They took home a skull from Nightshade FX and double passes to next years trip to Terra Bayou. (Photos of the Tree Sentinel to come!)

So where do we go from here?

Terra Bayou is a world of New Orleans inspired Voodoo where we can be sure to see our Demigoddess Pintina explore and attempt to complete her next ulterior motive, but what could it possibly be?

Next year we bring an authentic New Orleans flavor to the Goblin Ball that includes Voodoo, southern charm and a little touch of death. Lets just say it won't be such a walk in Ember Rule for our dear Pintina. The Swampland of Terra Bayou awaits. Will you be invited to walk the Grand Mardi Gras for the Barons of Terra Bayou?

For updates and news be sure to follow The Goblin Ball on facebook and join The Power of Voodoo event!

We love feedback and it's all been wonderful however if you would like to give inclusions for next year feel free to submit them at The Goblin Ball page and we will do our best to consider your requests.

In 2013 an friendship was formed between a fantasy company and a well established Horror Company. Through countless Pizzas and an undying love for all that is Labyrinth, Nightshade FX from Wicked of Oz studios and Dark Realm formed a tight bond to bring The Goblin Ball 2013 to life. 

Transporting a movie set designed for trolls to the Regal Ballroom in Northcote, Nightshade FX helped bring the first annual Goblin Ball to life. This year they bring their amazing curios to Northcote Town Hall to take place as featured Vendor for The Goblin Ball 2014.

We caught up with them to see what we could expect this year!

How did you get started in the horror prop industry?

I blame Michael Jackson, Stan Winston, George Lucas and Wes Craven. I grew up loving music which naturally lead me to Michael Jackson who dominated the 80's. I had the VHS of "Thriller", ya know, the one with the full short film and the making of at the end of it. I wore the tape out! I used to play it over and over and over, driving my mother insane. Something about those zombies man, they were just so pure, so perfect. Then came Nightmare on Elm street, I remember riding home from school and hiring horror VHS's and watching them before my parents got home from work then hiding them. Mum hated me watching them but hey, here I am right? 

Ive always been a creative kid, drawing zombies and vampires and dinosaurs, building cardboard costumes, or prop weapons which naturally lead to makeup and fx. After I met my future wife, things started to snowball when she had the opportunity to work on Troll Bridge (in its 11th year of production funnily), with director and our now best friend Daniel Knight. 

He is the main reason for everything to be honest. He trusted me straight up with handling gore on his short films. We made several films with him which lead to more contacts, more zombies, more films, then I met Justin Dix who gave me a chance to sink or swim on Red Hill, then I was hired for 100 Bloody Acres and The Babadook. Last year I started making human skull replicas cast from the real thing, then it just took off and now were swimming in them!

What was your favourite movie to work on and what were some of the highlights?

I'd have to say Troll Bridge and 100 bloody acres for totally different reasons. I got to go to New Zealand with all of my best friends in some pretty crazy locations from Lord of the Rings, with a Barbarian on a talking horse. Nothing can really compare to that sort of experience. On 100 bloody acres, shredding up a full silicone human replica, complete with muscles, veins, skeleton etc into a woodchipper with one of your favourite artists (Justin Dix) was unforgettable but the true highlight was honestly cruising to Adelaide with him. We were in the middle of nowhere talking about Star Wars (Justin made R2 and 3PO) when all of a sudden "DALE STOP!!!! STORMTROOPER!!!!" I s++t you not there was a Storm trooper in the middle of the desert walking so we stopped and got a photo with the guy. Life man, seriously!

What was the weirdest thing you have made?

I'd have to say a body covered in stab wounds that had to squirt like a fountain. Yup!

The thought of working horror freaks out some people. Have you had any scary experiences on the job?

Honestly when your life revolves around dead bodies, skulls, the occult, and the supernatural, not much scares me. If you really want to know, the general public scare me!

What can we expect at the Goblin Ball 2014?

I guess you'll just have to wait, though you can be sure, it'll be weird

A HUGE Thank you and shout out to Nightshade FX who have shown so much support with bringing The Goblin Ball to life.

If you would like to attend The Goblin Ball make sure you buy your tickets here! 

At The Goblin Ball we love watching fantasy movies and although we have many favorites, we thought we would share our top 5. We know we have left out heaps of movies that you may have drawn inspiration from so please feel free to add your favorited in the comments below.

5. Queen of the Damned (2002)

This may seem like a long shot but the late Aaliyah dazzled as Akasha showing that beauty can be brutal. We put The Queen of the Damned at number 5 on our list for a few reasons. Firstly Ember Rule, the fantasy world where The Goblin Ball is set this year takes its costume and styling from Egyptian Revival. Our costumer Jodie Welch spent countless nights in front of Art Deco and Egyptian books looking to create that special blend of Goblin Mythology and an ancient flavor to give the evening it’s otherworldly feel. Also our acolytes who serve as the event slaves have been clothed in haramesque style garb. Should you think that these creatures are a little brainwashed and subservient you could almost be forgiven for thinking the Fire Goddess has cast some mind spell to keep them all in check.

4. The Princess Bride (1987)

For its softer, more fairytale inspiration The Princess Bride comes in at number four. The Princess Bride is classic. There are amazing gowns paraded by the women and the mediaeval sharpness of the men mean there is something for everyone. The Princess Bride is a movie that although with a little time, recreating or gathering inspiration from this movie is achievable with not too much of a headache. For men, Westley’s costume is very simple but effective and with the right amount of charm anyone could pull off the style. Buttercups “nightmare scene” gown could also be achieved with a repurposed wedding gown and a bit of elbow grease. This movie is classic all the way.

3. LEGEND (1986)

This movie would require a LOT of planning and a bit of gold to be able to produce the elaborate costumes from Legend. To recreate The Lord of Darkness much effort would have to go in to prosthetics and hiring a team of makeup artists to create Tim Curry’s iconic look. Princess Lilly wears an AMAZING ensemble in her dark phase of the movie and this is a look that would both strike awe and terror in fellow guests. Dark Lilly is definitely one of the most iconic looks from the movie Legend.

2. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Okay so this isn’t so much an old classic but more of a NEW classic. Last year for The Goblin Ball: The Ice Kingdom, the production crew watched The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe countless times to gather inspiration for our creatures and were mesmerized by the costumes. Jadis' costume changes with the seasons till she herself becomes the lioness and the other creatures are SO amazing that even the supporting cast deserve a hit of the rewind and pause button when spotted.

1. Labyrinth (1986)

CLASSIC. There was no doubt that Labyrinth would top the list. The reasons Labyrinth is our number one are so numerous that we have to cut back or you would be reading an extended essay. The costume designer for Labyrinth had Brian Frouds immersive mythology to work from. Froud created not only a cast of amazing characters but also the in depth Labyrinth universe. If you are looking for inspiration, we suggest getting yourself a bottle of red, a note pad and a number two pencil to sketch the numerous gowns, masks and venetian costumes. In Labyrinth the look is flowing, an overuse of material to create movement and an abuse of costume jewelry are also the main focus. Just as Sarah had no idea where to look when she entered be ball, guests of The Goblin Ball would have no idea where to look when you step in front of them.

So add your inspiration. What movies or books have helped create your character? And don't forget Tickets are Pre-book only!


We can't wait to see you on the night!

DAMED is an Avant-Garde Art & photography periodical currently produced BI YEARLY, launched April 2013 in Melbourne, Australia.

DAMED is created by Award winning Fine Art Photographer Mad Dame, and followed by a dedicated team of artistic minds, eager and ravenous for the exploration and implementation of new concepts in the field of creative design photography.

We caught up with Mad Dame, the fearless leader of DAMED who is also moonlighting at the glorious High Priestess of Ember Rule, the world that The Goblin Ball is visiting this year! We wanted to know a few secrets and tips that can help create the most amazing makeup to compliment our guests costumes this year!

Mad Dame, our guests are coming to live a creation they have thought long and hard at creating. How would someone start thinking about makeup on an evening like this?

Firstly, what are you wearing? Or not wearing - then you know what colour scheme to start with, and what colours compliment or contrast. For example an orange dress you can consider orange, yellow, warm or bright tones of make up or go the opposite and use blue tones in your make up as long as blue is featured somewhere else to balance.

You can also start collecting bits and pieces, especially if you are going to DIY, from $2 shops and trinkets, like rings to use in your props, hair and make up, anything you can stick to yourself!

You attended the last Goblin Ball as the Green Fairy. Many people talked about how bold you were to bare all and choose body paint for the top half of your costume. What would you suggest to others who were thinking about making the same choice?

If you are confident or about to take a step into gaining confidence, remember you are surrounded by like minded people and a very safe environment, that commends all levels of creativity! My experience in body painting, wearing it and applying it to people, body paint created a new layer of skin, and opens a new door of emotional evaluation, you actually become your character, it can be considered a form of masking. I highly doubt you would feel so exposed, unless your getting chilly!

If I was thinking of going to the Goblin Ball and making an impression, what makeup tips would you suggest?

I would suggest having a little research, not necessary at make up, but things to influence creative make up, like animals, colours, textures, anything to add to your character. If you do have trouble, find 3 different make up images and take elements that you like form each and create your own combination  to help keep your make up design original. 

You can also hire many many of Melbourne’s Talented Make up artists to help your vision come to life. I ran around before last years ball help create some awesome make up for some guests. 

Use 3D things to add to your make up, like gems, feathers, flowers, spray painted paper cut outs, anything!

You are also a very talented photographer! What tips do you give our guests to take the perfect costume picture?

I would ALWAYS take a fresh photo at home in good light before you leave! For a perfect picture while at the ball, know how you costume presents itself best, if you have a flowing slim floor length gown, pose on your side, if you wear a giant round ball gown, use your arms and hands to be expressive. If you’re a dude with a sceptre, well man, strike an epic pose. Just take a breathe and think about your eyes and hands the most to add the best character. Oh and background setting for selfies is important, as well as using the stage and dance floor lights to your advantage. Back lighting can work cool too.

What would be your ultimate tip on how to make a splash as far as makeup and costume are concerned?

I think Hair is a big option too, styled hair or props in hair makes a huge impact, I am also one for hair styled and hair props, I am like whoaaa. Height can add a lot more stronger character. I also think flowly arm like props are eye catching, like fabric that you use to move, dance and flirt with.


You can check out more of Mad Dame's work on her facebook page or her official website where you can also order your own copy of DAMED magazine!