SPECIAL EFFECTS WIZ TEAMS WITH MEDICAL INSTRUCTOR

The realistic scene in Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours in which James Franco appears to amputate his arm has led to special effects expert Tony Gardner, who created the artificial arm, teaming up with Jane Kleinman, who trains medical students, to launch a new business called Simureal that has already begun supplying similar silicone training aids to university hospitals in the U.S. Reporting on their business, the London Independent observed, “Unlikely though it sounds, technology developed to wow the popcorn-munching masses is now helping to treat sick babies.” In an interview with the newspaper, Gardner, whose special effects have been on display in countless films, said, “It’s incredible for a guy like me, whose worked in film for years, to realize that the stuff we do can also affect people in the real world, in a life-or-death situation. … Forget whether it ever makes us money, just doing that makes this whole project worthwhile.”