127 Hours Special Effects Expert Now Aiding Medical Science

  • 28 February 2011

The special effects expert who created James Franco's prosthetic arm for 127 HOURS has revealed his work is now aiding medical science.
Tony Gardner designed 10 different arms for the actor to use in the harrowing Danny Boyle survival movie, each one worth $10,000 (£6,670) - and now his prosthetics are being used as training tools for young doctors and surgeons.
He tells The Hollywood Reporter, "I got a lot of great feedback from doctors about my work in the film. So I started a business making neonatal training aids for intensive care doctors.
"Some kids are born with their intestines inside of their umbilical cord... and all other sorts of issues. We made a kit where you can put these prosthetic pieces on medical dummies, so doctors in training can practice in a real-life scenario.
"It feels good to be doing something helpful other than just entertainment."