International Wood International Wood 2008 | Page 12

Plywood Star of Stage and Screen V ersatility is likely the most sought after characteristic in Hollywood. Add in the ability to play a role convincingly, and a star is born. When it comes to making a scene, no other material comes close to the success of meranti (Shorea spp.) plywood. It is Hollywood’s most utilized sweetheart. Studio insiders call it lauan. It originates from Indonesia and Malaysia, among other places. Any person who has ever turned on a television set, attended a professional theater production, or watched a feature film, has seen it in action. Meranti plywood (aka lauan) is used to transform downtown Columbus, Wisconsin into Greencastle, Indiana circa 1933 for the upcoming gangster thriller Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp. 12 i m p o r t e d wood “Every show you see on TV that is done on a set, I can unequivo- cally guarantee you there is lauan used in it. Think Seinfeld, Friends, Saturday Night Live, soap operas, game shows, you name it,” says Kip Katz, general manager of Cinnabar California Inc. Katz would know. Cinnabar has been providing scenery and special effects for the film and television industry since 1981. Katz and his talented team of ar- tisans and problem solvers build for a broad range of projects in- cluding commercials, television shows, film and theater sets, models, museum installations and special effects.