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.