Inflatable extras: How fake crowds are fooling you in blockbuster films

Welcome to the uncanny valley of The Inflatable Crowd Company. Have you ever wondered how films hire so many people for backgrounds in crowds? It's often far too expensive to hire real extras to fill up an entire stadium or theater in a film. The Inflatable Crowd Company has solved these issues for countless films.

This company produces on-demand crowds out of inflatable plastic for films, which ends up being much cheaper than hiring real humans. Each inflatable doll is dressed to fit the role, inflated, and given a unique facial mask. Many popular movies have used inflatable crowds, such as "Iron Man 2," "Blades of Glory," and "The King's Speech."

These amazing photos of inflatable crowds produced by the company feel like artworks in and of themselves. Although these crowds look normal from afar in the films we see them in, that's not the case when you get close to the inflatables in real life. Up close, the dolls look like something one might see on a bad LSD trip while lost in a crowded stadium. A lawn full of these guys would make the perfect Halloween decor.

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