Leo Wieser has a background in pyrotechnics as well as costume design, lighting and special effects. He started Bleeding Art Industries, a Calgary-based company that focuses on special effects and custom fabrication for Hollywood movies, TV movies, commercials, events, theatres productions and such.

He was joined in partnership a year later by Becky Scott who oversees the communications, marketing and the business side of operations, while Leo's focus is on creativity and production. As Leo noted, the name of the company came from the "pull out of the film industry" from Alberta when he was sitting round thinking about "bleeding for his art" and looking for work.

This entrepreneurial venture has truly shown the spirit of Albertans to make things work. The company (four employees and then contract workers as needed) was created out of a void in the market then morphed into delivering different services within the entertainment industry to ensure survival, but also the changing of the times.

The company does everything from building foam sets for events and exhibits, including much of the exhibit layout at the Children's Creative Museum at the TELUS World of Science in Calgary, for theatre stage productions, special effects like explosions and fires, blood drenched audiences and more. You name it, from a special effects perspective, they deliver. Their list of credits and work is long. Many we see daily or when we visit places like the Science Centre, the zoo, the opera or watch TV or movies.

For more details on what they do and to see some great footage and examples of their work, including cars blowing up and buildings bursting into flame and more, visit www.bleedingartindustries.com.

reported by Brent Barootes