My Canadian readers may recognize some of the props from the following video; in it, CBC Live gets a tour of some of the props from The Murdoch Mysteries by prop master Craig Grant. We get a look at a dissected rat, an early airplane and an electric car. Great fun!
Category Archives: Showcases
Showing off the prop portfolios of people, prop shop spaces, and props for shows.
How to Build a Giant Eagle
Hey kids! Remember, even though films are replacing more and more real objects with computer-generated imagery, you may still be asked to put a life-size replica of those objects in your local airport. Check out this video where Weta Workshop builds giant eagles for the Wellington Airport as part of a promotion for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Forging the Sword from the Hobbit
I’ve pointed out Tony Swatton’s video series in the past; he is a blacksmith for film, television and theatre, and in this short series, he recreates famous weapons from films, video games and other pop culture using real blacksmith and metal-working techniques. If you haven’t seen it yet, this is a great one to start with: Swatton forges the sword “Sting” used by Bilbo in The Hobbit.
Breaking Bad with Props Master Mark Hansen
Any Breaking Bad fans out there? I know the show has finished, but I just came across this great video. Prop master Mark Hansen gives us a tour of the “super lab” showing the various scientific instruments and materials they use to make their meth, as well as giving away some of his own propping secrets and tricks.
The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
If you have an hour to spare, this PBS special from 1981 is all about the making of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s quite in-depth and full of a lot of the practical and technical aspects of creating a film as ambitious as this one was. While this documentary does not touch on props much, it is fascinating to see all the practical challenges which needed to be solved in the days before computer graphics took over everything.