Prop Making

-

Prop making can be extremely satisfying creative work. Being able to create something like a medieval silver chalice on the smell of an oily rag from found materials is a skill honed from many years of tinkering. It requires a broad appreciation of the characteristics of materials and also an element of lateral thinking that enables you to see the possibilities of using something from diverse areas to create what you are looking for.

Generally theatre companies, both professional and amateur, don't have a lot of money to spend on props. I personally think it is more a money saving business decision. This approach results is cheap looking props which can make a production look like a school play. That being said if a show is only going to have one or two performances it is silly to spend a lot of money on props. I remember a director telling me once that in many of his productions you could see half his loungeroom on stage! Getting things for free is a valuable prop buyer's skill and is one that should never be overlooked. I discuss this point in another post on "Quality or Economic Manufacture"

The best way to learn about prop making is to simply get in there and start making. Trial and error is the best teacher and this is something even the best makers do. You can have an idea in your mind how to build a prop but when its done it just doesn't work so you have to start again coming from a different angle using what you had learnt from the first attempt. Over time you gain more experience that you can use to avoid making certain mistakes and things will start working out as you had initially planned.

If you are keen to get into this field I suggest getting involved in local theatre groups or look for casual work in the prop shops of professional theatre groups or film companies. Even department stores can be good experience but remember that window dressing and displays are by their nature static displays and are much more forgiving to less than optimal construction. When something is going to be handled or generally treated in unpredictable ways it requires a totally different construction approach.

Happy prop making :-)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Wizard of Id

-
Image
The Wizard of Id was first created in 1964 as a result of the collaboration of writer Johnny Hart and artist Brant Parker. In the early 60's Hart was already successful with his creation of BC. The pair first met in 1950 when Parker was asked to judge a high school art contest. One of the entrants work so impressed him he organised a meeting. The entrants name was Johnny Hart. Wizard of Id humour The Wizard of Id is set in the mythical kingdom of Id ruled by "the King", a dwarfish monarch with a dry and, at times, black secnse of humour. As well as the Kings subjects (Idiots) there are several other major characters including Rodney the inept knight, the wizard and his domineering wife, Bung the court jester who is constanting drunk and the Spook, a destitute prisoner who is locked in his cell with only the Turnkey for company. There are several other players which are described in detail in Wikipedia . The King and the Wizard have a great relationship and a very dry sens
Read more

The "Lady Be Good"

-
Image
One of the more interesting stories to come out of World War Two was that of a B-24D Liberator bomber called the "Lady Be Good" which failed to return from a mission to Italy in 1943. A search failed to find any trace of the plane or its crew of nine. The wreckage of the plane was discovered 15 years later in the Libyan Desert. It was another two years before the remains of all but one of the nine crew were discovered. The plane had become lost in the darkness and eventually ran out of fuel leaving the crew no choice but to parachute into the darkness. The plane eventually crash landed 16 miles south of where the crew had safely landed. Inspiration from the "Lady be Good" The story became the plot for an opera based on the fact that the body of the ninth crew member was never found. "Madeline Lee" was a one act Australian opera, composed by John Haddock to a libretto written by the composer and Michael Campbell. It premiered at the Sydney Opera Hous
Read more

Model Making - An Inspirational Tale

-
Image
I recently discovered a Youtube video that just resonated with my own philosophy of life. Phillp Reed is a UK model maker who made a video of what he loves doing in life. I'd like to share it with you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pxSrLTSZ3Q It is an inspirational video on many levels. Thank you Phillip for expressing the inexpressable.
Read more