Prop Making Tips Reminder

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One of the things I always like to point out to prospective prop makers is that it is important to put yourself into the position of the actor or peformer who will be using the prop.

The reason for this is that all too often a prop is built or *fixed* with no consideration as to how it will be used. This can be disasterous for a performer when a prop fails during a performance.

Another consideration is how they will be handled. The precious prop you have put hours of creative work into has to be treated carefully and with respect, right? Unfortunately the reality is they can be treated very roughly during performances particularly if some other problem crops up during a show. The poor prop usually takes the brunt of the performers angst! When not being used there is not a lot of thought given to caring for the props and they are usually thrown into a box or placed in a corner where they are exposed to all sorts of accidental damage.

By putting yourself into the mindset of who is using the prop you will be better able to appreciate how it will be used and make the necessary modifications to its manufacture to ensure it will be robust enough to take the worst punishment. It is also worth noting that you should try and make it very easy to dismantle if the need arises for repairs (it will!). Making something that is very difficult to dismantle is a pain in the proverbial. Always think that it will be you who will have to do future repairs so make sure things are assembled so that they will be easy for you to work on in the future.

Happy prop making :-)

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