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 :-)