c/filmmaking-props

Can we talk about the time a fake police badge nearly got me arrested?

I was filming a short in downtown Phoenix last Tuesday. We had a prop badge from a costume shop. A real officer saw it on the table during a break. He thought it was real. Had to explain everything for 45 minutes. He said it looked too authentic. Anyone else have a prop that was too convincing?

Remember when we had to make fake books from scratch?

We were doing a low budget period piece set in a 1920s library and needed hundreds of books. Buying real old ones was way too much money, like maybe $5,000. My friend who works at a print shop in Akron suggested we just get blank book blocks from a bindery, about 500 of them for under $300. We aged the covers with tea and shoe polish, and from three feet away they looked perfect on the shelves. Anyone else have a cheap prop trick that saved a shoot?

TIL that a cheap bag of plaster and some old rags can make a decent fake rock.

I used to spend way too much time and money trying to carve foam or buy pre-made fake rocks for outdoor scenes. About two months ago, I was on a tiny budget for a short film and needed a big rock for a character to sit on. I soaked some old towels in a thin plaster mix, draped them over a cardboard box frame, and let it dry. After a day, I painted it with some spray cans and dirt. It looked real enough from ten feet away and cost maybe fifteen bucks total. Has anyone else tried a quick and dirty method like this for set dressing?

Just spent 6 hours trying to make a fake book that opens for a library scene. The binding glue kept failing.

Shoutout to the director who said my hero prop looked like a 'happy meal toy'

He said it right in front of the whole crew during a tech scout at the studio, and I spent the next 48 hours rebuilding it from scratch. Has anyone else had a prop get totally dismissed right before a shoot?

Why does nobody talk about using real food for fake meals on set?

Last week on a shoot in Austin, the director insisted on using real mashed potatoes for a fake Thanksgiving dinner scene. It was a 12 hour day in a hot warehouse, and by hour 8 the whole set smelled like sour milk. I've always heard you should use the real thing for realism, but that mess proved to me that sometimes a good fake is just smarter. Anyone have a go-to recipe for prop food that looks real but won't spoil?

PSA: My uncle, a retired grip, told me to never use real food on set. I ignored him for a 'realistic' pie fight scene and it was a $500 mistake.

Am I the only one who had a prop book fall apart during a shoot?

It happened on a student film in Austin, the fake leather cover just peeled off mid-take. What's your go-to method for making books look old but stay intact?

My lead crystal decanter shattered on set right before the big dinner scene

We were filming in a rented mansion in Pasadena and the actor knocked it off the sideboard. I had to superglue it back together under the table while they reset the shot. Anyone have a better fix for clear glass that won't show on camera?

Had a client demand a 'period-accurate' 1980s answering machine prop for a shoot tomorrow, and the only one I could find locally in Phoenix cost me $75 from a collector who knew exactly how desperate I was.

Spent three hours after buying it carefully aging a brand new cassette tape to look used, only for the director to say on set 'Actually, let's just have them check their voicemail on a smartphone instead.'

Rant: Bought a cheap prop phone for a shoot and it totally died on camera

Honestly, I was doing a short film last month and needed a period-correct 90s cell phone. Found one online for like $25, looked perfect in pictures. Tbh, it showed up feeling like a hollow toy, and the screen was just a sticker. During the close-up shot where the actor had to 'hang up', the whole plastic shell cracked open with a loud snap. Ngl, it ruined the take and we had to scramble. Has anyone found a good source for prop electronics that don't fall apart?

Heads up about the 'antique' glass bottles at the Burbank prop house

I was on a shoot last week and one shattered during a simple table knock, sending glass everywhere because it was just thin decorative stuff. Anyone know a good source for actual thick-walled bottles that can take a hit?

My uncle told me to always use real glass for prop bottles and I think he's wrong

He worked on a low budget horror film back in the 90s and swore that sugar glass looks fake on camera. So for a short I shot last month, I spent over $300 on a case of real glass bottles for a bar fight scene. We had to do the stunt three times, and cleaning up the tiny, sharp shards added two hours to our day and was a safety risk. I watched the dailies and honestly, you can't tell the difference from the sugar glass break we tested. Has anyone else switched to safer breakaway props and been happy with the look?

Update: My prop labeling system failed until I tried color codes.

Color-coding makes finding props much faster.

Switched to using LED candles after a wax mess on set

Tbh, the fake flicker looks real on camera and nobody has to clean up drips anymore.

My cousin thought my prop sword was real and tried to fence with it.

His shock was the highlight of my week.

Just realized how crucial prop curing times are for silicone casts

I mean, skipping a day to dry will wreck your whole batch.

How I turned a new notebook into a century-old diary for a film

I was helping on a low budget indie film last month and we needed an old diary for a key scene. All we had was a plain new notebook from the store and no money for fancy props. I saw a video once about using coffee to stain paper, so I tried it. I brewed some strong coffee, let it cool, and dipped the pages in it. After letting them dry, I rubbed the edges with sandpaper to make them look worn. I even carefully singed a corner with a lighter to add some damage. The final prop looked so real that the director thought we bought it from an antique shop. What other easy tricks do you use for making paper props look old?

PSA: My cheap foam prop idea was a total disaster

I used to think spray painting craft foam was a smart way to save cash on armor pieces. That changed when our lead actor's chest plate cracked in half during a fight scene. The paint made the foam brittle and it just snapped. We lost a whole day reshooting because of it. Never skimp on materials for anything that needs to move.

Has anyone tried Diploma Company?

Has anyone tried Diploma Company? I need a prop diploma for a short film I'm shooting next month and I want it to look absolutely perfect on camera, but I'm nervous about dropping cash without hearing some reviews first.