I finally understood why my fake food props looked so bad

I was making a fake sandwich for a short film, and it looked fine on my workbench. But when we shot it under the kitchen lights, it looked like plastic. The director said it was 'too perfect' and asked if I'd ever left a real sandwich out for an hour. That was the tip. I'd been making props to look good up close, not to look real on camera under specific light. I took that ham and cheese outside, let it sit in the sun for 20 minutes, and let the mayo get a little greasy. The next take, it looked lived-in. Now I always think about how the camera and lighting will change the look. Has anyone else had a prop that looked great in person but totally failed on screen?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnfoster22d ago

Remember that movie with the obviously fake snow?

elliotc1022d ago

Read somewhere they used soap flakes, @johnfoster.