I caught a few episodes of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop a while back when my wife was in the hospital. It was very entertaining and informative, and probably the closest a reality show has come to portraying what prop builders actually do (though the show deals with creature building). I recently found that the SyFy website has some companion Creature Feature videos to go with the show.
In the videos, the expert mentors on the show, Peter Brooke, John Criswell and Julie Zobel, take you through the process of building a creature. They start with design and sculpting, go through the animatronics, show you different finishing techniques, and end with how puppeteers bring it to life. It’s not an explicit “how-to” guide, since they gloss through everything quickly and don’t go into details. But if you have some experience, it is great to see how the masters do it, since you can get a lot of inspiration of new things to try on your own.
I just (re)discovered his YouTube channel, where he has videos for many of the projects he posts on his site. The aforementioned video for copy carving a phone is there, as is a video showing how to build your own copy carver.
Welding is a great skill for a prop master or prop maker to have, though it can be a hard one to begin learning. The best way to learn is to have someone teach and guide you as you practice on your own. Whether that’s possible or not, it is also a good idea to watch some videos on welding to pick up background information and to get a different perspective on some of the techniques.
I discovered Kevin Caron’s videos on welding; he has dozens of videos covering all sorts of welding styles and techniques. His background is in metal art and fabrication, so the way he demonstrates welding is close to how a props artisan approaches welding. We rarely have to deal with all the technical information one might get with a traditional welding course, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed with all of that when you are just starting out and simply want to join a few pieces of steel together for a static prop.
So check out everything he has to offer, or just start with the one below. Whether you’re just starting or you’ve been doing it for awhile, you’re sure to pick up something new.
Let’s face it; guns are frequently found on stage, whether in straight plays, musicals, operas and even dance. The use of certain guns can instantly convey a lot of information about period, geography and even character.
If you are a gun novice, it can be helpful to learn some basic terminology and categories. Even if you cannot find the absolute perfect gun, you can at least be in the right ballpark and not have something wildly anachronistic or unrealistic on stage.
For the first bit of terminology, I’ve put together an illustration showing the most common actions of both long guns (rifles, shotguns and muskets) and handguns (or pistols). When a firearm is capable of holding more than one round of ammunition, it needs an action to clear the spent cartridge and load a new one in place. The following is by no means an exhaustive list of all actions, but you may never need to know any others unless you start delving into the more esoteric and unique firearms used throughout history.
Common firearm actions
Bolt action – To eject the cartridge and load another round, a small handle is manually lifted, pushed forward, pulled back and dropped down. Bolt actions are most commonly found on the M1903 Springfield, which was the standard infantry rifle for the US from 1903 through World War I, and is still used by drill teams and color guards today.
Pump action – This action is typically associated with shotguns; the handigrip is pumped back and forth to eject a cartridge and load another one. On rifles, it is sometimes called a “slide action”.
Lever action -Â Most famously used in Winchester rifles, which were used by Western settlers in the US in the late 19th century (ie, “The Wild West”). Lever action rifles remain popular for modern-day sportsmen and hunters.
Break-action – The weapon “breaks”, or hinges to expose the breech. When this happens, the spent cartridges are ejected, and new ammunition can be manually inserted. This action is universal in double-barrel shotguns, and can be found in various rifles and pistols as well.
Revolver – Most commonly found in handguns, though the rare revolver rifle can be found scattered throughout history. A revolving chamber holds several cartridges; when one bullet is fired, the chamber rotates to line the next cartridge up with the barrel.
Semi-automatic – A semi-automatic refers to any pistol or rifle which automatically ejects the spent cartridge and loads the next round of ammunition when the gun is fired (not to be confused with an automatic firearm, which continues firing as long as the trigger is pressed). Most modern firearms for military and law-enforcement are semi-automatic.
When I began my blog back in 2009, it felt like only a handful of sites for the prop maker were out there. Since then, the field has practically exploded and you can find information everywhere. I post links to sites regularly, but I wanted to make a list of the sites you should be checking out regularly. So I’ve collected and categorized what I consider to be the 100 best sites for a prop maker. Now, this is far from comprehensive, particularly if you are working on specific objects or using less-popular materials, but hopefully it will keep you busy for awhile. If you know of a site I’ve missed, drop a note in the comments or send me an email!
Forums
Forums remain a great way to find information about prop making, since much of what we do is so specific and unique. You can ask a question, search for answers to other questions, or just browse through and pick up tips on how other people work.
Replica Prop Forum – A very active and very informative forum filled with fans recreating their favorite props from films, television, video games and other media.
ControlBooth – A US forum for technical theatre, with a small section on props.
MRX Designs – A prop maker working in the Steampunk and Lovecraft genres.
Tom Banwell – Leather and resin Steampunk projects.
Barnyard FX – A behind-the-scenes look at the props, exhibits and displays by Greg Aronowitz, a prolific special effects artist and design specialist on over two hundred films and television projects.
Spirits Dancing – Puppetry and prop-making from Hilary Talbot, a working Australian artisan.
Fevereon Props – A prop and costume maker out of Georgia.
Blogs
A number of sites may not be devoted entirely to teaching prop-making, but they still have regular tutorials, news and information relevant to the prop maker, or deal with comparable and related industries.
Prop Agenda – Now, I couldn’t omit my own blog. How-tos, news, videos and more from the props world.
Make Magazine – Blog companion to the magazine, this site regularly has posts on prop making and associated materials.
Tested – What began as site for testing consumer electronics has quickly grown to have regular features on props and prop making, particularly with Adam Savage as one of the regular hosts.
Propnomicon – A regularly-updated look at props built around the mythos of HP Lovecraft.
Lost in Schlock – Down and dirty prop making tips for low-budget films.
Design Realisation – backstage at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.
La Bricoleuse – costume crafts teacher at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
StageBitz – a prop inventory software company that regularly posts prop-related news and interviews.
Stan Winston School – The new school run by the peerless studio responsible for the most famous practical film effects of the last thirty years runs a blog of related information. The school also has online video classes you can take for a paid subscription.
The Dark Power – Bizarre sculptures and metal art with a theatrical flair.
Design*Sponge – Inspiration and reference for all manner of interior-design and furniture-related things.
Fake Believe – A behind-the-scenes look at props and sets made for various photography projects.
Haunters Digest – Tutorials and showcases of haunted house props and Halloween decorations.
Tutorials
If you need to learn how to build specific items or work with certain materials, these sites have collected the information you need.
Instructables – If you need to build something, chances are, you can find a tutorial here from someone who has already built it. This site should be your first stop for finding how-to’s, period.
Ultimate Paper Mache – Information and tutorials on, you guessed it, paper mache.
Monster Makers – You may never need to make monsters, but you may find their tutorials on sculpting, molding and casting, working with foam latex and painting to be helpful.
Paint-Sculpt – Tutorials and reference for both painting, and, wait for it, sculpting.
The Gizmologist’s Lair – A cornucopia of tutorials and links to all manner of gizmo-related projects.
Craftster – Projects and tutorials from the crafty side of the prop-making spectrum.
Mask Makers Web – Information and links for things related to masks and mask-making.
Glass Attic – 1700 pages of everything you need to know about polymer clay.
Green Theater Choices Toolkit – A rundown of common building and crafting materials ranked by their environmental impact.
Sizes – A vast index with information about the sizes of practically everything. From definitions of units of measurements, to standard sizes of common furniture, to sheet metal gauges, and everything in between.
Chemistry in the Toy Store – A look at the chemistry of various toys, including recipes to make your own slime, play dough, disappearing ink and other novelties.
Internet Movie Firearms Database – A comprehensive look at every firearm from every film, whether it was a real gun or adapted into a more fictional weapon.
Woodworkers Library – Over 200 out-of-print woodworking books you can read online for free.
Collectors Weekly – One of the best sites devoted to delving into the history of specific objects and antiques.
Retronaut – Lots of pictures and illustrations from throughout history, organized by theme or event.
Accidental Mysteries – Strange, bizarre and magical art and objects from today and the past.
Smithsonian Institute 3D models – Scanned three-dimensional computer files of some of the objects from the Smithsonian’s vast collection.
Library of Congress Digital Collections – Digitized versions of the LOC’s many holdings, including one of the largest historical newspaper archives around.
