If you are finally preparing to shoot that movie you’ve been plugging away at for years, then you are probably considering how many of your friends to blackmail & guilt into being on your crew. For the sake of your project, please include one more person to be responsible for your props. Whether Aunt Harriet is fronting you five hundred or five million to produce your opus, giving a little time and thought to your props can only make your film better.

First, props (or property) are the items that actors hold, carry, or utilize in a scene. A property master is the head of the props department. Props are not sets, furniture, or wardrobe. Okay smarty pants, yes, if an actor is carrying a chair around with him all day within the story, then it IS a prop, and YES, watches, eyeglasses, and sometimes jewelry fall under the heading of property as well. There are gray areas where costumes, set decoration, special effects, make-up and property come together, but I’ll be covering that further in my soon-to-be-written book entitled, “That’s Coming Out Of Your Budget, Not Ours”.

Like every aspect of your movie, having good props can result in a more polished and professional result. They are the small details that, when expertly added, will go unnoticed. When used incorrectly, or thrown in at the last minute, they pull the viewers attention away from what’s most important, . . . your story. Don’t be fooled by the notion that if your story is good enough, then the audience won’t notice that three of your characters have the same cell phone. They will notice. What makes a good prop is one that serves its duty and suits the character and the setting.

Property masters do more than research and obtain the props you’ve listed. They can make your whole project run more smoothly. They will breakdown your entire script, picking up on potentially problematic situations, and point out props you may not have even known you needed. They help actors to build their characters and train them, if necessary, on out-of-the-ordinary props (i.e. a loom or a Rathburn ring stretcher). Sometimes their contribution is as simple as returning a prop to it’s starting point for each take, and making sure that the actor is holding their bag in the correct hand. A good property master will be a source of creativity and practicality, and can be as important as having the perfect props.

Now that you understand how valuable a strong property department can be, you may be looking over your budget and asking yourself whether you really need to feed the crew. Alas, common sense will probably get the best of you. What you may actually need is a simple list of common mistakes and helpful tips to keep in mind.

Common mistakes

- Props that are too timely or a current fad. Unless you are specifically trying to date your project, avoid anything that will assign a time period for you.

- Suitcases, shopping bags, coolers & boxes should have some weight to them. Drinking glasses & coffee mugs should contain liquid. It doesn’t matter if the actors in your movie have made a thousand films, it’s just easier to actually put things in containers than expect them to realistically “act” like something has weight.

- Lapsed continuity. It is a group effort to check on the continuity of a scene. No one director, script supervisor, on-set dresser, costumer, or prop person can be expected to catch everything.

- Using a crewmember’s personal item as a prop at the last minute. This could work, but what happens if they don’t work everyday that you’re shooting, or three months from now their items are unavailable for re-shoots?

- Non-replaceable, one-of-a-kind, or fragile props. If there’s no chance that you could replace something or repair it in a short amount of time, find something else.

- Don’t forget your “background artists”. Those folks filling space around your key players need watches, rings, bags, and fast food containers too.

- Avoid brand names & logos. Unless a particular company is sponsoring your movie, try to remove any evidence of branding. Finding distribution and avoiding possible lawsuits is easier to do if you take this preventative measure.

Tips

- Spend money on specialty props, newspapers, license plates, and police gear. There just isn’t any good way to convincingly recreate these items. If you’re definitely going to see them, then spend the money.

- Buy multiples. If your main character writes in a journal, buy ten pencils and three journals. The more you see the prop or the more likely it is to be damaged, the more multiples you’ll need.

- Keep receipts. Try to return any multiples you don’t use.

- Keep it simple.

- Measure drink levels, cigarettes, distances between props
  for continuity.

- Take lots of photos. The popularity of digital cameras has made this much easier. Take lots of photos of the actors with the props, at the end and beginning of scenes, and carefully label them. Your memory is fallible.

- Do not borrow things from friends and family unless you’re sure they won’t mind if they never get it back. Chances are, they won’t.

- A dash of salt will make formerly carbonated drinks bubble
  once again.

On student projects and no-to-low budget films, crewmembers are often asked to be responsible for a few departments. If you were asked to be the gaffer and suddenly find yourself shopping for props, the following information may help you. There are lots of ways to keep costs low and outfit all of your actors. Garage sales can be your best source. People are often just trying to get rid of their used items. The more stuff you buy from them, the more likely you are to get a deal. Thrift stores and consignment shops are also full of good deals, and often have special sale days for even greater discounts. Dollar stores carry inexpensive household products, like dish soap and make-up, and come in non-descript packaging. EBay is really only helpful if you’ve got some time to prepare and a credit card, but nothing compares to it in terms of ease of shopping. Don’t forget your local recycling center and any connections you may have to the theater department of a local college or university. Finally, you may want to visit a prop house. If your budget allows for it and the prop house is plentiful, you may not need to go anywhere else.

The final and most crucial bit of advice I can offer is to talk to a property person about your movie. They may know exactly where to find that one prop that has you stumped, or they may be willing to loan you props from their kit. Even if you can’t hire them as part of your crew, seek out their advice and input. Most people will want to help you out.

Annie Mueller has been working in the San Francisco Bay Area film industry for seven years. When she’s not outfitting a 48ft trailer with every prop imaginable, she likes to solve crossword puzzles and watch the disco roller skaters in Golden Gate Park.

Want to talk props? Send an email to annieprops@yahoo.com.