Watch a Hollywood Prop Master Reveal the Secrets Behind Movie Props
They don’t call it “movie magic” for nothing. The people who create your favorite films have all kinds of tricks that they use to recreate the illusion of reality. If they do their jobs properly, their work is totally invisible.
But if you’re the type of person who loves to find out how the magician pulls the rabbit out of the hat, you’ll love this Instagram (and TikTok) account: @scottpropandroll, where a professional Hollywood prop master shows you the secrets behind the props in your favorite movies and TV shows. It’s run by Scott Reeder, who’s worked on movies like Grindhouse, Friday the 13th, and Machete, and TV shows like Friday Night Lights and NOS4A2.
Prop work is not as simple as buying whatever object is supposed to appear in the scene; some things are too dangerous to be used on a movie set, others are just too noisy. For example: Drums. You can’t have someone banging real drums in a scene, it would ruin the audio. So you have to make “silent drums”:
Ice creates similar noise issues — if it’s banging around in a glass, it can make the dialogue hard to hear. There’s also the matter of it melting constantly which would require constant replacements that could ruin a film’s continuity. So movies use prop ice made out of a variety of materials:
How about smoking? You can’t give a former smoker a pack of real cigarettes — and even if you did, then everyone on set would be breathing in second-hand smoke all day. Instead, movies and TV shows use herbal cigarettes, cigars, and even e-cigarettes.
Or what about horse poop? Reeder even gives you the recipe to make your own at home: Alfalfa cubes soaked in water, then shaped into poops. That’s it. Dazzle your friends with your very own prop horse crap!
Reader also shows off a whole assortment of rubber props:
It’s a pretty amazing account, and there are tons more videos to watch, so be sure to follow @scottpropandroll on Instagram and TikTok.
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