A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, [1] is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. [2] In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct from the actors, scenery, costumes, and electrical equipment. This includes handheld items such as books, cups, weapons, and tools that actors interact with during a performance. Props help to create a realistic setting, convey information, or add to the storytelling by showing details about the characters or the environment. [3] [4] [5]
The earliest known use of the term "properties" in English to refer to stage accessories is in the 1425 CE morality play, The Castle of Perseverance . [6] [7]
During the Renaissance in Europe, small acting troupes functioned as cooperatives, pooling resources and dividing any income. Many performers provided their own costumes and small objects needed for performance, hence the term "property" suggesting these items belonged to the people on stage. [5] Conversely, items such as stage weapons or furniture may have been acquired specially and considered "company property". [8] [9]
The Oxford English Dictionary finds the first usage of "props" in its shortened form in 1841, while the singular form "prop" appeared in 1911. [10]
"Property" and "prop" apply not only to props used in theatre, but also to props used in film and television. Properties director Bland Wade said "A coffee cup onstage is a coffee cup on television, is a coffee cup on the big screen," adding "There are definitely different responsibilities and different vocabulary." [11]
During a performance props are set up in order, off stage on a table in an easily accessed area or pre-set on-stage before the performance begins by the assistant stage manager (ASM). The person in charge of preparing, maintaining and acquiring props is generally called the property master. [12]
Most props are ordinary objects. Some may require modification, such as rewiring of lamps to be compatible with dimmers or painting to make an object look used or be more visible from front of house under bright or dim lighting.
Props may also be manufactured specially for the production. This may be for reasons of weight, durability and safety or the item may be unique in appearance and/or function.
A prop weapon, such as a gun or sword, can be a replica, a real weapon or a real weapon which has been modified to be non-functional.
To make melee weapons non-functional, swords often have their edges and points dulled. Knives are often made of plastic or rubber or have retractable blades.
Rubber bladed swords and guns may be used by stuntmen or actors where the action does not require detailed or functional weapons, in order to minimise risk. [13]
It is common for functioning firearms to be used in film and television productions usually firing blanks.
Due to the increased level of risk it is standard practice for the safe and proper handling and use of firearms as props to be overseen by a specifically trained and licensed professional, usually called the weapons master or armourer. [14]
Although blank cartridges do not fire projectiles, they still have an explosive charge and can cause fatal injury.
Dummy bullets are used if the prop is in closeup and chambered rounds in the cylinder of a revolver are visible to camera. The can also be used in shots of the actor loading a weapon or merely handling ammunition. Dummy bullets contain no primer or charge and are only "bullet shaped objects" [15]
Although rare, fatal firearm related incidents have occurred, notably Jon-Erik Hexum on October 18, 1984, Brandon Lee on March 31, 1993, and Halyna Hutchins on October 21, 2021.
Breakaway props are designed to be destroyed or break in use, such as furniture made from balsa-wood or cardboard and windows, bottles and glassware made from sugar glass or resin. [16] Cups, plates or vases may be made from bisque or wax. [17]
Although these are relatively safe, a stunt double may replace the main actor for scenes involving their use.
Hero props are the more detailed pieces intended for close inspection by the camera or audience. The hero prop may have legible writing, lights, moving parts, or other attributes or functions missing from a standard prop. The name refers to their typical use by main characters in a production.
A hero prop phaser from the Star Trek franchise, for example, might include a depressible trigger and a light-up muzzle and display panel (all of which would make the hero prop more expensive and less durable).
Although real money can be used, [18] when large quantities are required or the money is to be destroyed, it is usually more practical for facsimiles to be used, which are made to not only look realistic but also comply with counterfeiting laws. [19]
In recent years, the increasing popularity of movie memorabilia has elevated many props to the status of prized collectors items. "Screen-used" props can fetch vast sums at auctions and charity benefits. [20] [21]
There is also a growing industry in the making of replicas of well known hero props for home display, cosplay or LARP use.
A film crew is a group of people, hired by a production company, for the purpose of producing a film or motion picture. The crew is distinguished from the cast, as the cast are understood to be the actors who appear in front of the camera or provide voices for characters in the film. The crew is also separate from the producers, as the producers are the ones who own a portion of either the film studio or the film's intellectual property rights. A film crew is divided into different departments, each of which specializes in a specific aspect of the production. Film crew positions have evolved over the years, spurred by technological change, but many traditional jobs date from the early 20th century and are common across jurisdictions and filmmaking cultures.
Mise-en-scène is the stage design and arrangement of actors in scenes for a theatre or film production, both in the visual arts through storyboarding, visual themes, and cinematography and in narrative-storytelling through directions. The term is also commonly used to refer to single scenes that are representative of a film.
Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including overseeing of the rehearsal process and coordinating communications among various production teams and personnel. Stage management requires a general understanding of all aspects of production and provides complete organization to ensure the process runs smoothly and efficiently.
Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet productions. With the advent of cinema and television the term has widened to also include the choreography of filmed fighting sequences, as opposed to the earlier live performances on stage. It is closely related to the practice of stunts and is a common field of study for actors. Actors famous for their stage fighting skills frequently have backgrounds in dance, gymnastics or martial arts training.
Prop comedy is a comedy genre in which performers use humorous objects, or conventional objects in humorous ways. The stages and films term "prop", an abbreviation of "property", refers to any object an actor handles in the course of a performance. Though some form of prop comedy has likely existed as long as there have been comedians, the genre reached its zenith in the vaudeville era. The vaudeville team Olsen and Johnson used prop comedy extensively in their long running Broadway revue Hellzapoppin.
Visual effects is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action footage or CGI elements to create realistic imagery is called VFX.
Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including plays and musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, where it may be referred to as production design. Scenic designers create sets and scenery to support the overall artistic goals of the production. Scenic design is an aspect of scenography, which includes theatrical set design as well as light and sound.
A blank is a firearm cartridge that, when fired, does not shoot a projectile like a bullet or pellet, but generates a muzzle flash and an explosive sound like a normal gunshot would. Firearms may need to be modified to allow a blank to cycle the action, and the shooter experiences less recoil with a blank than with a live round. Blanks are often used in prop guns for shooting simulations that have no need for ballistic results, but still demand light and sound effects, such as in historical reenactments, special effects for theatre, movie and television productions, combat training, for signaling, and cowboy mounted shooting. Specialised blank cartridges are also used for their propellant force in fields as varied as construction, shooting sports, and fishing and general recreation.
In theatre, the running crew are members of the technical crew who supervise and operate ("run") the various technical aspects of the production during a performance. While the "technical crew" includes all persons other than performers involved with the production, such as those who build and take down the sets and place the lighting, the term "running crew" is generally limited to those who work during an actual performance.
Hitscan in video game design, most commonly in first-person shooters, is a type of hit registration system that determines whether an object has been hit or not simply by scanning if the item used was aimed directly at its target and then applies the effects of the item instantly. A weapon, for example, does not launch a projectile the player needs to lead, damage is applied as soon as the player's crosshair is on a target and the fire button is pressed. Internally, this is most commonly done by simulating a ray from the origin of the item along the trajectory of the "projectile" and simply scanning for any objects touching the ray. Games might still show a visual of a projectile although it technically has no effect. In contrast, a projectile-based weapon would launch an actual projectile object that moves through the virtual space at a certain speed and will apply damage only once it has actually touched ("hit") a target.
In theatre and performing arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance of productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the audience. As an architectural feature, the stage may consist of a platform or series of platforms. In some cases, these may be temporary or adjustable but in theaters and other buildings devoted to such productions, the stage is often a permanent feature.
The property master, often called the prop(s) master, is an artistic and organizational employee in a film, television or theatrical production who is responsible for purchasing, acquiring, manufacturing, properly placing, and/or overseeing any props needed for a production. The property master also works with other members of the production managing the physical appearance of the stage or set; for example, they might work with the script supervisor to maintain set continuity. The property master is on staff during preproduction, develops the stylistic concept of the physical production, then continues on as a member of the physical shooting/production crew. A person responsible for purchasing the props can be called a props buyer or production buyer.
A set dresser in drama prepares the set with props and furniture to give it correct appearance and make sure each item is in correct position for each performance.
The weapons master, sometimes credited as the armorer, weapons specialist, weapons handler, weapons wrangler, or weapons coordinator, is a film crew specialist that works with the property master, director, actors, stunt coordinator and script supervisor. The weapons master is specifically responsible for maintaining control of any prop weapons, including firearms, knives, swords, bows, and staff weapons.
A theatrical technician, also known as a theatrical tech, theatre technician, or theatre tech is a person who operates technical equipment and systems in the performing arts and entertainment industry. In contrast to performers, this broad category contains all "unseen" theatrical personnel who practice stagecraft and are responsible for the logistic and production-related aspects of a performance including designers, operators, and supervisors.
Angels Costumes is a supplier of costumes based in London, England to the film, theatre and television industries, as well as to the general public. The company, founded in 1840, is the longest-established costume supplier in the world, and has supplied costumes to 37 films that have received the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, including the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland and, most recently, The Grand Budapest Hotel.
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is ὑποκριτής (hupokritḗs), literally "one who answers". The actor's interpretation of a role—the art of acting—pertains to the role played, whether based on a real person or fictional character. This can also be considered an "actor's role", which was called this due to scrolls being used in the theaters. Interpretation occurs even when the actor is "playing themselves", as in some forms of experimental performance art.
A prop gun is a gun or replica gun that is used primarily by movie and television productions or in theatre performances. As a prop, these guns can be divided into non-firing guns (replicas) and firing guns (firearms). Firearms are subject to restriction by law and safety regulations in use, due to their inherent danger.
Troy Michael Kotsur is an American actor. Born deaf, Kotsur made his acting debut in the late 1980s working with the National Theatre of the Deaf. His television debut was in a 2001 episode of Strong Medicine and his film debut was in the 2007 thriller The Number 23.
Stage clothes specially designed or modified for actors portraying characters killed on screen or stage are used to depict gunshot or stab wounds, damage and the visual aftermath of violence. They are prepared by integrating special effect devices such as blood squibs or prosthetics. Despite the character being "killed" only once on-screen, multiple identical costumes are typically used for several takes and scenes to ensure consistency and continuity, as the irreversible damage caused by squibs or blood effects limit their reusability. They are sent to separate costume racks and disposed of afterwards, unlike other clothing articles that may return to the costume shop. These costumes serve as a metaphorical canvas to portray injury and death without the need for digital post-production effects and help filmmakers tell impactful, dramatic or even comedic stories.
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