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. [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. They 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.
A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout Star Wars. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent laser sword about 3 feet (0.91 m) in length emitted from a metal hilt around 10.5 inches (27 cm) in length. First introduced in the original Star Wars film, it has since appeared in most Star Wars films, with at least one lightsaber duel occurring in each installment of the "Skywalker saga". The lightsaber's distinct appearance was created using rotoscoping for the original films, and with digital effects for the prequel and sequel trilogies.
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.
Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management; audio engineering; and procurement of props. Stagecraft is distinct from the wider umbrella term of scenography. Considered a technical rather than an artistic field, it is primarily the practical implementation of a scenic designer's artistic vision.
The Master Sword is a fictional divine magic sword in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It is also known as "The Blade of Evil's Bane", the "Sword of Resurrection", the "Sword that Seals the Darkness" and the "Sacred Sword". It was introduced in the 1991 action-adventure video game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and has since appeared in most other games in the series.
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.
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.
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 prop replica is a collectible recreation of a movie or television prop that is intended to accurately re-create the item as it appeared in the original media. Work on a prop replica can range from the use of resin to cast a copy of an already existing item to the modification of an existing product that may have been used by a property master to the use of electrical components for added functionality, such as lighting effects and sound.
Technical week is the week prior to the opening night of a play, musical or similar production in which all of the technical elements are present during rehearsal for the first time.
The Official Matrix Exhibit was a walk-through exhibition experience at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Australia. It allowed guests to immerse themselves in the world of the Matrix franchise and featured props and costumes from the movies. The attraction opened in September 2003, the year in which both The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were released. It was closed on 1 April 2007 and replaced by a set of bumper cars and an arcade attraction later in the year.
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.
Loot Interactive, LLC is a group of developers best known for creating experiences and products for PlayStation Home. Previously part of Sony Pictures and later Sony DADC New Media Solutions, Loot has been an independent company since 2015.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to stagecraft:
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is a guided walk-through tour of Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, located in Los Angeles, California. Over a two-to-three-hour period, visitors can glimpse behind the scenes of one of the oldest film studios in the world.
Warner Bros. Studio Tours are a pair of public attractions owned and run by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
A prop gun is a gun or gun replica 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.
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