Don’t send a Director to do a Props Master’s job — Filmmaking Advice

A Chapter selection from the Bridgeport Film Club Guidebook

Lance Eliot Adams
Aug 22, 2017 · 2 min read

On most of our shoots, there usually aren’t props, and when we do have props, they are pretty simple. As you put together a production, you will want to highlight all of the props in the script. The earlier you do this, the more time you have to figure out what props will work.

On many of our films, we’re working with a small crew — DP, Sound, and sometimes a Production Assistant. As director, this means I’m doing everything else that needs to be done to fill the gap.

During my first years as a writer / director / producer, etc, I needed some props for a shoot. I decided to hit a local thrift store. I needed a picnic basket, a blanket, a vase, and other items for a picnic scene. As I looked through the thrift store, I found they had the “perfect” picnic basket, the “perfect” blanket, and everything else I happened to need.

If we had a props person, I might have looked at three or four options and said keep looking. Since I was hustling to get the props, whatever worked worked. I didn’t have time to go in search of other options.

For the most part, we tend to not need props or we already have the props we need. If you’re writing a script with the intent to produce, you know what props you can bring in from your house. For iPhotographer, I happened to have all of my old iPhones.

If you are hunting for props, you can scrounge in alleyways, thrift stores, and your own home.

There are times when props can have a lot of meaning and when a prop has the potential to add weight to a scene, it’s important to take more time to consider.

When you’re trying to put short films together on a shoe string budget, it’s always a challenge to balance the time you have to fill in the details and the money you have for the shoot. When there is a lot of time going into production, it is worth it to take some extra time to find the props that feel right for a scene.


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Lance Eliot Adams

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Chicago filmmaker. 20 short films, 100 article posts, 6500 have read my work & I am grateful. For my street cred check out: http://Vimeo.com/bridgeportfilmclub

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