Working with Props: Everything you need to know about the Prop Making Industry If you are a prop maker, you are a technical person who creates a thing out of your or somebody else’s vision and imagination. You are creative and artistic. As a prop maker, it is your job to create objects for use in movies, theatres and TV shows that look realistic. Looking to turn your hobby into a career? Here is everything that you need to know about prop making and prop makers: What do they do? Prop makers are responsible for designing the objects that are used in theatres, movies and TV shows like picture cars, mannequins, furniture appliances etc. Prop makers are also the ones you go to when you need to hire, adapt or borrow props. The professionals work based on the instructions issued by production designers and stage designers. What are their skills? Prop makers should have expertise in different realms right from carpentry, sculpting, casting and molding, upholstery and technical drawing to computer aided design. Prop making involves the use of a plethora of tools including anything from a simple needle to complicated welding machines. They also work with oodles of materials like metal, fiber, fabric and wood. What are their working hours? Although there are no definite working hours for prop makers, they generally work for long hours and like all other professions, work longer as the deadline approaches. They also have to spend lot of time away from their work station researching, to design accurate and realistic designs. How is the workspace? Just like indefinite working hours, prop makers do not work in a standard working environment. While some of them are associated with reputed theatre groups, most of them work as a freelancer. They can have their own studios or work backstage and in prop rooms. Some of them also work on film sets. Those working backstage may have to work in uncomfortably small and cramped conditions. Eye for detail - Apart from excellent artistic abilities, a good prop maker has technical and craft skills and knowledge of performing arts and design. They should have an eye for details and an understanding of different raw materials and their capabilities. These experts are mostly graduates in theatre designing. Like most other professions, the job demands good communication skills and an ability to
deliver within budget and deadline. Those who are involved in computer aided designing should have sufficient knowledge of working with computers. What is the scope of prop making? Most of the prop makers you encounter will be self-employed and working as a freelancer. Whether they are working for movies, theatres or TV shows, the skill sets required are the same for the three. They can find job opportunities in film studios, TV studios, production companies, local and commercial theatres and theatres in schools and colleges.
Source: https://creative-handbook.quora.com/Working-withProps-Everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-Prop-MakingIndustry