Major Project: The Importance of Props

Props are something which we have a very lot of in our film! They are important to build the scenes, and to help distinguish a characters personality. I decided to do some research on props to establish any other uses that I can use them for or if I can get any ideas of further props to buy for the locations or characters.

''Even props that aren’t the object of any character’s desire can instill certain feelings in us, such as the dying plant in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Wilson from Cast Away or the leg lamp in A Christmas Story. But these items are only made significant by the story and characters that surround them and the feelings we come to attach to them.

In the end, this just goes to show you the power of cinema, and how they can make even the most mundane objects an important part of a story, character or setting. What are some of the movie props that have stuck with you over the years?''

I found video essay by Rishi Keneria on props, which was really interesting and helpful. It shows us how props can either help a scene become believable, or make it disastrous. For example, if you were to create a film based around a period (20's,80's etc) you'd have to have perfect props to establish the scene, otherwise it would look unrealistic and take the audience out of the idea of the story. Rishi describes props not only as objects, but as food, weapons, knives, drinks, musical instruments and sports equipment. Props can become iconic in films and be well known worldwide.

Reference: http://www.slashfilm.com/video-essay-movie-props/

Characters

Rishi explains that the props can represent a character and make it so whenever you think about the prop you think about the character.
An example of this can be in Inception, when Leonardo DiCaprio has the spinning top, it is used throughout the film and the film has built it up so much that there has been posters with it on and you automatically think of the character.

''A bone. A wire hanger. A polaroid. A big wheel. A Delorean. A lobster. A coffee mug. A bar of soap.

If these objects remind you of specific films, then that means they did their job as props.''

A few other examples are as follows,

The letter from Doc in Back To The Future II 

This scene is quite iconic in the film as it's a moment when something dramatic has happened and we realise that Doc is in the past. The scene is something that I think most fans would recognise if someone was to mention the letter from Doc.

Another explain is in Office Space.

Joanna's boss approaches him about her 'flair' which is all the badges and decoration on her jacket. They make such a huge deal out of it and make it quite comedic so its a memorable moment in the film. Also, they used a strange word 'flair' which makes it easy to recognise when someone says it.

''They all become their own characters, partly because director/writer Mike Judge gave these props significant amounts of screen time to interact with and affect the human characters in the film -- he gave them a life of their own; he made them important characters.''

Reference: http://nofilmschool.com/2015/10/this-video-essay-shows-how-important-props-can-be

An article on 'No Film School' also explains how props can have an effect on the film in different ways.

Convey a character's inner feelings

Editing can play a big role in connecting your character to an item that communicates how they're feeling or what they're thinking. A great example used in the video is the plastic bag Ricky Fitts films in American Beauty. His character is aimless and empty just like that beautiful, beautiful piece of trash. 

Character nuance

Patrick Bateman's business card, Juno's hamburger phone, Jules' Bad Motherfucker wallet, -- all of these props help tell the audience who these characters are. Patrick Bateman's is a skeleton of his true self ("That's bone,"), Juno is eccentric, and Jules is -- well -- he's a bad motherfucker. Ask yourself what kinds of objects would encapsulate your characters' personality.

Metaphors & Motifs

The spinning top in Inception, the snow globe in Citizen Kane, and the stuffed birds in Psycho are all examples of metaphors and motifs. But, how can they serve your story? They can be used to explain something complex without having to resort to a boring expositional scene. For instance, Kane's snow globe helps communicate his lost childhood, as well as act as a catalyst for the beginning of his story.

Passage of Time

This is related with motifs. You can use the same prop throughout your film (three is the magic number for some reason) to represent a visual passage of time.

Performing with Props

Getting good performances might be easier for your actors to do with a prop. Think of how much more interesting (and natural) a dialog scene would be if your characters had stuff in their hands, or if they were hanging up their coats, or looking through magazines.

Transitions

Using cut-ins are a great way to break up a block of dialog or action. However they should be motivated, because if you put special attention on an object, your audience is going to expect it to do something. (Remember Chekhov's Gun.) Props can also be used creatively to transition from one scene to another.

Reference: http://nofilmschool.com/2015/08/6-ways-you-can-use-simple-props-make-your-films-more-interesting

All these tips have made me think more creatively about how I can find props to go in certain aspects of our film to create more meaning and symbolism. I want a few mask props to be used on the stage scene, which means the actors will be performing with props. No Film School says that it looks more interesting and natural when characters have things in their hand. I definitely want to do this with more of the props we have as I do agree it will look more natural for them to be doing something.
I have a lot of props on my list that I need to buy and I think the amount we will have will make the scenes come to life a lot more and feel more realistic.

Props list currently.