Prop Making

Stargate SG-1. MGM. Props for the TV Series. Sword Scabbards and arrow quiver (before breakdown)

Darts & blowpipes. These were practical and one of the darts has a telescopic barb to be used in a close-up where the actor is ‘darted’.

Palm held electronic devices. These had a miniature switch and flashing lights.

Minoan style practical oil lamps.

Decorative Sleeve made from neoprene with electronic light effects.

Naked Video. BBC Scotland. Comedy. A ‘baby on Board’ joke where the baby is actually being towed on a skate-board behind a car. The armature inside the clay sculpt is hinged at the ankles and was transferred into the finished latex/foam cast so that the baby looked as if it was balancing as the skateboard travelled. The head is actually from a previously made baby as the finished figure had to be made in 2 days.

Double Dare. BBC Children’s TV. A panel game for children with an themed obstacle course in every show. The children had to race through the obstacle course finding flags in every giant object while getting ‘gunged’ at every turn.

The Sea. Giant Shark made in plastizote in three pieces

.House of Horror. This bat-looking 12ft high carving is the gateway into one course.

Gardens. Giant Toadstool made of plastizote and over a metal frame with a rain making rig in the top to rain down ‘gunge’ on the children. About 10ft. High.

Giant Venus Fly Trap. Made of Plastizote. The ‘trap’ opened and closed to ‘eat’ the children. All of these items were carefully made of a material which was so lightweight and soft that there was no risk of injury.

Gallery Exhibit. Giant Feathers made of extended and dyed real feathers. Largest were 2m. In length. Now showing somewhere in a private collection in Miami.

Prop Geoids. Seen here next to a real whole and halved geoid. The geoid had to be cracked open for several takes in exactly the same place each time and have an invisible join when put together again.

The Green Man. BBC TV Drama. Starring Albert Finney.

‘Silver Box’ had to be decorated with a Celtic design and contains….

Small ‘silver figure’. This had to look very pagan and celtic.12cms high. Made in resin/fibreglass and chromed and patinated with FEV to look like old silver.

Grave Stone. Had to be broken in the same place for every take. Taken after filming, this picture shows that 2 have been used.

Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. BBC TV. This ‘Brawn Award’ had to show that the recipient was not winning for being bright. The figure is holding a smaller figure of himself, which in turn is holding an even smaller one yet etc.

Mowgli - Jungle Book. American TV. Gloves of a tiger, panther, and bear, to be animated as a puppet. When the fingers of the hand were spread then the claws became erect. Made using fake fur. The gloves have pads on the feet which are anatomically correct.

Capuchin Monkey stand in and double for acting monkey. Body capable of being manipulated into desired shape but only bending at the anatomically correct joints. (Idiot proof) Fake fur.

Paul Merton Show. BBC TV. Comedy. This full sized horse (here seen before the final skin was put on) had to be extremely lightweight as it had to ’fall from the sky’ and onto the actor. A stunt horse of the same size was substituted into the shot after the fall.

Chuckle Brothers. BBC Children’s TV. An already existing vehicle had to be re-designed to look as if it was being pedalled but was actually powered by 24volts. A simple parcel shelf hides the power source.

Little & Large. BBC TV Comedy. ‘Spitting Image’ of Syd Little with large eyes which appear to look at you from any angle. Modelled in clay and cast in a prosthetic quality foam to allow maximum facial movement.

Pirates Exhibition in the Caribbean. "Chicken and fish" had to be made to be spitted and cooked over a beach fire in the exhibition. It had to be durable for a long term exhibit. The holes were pre-sculpted so that the pieces could be removed for cleaning.

For BBC TV. Sculpted heads of Brillat Savarin and Francis Bacon, used in a programme about food science introduced by Chef Raymond Blanc.

Police Academy. American TV. A Tortoise-mobile had to be made for the ’sniffer tortoise’ to be transported around in. Here the large tortoise (before its wheels are put on) has an opening in the top and a support for the real tortoise which was placed inside. The curve of the real tortoise shell completed the curved top of the carriage tortoise. A second ‘stand in’ tortoise was also made as real tortoises don’t like the low winter temperatures during exterior filming and refuse to act.

Music Time. BBC TV Schools. Radio controlled mechanical looking parrot. The head moved and the beak opened and closed.

Wondermaths. BBC TV Schools. This very lightweight robot ran on a radio controlled chassis and had lights flashing when it ‘spoke’.

The Rear Column. BBC TV Drama directed by Harold Pinter. Sculptures to be used as dressing on set.

Scavengers. European TV. Electronic Futuristic ‘Bracelet’. Electronics supplied by Image Animation and incorporated within the bracelet.

Two Deaths. The figures around this centrepiece cake had to look like the actors involved. Two of them being Patrick Malahide and Michael Gambon. The ‘chocolate’ trellis on top was modelled in plasticine and cast in resin. The cake was edible and provided by the food stylist.

Shoestring. BBC TV. These ’antique’ porcelain figurines were modelled in clay and cast from a plaster mould in wax to be smashed in many takes. About 30cms high. No reference was provided.

Giant prop Cabbage BBC TV. about 3ft. In diameter. Comedy. Centre is a Styrofoam ball and leaves are latex and tissue.

Curse of the Fire Beetle. BBC TV Film. 5ft Diameter ‘gold’ disc of a generic South American, Inca, Aztec feel to the design. No reference was provided. Centre had to be capable of being removed to expose a ‘shrunken head’. The principal actor had to be chained to it so that he could drag it around. He was also suspended from a helicopter by the disc. Two discs were made for this. One being bright yellow chromed and reasonably lightweight. The second being cast with a strong armature inside with compatible fittings to allow attachments to varied fixings.