Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Mad Men Props
Props: "I love Mad Men. If you watch the show, you know it is just jam-packed with period details and an almost obsessive attention to detail. The show takes place in and around New York City in the early 1960s. For some people, this would be a prop master’s dream; for others, a nightmare."
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6 comments:
I love mad men so its really great to see an up-close look at the props that they use and the process/thought process that the prop master goes through to make a prop that looks simple but is really intricate, like the sketch on the air plane stationary that are letter pressed and the authentic flight attendant wings they used for especially since they went through so much trouble to get them on ebay. it really makes you think about how precise and attentive to detail you have to be when youre working in movies or theatre which is really fascinating and something i really respect
I was aware that hours and hours go into the research and completion of props, but the detail at which the Mad Men props department is working at is phenomenal. I really appreciate the time they are taking to explain their processes, and give us a look into their jobs as the prop department for the show. The detail that goes into some of the props, such as the magazine, is interesting. But the balance between artistic and craft skill is balanced by their "business savvy". They have to be able to find and obtain certain items in a timely an effective manner. The accordion that they purchased was just what the props master and director were looking for, and it really is a phenomenal instrument.
I absolutely love this article and the videos. Even working in the world of theater we don't always understand how difficult it can really be to make things happen. Props people are often the unsung heroes of a production. Gay Perello was great to listen to. I loved the detail she provided about how she does her work. For example it didn't cross my mind that you would need approval from Esquire in order to reprint an issue with something else added to it. In retrospect it makes perfect sense. It is the small details that really make an environment and having watched Mad Men I think Perello does a magnificent job.
If anyone has not watched Mad Men, it's an insane experience. I watched it for the first time last night, and I am now completely hooked. I'm not even too attached to the characters yet, I just love how perfect everything looks. The artistic direction, as well as the props work, is surreal. If someone had not told me Mad Men is a recent show (yay emmys), I would have thought it was an older generation drama on Nick at Nite. The way it's filmed, the costumes, props, scenery are all so outstanding, and the fact that Robert Morse is featured in the cast is possibly my favorite part (Robert Morse played Finch in the film version of H2$). All the details that went into the props enhance the feel of the era. Their work is truly inspiring.
I feel like props is an area which people often overlook, having no idea of the amount of work that goes into not only the building or scouting of props, but also all the time spent researching, modifying and adding tiny details to make a prop perfect in order to work with the time period, overall feel of the show and characters. I also appreciate that props masters seem to have an infinite amount of knowledge of not only how and where to acquire specific objects, but the millions of techniques you can use to modify them.
I have had two weeks of props crew with our new props master, John, and I have already heard many stories of all his experiences making may different objects, as well as learned many tricks and materials for doing many things from staining glass, to creating imitation leather finishes. As is portrayed in these videos the world of props is complex and fascinating.
The design in Mad Men is impeccable. That must be one of the most interesting projects to work on. I love how a lot of the props seem to have come from ebay.
As always, prop making requires an incredible amount of detail and knowledge to successfully design and complete. I would love to serve as apprentice for a propmaster and just study building techniques for six months. Our props mini in stagecraft was just not enough time to learn the thousands of tricks that come from experience.
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