Quote:
Originally Posted by Alcatrazz
If you were propmaster for a Science fiction movie, how would you create exotic weapons for use by actors?
For instance, if I were doing a film, I would dress up G36 rifles with the parts of a VCR to resemble a futuristic laser weapon. From space.
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Well I am not sure what you are asking. How would I merge a G36 with a VCR? Or what does a propmaster do? Or WHO is the person who creates custom sci fi weapons?
Well.....
In major motion pictures, they have custom prop shops, like the HAND PROP ROOM or other places that employ 'model fabricators' and designers. These special effects artists come from the 'model building' side of the props business. They have skill in sculpting, molding, painting and do tons of custom items as well as electronics.
I held the Medical Tri-corders that were used in Star Trek Voyager and they were AMAZING! They cost $2000 each to build and had the most advanced programmable LED 'light shows' to date built within the unit. They were built by a 'model building' shop by artists who specialized in plastic fabrication and electronics.
ARMORERS are closer to gunsmiths than modelbuilders. Sure armorers can do custom guns/conversion/fixes/specialty accessories/specialty fittings/etc. but to create SCI FI looking parts requires plastics fabrication, Vacuforming or other model building disciplines, like plexiglass fab or other metalworking skills.
As for a PROPMASTER, usually that person is just the guy in charge of acquiring and administering all the PROPS in a film. In movies heavy with military or law enforcement details, you can have a tech advisor or separate the propmaster duties and have a dedicated propmaster who specializes in weapons/uniforms/gear/etc. or is also an armorer. But 99.99% of propmasters just deal with the mundane details like "bedsheets", "Dinner plates", "Paintings on the wall", "Chairs", etc.
In the world of small student/amateur films, you wear 20 or so hats, so the propmaster would probably BUILD all the specialty props for the film as well as be responsible for all the real world props as well.
Nowadays, the advent of CHEAP crappy airsoft guns (CYMA, etc) allows propmasters much greater freedom in creating fake sci wi weapons. Just being creative and the "ability to figure out what junk to glue on to it" is required.