Props Everyone Wants But Are Hard To Find Or Too Expensive?

Braedon

Braedon

Member
Hello, My name is Braedon.
I'm somewhat of an entrepreneur but mainly an acting/directing enthusiast.
I'm only 16 years old so I believe I can get an early jump on making money and at least get some saved up for college.
I plan on having a job soon along with my EBay "Business".

Anyway, That's just a little introduction to who I am so you can get some back-story of where i'm coming from with this idea.
I was already contemplating making prop money at a lower price than anyone on Ebay has listed, making it easier for people to use realistic money for their films.
Which would in-turn make people able to produce better films!


I wanted your opinion on props that you think are too expensive online (ebay or other)


Some that I came up with were;

1. Prop Bombs [Relatively easy to make]
2. Prop Guns [but you could always use a spray painted airsoft gun for these]
3. Prop Money [Self explanatory]

Are there any other props that you think people would buy and are currently too overpriced?
 
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Props is such a difficult field. So many prop houses closed down because they get to expensive.
Lets say you want to recreate a 1930's room, great , you have ? Oh wait, we mean London style, and not the rich people. Oh you have that too, great, we need it in black. Props require 1000's of 1000's of items.
 
Um......... then there are guys like myself that already do what you are talking about. You will find that it takes a lot of money to make any money (real money, that is). Plus, there is the time it is going to take to come up with those props and prep them to be camera ready.

Unless you have a very large inventory, it won't pay much. And you will be reaching out to other prop houses to acquire what you don't have, which will undercut your profits.

Trust me on this. I have been doing it since 2007, and the amount of gigs I get lately barely cover my expenses, hence doing sound on set again. And I am one of the largest armorers on the West Coast that caters specifically to Indie films.

As to making fake bombs.............you need to be VERY careful about those. One wrong move or the wrong person sees it, the bomb squad will be tearing your house apart. Fake explosives are treated as real in the eyes of Law Enforcement.
 
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Just keep in mind, mine is not an "opinion". I was just sharing with you real life, as the owner of IndieArms.

When it comes to what you are proposing, you have a number of things that are potentially against you already. And you will have to find a way to overcome them.

1. Your age. Many films will look at you with a sense of "not taking you serious". What do you really know about guns? That's what they will ask.
2. Lack of experience. Many people when they work with films and provide guns, also come with either military or law enforcement experience.....or both. And have been in film for a while. You need to know where a plastic BG gun will work and where you need a hero. And you need to have both types for each weapon. You may be asked to train the actors in handling the weapons authentically. If you have never fired an MP5, an M4, or a M249, how can you train someone else to do it?
3. Lack of inventory. Being a 5-10 gun prop shop is not going to really get you any business. Plus you have to have the inventory to support what is needed. Wanting to rent a pistol for a street cop look means you need the Sam Browne belt and all the attachments too. If you don't have it, they have to go to another shop to get it........where they will also have the pistol too. So you just lost a client to your competition. Here, I have over 250 prop guns, and business is sparse, and I live in So Cal.

Not trying to rain on your idea, but what everyone is telling you is good advice. Do it for the fun, but as a business idea...........
 
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The best thing you can do if you want to make props is to learn how to A) Make latex masks and B) Make prop sci-fi guns.

They're cheap and people are always looking for good ones.

A third might be faux-metal masks and armor? If you can make faux metal helmets, shields, breast plates, etc for use in backgrounds, I'm sure there's a market for that.

When I was making a sci-fi weapon I found a guy who sells digital counters (as in digital bullet counter for your faux sci fi weapon) for something like $100 a pop.

Think about what people need that looks really expensive but that you personally have the expertise to create for very cheap.

Or, better yet, just forget all that and learn FX. You start now, 3 years later you could be socking away some decent cash for your know-how.
 
Prop money is always hard to find at a good price. If you offer suitcases/duffle bags full of prop money at a good price, it would be awesome. The money should have printing on the front and back and NOT just be one bill on top. It should look like real money, but you'll have to put fake names on the bill, shorten the serial numbers, alter or remove the United States seal and remove the part that says "this note is legal tender...etc." Also, where it says "The United States of America" change it to "The United Fakes of Americo" or something. Make these changes otherwise it could (and probably will) be considered counterfeiting.

To do this you have to scan real money, then change it in Photoshop. You have to alert the print shop what you're doing as not to be seen "printing fake money" because you could go to jail depending on how much of an A-hole the cops wants to be. But if you do the things I've explained you should be fine.

Realistic looking Rambo style knives are also good. I buy some real knives at a dollar store and/or army surplus store and file the blade down until they are no longer sharp and round off the tip.

Realistic looking ninja stars are good too.

Fake whips, not the 6 footers, but Indiana Jones style.

Guns. If you sale Airsoft guns they need to be modded in a way that's so badass people will want them, otherwise everyone knows how to get airsoft guns and mod them, it's one of the first things you learn as a low budget action filmmaker along with making blood. They may not come out nearly as good as Doc's stuff, but they'll come out decent for a no-budget production. If you do an original mod, then you may get sales and can charge a higher price, but still keep it cheap. Also you'll have to buy wholesale so you'll have to have money for that to start.

3D effects, if you can sale DVDs of various cars (or other big vehicles) flipping over like they do in for almost ever big budget film (namely every Mission Impossible ever) on greenscreen so an actor can roll on some street and the car come flying at him/her or something like that (I'd get that) you'd probably make some cash, though it would probably get pirated immediately so you'd have to make multiple colors and type.

Those are things I would buy.

-Nate
 
Nathyn said:
To do this you have to scan real money, then change it in Photoshop. You have to alert the print shop what you're doing as not to be seen "printing fake money" because you could go to jail depending on how much of an A-hole the cops wants to be. But if you do the things I've explained you should be fine.
Click to expand...

A short I made required some prop money, man! -the security features are awesome. You can't scan it, my scanner stops. So I resorted to taking a pic of it with my digi cam, -photoshop won't open it!
A message pops out that its illegal. -even if the bill in the photo didnt fill up the frame, even if i took a shot of it diagonally!
Even when I got some designs online, my printer will stop printing halfway through the bill design.
Any how I found some older dollar bills than scanned and I was able to download some dollar designs online that are soo lo res and are ok to use which I printed and used in my short.

I googled it and found out adobe, epson and other companies collaborated with the treasury department in putting features in their products to deter counterfeiting.
 
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You need to decide exactly what you want to do. If you are more drawn to being an Actor/Director, then don't mess with props. Period. Stick with directing/acting. Doc Bernard is a) Someone whose opinion you should value and (and I don't want to speak for Doc here but...) b) probably decide that dealing with props in what he does is what he wanted to do. Worst thing you can do is try to do it all, you'll be merely mediocre at all of it. Pick one or two positions to excel at and focus on that.

Of course, if you have a passion for being a prop master, then by all means continue on.
 
Ted Ramasola said:
A short I made required some prop money, man! -the security features are awesome. You can't scan it, my scanner stops. So I resorted to taking a pic of it with my digi cam, -photoshop won't open it!
A message pops out that its illegal. -even if the bill in the photo didnt fill up the frame, even if i took a shot of it diagonally!
Even when I got some designs online, my printer will stop printing halfway through the bill design.
Any how I found some older dollar bills than scanned and I was able to download some dollar designs online that are soo lo res and are ok to use which I printed and used in my short.

I googled it and found out adobe, epson and other companies collaborated with the treasury department in putting features in their products to deter counterfeiting.
Click to expand...

Type "$50 dollar bill" into Google Images. Once the pics come up, click "Large". Download the image you want and off to Photoshop. Remember, it's prop money and doesn't need to be perfect. Uprez to 300dpi, make the needed changes then you should be ready to go. I made my first prop money this way simply because my scanner wasn't working at the time. It came out fine. I did a four-up for front and back. Took it to Kinkos and told them what I was doing, showed them the fake cash and that I had made all the needed changes and it was all good. I printed on light gray paper then hand cut it. Made about $10,000 if I remember correctly. To this day I don't know where that money is, and yes, people will steal fake money, LOL.

-Nate
 
I don't think the kid meant any disrespect to anyone. He doesn't need to know exactly what he wants to do at such a young age; he has time to try things and decide what suits him. He's just trying to feel his way.
 
Terry_Lasater said:
I don't think the kid meant any disrespect to anyone. He doesn't need to know exactly what he wants to do at such a young age; he has time to try things and decide what suits him. He's just trying to feel his way.
Click to expand...
Nah, I got that. I was just trying to help him understand how EXPENSIVE prop work gets and how little the return can be. As Gary alluded to, you have to have a passion for it, otherwise you will go broke.

To the OP, like I said, do it for fun until you can put some serious inventory behind your name and you are intimately familiar with the laws and regs in your area about the particular props you want to work with.

Each state and the Feds have rules for fake money, prop bombs/explosives, prop weapons. It's more than just owning them. You have to know where you need Law Enforcement on set, where you need permits, when you have to submit a safety plan, and you have to know who to talk to. You don't want to leave it to the production to take care of that, because, invariably, they will goof it up. And if they do........it's your investment that get's seized by the police.

So if you handle all of that as the prop provider, you are helping to protect your investment. Also, you have to know who you are dealing with when you rent out props. You have to ask the right questions of them to ensure this is actually a production and not something else. Case in point: I got called up for a rental of 4 "machine guns" and a couple "Glocks". Asking what the production was about, the contact said (and I quote) "We are gonna film knocking off a liquor store, man. It's gonna be tight." Okay, red flags already popping up. I asked if they had permits for this, answer was nah, their buddy worked there and he said it was okay. I asked what they were shooting their film on, answer: a couple of cameras. Not 5d's or 7d's or any model of camera.......just "a couple of cameras".

I declined the job and here are the reasons:
1. unsecured location shoot. Having a buddy that works at the location is not the same as having permission from the owner.
2. unprofessional responses to my qualifying questions.
3. I was suspicious that this was not actually a film shoot but something else entirely.
4. Language used made me think a lot about reason 3. Was this unfair of me? Maybe, but its my investment, and I want to keep it and stay out of jail.

As to selling airsofts as prop guns, you really need to look at the laws where you are. In the US, if you are selling airsofts as a business, for whatever reason, you CANNOT sell or ship them without the blaze orange markings. That will be a clear violation of 15 CFR 1150, and will get you fined by the Feds, and if it is across state lines, it is an interstate commerce bust as well. The Feds will shut you down in a heartbeat. Like I said, you need to research this a lot more. Prop explosives are even more controlled. I won't ship those kinds of props. I hand deliver them to the production, or they go and get them elsewhere.

Props are not a quick money venture. But if you are serious about putting in the investment in both time and money, get ahold of me in PM or direct, and I will see what I can do to help you with it. But you have to be very serious about it. I have helped two other prop shops open and get situated across the US.
 
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Breakaway glass/sugar glass. Especially in larger sizes, like a window pane for a back patio door. Something someone could jump through.

Of course, there's a reason it costs a lot and it's hard to ship. But I wish it was cheaper and more available
 
Also: if you are an entrepreneur, you should follow your heart. Even if your current passion doesn't pan out in a large scale, big picture format you will learn and gain a lot by the process. When I was 16 I wanted to make an 1.5 hour long feature film, with 16 year olds playing the part. A lot of older people with wisdom told me it was a bad idea because a movie that long was really hard, it wouldn't make money, no one would watch it, 16 year olds playing the parts of 35 year olds is lame, etc. They were all right.

BUT... it doesn't matter because I am glad I followed my heart and did it. I learned a ton, I had fun, we never finished everything but our friends all had fun watching what we made, and when I came back to make a more feasible 5 minute short film I had learned SO much that in such a short time that I am sure I am better for it.

So Doc is right, yes. But also, you are 16. It sounds like you aren't trying to make a living, or 50K a year. It sounds like you'd be pretty stoked to get a $100 a month even if you put in 20 hours to get it ($5/hour) because you would be doing something fun that you want to do, and learning about running your own business in the process. And if you can make more, all the better.

Just be realistic about your goals and see if there is even a local market. Where do you live? What do the people around you need? What can you make and sell very easily on ebay that other people aren't? Find a couple things, even if you're not a "prop-master", be realistic about your $$ making goals, and maybe you can end up getting to the point where you have a couple extra hundred bucks a months for a minimal amount of work. "Making good money" is subjective to your place in life. When I was 16 I'd crap my pants if I could work 10 hours doing something I semi enjoy at home and getting $200 for it, plus I'd end up with props I could use myself on my own films. Sure beats working at the local pizza chain.
 
Doc Bernard said:
Nah, I got that. I was just trying to help him understand how EXPENSIVE prop work gets and how little the return can be. As Gary alluded to, you have to have a passion for it, otherwise you will go broke.

To the OP, like I said, do it for fun until you can put some serious inventory behind your name and you are intimately familiar with the laws and regs in your area about the particular props you want to work with.

Each state and the Feds have rules for fake money, prop bombs/explosives, prop weapons. It's more than just owning them. You have to know where you need Law Enforcement on set, where you need permits, when you have to submit a safety plan, and you have to know who to talk to. You don't want to leave it to the production to take care of that, because, invariably, they will goof it up. And if they do........it's your investment that get's seized by the police.

So if you handle all of that as the prop provider, you are helping to protect your investment. Also, you have to know who you are dealing with when you rent out props. You have to ask the right questions of them to ensure this is actually a production and not something else. Case in point: I got called up for a rental of 4 "machine guns" and a couple "Glocks". Asking what the production was about, the contact said (and I quote) "We are gonna film knocking off a liquor store, man. It's gonna be tight." Okay, red flags already popping up. I asked if they had permits for this, answer was nah, their buddy worked there and he said it was okay. I asked what they were shooting their film on, answer: a couple of cameras. Not 5d's or 7d's or any model of camera.......just "a couple of cameras".

I declined the job and here are the reasons:
1. unsecured location shoot. Having a buddy that works at the location is not the same as having permission from the owner.
2. unprofessional responses to my qualifying questions.
3. I was suspicious that this was not actually a film shoot but something else entirely.
4. Language used made me think a lot about reason 3. Was this unfair of me? Maybe, but its my investment, and I want to keep it and stay out of jail.

As to selling airsofts as prop guns, you really need to look at the laws where you are. In the US, if you are selling airsofts as a business, for whatever reason, you CANNOT sell or ship them without the blaze orange markings. That will be a clear violation of 15 CFR 1150, and will get you fined by the Feds, and if it is across state lines, it is an interstate commerce bust as well. The Feds will shut you down in a heartbeat. Like I said, you need to research this a lot more. Prop explosives are even more controlled. I won't ship those kinds of props. I hand deliver them to the production, or they go and get them elsewhere.

Props are not a quick money venture. But if you are serious about putting in the investment in both time and money, get ahold of me in PM or direct, and I will see what I can do to help you with it. But you have to be very serious about it. I have helped two other prop shops open and get situated across the US.
Click to expand...

I learn a lot from your posts doc.
 
Thanks everyone! It's not that I inherently know this stuff. It took a lot of research and doing my homework on this stuff. I have a binder with notes, contacts, rules, etc. for just about every jurisdiction in So Cal and beyond.

And Braedon, my offer is legit, if you really want to do this.
 
Everyone starts somewhere. This young man is just trying to figure out that point. Help instead of discouragement is what we should be offering.
 
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