One of the many jobs that prop designers have in creating realistic looking paper goods for the actors in a play. This can be anything from letters, to newspapers, to large scrolls. It can be quite fun to do the research, but often takes a ton of time to find exactly the right thing. Recently I decided to move these paper files off my computer and onto a public folder on Flicker.
An actress reading a newspaper I created for her in the musical “Evita”
Before making this decision I did a bit of research and asked around about which file-sharing websites were the best. Flicker now provides a full terabyte of storage for free (which is just a ridiculous amount of space). And while the website does not support .psd files it does allow for folders and categories – and I do like to organize.
You can check out some of my files below but also head over to my flicker account to see more. So far I’ve only uploaded WWII files but there will be many more to come.
Post Card from Egypt 1893Edward Wright – Map for Sailing to Azores-1599War Department Envelope Stamped 1950
Hi folks! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks at work. Just about a week ago I opened “Evita” at the John W. Engeman theater in Long Island. The show is currently having several revivals including a national tour and a short stint in the West End to celebrate it’s 35th Anniversary (It opened September 25th, 1979 (See The Playbill Vault for more info).
Our version featured a strong cast of Broadway and Long Island notables as well as an exceptional creative team. Our concept was to create a sepia-toned stage in which “Eva” would be the brightest spot and focus point. The show was directed by Igor Goldin, Scenic Design was done by Daniel T Willis, Costume & Wig Design was by Kurt Alger, Lighting Design was by Zach Blane and I did the prop design. To read more about the show check out our review on Broadway World and photos of the show below! All were taken by Daniel T Willis, Michael DeCristofaro and myself.
The past few weeks I have been doing the prop design for Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”. The show was a lot of work, there are over 120 props that make an appearance over the course of the two act spectacle but it was also a lot of fun. Here are some images from the show.
I’m still working on weddings this summer and for the latest one (For my friends Katie and Jonathan) I am doing some vintage style wedding signage for the photo booth, guest book area and dessert table. This is what we have so far:
The photo booth sign is taken from the wedding chicks DIY projects but while they let you change the color they don’t let you do much with the font. We downloaded it and then with a bit of tweaking in photo shop and some hunting around for a better font type we came up with the above!
For these ones I had downloaded the shape ages ago but I made them my own with this FABULOUS font by George Williams and FontSpace. I’ll keep you posted as I keep working on them to let you know how everything turns out!
Hey Folks, it’s wedding season here in the NYC area and this summer I have been commissioned to work on 2 weddings. Stina and Matt’s took place earlier this month and I will be posting photos once the Bride and Groom are back from their honeymoon.
In the mean time I am working with Katie and Jonathan on ideas for their wedding. The reception is going to be in the fabulous Cracker Factory (which is a hipster’s dream in dark wood and white- washed brick) located upstate. After our first design brainstorming meeting it became clear that romantic lighting was going to be really important for both the bride and the groom.
The Cracker-Factory in Geneva, NY. Photo by AprilK Photography
Our research has led us to some amazing images and we will be taking some of these ideas and combining them to fit with the old factory setting. Check them out and perhaps they will inspire you too!
Hanging Tea Lights from an Australian WeddingDessert Table Lighting
Cozy and Chic LightingA Midsummer Night’s Dream WeddingBarn Wedding Lighting
Hey Folks, I am in tech but I wanted to show you some photos of where we are at. We are still missing a back curtain and a few other essentials but this should give you a good idea of what we are doing. Stay tuned later this week for a tutorial on how to paint a checkerboard floor!
In New York, whether you are designing a set, creating installation art or just buying something new for the apartment, the most important thing for a designer to know is where to source the materials from.
I constantly forget that most people do not spend their days running around trying to find the perfect wood bench, or giant plastic balloon, but the life of a prop/set designer is just that – a constant search for the perfect thing. So in honor of the ‘perfect search’ I am putting together a list of NYC Resources that I use on a regular basis. This is Part 1 – Antiques.
Antiques for the Home:
Pippin Home – I stumbled upon Pippin on my first week in NYC and fell in love. Pippin has two shops one that specializes in vintage jewelry and one that has home goods. The home goods store is full of surprises and I have purchased things like chairs, vintage photos and pocket watches from this lovely store.
112 & 112½ West 17th Street · New York, NY 10011 · Home: 212.206.0008 · Jewelry: 212.505.5159
Old Good Things – I love walking into this fabulous Architectural Salvage shop, it always seems like stepping into a treasure trove. They have several locations in LA and New York that carry furniture, metal work, architectural and lighting elements and Garden Accessories. While not as cheap as the flea markets the quality is unmistakable.
Located on the Upper West Side, Union Square and in Chelsea
Housing Works – Every New Yorker has bought from or donated to a Housing Works store at some point. With 12 shops located throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn they have a wide selection of clothes, furniture, and house wears. They also sell books by the foot, which is useful for any set decorator out there. While not everything is an Antique, the deals are pretty incredible and Housing Works is a charity so you can feel good while you shop.
The Hell’s Kitchen and West Village Stores are two of my Favorites
Build It Green – Has become a go-to for anyone remodeling a house or building a set. They save items from buildings that are being demolished and sell them for a reduced price at their two warehouses in Astoria and Brooklyn. Prices can range from $10 to $10,000 depending on the item and their stock is constantly changing so it’s best just to pop in and see what is available.
Hospital Surgical Carts, Vintage Bar set, and theater flats
B4 It Was Cool – Is a fabulous place for Industrial Lighting and Furnishings. The prices can range but the great thing about this shop is that they will both sell and rent items.
89 E. Houston St, New York, NY 10012 (212) 219-0139
Flea Markets – Last but not least is the NYC flea market scene. You never know what you are going to find at these events but I always do find something. My go to market is the Chelsea Antiques Garage which is open both Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine. You can also check them out on Pinterest.
This Christmas, Miles and I gave homemade, holiday cider to our friends as gifts. Now I do not make cider (that’s his job) but I do make props, so my role was coming up with a nice bottle and label for our “Holiday Brew”.
I started out by sourcing bottles, we needed something that would be air tight so that the carbonation would not escape between bottling and gifting. Some of our bottles were recycled ones, and some were purchased (we got ours from the container store but specialtybottles.com also has a great selection). All of them had swing-tops with a rubber pressure seal.
The Final Draft
Then I got to do the fun part: making labels. To save me the time that photoshop or illustrator would have taken, I decided to use labeley.com (although I did play around on beerlabelizer.com as well) . The site has 14 different label shapes to play with and an array of fonts, colors and graphics to use. We tried out a series of shapes and eventually settled on the one above in two different colors. Below are a few of our other choices. Then we printed them out and used a glue stick to apply them to the bottles. It was easy as anything.
For the past few weeks I have been working on sorting through some of my family papers. We have a lot, which is why it has taken me a few weeks just to get through a few boxes. This week though I stumbled across a treasure: an extra bookplate from my great grandfather’s library!
Now I am a sucker for good vintage design, and bookplates are a great way to add an extra detail to books used in film or commercial shoots. Not only does it make the book more personal, but since the designs used in bookplates have changed with the shifting history of design, it can also help to identify the age of the book or the time period that you are designing for. Here are a few examples below. You can find more images at the Pratt Libraries Ex Libris Collection on Flicker.
The First Bookplate. Image provided by brandeisspecialcollections.blogspot.comSir John Forrest, was the first premier of Western Australia’s. Design by Allan Wyon (1843-1907) from about 1900. Image Provided by WikipediaAn Art Nouveau Book Plate - Image provided by “Ex-Libris: Vintage Bookplate Collection”These bookplates were designed by Amy Sacker who worked during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Image provided by Theworldsstrangest.com Celebrity Bookplates- Image provided by worldsstrangest.comDesign by George Auriol (1863-1938) Image provided by the Pratt LibrariesImage Provided by Pratt Libraries
As many of you know, this August I produced my first show, East of the Sun, West of the Moon a story about a young woman who sets out on the adventure of a lifetime to save the man of her dreams. Along the way she encounters Mother Earth, an Evil Troll, and several celestial bodies.
Mother Earth and the Sun
The show was staged on Pilgrim Hill in Central Park. Because of the location we had design challenges that were very unique to the space. Central Park does not allow for anything to be tied to trees, staked into the ground, or otherwise attached to any of the landscape. Furthermore, the park requires that you take everything with you after the show (part of their keep the park clean initiative). What this meant for us was that not only did everything have to be freestanding, but that everything had to pack down into 2 suitcases and a granny-cart so that we could get it out every night.
Transformation
The set pieces that we used ended up being items that could easily collapse, tents, folding tables, fans and cloth in a multitude of colors were used to create the scenic elements. We also worked with the natural landscape of the park to help create the different spaces within the park and worked with our Choreographer to incorporate the fixed elements into the dance numbers.
The Troll and The Prince
Because the scenic elements had to be relatively paired down, the costumes had to be eye-catching in order to attract the attention of passers-by. Kristin Costa (our costume designer) and I worked closely together on developing a look for the actors that would compliment the space and enhance the atmosphere that we were trying to create.
The Step-Mother and Step-Sister
Our biggest challenge by far was getting the audience to move with the actors through the space. While the kids in the audience were gung-ho to chase after the actors, their parents were far more hesitant. I found myself having to approach parents at almost every show to say things like “Its ok if she wants to dance with the moon, the actors are used to it” or “The troll is going to have a battle with the prince in a moment, it’s ok if the kids chase after them”. For this show the solution was to plant audience members who were friends and have them run after a character, for the next show, it will be interesting to see what else we can do to encourage the audience to move.
Across the Pond and Back Again 