Crime Scenes breakdown easily into several very manageable components. More on that HERE.
This laser device was originally a non-laser prop built for a different show. After rescuing it from a junk pile that was heading toward a dumpster, I added wiring, assorted plexi/metal components, graphics and a laser source.
See more about the Prince Charmington Action Figures...
http://www.ianscheibel.com/new-gallery-1/
Prince Charmington head designed by Dan Garr at Hot Buttered Elves
Some components of the PBC are protected under Technical Patent (specifically, the Nihonium Discharge Field and the Random Function Power Relay) but there are more photos and information:
The Prop Department can get busy in Autopsy. Before you even get to the scripted props, there is the Liquid Chromatograph, a Specimen Sampling Carousel, assorted hand tools, lit specimen tray... and actor's watch and ID badge.
Anything can be made more high-tech by adding some under-lighting and polished plexi. In this case, we were dealing with some bone clues and, while a plastic bone and a hobby vice are not inherently exciting, the overall effect of evidence on light boards and with the vices mounted to thick acrylic bases, made for a nice layout.
We had about 6 dozen of these Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches and hundreds of their smaller American and Asian brethren.
The director, Ivan Reitman, would not give us much direction on a birthday cake that Arnold was to step on, so we wound up with 60 Birthday Cakes.
(I worked only on additional photography.)
The actual working rifle was a semi-auto Ruger Mini-14... but I don't think you can see any sign of it under the prop exterior.
Real Icon and Prop Reproduction. I was especially happy with the results given the five-day turnaround.
Artist, Jules Kmetzko https://picasaweb.google.com/108527287304019140070
I didn't make this but I ate it for lunch the other day. Amazing.
Xrays created/modified by David Watkinson for Bones TV Show
Off-the-shelf microscope enhanced with LED light rings, specimen platforms and graphics.
We jazzed up a Mini-Crimescope with extra LED lights and mounted everything on a camera copy-stand. It made for a much more interesting prop that was, at the same time, much easier for the actor to use.
Working with drones (especially a drone removing a severed head from a lake) requires a lot of attention to detail. Between safety, FAA regulations, waterproofing drone components, calculating changing buoyancy of severed head and making the drone "pretty"... it's a lot.
I had this made by an outside vendor and there is more info on it under HERE.
More on this project and the final on-screen prop at:
CLICK HERE to see more of my star Grimoire
We implemented many changes to this gun, a Glock 17L, including a threaded barrel with a flash suppressor, an add-on to the magazine and some additional pieces to both mount the scope and disguise the Glock.
Glock 17 add-ons and modifications by Studio Art and Technology
There are many pro's and con's to Product Placement... but when done right, it's a budget saver that won't look like a product commercial. Some of these frames have three and four placement products in them, yet there is little brand name visibility.
The Prop Department's home when on location, this 40-foot trailer (on the left) is packed with everything from police gear and EMT equipment to watches and $1,000,000 in fake money.
It's easy (and expensive) to have very realistic dead bodies for autopsies, experiments, accident and hospital scenes. When I needed to come up with eight bodies for one scene, we decided to mix-n-match... use the quality ones in the foreground and get less expensive ones for deeper in frame. All it takes is a little cooperation and strategic placement of autopsy sheets.
I've used bodies from Andrew at Creative Character Engineering, Vincent Van Dyke, Matthew Mungle and Dapper Cadaver, among others.
For an autopsy scene on The Kominsky Method, I needed Morgan Freeman (playing Quincy, MD) to get through some complicated action. It takes some choreography (and a good MUFX team… again, Vincent Van Dyke’s team) to allow an actor to cut through connective tissue, remove a heart, then go into the body cavity again to retrieve a bullet. Dulled scalpels, sharp scalpels, bullets pre-set in forceps and hidden within the folds of the cadaver…
Animals are frequently a challenge... after finding the right Animal Trainer with the right animal, you need to make sure that everyone is on the same page as far as what is expected from the animal. What is the budget? How many days of prep are needed? You need to make sure that the director is happy with the performance, you need to make sure that the actor has no allergies or is not squeamish when handling rats or spiders, you need to make sure that AHA is on board and that Locations knows what critters are going to show up. No one is happy when 75 Brown Norwegian Rats show up and they are not mentioned on the permit or location agreement.
With none available for rent, and purchase prices being anywhere from $90,000 to $250,000, we decided to make one. The price tag for making one from scratch would have been well over $15,000 and would have taken much longer than the 9 days I had so I bought a WW2 US teletype machine and with the help of our FX Department, Sign Shop and Construction Department made our own version with working lights and a paper feed (an old adding machine from Best Buy).
