CB2001
Master Member
I was watching something on the Internet and I had a thought cross my mind. I noticed, as I'm sure a lot of you have, there are always a few new users asking "what is the easiest prop I can replicate?" Now, for me, I know that paper props is the easiest (and cheapest) thing you can do if you know your way around Photoshop and Illustrator (or similar programs), but it lead me to think even more.
Now, recently, I played Portal 2 thanks to a friend of mine. When playing the much later levels, I noticed the simplistic design of the vintage Companion Cube in comparison to the Companion Cubes of Portal and the first half of Portal 2, which are more complex as build items. Though each form of media has their own complex and simplistic props. And at times, someone who is starting out may find it difficult trying to figure out where to start from and from what TV show/movie/comic book/novel/video game to start their prop building experience.
So, I figured I'd ask the question of what sources you guys consider the easiest, medium and hardest. For example, I'll do one.
Easiest:
Title: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Star Trek: Voyager.
Area: Star Fleet related equipment
Sub-Area: PADDs
Why: The PADDs are simply the most simplest to design and build from scratch. The materials used to make them may be a challenge, but overall, designing and building one tends to be simple and is a practice that after you've done one, you've practically learned how to do future ones.
Title: Battlestar Galactica - The Re-imagined Series.
Area: Colonial Fleet items
Sub-Area: Civilian items
Why: Most items seen on the show were found items that were "Galactica-ized." One such example is the radio that Tigh uses in the Season 3 finale, "Crossroads, Part 2" which is a cheap $50 record player that only needed to be aged using paint. Even some personal items that belong to members of the military are found items, such as the idols of Artemis and Aphrodite that Starbuck prays to in Season 1's "Flesh and Bone."
Medium:
Title: Back to the Future, Part II.
Area: Transportation
Sub-Area: Hoverboards
Why: Though most of the actual Hoverboards used in the films were made out of foam, foam is a difficult medium to work with as it could lead to possible breaking. Making a Hoverboard using wood and PVC requires some skill in woodworking and PVC cutting/parts assembly (depending on the Hoverboard you're constructing).
Hardest:
Title: Star Wars
Area: Weaponry
Sub-Area: Light Sabers
Why: Most of the light saber parts, if you're trying to make an authentic one from Episodes 4-6, are not as easy to find. Though there are simpler shortcuts (such as using kitchen parts light sabers and PVC light sabers), doing an authentic one is not as easy as Graflex flash tubes are pretty expensive nowadays (and photographers who find them often buy them for $10 with the intention of selling them for much more because they know that they mean a lot more to Star Wars fans).
Title: Half-Life/Portal
Area: Weapons
Sub-Area: Anti-Gravity Gun
Why: Requires massive scratchbuilding with multiple materials. You'd have to not only find certain parts, but also scratchbuild pieces that don't exist, as well as wire it up for light if you decide to do it.
I should note that if you decide to post your choices, you don't have to go into "areas" and "subareas" like I did with my examples. You can simply just list titles, difficulty and items (if you so choose).
So, what forms of media do you consider the easiest, medium and hardest to create replicas from?
Now, recently, I played Portal 2 thanks to a friend of mine. When playing the much later levels, I noticed the simplistic design of the vintage Companion Cube in comparison to the Companion Cubes of Portal and the first half of Portal 2, which are more complex as build items. Though each form of media has their own complex and simplistic props. And at times, someone who is starting out may find it difficult trying to figure out where to start from and from what TV show/movie/comic book/novel/video game to start their prop building experience.
So, I figured I'd ask the question of what sources you guys consider the easiest, medium and hardest. For example, I'll do one.
Easiest:
Title: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Star Trek: Voyager.
Area: Star Fleet related equipment
Sub-Area: PADDs
Why: The PADDs are simply the most simplest to design and build from scratch. The materials used to make them may be a challenge, but overall, designing and building one tends to be simple and is a practice that after you've done one, you've practically learned how to do future ones.
Title: Battlestar Galactica - The Re-imagined Series.
Area: Colonial Fleet items
Sub-Area: Civilian items
Why: Most items seen on the show were found items that were "Galactica-ized." One such example is the radio that Tigh uses in the Season 3 finale, "Crossroads, Part 2" which is a cheap $50 record player that only needed to be aged using paint. Even some personal items that belong to members of the military are found items, such as the idols of Artemis and Aphrodite that Starbuck prays to in Season 1's "Flesh and Bone."
Medium:
Title: Back to the Future, Part II.
Area: Transportation
Sub-Area: Hoverboards
Why: Though most of the actual Hoverboards used in the films were made out of foam, foam is a difficult medium to work with as it could lead to possible breaking. Making a Hoverboard using wood and PVC requires some skill in woodworking and PVC cutting/parts assembly (depending on the Hoverboard you're constructing).
Hardest:
Title: Star Wars
Area: Weaponry
Sub-Area: Light Sabers
Why: Most of the light saber parts, if you're trying to make an authentic one from Episodes 4-6, are not as easy to find. Though there are simpler shortcuts (such as using kitchen parts light sabers and PVC light sabers), doing an authentic one is not as easy as Graflex flash tubes are pretty expensive nowadays (and photographers who find them often buy them for $10 with the intention of selling them for much more because they know that they mean a lot more to Star Wars fans).
Title: Half-Life/Portal
Area: Weapons
Sub-Area: Anti-Gravity Gun
Why: Requires massive scratchbuilding with multiple materials. You'd have to not only find certain parts, but also scratchbuild pieces that don't exist, as well as wire it up for light if you decide to do it.
I should note that if you decide to post your choices, you don't have to go into "areas" and "subareas" like I did with my examples. You can simply just list titles, difficulty and items (if you so choose).
So, what forms of media do you consider the easiest, medium and hardest to create replicas from?
