Help, school related - what to do to become a Prop maker?

[jwm96]

Okay so I am almost done with my first year at the University Of Hartford. I want to do prop building/making stuff but what I'm learning/what my major is leading to (major is Mechanical engineering technologies) is testing stresses and material structures etc. SO I'm taking a year off to get my mind straight because what I'm learning is leading me way off course. My question to you all is what should I major in/minor in/look for in a school that will lead me to prop building?

To sum up:
1) What I want to do, is design and build
2) what I am doing/going is testing
3) what do I need to have my goal?

Thank you all very much!

 

[blip]

Re: Help, school related

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[robstyle]

Re: Help, school related

My real world suggestions, go to a local community college and:

Learn to mill and lathe.
Learn woodworking.
Learn Autocad.
Learn Photoshop.
Learn to live off pasta and rice.

 

[Draphin]

Re: Help, school related

My real world suggestions, go to a local community college and:

Learn to mill and lathe.
Learn woodworking.
Learn Autocad.
Learn Photoshop.
Learn to live off pasta and rice.

Ok well how sad is this I know 4 out of five and all I have left really is autocad although I am pretty good with Sketchup... :cry

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Re: Help, school related

Learn to live off pasta and rice

^QFT

It's all about who you know and making sure you have the skills when you meet them. Volunteer doing anything on a set, network, make friends who go to school for film and offer to make props/sets for them. If you're lucky you'll build some relationships that wind up in paying jobs.

Keep in mind that everyone and their mother seems to want to work in film. Make sure you're damn good at what you do and you know your stuff.

 

[Chiok]

Re: Help, school related

I thought Mechanical Engineering was what I wanted to do at university based on what people had said and how it was portrayed on open days and in the prospectus. I had the wrong idea expecting practical experience and hands-on work. This isn't the hard and fast rule for all courses at all universities as they each have their syllabus and methods for teaching, but it's a general notion that mechanical engineering is a lot of calculations and testing. I majored in Manufacturing for the last half of my stay and enjoyed that more, but it's still calculations and I never got to see a piece a wire EDM machine or a hexapod CNC mill though it's nice to be aware of them. Did learn CAD drafting and sketching which is probably the most useful skill for this area.

Any production skills I have were learnt during lunch breaks and after hours on my placement year at a hydraulics company, learning how to lathe, mill, weld etc. or in my own time for fibreglass, woodwork and all that crunk.

There are now degree courses in Technical Theatre or Theatre Production that will teach you about propmaking skills if that's the direction you choose. Trouble is, if you're unable to find work in that field, your qualification is far from transferable.

You are much more likely to find a well paid job as development mechanical engineer who makes awesome props in his spare time (with access to expensive machinery) than a well paid job as a propmaker (who couldn't give a whoop about the hoop stress of a pressure vessel). Since you were clever enough to make it onto an engineering course in the first place and have already completed a year, I would suggest finishing just so you have the piece of paper to fall back on in case of emergencies.

 

[BRRogers]

Re: Help, school related

I am at the Savannah College of art and Design, my path is the same as yours, but so far it feels more "honed in". (I took a 2 year sabbatical to figure it out)
Currently, I am majoring in Production Design. My 'focus' is costume design. However, all of my electives are going to be stage-craft related.
My minor is Sculpting.
... I think that is pretty much going to get me all set

Any college with a large theatre department should have some form of props/ makeup workshop... but the quality of the course would probably vary...

Some Special effects houses have their own schools... Dick Smith for makeup, Stan Winston for FX, Joe Blasco in Florida (makeup), Tom Savini in Philly (makeup).

BTW, I really, really appreciate the guys that are saying "get yer foot in the door first! & and it's not about the school!*
However, I must petition that for some people (like myself), "self taught" only can get you so far... I am finding that I am extremely ADD when it comes to sitting down and forcing myself to learn something. I can experiment... sure... but being at an institution where I am tested on my knowledge, and around a group of my peers allows me the opportunity to have accountability and support. Also, there just aren't any open opportunities out there if you live in the wrong area. And sometimes the calculated "risk" of moving somewhere new is simply TOO great.

Just out of curiosity jwm96, do you have a portfolio of work yet? If not I *WOULD* recommend you start to develop one.
(having a full portfolio for costume/ prop/ illustration got me into SCAD w/ a scholarship)

 

[TheSt.LouisKid]

Learn digital prototyping so you make real world products like remote controls, cars, phones...normal stuff. I've known people who make movie props who go months on end without work and at times compete with people who will work for minimum wage.

Or be a dentist.

People need real world products in their everyday lives.
People need to go to the dentist.

People don't need props.

If you are going to do the work then why not get paid for it....and get paid regularly.
Do props on the side.

 

[JBD]

Having just recently finished an undergraduate in MechEng, I can relate somewhat. That said, I've approached propmaking and engineering from what would appear to be the opposite side from yours. There's a lot you can learn about engineering and the buzz words 'problem-solving' from seeing how to make or fake something. Picking up the basics and building a strong foundation is pretty important. I hope you figure out where you want to lay yours in less time than it took me.

You've probably already heard most of the rest, ...economy... blah, ...engineers... blah, technical skillset... but going into engineering, what awaited me once I got out wasn't what I had imagined. There's a lot of 'project management' type skills that are needed. Being able to jump into a role like that is good for the journeyman jack of all trades that I always fancied myself to be and play around with everything. If you find something that suits you, you should be able to bend it to your liking. The toys you'll hopefully gain the skills to use and the trust to get to play with can be fun too (the tools, not the trust).

I didn't get to see a wire EDM until my senior year. Up till then, I had been getting the impression that they were just trying to beat the fun out of the field. Application is getting introduced earlier and earlier. To me, that's a good thing and I think would have worked to preserve the youthful draw that led me to the field in the first place.

Also, rice and pasta, pasta and rice.

 

[BRRogers]

Learn digital prototyping so you make real world products like remote controls, cars, phones...normal stuff. I've known people who make movie props who go months on end without work and at times compete with people who will work for minimum wage.

Or be a dentist.

People need real world products in their everyday lives.
People need to go to the dentist.

People don't need props.

If you are going to do the work then why not get paid for it....and get paid regularly.
Do props on the side.

That pretty much sums up the Industrial Design Major field.

 

[JtotheP]

I ended up taking a 10 week course in special effects make-up here in Florida. Got a job at a scenic shop, making props and sets for the theme parks down here. I suggest making a good quality costume with prop weapons and a helmet and going to Dragon*Con or San Diego comic con and showing it off that you made it. That's what I did and got noticed that way.

 

[jwm96]

No I don't have a portfolio. I just started college and I'm a month away from being done. "Why are you leaving if you just started?" Okay well my high school made me feel like I HAD to go to a school and so I rushed right into it thinking that mechanical engineering would be best if I wanted to want to build stuff. My first semester, I had a manufacturing class and during the shop time we made a metal cannon. I loved that class, but that was the only time I'll ever have it and the teacher even said "you guys don't want to be working on the machines" which scared me because it got me thinking "what am I ding here". BUT I have an idea, considering that manufacturing class peaked my interest so much, I want to see if I can look into manufacturing engineering or something because what we did in that class, is what I wish to be doing.
I am going to take the year off, in order to get my mind strait and then approach school slower, instead of being rushed. Thank you all though! I'm definitely going to take all your suggestions to heart and I'll keep you all updated!

 

[GreenRock]

First of all don't take school off unless you really need to. Its hard to get back into once you have jumped out. I am 1 year from getting my Phd and took some time off and it was so hard. Stay in school and switch your major if you need to. Believe me when I say that nobody knows what they want to be, so its ok to switch and EVERYTHING you are learning now will help you later in whatever you do, so dont worry about that either. For example my major was international studies with a minor in Japanese and Korean. Now I am studying medicine. I get to help more people than the others in school because I know other languages, and sometimes they just want me to translate. So just keep going and if you want to switch your major you can. If you are a philosophy major and a badass at building props then you will get a prop job. Mechanical/electrical engineering are awesome majors and maybe you could minor in art or sculptor or just take some classes. Anyway to say it again, I would not take time off, sometimes it can be over whelming but I have done it and witness others do it and its hard to jump back in and get in the rhythm. You will figure it out.

 

[NewBuild]

I'm only interested in prop building as a hobby at the moment but if i really enjoy it, I would try to move to California and start a career their. If you want to learn a craft it's good go to experienced experts and California is full of experts. Their are schools for prop building that iv'e seen but they are few from what I know so anyone correct me if i'm wrong. Prop building is a career where you need a few years to build a clientele and fan base if you are a youtuber, so reputation is what will get you work, In California their are many makers shops that teach people for a price, and some for free. So That is just something to consider. And if you can get a great reputation in Cali you will have work consistently. So an Idea would be to finish your studying in that field and move to cali to find a job in that field if possible, and use some of your free time to learn the trade you wish to learn. I say shoot for your dreams, this is just a suggestion and a difficult one to commit to but the rewards are worth it I guess. Another suggestion is to become a youtuber and try to sell your props where you are and if possible to low budget movies, or fan films. build your resume and you'll be fine. everything you can learn in a class you can learn here at the rpf. I hope this helps.
p.s. - I've made youtube vids in the past, and only one about my props, but I will make more videos in the future and other non prop related content so if you or anyone else would like to see please keep in contact