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"hero" props that are not????

mrbungle

mrbungle

Sr Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
i am new to the screenused prop game. i have noticed people advertising screen used hero props used by a certian characters in a movie. but the certificate says nothing about the charecters that is suppose to be the one who used it. what is the deal with that???


then the certificate says so and so screen used hero prop but it is made of rubber and poorly at that??



thanks for taking the time to answer a noobs questions.......
 
I think the main issue comes from the fact people like to believe that the large amount of money they shelled out for a specific item is the Hero piece and was definitely seen on screen during that items most prominent moment.
As saying 'stunt' or saying it's made of resin or rubber, or one of the many many duplicates that were made for the production makes it seem less impressive somehow and it loses the wow factor they're looking for as there are "better" versions out there.
I find people on Yourprops love to throw that word around in reference to just about any item they have that has any link to a main character.
Unfortunately people having the Hero piece is rarely the case and in my experience those pieces are almost always labeled as such by the production, or are quite obviously the hero piece from screen matching it using marks, dings, dents on it against the close ups in the film etc
 
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I think the main issue comes from the fact people like to believe that the large amount of money they shelled out for a specific item is the Hero piece and was definitely seen on screen during that items most prominent moment.

Very true...and sadly as we know the most likely piece to be kept by the studios or the director/star etc....I wish I knew who invented the term....they have alot to make up for...especially on yourprops.
 
Exactly, that's why I don't really understand the thought behind it.
Sometimes the 'Hero' prop (being used for a close up) may have never actually even been used by the key character or actor and often receives a fraction of the usage or screen time.

Its always something to take with a pinch of salt really, but I wouldn't believe the hype that it makes an item more desirable. I have a great deal of screen used props and costumes, comparatively few of which I would call 'Hero' items, infact most of those hero pieces I consider too clean and crisp and undamaged, it makes them feel unloved :lol
 
I collect Batman batsuit pieces, in the older films the suits worn by the actor and stuntmen looked exactly the same. The suits worn by the actor are called "hero" and the ones worn by a stuntman or stunt-double is called "stunt". Sometimes they reused the hero suits for stunt and vice versa but it is often marked on the wardrobe department tag if that is the case.
 
gotcha
i have been collecting knives and stuff from the inglourious basterds. my first real props. i have been buying anything to do with hugo stiglitz.

one knife i have is a WWII K98 bayonet that had been inscribed with nazi SS stuff after the war (fake nazi memorabilia) and picked up for the production and used in the movie. pretty neat. and a stunt SS dress dagger that is called a hero. i have 2 more hugo knives on the way.



this why i have been asking the questions. several of hugo's "hero" knives had to be rubber because of the stabbing scenes he does. the 2 rubber ones i have bought made me question the fact if they were hero or not.

thanks for the helping me clear up some of the terms for me, guys.
 
I think there's still a little confusion here though. People seem to have different ideas of what is meant by Hero & Stunt.

It is not a hero prop because it was used by a main character, my understanding of the term hero is that the item is the "best" possible version, in way of construction, detail, materials etc. Usually used for a close up shot so it looks very pretty on screen.

Stunt does not refer to it being used by a stunt man - or even for any stunt work or sequence. Its just an easier way of saying 'everything else' - it helps people classify things.
Often the 'stunt' prop is the one used by the main character all the way throughout the film.
Take Riddick's iconic curved 'Swing Blade' knives for example (going to my strengths :lol) - they were made of resin and rubber, all of them, apart from the metal "Hero" set (sold by a major dealer a couple of years ago as Vin Diesels Hero Knives:rolleyes)
Now this hero set was never actually used by Vin Diesel as the Riddick character. The only metal set of knives used in the film were used by a 'Slam Guard' to peel his apple. Once he is disposed of, Riddick is meant to have taken those knives for himself.
Obviously a sharp metal set of knives would have never been used by Vin Diesel during his fights with the Necromongers or worn on his back during any part of the filming for actor safety among other things!
So the rubber knifes are the one used by Vin Diesel as Riddick - but the metal ones used by a nameless prison guard character are the 'Hero' set.
 
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I don't think yourprops has any particular blame in terms of movie prop 'hero inflation'. Many dealers and auctioneers, even the big names, toss the term around far too liberally in order to boost sales/bidding.
 
Guardian Devil said:
I think there's still a little confusion here though. People seem to have different ideas of what is meant by Hero & Stunt.

It is not a hero prop because it was used by a main character, my understanding of the term hero is that the item is the "best" possible version, in way of construction, detail, materials etc. Usually used for a close up shot so it looks very pretty on screen.

Stunt does not refer to it being used by a stunt man - or even for any stunt work or sequence. Its just an easier way of saying 'everything else' - it helps people classify things.
Often the 'stunt' prop is the one used by the main character all the way throughout the film.
Click to expand...

I disagree because these terms can have multiple meanings under different circumstances, such as your example of Riddick props and my example of Batman suits.

As I mentioned, the batsuits worn by the actor and stuntmen were made and look exactly the same in everyway, whether they were used for closeup, fighting or stuntwork doesn't matter, they look exactly the same.

Let's say I have a batsuit worn by Val Kilmer during one of his own fight scenes, and a different suit that looks exactly the same but was worn by a stunt-double during the same fighting sequence where he replace Val, what do you call each suit?

Another example, what if the actor wear a batsuit for a closeup, and a stunt-double wear a different suit that looks exactly the same for the same closeup sequence but for a "insert" shot because the actor was not necessary for such a small additional scene where you don't see the face. Both suits look the same, both suits were used for closeup but one was worn by the actor and the other by a (stunt)double, are both "hero" suits?
 
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Proximo said:
I disagree because these terms can have multiple meanings under different circumstances, such as your example of Riddick props and my example of Batman suits.

As I mentioned, the batsuits worn by the actor and stuntmen were made and look exactly the same in everyway, whether they were used for closeup, fighting or stuntwork doesn't matter, they look exactly the same.

Let's say I have a batsuit worn by Val Kilmer during one of his own fight scenes, and a different suit that looks exactly the same but was worn by a stunt-double during the same fighting sequence where he replace Val, what do you call each suit?

Another example, what if the actor wear a batsuit for a closeup, and a stunt-double wear a different suit that looks exactly the same for the same closeup sequence but for a "insert" shot because the actor was not necessary for such a small additional scene where you don't see the face. Both suits look the same, both suits were used for closeup but one was worn by the actor and the other by a (stunt)double, are both "hero" suits?
Click to expand...

If they are both exactly the same they don't fit in with my example of what makes it Hero at all. One would be a screen used suit worn by a stunt man and the other would be a screen used suit worn by Val Kilmer.

You're using costume parts as an example - not props, which is what this thread is all about.
Identical versions of costumes are always used for stunt performers and lead cast members in most productions - there would be no reason to make them have any differences - it doesn't make either of them a Hero version though.
The hero version (if there even is one using costumes as the example) would be a version labeled as such - usually just because it has been treated better or kept in better condition and they may have wanted a specific suit used in a specific scene, so they label it just to identify it as that - as mentioned in my first post in this thread.
Mostly with costumes they would have been tagged for specific scenes 6-17, 18-23 - etc all identical all used by the lead actor, none of which would be considered a 'Hero' but again that really only refers to costumes - which doesn't really help in regard to the knives etc that mrbungle was asking about.
 
Guardian Devil said:
If they are both exactly the same they don't fit in with my example of what makes it Hero at all. One would be a screen used suit worn by a stunt man and the other would be a screen used suit worn by Val Kilmer.

You're using costume parts as an example - not props, which is what this thread is all about.
Identical versions of costumes are always used for stunt performers and lead cast members in most productions - there would be no reason to make them have any differences - it doesn't make either of them a Hero version though.
The hero version (if there even is one using costumes as the example) would be a version labeled as such - usually just because it has been treated better or kept in better condition and they may have wanted a specific suit used in a specific scene, so they label it just to identify it as that - as mentioned in my first post in this thread.
Mostly with costumes they would have been tagged for specific scenes 6-17, 18-23 - etc all identical all used by the lead actor, none of which would be considered a 'Hero' but again that really only refers to costumes - which doesn't really help in regard to the knives etc that mrbungle was asking about.
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Fair enough, I agree with some of your points (in regards to props that this thread is about) but disagree on others. I guess people interpret the terms differently than others, the way I interpret them is the way I have been taught from when I first got into the hobby, from other Batman collectors. Some dealers and auctioneers label Batman costume pieces and complete suits as "hero" as well, maybe for the reason rkpetersen pointed out?

Even if this thread is about props, I think it's an interesting topic to discuss regardless if it's about props or costumes. But I'm sorry if someone did not appreciate me going off-topic.
 
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LOL!! sorry, hugo rules!!!

premiereprops has 2 of his knives, one is a rubber version of the metal one i have, and just the blade from a dress SS dagger.


i for one have found this thread very informative.

thanks for the opinions.
 
Guardian Devil said:
Now this hero set was never actually used by Vin Diesel as the Riddick character. The only metal set of knives used in the film were used by a 'Slam Guard' to peel his apple. Once he is disposed of, Riddick is meant to have taken those knives for himself.
Obviously a sharp metal set of knives would have never been used by Vin Diesel during his fights with the Necromongers or worn on his back during any part of the filming for actor safety among other things!
So the rubber knifes are the one used by Vin Diesel as Riddick - but the metal ones used by a nameless prison guard character are the 'Hero' set.
Click to expand...

Perfect Example Nick

I've come to terms with myself on this and I base my purchases on a few questions I ask myself. I don't care what it's made of or what the seller titles it.

My questions are
1. Is it legit?
2. Who used it\wore it? - Can I prove it?
3. How much am I willing to pay for it?
 
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the one thing i am learning is that you really need to do some research before buying, on one website they advertise hero screen used item and it looks nothing like the one you see on screen. no names mentioned to protect the guilty.

my motto now is..........really, it is screen used??? , prove it, then i will buy it.
 
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