Prop Creation

★ Prop Creation ★

Within my opening, the role of props is crucial. They shape the entirety of the opening and reinforce the authenticity of the 1950s setting. My focus was on the two most prominent props within the opening- the wanted poster and the love letter. In the creation of these props, accurate design is essential in order to accurately represent plot points and setting, so research was required. 

Research/ Planning Process

Before the development of the props, ensuring that the opening is maintaining an authentic setting is extremely beneficial. The elements of realism that are present within the film can be developed through proper research of 1950s elements. I began by researching authentic documents from the 1950s era. The examination of certain design choices within these documents such as formatting and fonts aided in the creation of my two props. To maintain the realistic atmosphere, the documents that were reviewed served as a base for the creation of my props. Here is a visual representation of each document that was examined:

Love letter

Wanted poster

Love Letter

Based off of my examination of the authentic image of a love letter from the 1950s, the handwritten element will contribute greatly to the delicate elements that are juxtaposed to the thriller genre. The love letter, in my film opening, serves as a symbol of Darlene's relationship with the conman as well as her trust within him, deep and developed surrounding deception. In order to ensure the font is continuously the same, I decided to utilize a document on Canva due to the font variety that it provides. As I began the search for a font, I aimed to keep it similar to the font I chose for the titles, in order to maintain cohesiveness throughout, while simultaneously reinforcing romanticism and delicate elements. For the actual content within the letter, considering the importance of it because it will be voiced over by the conman, the language was to be subtly deceptive. This would work to illustrate Darlene's unawareness and naive nature.  

Here is the font that was chosen for the titles of the opening:

Compared to what was chosen for the letter:

Here is the final product of the actual letter, which will be printed and folded in order to give it a naturalistic sense:

Wanted Poster

The wanted poster serves much importance within my film opening as well, outlining the suspense in the way that only audiences are alerted, preserving Darlene's oblivion. In order to focus on realism within the wanted poster, I ensured that everything from font to layout were authentic. I achieved this also by examining samples. The one represented above demonstrates the outline that I utilized to create the poster. Following this as an outline, with minor adjustments, such as fonts, to put emphasis on the portrayal of the 1950s setting, guaranteed elements of realism. Utilizing the website Canva, once again, due to the variety within font elements, I chose fonts that reflected the 1950s setting. My research in order to maintain authenticity is demonstrated in my one of my previous blog posts that discussed typography. Here is the final product:

BBC News. (2018, May 19). Love letter from 1950s returned to Cornwall couple. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-44175887

Gallery item Display (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?id=1D0BD6BA-0421-E975-6666D715381C2DEF&gid=8E9E3257-155D-4519-3E625AA172220D4D