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First check out this video, then lets chat…

Did you enjoy the latest episode of Kill Phil on Cinefix’s Youtube Page? At 20 minutes, the show is longer than most webshows, but still short enough to watch during your lunch, on a break or before bed. The show is very well produced, looks and sounds fantastic, with some very stylist graphics mixed in. The episode takes the audience to the Creative Concepts workshop. It is here that we join movie prop master Rick Hilgner for three days as he builds the awesome shotgun-like blaster from the Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis time travel action thriller Looper.

Hilgner is known for making some very cool props that you are very familiar with, having worked on such movies as The Fifth Element, Starship Troopers, Broken Arrow, and Vertical Limit. And he does not let down here. My favorite thing about the episode is that it really takes you behind the scenes of building the prop. We follow Hilgner for three days, extensively going step by step through the process of building the prop gun. It is amazing to see the level of detail that is put into this. You don’t always realize when you watch a movie that all of these original creations where made by hand, taking days, even weeks and months to build.

Other episodes of Kill Phil focus on building such props as the Arc Generator from District 9 and the Gravity Gun from Half Life. Check ’em and out and leave a comment with your favorite movie weapon- what would you like them to build in a future episode?

Costuming for Indies
With September starting that means that we are not far from Halloween and as an independent filmmaker, you should get ready to take advantage of the holiday season to score costumes for future productions.  The best time to hit stores is the day after Halloween, when stores and online retailers like Costume Kingdom are having specials and clearance sales of all the costumes that did not sell. Everything is useful, even if they only have Superhero and Ladybug Costumes, you never know when you can turn them into a cool outfit or if it might be suited for a period piece.  Heck, you can even use them to make a fan film short to get some notice.

One of my buddies took those cheesy plastic superhero masks from the 80s and crafted it into a very creative comedy short.  In addition to costumes, after Halloween sales usually include lots of blood and make up.  Just stock up on these, because you never know when it might come in handy, whether you are shooting a gory monster flick, a crime thriller or a classic film noir, or even a zany comedy about a clown who runs amok in the city.  You might not see a use for a costume or prop when you get it, but you never know what it might inspire. Look around and imagine the possibilities.