There is a great article about the use of handguns in films at the Guns & Ammo Magazine website. This is one of the few pieces I’ve seen that discusses the degree to which firearms are modified for use in film, employing blank fire loads, as well as the care and expertise that goes into not only the selection of weapons but how they are modified and used on set. [Read more…]
Archives for 2007
Charity Auction: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 7 Piece Set Collection
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno has listed a charity auction on eBay to benefit Bailey’s Café (LINK TO AUCTION): [Read more…]
Tom Spina Designs Adds New Display Products
Tom Spina Designs has added a variety of new display products to their online store. [Read more…]
‘It’s a Wrap!’ Customer Service Complaints Reach New High
There has been an increasing rise of complaints about a variety of issues around the net about It’s a Wrap’s management of the Star Trek eBay auctions. [Reference: It’s A Wrap Homepage, It’s A Wrap eBay “ME” Page] [Read more…]
CSI Original Prop Charity Auction
The National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association, via “CBS Cares”, is auctioning an exact replica of Gil Grissom’s office, an original prop used in the Season 7 episode, “Living Doll”. [Read more…]
Work in Progress: The Ultimate Original Prop COA, Part I
I thought it would be productive to initiate a hobby-wide discussion of what the “Ultimate COA” would call for, look like, detail, include, and provide to the owner of an original prop, costume, or other artifact from a production.
As discussed in many other articles on the OPB, I generally have a fairly unfavorable opinion of most COAs, in that they typically do not address the foundational components of authenticity: origin, history of ownership, use in the production, etc.
So what information would be included in the “Ultimate” COA? [Read more…]
“Books in Bulk”: Article on Prop Set Dressing for Indy IV & StrandBooks.com
There is an interesting article on NewYorker.com (LINK) discussing set dressing on the new Indiana Jones film, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. This article talks not only about set dressing the upcoming Raiders of the Lost Ark sequel, but the company Strand Books (StrandBooks.com) in New York, and their work on other films as well as services offered to anyone who might be interested in building their own personal library, including their “Books by the Foot” program. Sounds like a very interesting and unique business, and using their services in films is, I think, reflective of the thought, work, and resources employed in film and television, paying such great attention to background details. [Read more…]
Authenticity & Burden of Proof, Part II: Inauthentic Props
This is a follow-up to an article I wrote back in May, “Authenticity & Burden of Proof“.
In the prior article, I made the argument that a discerning collector should approach a potential prop or costume or other artifact acquisition as an unknown, or inconclusive in terms of it’s being “Original” (see What is “Original”?). Authenticity must then be proven. This is a different perspective from those that believe what they are told about a piece, without question. [Read more…]