# In movies, how do prop departments plan for retakes with destructible props? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2014, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137 "2014-10-22T11:18:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/21 "2014-10-22T19:46:53Z")
I saw a video once about a woman who was charged with Indiana Jones’ leather jackets. She had to create a whole bunch of them with the same weathering pattern and crinkles. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/22 "2014-10-22T23:38:03Z")
> [@campp](#): > > I saw a video once about a woman who was charged with Indiana Jones’ leather jackets. She had to create a whole bunch of them with the same weathering pattern and crinkles. That’s true of any Wardrobe Dept. They need multiple versions of every item of clothing, aged in different ways as the story progresses, especially if it’s an adventure or horror story where the characters go through some amount of turmoil. Mud, and blood, and dust, etc. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Evil_Prince_Zorte)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/23 "2014-10-23T00:06:56Z")
For small props like a jar of paint that needs to be smashed and make a mess, for most of the scene they will pantomime. The actor will pick it up and pretend to throw it, then set it down out of sight and continue on with the rest of the scene if the camera angle is one where the resulting mess isn’t visible. When they are satisfied that they have good takes, they will do one where the jar is smashed and paint spattered, with 2-3 cameras running. Then they will shoot the part of the scene that happens after the mess is made. You will often see a cut between the windup and the throw so the editor can choose what ever take he wants leading up to it, and then use just the breakage from the take where they did it for real. So long as the destruction itself went as planned, it doesn’t matter how well the rest of the action played out because it was already covered right up to the point of breakage. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/24 "2014-10-23T00:31:03Z")
Depending on whose story you believe, there were anywhere from 256 to 321 cars used as the General Lee in _The Dukes of Hazzard_. The show ran for 145 episodes. On the other hand, the train/bus crash in _The Fugitive_ was done in one take. It took ten weeks to set up, 16 cameras to shoot and cost about $1 million. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/25 "2014-10-25T11:17:22Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Poor [Bill Murray](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIsNwzgXTXY). I’m sure he had a bucket next to him, and spat out any food not swallowed. ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/26 "2014-10-25T11:59:24Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Poor [Bill Murray](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIsNwzgXTXY). Notice that the camera cuts away just before he shoves the cake into his mouth. They can film as many retakes as they want up to that point, and then film him stuffing his face separately. They probably got that part just fine on the first take. The only thing he has to keep eating for each retake is another strawberry. Coffee cups being empty drives me crazy. Once you know about it, it’s always painfully obvious the weight is wrong in the actors’ hands. I wish they would stick something in them for those shots. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/27 "2014-10-25T19:25:10Z")
> **[Groundhog Day (1993) - Trivia - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/trivia/)** > > Groundhog Day (1993) - Trivia on IMDb: Cameos, Mistakes, Spoilers and more... > [@](#): > > Bill Murray was offered a spit bucket for the diner scene where he gorges himself on pastries but he refused. The angel food cake in particular caused him to feel sick soon after. For a second (equally unconfirmable) cite, I remember an interview with Andie McDowell back when they were doing press and she was shocked that Murray was actually eating the food, since normally they use spit buckets. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/28 "2014-10-25T20:08:54Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > There is never any coffee in any cup, ever. I was just going to bring that up due to a post up thread. There should ALWAYS be something in the cup. Even if it’s not coffee, then just some hot water. Often times you can see steam rising from the cup (and I’m just talking about sitcoms so no SFX here). But when an actor is moving their hand around with an empty cup it’s pretty obvious. At the very least they need to start making weighted coffee cops for props just so they don’t have to fill them (and worry about spills), but it still looks more realistic. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/29 "2014-10-25T20:21:29Z")
I remember seeing a making-of about Independence Day where they showed the “blowing up the White House” shot (spoilers?) being done. It was an enormous, extremely detailed model. I vaguely recall them saying it was one of the biggest / most expensive / most something scale models used for a film effect. The detonation rigging had to be really precise; too little and it won’t look impressive or realistic, too much and the thing will just vaporize and won’t look good even in slow-mo. The pyro guys were visibly relieved when it blew up satisfactorily. There was a definite “we have one shot and our asses will be on the line if this doesn’t go perfectly” feel. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/30 "2014-10-25T20:22:53Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > [Groundhog Day (1993) - Trivia - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/trivia) > > For a second (equally unconfirmable) cite, I remember an interview with Andie McDowell back when they were doing press and she was shocked that Murray was actually eating the food, since normally they use spit buckets. At least it wasn’t [spicy meatballs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQhwNtY3N2k). ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/31 "2014-10-25T20:57:46Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Incidentally, some guy on Reddit just posted about some [Lego towers he built for a recent episode of Brooklyn Nine Nine](https://imgur.com/a/khn83). Terry Crews smashed them in a scene. He built a few prototypes and once the director signed off, he built three of them. Then he did an [AMA thread](http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2jxrbs/iama_guy_who_built_the_lego_tower_that_was/). Cool story. Thanks for the link (as a fan of both Lego and Brooklyn Nine Nine) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/32 "2014-10-26T04:33:25Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Reminds me of a factoid from a tour at Universal. Apparently the hot lights make ice cream melt almost immediately, so they usually use something else. For Columbo, it was mashed potatoes in that ice cream cone. There was a scene in the Fox show _Sleepy Hollow_, in which 3 characters were eating apple pie a la mode. For two of them, the ice cream was mashed potatoes. For Abbie, they used real ice cream–& probably shot it over a few times. Because there had to be a closeup–when blood welled out of the plate as she realized she should not eat–or she’d be trapped in Purgatory. Apparently the “blood” made quite a mess. In a parallel scene, her partner Ichabod was being tempted to drink wine. His “father” (Victor Garber) was maddened when he realized the trap would not work & began munching on his wine glass. Spun sugar is “edible glass” but the actor was diabetic, so the substitute was expensive. And “blood” welled from his mouth–which would have easily messed up his stock (cravat). They pulled off this complicated scene because the actor was good and precise. Yes, I’ve seen the special features on this lovely show. In the pilot, Ichabod rises from his grave–a pit of slimy, muddy stuff. It was a complicated setup & they really needed to do it just once. Tom Mison nailed it in one take & got a round of applause. I don’t mind the “conventions.” Like gifts in boxes instead of wrapping paper. And eating Chinese food out of cartons instead of putting it on plates. Save the budget for good monsters! ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/33 "2014-10-26T05:00:52Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > In regards to watermelons, I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately too. Because you don’t just have to re-smash the watermelon you also need actors in clean clothes and set pieces to be watermelon-free. I remember reading a quote from an actor who’d played a villain on _Glee_ (Grant Gustin, now better known as The Flash) saying that when his character had to throw a Slushie in another character’s face, he’d been under a lot of pressure to get it right in the first take. Otherwise the actor playing his victim would have to get cleaned up, have his hair/makeup redone, and change into a clean costume while everyone else needed for the scene waited. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/34 "2014-10-26T05:16:01Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > I remember reading a quote from an actor who’d played a villain on _Glee_ (Grant Gustin, now better known as The Flash) saying that when his character had to throw a Slushie in another character’s face, he’d been under a lot of pressure to get it right in the first take. Otherwise the actor playing his victim would have to get cleaned up, have his hair/makeup redone, and change into a clean costume while everyone else needed for the scene waited. I was watching a behind the scenes type thing on a TV show (that I’ll leave out to not reveal any spoilers). In the scene a person gets into a pool in her clothes and then gets out. In the thing that I watched they were showing us what happened between the reshoots. The character that got in the pool had to change her clothes, dry her hair, redo her hair and makeup AND reshoot the scene as if she wasn’t freezeing cold. Also you could see someone in the background with a small flame thrower drying off the concrete around the pool. This reminds me of something else…skidmarks on pavement. It drives me nuts when they do an overhead shot of car (or car chase) and I can say to myself 'well, he’s going to make a right turn here, I can see the skidmarks all over the road from the last 8 times they did it." ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/35 "2014-10-27T15:25:44Z")
There’s a semi-famous story about one of the Roger Moore Bond movies. He was in a propeller plane, on the ground, being chased by bad guys. He taxied all around this small airport (I don’t remember why he didn’t just take off) in an effort to not be shot. At one point he drives into a hanger, and the bad guys start closing the big double doors at the other end of the building. Moore gets there before the doors are closed all the way and drives the fuselage through the gap, but the wings on either side are ripped off the plane. They prepared two planes by sawing the wings almost all the way off. The first take went just fine, and the director chose not to retake it. So they were left with an unused plane that would never fly again. > [@Lemur866](#): > > For presents, ever notice how on TV everyone wraps the boxtop separately from the box, instead of wrapping the whole box? That way if they need to redo they just tie the ribbon back on instead of rewrapping the whole present. > > It’s as irritating to me as hearing a 555 number. I reluctantly accept the 555 thing, even though in many cases it would be easy to avoid. But the wrapped present thing pisses me off every time. As a viewer, I would not mind spending an extra 4 seconds watching the actor unwrap a realistically wrapped present. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/36 "2014-10-27T20:27:11Z")
TVTropes calls the wrapping paper thing [Hollywood Giftwrap.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HollywoodGiftwrap) This is a fascinating thread! ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/37 "2014-10-27T23:12:01Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > I reluctantly accept the 555 thing, even though in many cases it would be easy to avoid. But the wrapped present thing pisses me off every time. As a viewer, I would not mind spending an extra 4 seconds watching the actor unwrap a realistically wrapped present. As explained, it doesn’t have anything to do with saving time on screen. The purpose is to save money during production. As in, only needing to get one box from the prop department instead of getting a freshly wrapped box for each and every take. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/38 "2014-10-28T00:15:48Z")
Some items are specially constructed of entirely different materials that look destructible but aren’t, like a [lace wedding dress:](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zqbBxp3SZBoJ:www.taunton.com/promotions/Threads_Penn_Fletcher.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari) > [@](#): > > In _Bram Stoker’s Dracula_,for example, a white embroidered-lace wedding dress is worn in a scene where the vampire is slain. Because considerable stage blood was planned for the filming, the gown’s collar and front panel needed to be cleaned between takes. To make this practicable, the company created the embroidered lace using polyester threads and fine plastic medical mesh. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/39 "2014-10-29T17:25:47Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > As explained, it doesn’t have anything to do with saving time on screen. The purpose is to save money during production. As in, only needing to get one box from the prop department instead of getting a freshly wrapped box for each and every take. So a $50 million movie, or a TV show that spends $80,000 per episode per star on salaries, can’t afford to spend $15 to prepare six wrapped packages? I’m not buyin’ it. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137/40 "2014-10-29T17:30:12Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > So a $50 million movie, or a TV show that spends $80,000 per episode per star on salaries, can’t afford to spend $15 to prepare six wrapped packages? I’m not buyin’ it. Sure, they can afford to prepare six wrapped packages. The prop department has now told the director that he can only shoot the scene six times. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-movies-how-do-prop-departments-plan-for-retakes-with-destructible-props/702137.md?page=3)