Media Studies Portfolio Project : Purchased Props

Before we began filming, we had some items that we had in mind to use as props in order to add to our set design. Although we didn't originally have these items, Jacob, Chancellor, and I took a trip to the store to buy a curling brush, a personal mirror, and some ingredients for fake blood. I'm sure three teenage boys looked perfectly normal buying all of this together.

The weapon Tiffany would use to attack Brittney, (while possibly not as consequential as we treated it) was a contentious topic among our group because it would effect both what we would film and how we would film the attack. We wanted an item that would typically be used by teenage girls and distort it as a weapon without having to utilize a large stretch of the imagination. A curling brush seemed dangerous enough on its own, with sharp bristles and a metallic center, and we believe that it could believably be dangerous if used with force. Among our other options for weapons were an eyelash curler, an eyeliner pencil, and a cellphone charging cable, but we felt like this was the least absurd of the choices while still driving home our emphasis on the dangers of vanity.

Tiffany's weapon of choice

The second item we wanted was a personal mirror. In our storyboard we planned a shot of Brittney (the victim) putting on makeup in a mirror. Especially because of issues with the camera potentially showing up in the shot if we filmed using a large mirror, we decided to purchase this small mirror to use alternatively. We were advised that filming such a mirror shot diagonally may help the camera not be seen in the shot, and we plan on following that advice. If we end up not having to use this personal mirror for the shot, at least we have an additional prop to emphasize Tiffany's self-absorption and vanity among other props like makeup.

A personal mirror

In our last shot, we plan to show the curling brush and a cellphone covered in blood to represent the idea that Brittney has been attacked brutally by Tiffany. In nearly every recipe for fake blood we found online, corn syrup and food coloring (specifically red, blue, and green food coloring) were key ingredients. Although we will only use this fake blood in one shot, because it is the last shot of our film opening, we would like to leave an impression on the audience with a hint of the gore that is to come later in the film. In one of my upcoming blog posts I'll detail the process of making the fake blood and the shot we are able to produce from this.