Geekery: The Prop Department – Giving Movies Character & Depth

There are so many layers to movies that we don’t think about. CG is front and center these days – but there’s also designing fake UIs for high tech computers, physical set dressing, sculpting objects and creating art, the list goes on. Ross MacDonald makes paper props. You’ve probably seen his work and not known it.

MacDonald has been in the business for 25 years, and has created tens of thousands of letters, contracts, IDs, and even entire books for movies and TV shows. If you’re a Boardwalk Empire or National Treasure fan, you’ve definitely seen his work. In this interview with Great Big Story he digs back into what he’s made over the year, and talks about how he does what he does.

Speaking of fake user interfaces…

Author: Mars Garrett

Pop culture writer and news editor that has been on the BoLS team since 2010. Contributor on the One of Us podcast. Marvel, Vertigo, Batman, and dystopian sci-fi fan. Enjoys bad movies, amazing stunt performances, and the internet. Hates rom-coms. (she/they)