Reviews

[T]his new edition is well worth the purchase. It remains an ideal book for learning the art and resources of building props for theatre, film, or television.

Appropriate for students and seasoned artisans alike, this book brings together years of prop building techniques and research and presents it all in an approachable, user-friendly format.

Eric Hart has earned a national reputation as a prop master... He has recently written the definitive reference for his industry that is being hailed for its clarity and breadth.

[T]his book systematically looks at the different aspects of prop design and creation in an easy to grasp manner, step-by-step, chapter by chapter.

Mastering the craft of prop building takes years of hard work, research, practice and patience. Like with any other new craft, you may feel lost and have absolutely no clue where to begin. That's where Eric Hart comes to the rescue. As a master of the prop building craft, Hart has proven to be a reliable reference for aspiring builders.

An equally valuable resource for the professional prop artisan, the experienced designer in an allied area who also works with properties, and for the student entering the world of design and technical entertainment production.

Highly Recommended.

In a personable, informative style, Hart gives you the full rundown, from basic to advanced techniques across a spectrum of disciplines, supported by excellent tutorial photos as well as theatrical eye-candy shots. Chapters cover safety, shop tools, joining, measuring, materials, sculpture, finishing, and more with rich detail and sparkling clarity.

If you do crafts, models, cosplay or anything that involves imagination design and execution get this book. If you are a serious student in the emerging discipline of Props Design get this book! If you are an old codger sitting in your leather office chair saying 'the students just don't get it'....get this book! The book is inspiringly comprehensive. Eric has given you the Keys to the Kingdom and shows you how to masterfully replicate them.

It's absolutely the best book on prop building today, and therefore the best ever written (we both know what the past ones have been like.) I almost wish I were still teaching, so I could use it as a textbook!

I'm pretty sure it will become a paint stained, plaster dripped, dog-eared, and spine broken tome from constant reference to at my worktable within a few weeks.

The photos and illustrations are excellent, with some being specifically set up to show how to, for example, lash rope, and others just shots from an actual build process. He covers a huge range of materials and techniques from upholstery and sewing to hard-core metal work and vacuum-forming, so it’s a very versatile book.

He gives you the tools & techniques used, both historical and contemporary, for fabricating props. The extent of his explanations is immense: mock-ups, patterns, and construction drawings, he covers it all.

Before anyone asks, I am NOT lending you my copy, this one is going to be chained to my workbench.