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Tommy Gun Prop


People often want to purchase the realistic props currently advertised on our website, not realizing perhaps that they are advertised as "Daily Rentals" and not as merchandise that can be purchased. Under special circumstances, and to only a handful of special organizations, we may agree to sell a prop at our cost, but so far nobody has ever followed through on this opportunity because our props are VERY expensive.

NOTE: We ONLY rent our props to established film companies, film and entertainment professionals, designers, and corporations that are known to us.

We get so many enquiries from people wanting to purchase our props that I felt it would be useful to answer the question that most people eventually ask . . . . "Why are your props so expensive?"

First, these are real movie props, made for and used in hundreds of feature films and hit television series. Every prop that we RENT was hand made by Master PropMaker Betty Thomas, Master PropMaker Ty Shultz, Master PropMaker Marsha Neiman, or Breakaway Glass Master Ed Deeth. Combined, these four master craftspeople have racked up more than 125 years of experience producing the finest quality props, and breakaway glass, currently available in the film industry . . . . anywhere on the planet! We know this to be true because we have been looking for better props for years and have never been able to find any that surpass our realism and quality.

So, having invested several millions of dollars in equipment, molds, and infrastructure during the past 40+ years, and having attracted a team of talented propmakers with more than 100 years of combined experience, let's look at how props are made. First, we start with an authentic original . . . very expensive when dealing with authentic period pieces such as weapons or antique crystal. If an original  is not available, then an artist must be commissioned to develop a sketch for the client's approval, then a sculptor must be commissioned to make a life size model of the item which would then be re-presented for approval to ensure our client will be completely satisfied with the finished product.

A silicon, or other material, mold of the original is made . . .  Silicon is also VERY expensive. Next the silicon mold is encased in plaster or some other appropriate substance . . . very labour intensive, and we pay well for the best craftspeople in the industry. Finally, after perhaps three or four days of intense work, a copy of the original can be produced through a variety of proprietary hot or cold chemical processes, each of which takes place under very stringent climate controlled environments, each at a predetermined temperature, and each of which has taken decades to perfect.

Often the mold must be "broken in" before we get copies that meet our standards for quality. This means that usually the first few copies from the mold are discarded. Remember that making copies is a very labour intensive procedure that involves the use of very expensive chemicals.

Lifecast Octopus Prop

Once we have produced a copy that meets our standards, itt then will be painted by hand to achieve the appropriate degree of authenticity. At the risk of stating the obvious, period pieces, antique weapons, or life castings of fish, vegetables or animals, must each exhibit a certain degree of natural aging and the general appearance of wear and tear that would be present on an authentic original of that period, item, species, food, or genre.

WW-II Nazi Dagger

So the bottom line is that something like a military knife would cost roughly $1,000+ to produce the first usable copy. A handgun would cost about $1,500+  . . . and so the pricing goes . . . the bigger the item, or the harder it is to find, or the more difficult it is to work with ( like a real octopus for example ) the more it is going to cost us to make, and the more it is going to cost you to buy.

For example, we were recently asked to quote on making a 24" acrylic ice cube with a vodka bottle suspended in the middle . . . our quote was $20,000 . . . decidedly a non-starter. Believe it or not, there was not a lot of margin on that project for us because the labour and materials would have been so expensive.  People are nearly always surprised at what it actually costs to realize their visions. On the other hand, props made from existing molds are quite affordable, such as the unbreakable icicle props that we recently sent to New Zealand for the filming of The Hobbit, and to New York for use in Coca Cola's latest advertising promotion.


Red Kryptonite Prop

 We are very active in the custom mold making business and produce the world's finest movie props. We are happy to take on any challenge, such as the red kryptonite we made recently for Smallville, provided that expectations are realistic and the project is appropriately funded. Making molds, and making props that are good enough to be used in the film industry is a labour of love, but it is also our business. We do not undertake any project unless we can recover our costs and make a fair profit. Having taken on a project however, our clients NEVER worry about quality, or about delivery of the finished prop within the timeline or budget promised.

We make thousands of different styles of custom breakaway glass items designed to break (safely) on demand, and have an inventory of thousands of realistic creative props available for rental to movie companies. Contact us if you don't find what you are looking for, or if your project requires something unique and special. We can do just about anything!

Running a global business focused on meeting the needs of entertainment professionals around the planet is a task that requires a constant flow of market intelligence, especially in this challenging economic environment.

In addition to constant personal contact with our thousands of customers, we spend countless hours day and night on the Internet, and we monitor entertainment programming on our television(s) via Shaw Cable. We pay a very high price for all of this media access, connectivity and bandwidth . . and fairly so.

However, last night we returned home to discover that the programming on FOUR of the six television sets in our home had lost most of the cable access we had previously been utilizing. Instead of the regular 58 channels we were paying for, we now only had access to 28 channels. No CNN. No BNN. No BBC.

It seems that the Shaw Cable Monopoly had introduced a new digital "service" yesterday, that required us to purchase four additional signal converters. The cost of the Shaw converters runs from $58 to $199 each.

When we went to the local Shaw retail outlet this morning to obtain the new digital boxes, there was a very large lineup of very unhappy angry customers. Moving through the line took more than half an hour, then another half hour dealing with the counter clerk.

Never mind the unexpected expense. Never mind the disruption and inconvenience that this has caused to so many people's lives. Never mind the disrespect that the Shaw Cable Monopoly has demonstrated to its customers by forcing this new technology and unexpected expense upon them . . . especially at this time of year!

The thing that REALLY BURNED us was the fact that everyone behind the counter was smiling and clearly having a wonderful time at everyone else's expense . . . LITERALLY! This was a bonanza for the Shaw cable Monopoly and all of the staff were basking in the glow of an easy buck and a big payday . . . all at the expense of you and I folks.

Monopolies are often EVIL. Monopolies are often IMMORAL. Monopolies are always INEFFICIENT.

Anyone who subscribes to the Shaw Cable Monopoly "service" knows how inefficient it is. Our personal experience has consistently proven that: Cable signals are often scrambled, and are generally of poor quality. Their equipment is often faulty. Contacting a service person by telephone is almost impossible, often taking more than two hours waiting until someone is available to speak with you. Customer "service" people often know very little and are usually unable to resolve a problem. I could go on, and you could likely add a few things that I have overlooked, based on your experience with the Shaw Cable Monopoly.

Quoting directly from Shaw's 2010 Annual Report To Shareholders: "Consolidated service revenue of $3.72 billion improved over 9%". Clearly, these guys are not hurting . . . But this latest move of theirs is clearly "hurting" their customers in many ways other than in their pocketbooks.

We have high-speed cable Internet from the Shaw Cable Monopoly in our business. We have high-speed cable Internet from the Shaw Cable Monopoly in our home. We also subscribe to the Shaw Cable Monopoly's HD television cable product. Now, we own SIX of the Shaw Cable Monopoly's digital boxes.

If a company, its Directors, and its Management can be perceived as having a "personality", that personality can be reflected in the quality of its products and of its service. Based on our personal experience with the Shaw Cable Monopoly over many many years of doing business with them, our judgement is that the character of the Shaw cable Monopoly can best be described by words like: Greed, Avarice, Incompetence, and an overall failure to conduct its business with integrity relative to its representations to shareholders;



Shame on you Shaw. If you truly believe that your current product offerings, actions, and level of service represent "exceptional customer service" and that you are truly "creating best in class products and services" then your Directors, Managers, and Employees seriously need to go back to business school, and back to the drawing board. You are failing your customers in a major way and your most recent actions have forced us to aggressively look for alternate technology solutions. I am sure we are not alone in this.

Shaw Cable enjoys a highly profitable monopoly. Based on results, it does not have to deliver quality products, quality service, or quality equipment. Its customers are forced to accept whatever the monopoly is willing to provide and there is no opportunity to complain . . . nobody cares. We know this to be true because we have often complained but nothing ever changes. If we ran our business like you do, we would not be in business!

Sorry for my rant everyone, but I just had to get this off my chest. Someone has to call it like they see it. Multiply our inconvenience and expense today by the 3,200,000 Canadian subscribers it boasts of "servicing", and you have a company that has just caused a great deal of pain to Canadians everywhere.

In my estimation, Shaw Cable qualifies as this year's "Grinch that Stole Christmas" . . . from millions of Canadians.