props

These were just an assortment of curated odds and ends I was tasked with pulling together for a print campaign that, sadly, never came to fruition. November, 2018.

Another fast turnaround project for Steve Pannepacker and NFL Films:  non-branded, non-team-specific press passes.  Designed, printed, applied, laminated, and trimmed in about three hours total.     May, 2017.

Pi Day!  This was created for a spot for the Department of Education of Delaware being shot by The Kitchen.  I would love to say I baked it from scratch, but the truth is that it's much easier to perform surgery on a frozen pie.  Due credit to Sara Lee.       January, 2017.

For this I merely had to acquire a series of odd and disparate goods and textures, but I rarely get to work on anything on the macro side. September, 2016.

  • CLIENT: FMC CORPORATION

  • DIRECTOR: SCOTT WHITHAM, VINCE MARIE

  • PRODUCTION: AVENUE RED

NFL Films needed a specialty prop built for an episode of their original program A Football Life featuring Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin.  The interviews were occurring at a mixed-use space in Pittsburgh, and NFL had reached out to Gamma Acosta of Gamma Gallery to paint a large-scale mural of Curtis' life and family as the participants were interviewed.  The only thing they still needed was a surface to paint on.

I was hired to build a 10'x10' canvas on site in Pittsburgh, prime it, seal it, and have it ready for Gamma's arrival.  I had constructed my own canvases many times before - but never one this large.  My colleague Jon Chaifetz worked with me to assemble the frame, stretch and staple the canvas, prime it, and then mount it in place.  Once completed, we had to remove it from the frame and safely package it for transport back to NFL Films.     July, 2016.

A few themed tabletop layouts for a client shooting both video and stills.     March, 2016.

These were built with Christopher Jones at Ready Set Go!, another Philadelphia-based design and fabrication house.  A client needed a series of 2-3' high letters that appeared to be carved out of stone.  The end result was lightweight yet durable, and held up under scrutiny.     January, 2016.

Steve Pannepacker brought me a quick little project:  he needed some envelopes that would have been used to send a VHS tape through the mail in 1978.  Cursory research ensued.

Weight of a standard video cassette tape:  a little under 9 pounds.

Cost of mailing that package in 1978, standard:  About $1.19.

I opted to go with a grid of eight 15 cent period-correct white flag stamps, individually cut, adhered, and printed over (the postmark.)     December, 2015

Sprout hired me to produce a series of musical instruments that matched illustrations created for a new property - one that would alternate between live-action and animation.  This meant sourcing instruments I could dismantle, recover, refinish, or otherwise rebuild to become the hero props for our band.  Some were easy - the microphone was virtually untouched after being selected.  Others were decidedly more work:  the bass and amplifier had to be completely broken down, refinished with a series of paints and sealants to prevent scuffing or wear during use, and then reassembled.     May, 2013.

Director Teresa Wingert and her company Fiona brought me on to help source and create some props for a series of Blue Cross Blue Shield spots.  Her style is whimsical and highly creative - and every project I get to work on with her brings with it a completely new set of challenges and rewards.     May, 2013.

Above is one of the "kid-created roadsters" I designed - a steerable wagon gussied up with found objects.  Below is the standing directions sign I built, along with some process shots.

This is just a small selection of the many varied things I created for Sprout, either on one of its programs or for promotional content.     2008-2015