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REQ: Wanted: Cheap movie props (pineapples, bananas, and coconuts)

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Beta_Nullo

unread,
Oct 12, 2009, 4:25:34 PM10/12/09
to Im_Beta_00

> Where can I find a bunch of big plastic palm trees? Or at least plastic palm
> fronds that I can glue onto a fake palm tree trunk. If not palm fronds, then
> similar tropical plants. Basically tropical flora without the fauna.
>
> * * *
>
>
> Digital Film to be shot in Portland, OR. No, there isn't a budget to speak
> of, and your compensation will come out of a backbilling process, and
> royalties, if there are any. Naturally, you WILL get your name listed in
> the
> credits, and if part of the plot doesn't look like it will work, and you are
> responsible for a minor plot fix, you will get some credit for fixing or
> saving the movie!
>
> Are you a Camera Man or Woman with sporadic amounts of spare time on your
> hands? This may be the film for you. I desperately need a camera operator
> for a digital film shooting in November, December, and January, preferably in
> good weather, as it is mostly an outdoor film except for the cargo plane
> scene.
>
> Yes, I have some script I am willing to hand out, but most of it, I am way
> too
> paranoid to hand out through Internet. We will use my cameras if you like,
> or your cameras instead, whichever you feel comfortable with. What I would
> like to end up with, is a hybrid film consisting of plenty of standard
> definition shots supplemented with high definition shots. So think mostly
> SD,
> even if you have a fancy HD camera to work with. The reason I would prefer
> SD, is that HD tends to take a long time to edit. In some circles, HD stands
> for Huge Delay.
>
> Also, if you can find a lot of World War II "sniper rifle" replicas (say, at
> least eight or so) for a firing squad scene, you are in, we will definitely
> want to talk. My funds are extremely limited, so I won't be able to pay you
> anything for the props, or anything for the labor you invest in the film,
> short of giving you a share of royalties, and a prominent display in the
> credits as an associate producer.
>
> The movie is about an 18 yr old Draft Dodger that signs on with a Missionary
> Outfit to travel to a small Latin American country and convert the heathens,
> but what do you know, it undergoes revolution in 1968. Did I say it's a
> dramatic comedy? Well, if we can borrow enough used rifles that sort of look
> like WWII sniper rifles, it's bound to be a lot more successful than with a
> bunch of plastic rifles bought at a toy shop.
>
> To send me some email, look at my address in the header, and do the
> following:
>
> Drop "ESC" so it just says "_Beta"
> Move the Underscore from the front to the end.
> Now put the word "Zero" after the Underscore.
> At this point, the email won't make it to me unless you change the server
> address. So change the server address so it reads "spiritone.com" and it
> should make it to me eventually.

Okay, if that was too hard, I think I have made it a lot easier for you.

If you want to send me email, look at my new handle-

Beta_...@sprite1.com

Change Nullo to "Zero" and change sprite to "spirit" and change 1 to
"one" and it ought to work.

Steven J. Weller

unread,
Oct 16, 2009, 8:57:24 PM10/16/09
to
On Oct 12, 1:25 pm, Beta_Nullo <Beta_Nu...@spirit1.com> wrote:

> Where can I find a bunch of big plastic palm trees? Or at least plastic palm
> fronds that I can glue onto a fake palm tree trunk. If not palm fronds, then
> similar tropical plants. Basically tropical flora without the fauna.

Try Michael's Crafts (a nationwaide chain; check the phone book) for
all manner of fake plants and plant parts. You might also check with
whatever the big local department store is, in your area, and find out
who does their window displays. Odds are there's a place you've never
heard of, that will rent a lot of greenery for display purposes. Also
check the phone book for Window Displays/Rentals.

> Digital Film to be shot in Portland, OR. No, there isn't a budget to speak
> of, and your compensation will come out of a backbilling process, and
> royalties, if there are any. Naturally, you WILL get your name listed in the
> credits, and if part of the plot doesn't look like it will work, and you are
> responsible for a minor plot fix, you will get some credit for fixing or
> saving the movie!

That's actually very odd.

> Also, if you can find a lot of World War II "sniper rifle" replicas (say, at
> least eight or so) for a firing squad scene, you are in, we will definitely
> want to talk. My funds are extremely limited, so I won't be able to pay you
> anything for the props, or anything for the labor you invest in the film,
> short of giving you a share of royalties, and a prominent display in the
> credits as an associate producer.

Check with your local hobby shops and army/navy (surplus) stores -
you're looking for something called AirSoft, and there are, indeed,
some very good-looking period sniper's rifles available. A good
example would be this -
http://cgi.ebay.com/M14-AEG-Metal-Gear-Wood-Electric-Airsoft-Sniper-Rifle_W0QQitemZ320412453868QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9a120bec
- which is clearly out of your price range to buy, but a cooperative
store owner might be willing to rent or even loan them to you, in
exchange for screen credit. I made a similar deal on a show shooting
in Ohio - got a nice-looking (fake) weapon, for a day, for nothing
more than a Special Thanks line in the closing crawl.

> The movie is about an 18 yr old Draft Dodger that signs on with a Missionary
> Outfit to travel to a small Latin American country and convert the heathens,
> but what do you know, it undergoes revolution in 1968. Did I say it's a
> dramatic comedy? Well, if we can borrow enough used rifles that sort of look
> like WWII sniper rifles, it's bound to be a lot more successful than with a
> bunch of plastic rifles bought at a toy shop.

Your local army/navy shop might well turn out to be very useful on
this project. If you can get someone there interested, they can
provide all manner of surplus material - uniforms, gear, tents, cots,
etc. So long as you don't trash the stuff - and especially if you can
make it into some sort of good puplicity for them - they could go a
long ways toward making your microbudget project look very good.

--
Life Continues, Despite
Evidence to the Contrary

Steven

Atlantic Illumination Entertainment Lighting

unread,
Oct 20, 2009, 8:46:52 PM10/20/09
to
Beta_Nullo wrote:

> > Where can I find a bunch of big plastic palm trees? Or at least
plastic palm > > fronds that I can glue onto a fake palm tree trunk.

*** Try "Beach" supply places, or possibly "Party" stores or services
that do themes for their clients. Canvas local theatre groups, for
left-over set pieces.

--
Richard Bonner
http://AIEL.chebucto.biz

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