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February 25th, 2010
It is a commonplace that fashions come and go. This is the case even where the most traditional theatre is concerned. Shakespeare’s plays are still performed today, and it has to be said, are as relevant as they ever were. However, the fashions in how to speak Shakespearean language, how to stage the Bard’s plays and what sets and props to use have altered over time.
For many years, everybody wore ruffs around their neck and got clad in doublet and hose. Nowadays, anything goes as far as costumes are concerned. It might be that everybody is in a black shirt and trousers. They might just wear modern dress or the play may be set in a particular time and place.
Theatre sets are usually avoided with productions of Shakespeare. This is because the settings for scenes fly around the world. Unlike modern plays which often seem to happen inside a single bedsit, Shakespeare’s plays often present wider spaces.
In the 1960s the Royal Shakespeare Company famously reinvigorated Shakespeare’s history plays. They did this with no permanent set, although they did use banners to show, for example, the opposing sides in The War of the Roses. Props became even more important than usual. In particular, weapons had to be both historical and practical.
Many of Shakespeare’s plays suit a medieval setting and we at Keeley Hire have lots of fantastic props and settings to help establish that atmosphere. In fact, however you want to stage your Shakespeare, take a look at the over half a million props we have.
Tags: Prop Hire, Props, props suppliers, settings, Theatre Sets, Theatrical Props
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February 24th, 2010
On many occasions, an audience’s first impression of a play is the set. In the more traditional production, the show will start with the curtains closed in front of the stage. Often, as the curtains open, the set will actually get a round of applause if it looks particularly lavish. Many theatres now seem to have done away with their curtains and you are faced with the set as you take your seat.
Anton Chekov was an innovative playwright whose plays are still regularly performed. They were written as a penetrating depiction of life in pre-revolutionary Russia. As such, they normally lend themselves to realistic theatre sets particularly for the interior scenes. You will often see original period furniture and you can be sure that the designer will have spent a great deal of time researching how houses would have been decorated.
A recent production did away with the set all together, though. The flats that normally form the walls of a room were completely absent. Instead the stage was virtually bare. In fact, even this is a theatre set of sorts. One of the pieces of set on the stage was the props table which is usually hidden in the wings. It contains the hand held props that are used in the performance.
At Keeley Hire, we don’t mind whether you go for a traditional theatre set with authentic props or something avant-garde. We have over half a million props and are sure that we can enhance your production, given the chance.
Tags: Prop Hire, Props, realistic theatre sets, Theatre Sets
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February 23rd, 2010
It used to be that film directors were very experienced by the time they started making feature films. Often they had to devote years to making commercials or corporate films and had a fair few grey hairs by the time they made it big. That seems to have changed with young filmmakers seeming to appear from nowhere. Of course, they have often taken their time to get to the top as well. It’s just that by starting at ten years old, they can be a veteran by the time they’re in their twenties. This is made possible, of course, because of the affordability and availability of good quality video cameras.
There are a number of things these young filmmakers quickly learn. One of these is that your neighbours, friends and relatives probably aren’t the greatest actors in the world. Whilst they can’t always put their finger on exactly what is wrong, they know that it is not how Brad Pitt acts.
Another area where these directors quickly learn to lavish attention is that of settings and props. The importance of a setting of a film cannot be overestimated. After all, if they manage to film somewhere that is inherently interesting, it is as if that setting has become an extra character. Atmosphere can be the key in many genres of film. Poor props will simply make a film look amateurish.
At Keeley Hire we work for top television companies and Hollywood film producers. You can be confident that our props and settings will enhance your production. With such a diverse range available, prop hire has never been easier.
Tags: Movie Props, Prop Hire, prop suppliers, Props, settings, Stage Props
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February 18th, 2010
Whenever you watch a television programme or film that is set in a particular time, you can be certain that the prop buyers on that production have gone to painstaking trouble to ensure that the props used are as authentic as possible. One of the most common comments for filmmakers to receive is that something was not correct.
For example, the lantern held by the Great Northern Railways porter was not issued to staff until 1946 whereas the film is quite clearly set in 1945. This might seem pedantic on the part of the viewer and most people suspend their disbelief so that they can enjoy the story being told, but props are a vital part of the film’s overall atmosphere.
The most difficult periods to get right are the more recent ones because many viewers will have their own memories of those times. However, there is nothing better than being transported to another time and place and the props team have a huge part to play in that. The everyday items such as bicycles, bags and telephones, whilst all relatively minor, add up to give a real flavour of a particular period.
At Keeley Hire we have over half a million props covering everything from mundane everyday articles to the positively exotic. Our premises are just outside London and you can arrange to collect your items or we can have them delivered to you if you prefer. Don’t let a lack of attention to detail spoil the reception of your production, especially when such an efficient prop hire company is at your disposal.
Tags: film props, Prop Hire, Props, props supplier, TV props
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February 16th, 2010
In the theatre, it can be surprising how many diverse props are required. A lot of the variety is necessary because of historical plays, but there are other factors at work such as varied geographical settings as well.
At Keeley Hire, we have over half a million props. It is quite a task keeping tabs on all of them. When we started in the late 1830s, you can probably imagine that our office looked suitably Dickensian with clerks working at huge ledgers which listed the props, or properties as they were no doubt more formally referred to. Nowadays, transport is far easier and we are able to use the internet to show off a lot of the items. However, it is not really practical to list every single thing and we still rely on the expertise of our experienced staff to direct customers around our warehouse and help them find exactly the right props or theatre sets.
The latest additions to the inventory on our website demonstrate just how varied the props that people demand are. Some items are absolutely ordinary. For example, a wooden trestle table can probably be found in community centres and village halls up and down the country. The ones at the venue you have hired may look too modern for your setting though and that is why we can make sure you have exactly the right prop.
Some of our latest items such as iron chandeliers are far more specialised and will fit in with a whole range of medieval props and settings which we have. This includes instruments of torture and tradesmen’s tools.
Tags: medieval props, Prop Hire, Props, Theatre Sets
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February 11th, 2010
In the United Kingdom, there are three types of theatre; the professional, the amateur and fringe theatre. It is often difficult to know where one stops and another starts and many productions that describe themselves as fringe would not be perceived as such by other people in the industry.
Amateur productions are, some would say, the purest form of theatre. A group of like-minded people from all walks of life who enjoy staging plays. The standard of many amateur productions is as good as the professional theatre. What can make amateur theatre particularly enjoyable is when it is possible to hire in professional theatre sets and costumes. For example, it is possible to hire costumes from the Royal Shakespeare Company. This will often have the bonus of the original actor’s name sewn into the collar. Likewise, progressive firms in the sector will hire out professional theatre sets and props to anyone.
Professional theatre is where the actors and technicians are paid. Fringe is more difficult to define as sometimes those involved receive some money or they may be on what is termed a profit share. This is often accepted as a euphemism for no money at all.
The motivation of people on the fringe is often that they are starting out on their careers and want to get noticed and hired by professionals. This goes for the designer and director as well as the actors which is the reason why it is important that the show looks as professional as possible and why at Keeley Hire we are always happy to help with props, particularly theatrical props.
Tags: Prop Hire, Props, Theatre Sets, Theatrical Props
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February 10th, 2010
The British film industry has a reputation for quality and expertise far greater than you would expect when you look at the number of films made. People from all over the world come to the UK, particularly places like London and Pinewood Studios to learn about filmmaking.
These students usually start off making short films as part of their course and the most successful ones quickly realise what it takes to be noticed as a film director. A good script is, of course, very important, but remember once you start working in the industry you will be hired to work on a script and will probably accept the job even if the script is awful, so you need to know how to make the best out of anything.
It is vital to have a good Director of Photography as they will be able to not only make your film look good, but also be able to suggest shots you should get while you’re filming which may come in useful during the editing stage.
The two areas where inexperienced directors foolishly cut corners, usually for financial reasons, are actors and props. A bad actor always shows up on screen. If the actors are not relaxed it will undoubtedly be highly visible and obvious to almost any viewer.
Props contribute to the setting of the film and should be absolutely right. Firearms, for example, need to look completely convincing or it’s just somebody waving a toy gun. That where a good props supplier comes in.
At Keeley Hire, we have over half a million props and have supplied film and television companies for over forty years.
Tags: authentic props, Movie Props, Prop Hire, Props, props supplier
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February 9th, 2010
Planning ahead is vital to any business. Many people base all their plans on the calendar year and are quite happy to coast as the year comes to an end, just waiting for the New Year to begin. One business that does not work like that, in our experience, is event planning.
There are two particular reasons for that, other than good business practice. After all, it’s always a good idea to be planning as far ahead as possible whatever your business. Specifically, though, the end of the year is an especially busy time for those who plan parties and themed events. The events are often tied in with Christmas and the New Year. In fact, providing Santa’s grottoes has almost become a business in its own right. The second reason for the planning ahead is the need to ensure that the best props will be available.
At Keeley Hire we have found the organisation of themed events has become an increasingly big business, and prop hire has become increasingly popular. We’ve noticed our props are in demand for all manner of themed evenings. These include specific events such as Halloween, Christmas, St Valentines, St Patricks and Easter. There are also some themes which are especially popular such as 70s, 80s, Pirates and the Wild West.
This means that some of our props, such as our Doctor Who and Star Wars items are very popular indeed, and it is never too early to book them. In fact we would recommend early booking as we would hate to see you disappointed.
Tags: authentic props, Prop Hire, Props, props supplier, themed props
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February 4th, 2010
One of the most enjoyable programmes on television over the Christmas period was arguably Victoria Wood’s ‘Midlife Christmas.’ At its centre was a spoof of the BBC’s costume dramas. What made the comedy particularly effective was the setting. Because Victoria Wood was working for the BBC she was able to use the sets, costumes and props from the series ‘Larkrise to Candleford’ in her spoof ‘Lark Pies to Cranchesterford.’ The fact that we supplied props for the original television series only makes this slightly more interesting for us!
Whether you’re making a period drama, something very topical or a story set in the far future, it is vital that the props look like the real thing. Think how disappointing it would be if Doctor Who appeared on our screens with a sonic screwdriver that looked like it came out of a breakfast cereal packet.
At Keeley Hire, we have over half a million props which have been used in Hollywood blockbusters, popular television series and award winning advertisements. We have a selection of these items listed on our website but these are just the tip of the iceberg.
We have been supplying television, film and events with the perfect props for over forty years. Our personnel have a wealth of experience. In fact any problems you’re having with regard to sourcing props have probably been dealt with by our experts before. We have everything in our covered warehousing where you can collect your requirements or we can arrange to have them delivered.
Tags: Prop Hire, Props, props supplier, TV props
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February 2nd, 2010
One of the most interesting and varied jobs on any theatrical production is that of props buyer. It can take you to the strangest shops and involve in you in some highly unusual Google searches as you try to track bizarre items.
At the beginning of rehearsals a list of stage props required will normally be drawn up and either handed to the props department (if the budget of the theatre company concerned can accommodate such a thing) or a member of stage management. Sometimes, when working on the fringe, it can be one of the actors who have the job of tracking down the props.
The director and the designer normally have the last word on whether stage props are accurate. If the props buyer is fortunate, their director will be grateful for getting anything. If not, the props buyer may find they are banging their head against a wall as every day seems to bring a dismissal of their latest suggestion.
Occasionally, the props buyer will encounter some good luck. For example, if they are involved in a production of a classic play they may find a company that has mounted a production of the play and still has all the stage props carefully stored away.
At Keeley Hire, we are the prop buyer’s best friend. We have over half a million props covering all historical periods and geographical locations, even imaginary ones. Many are authentic period pieces that can be hired for a fraction of the cost of purchase.
Tags: Movie Props, Prop Hire, Props, Stage Props
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