Props & Set Dressing (cont'd)

Studios often store props and set décor after they've been used to build a resource library for future films and sequels. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) created its own Property Department in 1991. More than 500,000 assorted props and set accessories have been collected for decades and are stored in SPE's 70,000 square foot warehouse.

Need Tibetan chairs? Aisle 4. Life-size camels, horses and cows are corralled on aisle 6. Air Force One dishware, western saddles, police signs and Egyptian thrones are stacked, stowed and hung on the walls. The staff helps set decorators, theatrical designers and event planners find their way down towering aisles, tagging the perfect props for their productions. More than 1,000 items are checked in or out daily to a diverse array of clients that include universities and other studios.

Like all aspects of movie-making, details are crucial, and nobody knows this better than the set decorator and property master. With every curtain, lamp and bowl found on a set, the prop and art departments help bring the filmmakers’ vision to life.