Got schooled on prop safety at a shoot in Austin last summer

We were filming a bar fight scene and I'd made a set of 'glass' bottles from clear resin. They looked great but were way too hard. The director wanted a bottle to break over an actor's shoulder, and when the stunt guy hit it, a sharp piece flew off and cut the back of his hand. Nothing major, but it bled and we had to stop. The prop master showed me how to score the resin with a hot blade before the pour, creating weak points so it shatters into dull chunks. Now I always test break my fake glass on a piece of wood before it goes near a person. What's your go-to method for making safe breakaway props?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_blair1mo ago

Score them? I just use sugar glass.

amygonzalez1mo ago

Scoring resin is smart, but sugar glass is still my go-to for close hits. It's just way more forgiving if something goes wrong.