Prop List

Car

In the shots which involve the two main characters driving away and when the drug dealers confront the main character about what they owe him, a car is needed as a prop. Two of the actors which are involved in the music video own cars and are licensed to drive therefore this is easily achievable. To maintain health and safety whilst filming, I am assuring that the actors pictured driving are only those who are legally allowed to drive and insured. The usage of cars in these shots is necessary to progress the narrative and enable character development through the condition that the cars used are in. As young drivers, the price of insurance is very high which means that they own ‘novice’ cars. Although the age of the characters taken from the narrative is not clear, usage of mise-en-scene will convey that they are all under the age of 23. 

Smoking Paraphernalia

In the sixth shot, the secondary character is shown smoking cannabis from a ‘bong’ in his room. I intend to obtain this prop through borrowing one from a friends’ shop which sells smoking paraphernalia, although upon filming it will only be implied that it is being used and no cannabis will be involved. I feel that it is necessary to use this prop in a shot as it establishes the lifestyle that these characters lead on a day-to-day basis and their casual attitudes towards it. Further in the narrative, the character which is shown taking drugs in this shot dies from an overdose. The usage of the prop reinforces the fact that he is a troubled person who feels reliant on drug abuse. 

Fake Drugs

Many of the shots based on the main characters receiving these drugs from the main drug dealers feature frames of white powder and small bags placed on a table. Namely, shots seven and eight show a large amount of these drugs placed on a table. Shot eight shows the drugs in the other main characters’ house as he takes them, for both of these shots fake drugs are needed to create the illusion that they are users. This will be mostly a mixture of crushed up sugar granules to make sure that if anything is accidentally inhaled, it will not be harmful for the actor. 

Gun

In the finale of the music video, there are shots which involve the main drug dealer murdering the main character for owing him money. This shows the drug dealer grabbing a gun from his trousers and shooting the main character as he is running from a distance. The decision to have this prop came from past research of companies such as BARB and BBFC who assess a small amount of music videos when broadcasted on film. It is noticeable that they have banned or cut graphic violence from music videos which would have to be considered if the music video was to be broadcasted. From this, I decided that a shooting with a gun would be less graphic than a stabbing or anything which may have been more realistic. From when I was young, I own toy guns which could be used to create the illusion of a real gun. 

Guitar

Often in the music video, there is a break from the narrative where a musician plays along with the song in the background. This feature is used to create the impression of a lot of other alternative-rock music videos which are currently in circulation. For these shots, a guitar is needed to make the actor appear to be a real musician; I own a reasonably professional guitar which would be appropriate for this filming. Along with the costume that the actor who plays the singer from Radiohead will be wearing, verisimilitude will be created through the appearance of a musician.