Cinematic Storytelling: Props

This chapter of the cinematic storytelling book revolved around the use of props, which serve a very important and sometimes pivotal point of the plot. Props can be used to speak visually and set off important points of the plot for the audience to ponder on. The text explains a scene from Raging Bull in which the main character, who is slowly losing his touch on reality, is trying to manipulate the signal on the tv. The image sputters to represent his slipping sanity, and when he does lose control the tv display goes crazy to recreate the feeling. Props, when used correctly, can convey as much, if not more, emotion that the actors who appear on the screen. Props can also be repetitive, like a costume in a film. The recurrence of a particular prop will cement its importance and ground the audience to a particular concept in the film. Some films are unique in picking a particular prop like clothing or vehicles as a motif throughout the film. Props play an extremely important role in any film and can easily be used to tell story and to suggest ideas, and should be treated very carefully.