breakable bottle movie props

eyethoughtso wrote on 7/13/2006, 9:53 AM

I'm planning on making a commercial with breakable bottles. (I know, most bottles will break.) I mean the kind they use in the movies to break over someones head. Does anyone know where I can obtain these things?

Jeffery

Comments

Jay Gladwell wrote on 7/13/2006, 9:55 AM

Jeff, do a web search for break away props.

Try Rosco.

Spot|DSE wrote on 7/13/2006, 10:03 AM

Jeffery,
Western Stage Props has a lot of bottles, windows, chairs, and other destructible props. They also have fake weapons and common tools for fights such as wrenches, etc.
Additionally, they have some great training vids on how to choreograph and use these tools.

HTH

JackW wrote on 7/13/2006, 11:51 AM

Jeffery:

It's possible to make you own, too. Many years ago we were doing a commercial stage production of a musical called "Destry," a western that included a huge bar fight in which numerous bottles were broken by "gunfire" or over someone's head -- way to many bottles to purchase for the 16 performances involved.

We lightly greased glass bottles, then coated them with a thin coating of clear paraffin. Once the coating hardened, the glass could be slipped out and the wax bottom sealed. Labels were attached and the wax bottles were then stored in the refrigerator until needed.

Several bottles along the back bar of the saloon were shattered by gun fire. To accomplish this we used rat traps with large metal washers welded to the bar that kills the rats, one bottle per trap. The strikers were triggered by a wire, which released the bar/washer, which struck the cold wax bottles with great force, shattering them very realistically.

This worked very well, looked good and cost only a few pennies per bottle.

Jack

eyethoughtso wrote on 7/13/2006, 1:46 PM

thanks for the rosco and western stage suggestions. I had no idea they cost that much to buy for just six. I need to re-think how to get 30 or 40. Any other suggestions?
Jack, I need to color them brown like beer bottles. Did you do brown or just clear bottles?

Jeffery

Is this the producer's job?

JackW wrote on 7/13/2006, 2:28 PM

We had a variety of colors. Depends on the colored wax you use. As I recall, we also experimented successfully with adding food coloring to the paraffin to get subtle shades.

I should mention that to release the wax bottle from the greased glass bottle we dipped the bottle into fairly warm water -- not warm enough to melt the wax, but warm enough to soften the Vaseline.

In the theatre, union or non-union, it's the Property Master's job, or the job of a crafts person sub-contracted for that purpose. In your situation . . . ??

Good luck,

Jack