Comparisons

 Mixed media artist Gillian Lee Smith and sculptor Piero gilardi, both work with a similar material. With Gilardi making his fine sculptures from foam, they both use a soft material for their creations, however they both give off different effects.
    Gillian's dolls are mainly made from a soft fabric, which usually would espress comfort, however each doll has their own darker story behind them, they are painted with high quality detail show the sadness, and pain in each of them, reflecting a story that Gillian had heard about after working with dementia sufferers. Gilardi also uses a soft material, foam that he forms into naturalistic sculptures. They have a different effect from the dolls, being fruit, plants or vegetables that he creates, they don't reflect any emotions. They have a theatrical side to them as they are exaggerated in size, colour and shape. They have a unique edge to them, giving off a more positive feeling with them being naturalistic sculptures, compared to the dolls that express negativity from their odd looks, sad faces and the story behind them.

Iain Simons

Iain Simons, director of Game City and Richard Coyle, props maker both have the similarity of trying to bring a modern twist into what they're both working on. Iain holds the event in the City of Nottingham every year, getting the public involved when trying to create an original idea for video gaming or advertising Game City, moving away from the symbolic gaming images like Pacman or Space Invaders. Richard Coyle however, creates props for television shows or conventions that are held, like Game City. He first moved into this career when he updated a ray gun at a Star Trek convention in 1977, having a background in electronics, he added lights and sounds effects to the modernised ray guns which fans instantly took a shine to. Both Iain and Richard are always looking for something new to work on and try to modernise it, making it stand out above everything else and adding their own unique twist to try and keep up to date with their target audiences.

                                                                                                                    Richard coyle

I have taken an interest in Piero Gilardi's work, the material that he works with is very light and easy to manouver, a good quality when it comes to carrying props around a theatre stage. I want to create props for Alice in Wonderland, and with the foam looking theatrical I think it would suit it perfectly as I can exaggerate what I'm creating to make it visible from afar on stage to the audience. I also really Like Gillian Lee Smith's work, she uses a range of media to achieve her beautiful paintings or sculptures, allowing her to work in fine detail, which is important when trying to express the mood on a stage. Using a range of media will  allow me to achieve the same effect, making the props visible and giving them an original twist.

Richard Coyle

 Richard Coyle has been in the props making industry since 1979 where he and his company have produced props for numerous films such as Star Treks II, IV, V and VI, Reanimator, Ice Pirates, Creature, Trancers, and many, many more. He has also produced props for numerous television shows including Star Trek, The next Generation, Automan, Nightrider and The Fall Guy. Coyle Now owns and operates his own prop making shop in Arizona. 


Coyle's prop making career began when he went to see  Star Trek for the first time in 1977, and heard of the conventions that came along with it. After going to one, he wanted to do a little more. He found a dealers room where people sold all kinds of things, and with his background in electronics as a TV repair man, he was able to put lights and sound effects into the ray guns, fans instantly took a new shine to the updated models being sold.

This ray gun is possibly Coyle's most well known prop that he has made to date, which was made for the Star Trek movies. He explains having a career in making props is rather challenging, he doesn't get time off and works for a basic living wage right now, he was at his peek in the 1980's. I think this looks like a fantastically made gun, appealing to its sci-fi target audience very well with its futuristic look (When it was created in the 1980's), expressed through the metalic colours and high-tech features, Coyle made the perfect model that fit the film perfectly.