The Secret Life of Props

This project was a cinematographer’s dream: reinterpreting iconic cinematic worlds using original props from those films offered a rare opportunity to experiment while paying homage to some of cinema’s most recognisable visual languages.

We selected three distinct film references, and my task was to craft a look for each set that would subtly evoke its source. As we couldn’t explicitly state which props belonged to which film, the cinematography had to do the storytelling — relying on tone, colour, contrast and composition to guide the audience’s inference.

The magical set embraced a dark yet warm palette, rich in atmosphere and motivated highlights. The regency-inspired world called for a bright, airy treatment with soft contrast and refined tonal separation. For the spy environment, I built a high-contrast, tonally rich look with sculpted shadows and controlled warmth to suggest tension and intrigue.

Working within budget constraints, I chose Zeiss Supreme Prime lenses for their versatility and clean cinematic rendering, pairing them with a Laowa Periscope probe for select dynamic shots that added scale and visual punctuation.

The Secret Life of Props explores the hidden world behind some of cinema’s most recognisable objects, offering a glimpse into the craftsmanship and history that help bring stories to life on screen. At the centre of the film is the extraordinary archive of the Eccentric Trading Company, whose collection of film props spans decades of major productions.

For nearly forty years, the Jordan family have operated what is often described as a “warehouse of wonders”, supplying the film industry with distinctive pieces that shape the tone and authenticity of a scene. Their catalogue ranges from European sculptures to vintage Louis Vuitton luggage, each object carrying its own cinematic history.

The brief for the film was to highlight a selection of props that were due to be auctioned by Lyon & Turnbull. From a production perspective, the challenge was that we were unable to explicitly reference the films or television shows these props originally appeared in. Instead, the creative relied on carefully designed sets, lighting and visual cues to subtly evoke the cinematic worlds they belonged to. By constructing environments that felt tonally aligned with those stories, the film allowed audiences to intuitively recognise the heritage of the props without ever directly naming their origins.