Learn for yourself by watching Adam Savage’s cinematic props

Adam Savage is one of my favorite people in the world. Even after the success of Mythbusters, he remained super down to earth. You do not trust me? Check out his Reddit AMA; we think it’s one of the best ever I’d watch a video of him waiting for the paint to dry — ironically this is what I did on Tested, a great tech youtube channel he produces.

When Adam doesn’t bust the myths he likes to relax by recreating cinematic props. Tested has a large series of Adam videos showing how he created many amazing movie props and costumes. Although Adam is obviously an incredibly skilled artist with a full workshop, he always makes it clear that he started with airboard and foil. Watching Adam at work is not only inspiring, but also picks up a lot of techniques that you can use in your own builds.

Hotel overlooking the labyrinth

Adam’s recreation of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining’s Overlook Hotel maze model went viral last month. His painstaking, month-long project resulted in a nearly perfect copy of the original from the film. The labyrinth turned out so good that it was purchased by the Stanley Kubrick Travel Museum.

Unlike some of Adam’s projects, the Overlook Hotel maze only requires basic woodworking skills and a lot of patience. Adam encourages people to take what he has done and improve it. His detailed build notes show how he solved each problem and detail how he built the labyrinth. All the information to create your own version is in them.

Indiana Jones «Bullwhip»

While Adam is familiar with a lot of the stuff from his days as a movie model maker, leather wasn’t one of them — at least not until he decided to recreate Indiana Jones’ bullwhip. The whip is one of the most iconic props he has ever built. More importantly, it’s a perfect example of how you don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing right from the start.

Adam learned huge sums simply by researching and building the first whip. If there’s something you want to do but aren’t sure you have the skills for, if it doesn’t use mains power, just start doing it and learn as you go. Your first version probably sucks, but you can always put together a second, improved version.

Blade Runner Blaster

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner blaster is another iconic prop used by Harrison Ford, to which Adam has dedicated a lot of time. Although only one official prop has ever been made, countless attempts have been made by collectors over the decades to create a perfect replica. The internet has come to the rescue and the models available today are much better than anything in the past.

If you want to create a great copy of a movie, you don’t have to start from scratch. You can pick up a kit, such as the Blade Runner blaster. With very basic crafting skills and a little bit of painting, you will easily get something that you can display on the shelf.

Doctor Octopus Costume

Adam doesn’t devote years of research to everything he creates. After comedian Patton Oswalt tweeted that he was looking for a Doctor Octopus costume for Halloween, Adam created this amazing foam version in four hours. The suit is made from wire reinforcement, mattress foam, and a small sheet of aluminum—anything you can get at a good hardware store—and put together with simple tricks.

In the video, Adam shows you exactly how you can create your own. This is proof that a functional prop with a beautiful look doesn’t have to cost hundreds of dollars or take weeks to complete. Anyone should be able to take on this project.

Hellboy Mecha Glove

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Adam’s fur glove from Hellboy. Adam spent not weeks, but years on this. Many of the individual components had to be carefully crafted. This is an extremely impressive build, drawing on everything Adam has learned over two decades in the special effects industry. The important takeaway is not the myriad different methods Adam used to create the glove, but the passion and dedication with which he approached it.