Entertainment,Movies & tvAPR 12, 2025

50 Times Filmmakers Repurposed Everyday Items As Props And Hoped No One Would Notice (New Pics)

Indrė Lukošiūtė and Rokas Laurinavičius

Prefer us in Search Follow on Discover

76

32

Movies want to take us to an alternate reality. But to create it, the crew has to use real-life things. So, they improvise.

The subreddit r/ThatsABookLight is dedicated to dissecting these attempts, both the fascinating and the absurd—the members of this online community are exposing everyday household and commercial items being repurposed as something entirely different for the big screen.

Whether it's a calculator used as a b**b clock or a sponge meant to represent a belt pouch, nothing gets past these folks.

#41 Transporter Test Cylinder Is A Sonobuoy Case

A filmmaker uses creative props on set, including re-purposed industrial tubes from a hardware store.

NeilFraser, Paramount Pictures

Report

22points

#42 The Helmets In The Original Tron Movie Were The Popular Cooper Sk2000 Hockey Helmet

Creative use of props: an actor in futuristic costume and a hockey player in a yellow helmet.

arghthor, Walt Disney Productions

Report

22points

#43 In Star Trek Picard S02e10, A Character Needs To Hack A Device That Seems To Be Controlled By A Powered Off Korg Nanokontrol Mixing Interface

Creative filmmakers using music controller as a prop in a movie scene, highlighting its versatility.

Perrylicious, Paramount Pictures

Report

21points

#44 That's A Barcode Scanner From 2014. In The TV Show "The Rookie"

Filmmakers creatively use scanner prop to match fingerprints in a scene.

SavingsTask, 20th Century Fox

Report

21points

#45 Mmmm, Fried Facehuggers - High-Tech Lab Equipment On Lv426 Is A Deep Fat Fryer (Aliens 1986)

Film scene with soldiers using a kitchen appliance as a creative prop.

spinefinger, Brandywine Productions

Report

21points

#46 In Macgruber [2010], Macgruber's Keypad Lock To His Secret Agent Stash Is The Handheld Electronic Game Lights Out Released In 1995 By Tiger Electronics

Filmmakers creatively used a handheld electronic game as a futuristic movie prop.

Report

19points

#47 [tv] In Battlestar Galactica [1979], These "Fruits" Are Just Balloons

Creative film prop resembling unique fruit hanging from a tree.

heidismiles, Universal Television

Report

19points

#48 Cpt. Picard With What Looks To Be A Box Cutter

Actor holding a prop in a sci-fi setting, alongside a close-up of the prop and a similar orange utility cutter.

cincyphil, Paramount Pictures

Report

18points

#49 Klingons In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine [1994] Drink Out Of Measuring Cups

Creative use of aluminum measuring cup as alien prop in film scene.

TheNearestAirlock

Report

18points

#50 In The Flash Ep 713, The Eeg Scanners On Barry's Head Appear To Be Just A Bunch Of Shure Headset Mics

Creative use of Shure WH20 headset microphone as a prop in a film scene.

SayNO2AutoCorect, Warner Bros. Television Studios

Report

17points

76

32

Indrė LukošiūtėBoredPanda Staff

50 Times Filmmakers Repurposed Everyday Items As Props And Hoped No One Would Notice (New Pics) | Bored Panda