Paramount Soundstage Prop Weapons Approval Process Guide
Here at the Paramount Soundstage, we strive to foster a safe and healthy work environment that allows the students to grow and experiment while learning industry wide standards that they can carry with them into the world.
This guide is to help you to navigate the process of registering your Prop Weapons for use on the Soundstage. Please read the following procedures carefully to help make your time and experience productive.
NO REAL WEAPONS
Prop weapons by their very nature are not real weapons. They are weapons that have been made or altered to be used on set as safely as possible.
This includes:
- all weapons that will be brandished by the various talent.
- any weapons that are used as set decoration.
- any non-brandished weapon that is worn as part of a costume.
All prop weapons need to be made nonfunctioning.
This Includes:
- edged weapons need to be made of plastic or dulled; knives, blades, swords, etc.
- anything that can discharge a projectile needs to be made inoperable; pellet guns, air soft guns, nerf guns, etc.
- all pointed weapons need to be blunted; knives, pokers, pencils, pitchforks, etc.
- blunt weapons need to be made soft; bats, bludgeons, cudgels, bo staffs, shillelaghs, etc.
STEPS FOR SECURING A PROP WEAPON FOR USE DURING YOUR PRODUCTION
1. SOUNDSTAGE VERBAL APPROVAL
Make an appointment with The Soundstage Manager or Assistant Manager to discuss your idea about what prop weapon(s) you are considering using and get their verbal approval. The Soundstage Management reserves the right to deny the use of any prop weapons on stage.
Soundstage Use Request LINK
2. SOF PORTAL WEAPONS REGISTRATION
Please follow the steps as outlined in the SOF production portal for prop weapons use and registration.
SOF Prop Weapons Safety Guidelines LINK (Part 2, Section E.)
SOF Production Portal LINK
3. Emerson College Police Department Approval Process
a. Go to the ECPD Prop Weapons Approval Form. LINK
b. Download the PDF Form.
c. Photograph the Prop weapons that will be used.
d. Print Completed Form and Picture. EXAMPLE
e. Email police_operations@emerson.edu or call 617-824-8555 to set up an Appointment for Visual Inspection of prop weapon(s).
f. On the Date bring the filled out Form, Prop Weapon Photograph, Your Student I.D. and the Physical Prop Weapon being used, It must be in a non-see-through bag that is able to be closed, to the ECPD meeting.
g. Respect the decision of the ECPD on whether the prop weapon may be used.
h. Load the Completed Form the ECPD send to you into your Soundstage Shared Drive
4. If anything changes, (date of use, time of use, type of weapon) you must let Soundstage, VMA, and the ECPD know.
5. Under NO circumstance can you add weapons that have not gone through the approval process.
ON SET PROCEDURE FOR USE OF PROP WEAPONS
1. On your production date You must present the prop weapons, in a closable non-see-through bag, and the completed Approval Form to the soundstage manager, assistant manager, or production supervisor on the Friday afternoon or Saturday morning of the start of production.
2. The Prop Weapon will be stored in the Soundstage Office and will be made available upon request. When finished with the weapon it must be returned to the Soundstage Staff to be stored until production is over.
3. The AD must call a set meeting including the stage staff and announce that the weapon is entering the set. They must Demonstrate that the weapon is nonfunctional and describe how it will be used in the scene. The only people that should handle the Prop weapon are the Actor, the Safety Coordinator / AD, and the director if they need to demonstrate how it is to be used. The Prop Weapon should not leave the soundstage while it is in use. When it is finished being used, return it to the soundstage staff for safe keeping.
4. All weapons will be returned after wrap.