Sets

Due to engineering and space considerations related to the sets, the film will not be shot chronologically. The first scenes to be shot will take place in Conrad’s underwater cave off the coast of Normandy, where he brings all of his ill-gotten gains. The props are well underway, so it is time to start building!

The supports for the walls are made of armature wire and chicken wire. 

 The only window in the room must be positioned just right so Conrad can relax while observing the fish and other sea creatures swimming by….

 

Now that the structure is ready, the walls are coated with plaster bandages, the shape of the stone walls is sculpted out of chunks of Styrofoam, and details are molded out of bits of sponge and fabric. The set is ready to be painted!

Props Part 2

Miniature works of art that will play a major and ominous role in Conrad’s fate are now in the process of being made out of air-dry clay, glazed oven-bake clay and painted Milliput. 

Props Part 1

The action in The Burglar With the Yellow Hand will involve numerous props of different kinds and made from different materials. Some of these props represent works of art stolen by the crafty Conrad and hidden away in his underwater lair. Some will help convey the style and comfort of Conrad’s exotic home. All of these props are made by hand using a variety of tools and materials.

Living in the early 1900s, and deeply immersed in the art, culture and fashions of his time, Conrad is a great appreciator of Impressionist art and Japanese prints and design. This will be reflected in the Japanese-inspired design of his furniture and the woodblock prints that will adorn his walls.

Some of the first props to be made are Conrad’s washstand, a small matching coffee table and a chest. The washstand and its simple clay jug will figure prominently in a pivotal sequence in the film.

They are made of balsa wood, carved by hand,

 

Painted black and varnished…

… and completed with a pair of linen towels, a clay pot and an oven-baked clay water jug.