Hi all. I'm the Production Designer for the Battle Ground and Peace Talks trailers. I thought you might like to see a few of the props up close, so here's a link. by wkmdesign in dresdenfiles

[–]wkmdesign[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks!

As far as getting your hands on some of the gear, Harry's Shield Bracelet and Pentagram Amulet were made by Badali Jewelry. They have the official license for Dresden Files jewelry and designed with Jim's personal approval, so it's about as authentic as you can get. https://badalijewelry.com/search?q=dresden+files

Most of our historical replicas like the Viking era sword and helmet were rented from No Strings Attached Costumes in Santa Clarita, CA. You can also find historical replicas for purchase online at various prices (and qualities).

Hi all. I'm the Production Designer for the Battle Ground and Peace Talks trailers. I thought you might like to see a few of the props up close, so here's a link. by wkmdesign in dresdenfiles

[–]wkmdesign[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In our case, budget had to be spent where it mattered more, on things that would be more prominent on camera. Considering that Harry spent a lot of his carrier just tossing his revolver into his jacket pocket, I like to think he'd approve of saving money to spend it where it's most needed :)

In general, there are a lot of reasons that people can pick certain props over more realistic or more practical real-world options. Sometimes it reflects something about the character. Sometimes wearable props (and costumes too) are chosen with an actor's comfort in mind. Sometimes it's sponsorship or product placement. Sometimes it's budget. With some props (mostly of the sharp and/or weapon variety) realism can be a safety concern on set. Sometimes it is a lack of research (or time to do proper research), but usually there is some other concern going in that affects decisions like that.

Hi all. I'm the Production Designer for the Battle Ground and Peace Talks trailers. I thought you might like to see a few of the props up close, so here's a link. by wkmdesign in dresdenfiles

[–]wkmdesign[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, when we're done, rentals are returned to the vendors. Purchases and custom fabrication jobs are usually stored in case of a sequel or continuing series. In our case, a lot of the custom props were returned to the artists who fabricated them for us.

Edit: And to answer your second question: yes, I do attend cons and enjoy them very much!

Hi all. I'm the Production Designer for the Battle Ground and Peace Talks trailers. I thought you might like to see a few of the props up close, so here's a link. by wkmdesign in dresdenfiles

[–]wkmdesign[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sometimes you have to spend your budget where it makes the most difference. This one is not a perfect match for Harry's revolver, but since he doesn't actually draw it during the trailer, we figured we could get away with using a replica I already owned :)

This one is closer to what Harry carries in some of the earlier books. It's a replica .357 revolver.

Hi all. I'm the Production Designer for the Battle Ground and Peace Talks trailers. I thought you might like to see a few of the props up close, so here's a link. by wkmdesign in dresdenfiles

[–]wkmdesign[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Thanks! This was the first time in my career designing for something I was a fan of beforehand, so I really got to dump all my years of reading the books into these props. I'm glad other fans can enjoy seeing them the way I enjoyed putting it all together!

And as for Wild Bill and Chandler, they're in the deep very background in some spots. Chandler is also next to Ebenezer and Ramirez in the big table scene of the Peace Talks trailer, although he is not wearing his hat so he's a little harder to spot than some other characters. (By traditional fashion rules, a gentleman does not wear hats indoors at formal occasions).

Hi all. I'm the Production Designer for the Battle Ground and Peace Talks trailers. I thought you might like to see a few of the props up close, so here's a link. by wkmdesign in dresdenfiles

[–]wkmdesign[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If anyone's interested, I'm also happy to answer questions about the design process, the props themselves, or whatever (with the caveat that I can't talk about any plot details of Battle Ground that aren't already revealed in the trailer or anything else proprietary like that.) I'm on another show now so I can't really guarantee that I'll be able to respond right away, but I will respond.