Prop Maker

A prop and costume maker based out of Brighton, UK. Keith finished his Prop Making and Special Effects degree from Northbrook College in 2015, and is now working at Plunge Creations, as well as taking independent commissions.

My name is Keith Thomson

I’m a 37-year-old prop maker based in Worthing, West Sussex. I completed a Politics degree in 2007, but spent most of the time there making props and costumes. This trend continued all the way up to 2013, when I finally decided to try to turn my hobby into my profession.

I followed the advice of friends in the industry, and made my way to Northbrook College to embark on a Prop Making and Special Effects degree. The two-year course gave me a grounding in moulding, casting, woodwork, metalwork, foamwork, pattern making and everything in between! Throughout my degree I supported myself with part-time work, and took independent commissions whenever I could, so I’m no stranger to hard work. I was frequently the first in the studio and the last to leave, as I can’t think of anywhere I feel more at home than in a workshop.

After leaving college I immediately stared a three-month placement at Pinewood Studios working on the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Thereafter, I have spent the last five years working for Plunge Creations in Hove, West Sussex. I have developed greatly as a prop maker, and have now built a portfolio of work that I feel stands me in good stead to grow as an effective and hard working prop maker. As well as developing as a maker I have also been entrusted with on-site installs, both domestically and abroad.

My name is Keith Thomson

I’m a prop maker based in Worthing, West Sussex. I completed a Politics degree in 2007, but spent most of the time there making props and costumes. This trend continued all the way up to 2013, when I finally decided to try to turn my hobby into my profession

latest project

Samsung Haunted House

The project for Samsung Haunted House was split into multiple facets. The main focal point of our studio builds were a giant skeleton and a large spider. While the spider would sadly end up on the cutting room floor, the skeleton remained. The brief was to design a three meter tall skeleton, from the pelvis upwards, that could be puppeteered. Because of that brief, the puppet had to be very lightweight, relatively robust despite it's one-time use, and waterproof, should the elements come into play.

The whole skeleton was a polystyrene carve, bolstered with aluminium scaffolding where necessary. The joints of the bones were woven bungie cable running through steel hooks, and the poly itself was idenden scrimmed. After that, it was multiple paint washes and artworking, followed by a matt glaze.

The arms were puppeteered via glass fibre tubes attached to the back of the hands via aluminium brackets. Finally, the whole sculpt was pivoted and counterweighted, so that the skeleton to go from supine upright in a swift manner

The filming for the advert was beset with many issues. The digital projection required two weighty, expensive projectors to be positioned upon two different scaffold towers. We did this via a genie lift, which was a nervewracking experience, especially in the rain and wind. The skeleton needed to have a temporary wall erected around him, and dressed with rocks, astro-turf, foliage and real turf.

The puppeteering took about 45 minutes, which was something I wasn't expecting to do, but did to the best of my ability. The two days on set were each roughly 16 hours long, and were cold, wet and tiring. But we all came together to produce a fun effect.

Samsung Alternative Careers Guide:
Meet Keith Thomson

Get to know a little more about me and my journey through the industry so far.

What I Do

sculpting

Experience with poly-based sculpting

moulding and casting

From large scale silicone‐jacket moulds, to matrix, to fibreglass, to vac-form. I’ve done plenty of plaster moulds, latex pours, core moulds, multi-part moulds and composite moulds.