Research Blog Cambridge Project

Research: Props (Mystery Genre)

When I was doing research to find inspiration for my film opening, I came up with some ideas for the plot of my own film opening. After finishing up the main premise of the opening I realized that I would have to gather and use props in the production of the film as props play a very important role in communicating parts of the story to the audience. So after I realized this I went and researched props that are commonly used often in mystery films in order see examples of how mystery movies use props to help create meaning. The research provided a few common examples like newspapers, investigation boards, magnifying glasses, and flashlights just to name a few, all of which are often used to convey clues and build up the mystery.

Reasons why props are important

Props are essential in mystery movies because they help provide crucial clues and evidence that move the narrative forward and encourages audience interaction by persuading them to try and solve the mystery themselves. They often help guide and attract the audience's attention towards important details while still keeping the suspense and secrecy. Filmmakers in the genre can create hidden codes or correlations that keep the viewers engaged and wondering about what is happening.

In addition, they also contribute to things like character development and setting. For example, simple everyday objects can reveal things like a character's personality and lifestyle even if there is no dialogue.  People may not realize this at first just like I how didn’t realize when I was first beginning this class but after taking this course I do realize that they help do all of this and much more. They can also carry a deeper meaning and representation that can help support the themes within the story. A good example of this can be seen in Alfred Hitcock’s Psycho (1960) where the female character(Marion Crane) was flushing down the toilet torn paper which contained evidence of money that she had stolen and emphasizes her guilt and increased the tension within the audience. The prop makes a very short appearance but in the short time it was made very clear that it was important and added onto the mystery (Spoiler) when she died shortly afterwards which subverted audience's expectations. This also showed how props can be used to mislead viewers and dramatize certain events.

Ideas for Props

Below are some of the original ideas for props that we had before conducting our research. Props shown in brackets were removed due to cost, practically, and other limitations.

• Envelopes - (Similar to coded messages in other media like the Riddler in DC media that would provide clues to push the investigation forwards, while leaving an iconic symbol like the cards in the video game and series Persona 5)
• Newspapers - (Feaurting headlines related to the antagonist, providing additional context about previous events)
• Sticky notes - (Used to contain recorded discoveries and theories related to the antagonist)
• {Moving whiteboard} - (Originally intended to organize the clues but removed due to practicality)
• Half-Empty coffee mugs And Empty Ramen Cups(Used to imply the protagonist’s character by showing his lifestyle and obsession with the case)

Below are some of the ideas for props that we came up with after the research

• Photographs(Used to show some physical evidence the protagonist has so far as well as to allow the audience to visually assess and understand the investigation.)
• Blackboard( A location to display the photographs and sticky notes, to reinforce the investigation-board trope commonly used in mystery films.)
• Necklace(Acts as part of the MacGuffin that gets stolen and is what drives the protagonist forward which follows Propp’s Narrative Theory (1928) that also sets up the main antagonist of the film)

Below are some potential ideas that we may or may not use.

• Eviction papers/Unpaid bills(Could be used to develop the protagonist’s character by showing his financial situation and could provide an additional motivation for the case)
• Mask(Could be used to make the mystery about what is the antagonist’s identity more intriguing and apply to the costume design of the characters)