

SPMinars: like webinars but better
What’s a SPMinar? It’s like webinar but better. Animatronics, firearms safety, blood recipes,
fake (and real) food. Props professionals share their tips and tricks (almost) monthly via our YouTube channel.
We are requesting pay-what-you-can donations to support this S*P*A*Minar programming. All money collected will be used to offset webinar operation costs with additional funds going to our annual grant program for early career prop people. Suggested donation amount is $3. If you’ve already donated, thank you! If you are able, pay what you can donations can be made via Venmo, Zelle, or Paypal. Venmo @SPMfund Paypal Money Pool @SPAMprops Zelle to spamdues@gmail.com

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Animatronics- Where Objects Come to Life
In this SPMinar, viewers will learn what animatronics are and where they are used. They will then learn some of the basic technology to add movement and control to their own creations.
Eric Hart is the interim Director of Animatronics at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He has built props and effects for shows on and off Broadway, regional theaters and operas, films and commercials. He has been a member of SPM since 2009.

Firearms Safety for the Stage
This S*P*Minar with S*P*M member Jim Guy will be a sprint through the policies and procedures needed for the selection and safe use of blank-firing guns and ammunition with an emphasis on pre-production preparation, and backstage and onstage protocols.
Jim has been designing and building props and dressing sets professionally since he joined the resident company of Cleveland Play House more than 43 years ago. Since then, his work has been seen on and off Broadway and in theaters across the country. He detoured into the academic world for seven years to run the Master in Fine Arts program in Theatrical Properties Management and Design at the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. He then returned to the true faith of professional theater when he became Properties Director at Milwaukee Repertory Theater 26 years ago. In addition to his theatrical work, Mr. Guy continues to teach and freelance – doing props, set dressing and special effects for opera, film, industrial and commercial video and print.
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Using Airtable for Props Organization
Liz Baehr will share an overview of the ways Airtable can help keep your shop organized and on track. She’ll cover a prop bible, inventory databases, workload visualization and integrations along with some helpful tips and tricks. Everything shown will be through the free plan of Airtable with some comparisons to the paid plans.
Liz Baehr is the Props Manager for the Resident Ensemble Players at the University of Delaware. She has been a member of SPM for 14 years and is currently the Secretary and a member of the Communications and Grants committees. She is also a fiber artist and small business owner, with home studio making accessories and home decor.
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From tufting to textures, daggers to set decorations,
our topics run the proverbial props gamut.
- I Have to Eat WHAT!?! Stirring solutions for prop food onstage
- Blood, Guts, and Vomit: Investigating the Gory Side of Props
- Anatomy of a Production – Sweeney Todd
- Come Clay with Me! An Introduction to Sculpting Mediums for Prop Building
- How’d They Build That Prop? Cool builds from the Penn State Props Shop
- Greening Our Theatre Practices
- Grading for the Arts Based Classroom
- Proper Prop Presenting - Portfolio Reviews and Tips
- Set Decoration—The Forgotten Narrative
- Making Your Own Stage Blood
- What's Cookin'? Tips and Tricks to Making Realistic Fake Food
- Tufting, Tacking, and Trim for Theatrical Upholstery
- The Art of Authenticity
- Is this a dagger I see before me?
- Props and the Abbey Theatre, the National Theatre of Ireland
- Props You Can Make At Home
- Fix It With A Formula
- Ask A Prop Manager Anything
- Prop Adjacent Careers in Film, TV, and Trades
- How Do I Know What Type of Mold To Use?
- Textures 101
- Bloody Hell, A Variety of Ways to Execute Blood Special Effects
- Life is Hard, Puppets Aren't
