Welcome to the first in a very, very long series of entries cataloging the inventory of the Strange Ink Pictures prop department. As Prop Master (and Props Master) I will be your host as we document the history, application and value of the multitude of items that fill the trunks and closets of our production warehouse (my basement).

Prop Catalog # SI.001 – Chef Shirt

History: This item came from my personal collection of… shirts. That sounds weird, though. I mean, I didn’t (and still don’t) COLLECT shirts, per se. I have shirts the same way anyone else has shirts, to decorate my torso. Why did I have a chef shirt? The same reason anyone else would have a chef shirt… because it’s awesome (a point debated regularly by the staff at Strange Ink Pictures).

I don’t remember exactly when and where I acquired this piece. Sometimes items come from flea markets, sometimes they come from old roommates who have abandoned their culinary school supplies… there’s just no way to track all of the items (until now). So far this piece has been in the prop department since Strange Ink Pictures’ inception almost 365 days ago.

As of this writing it has yet to be used in a Strange Ink Pictures production. It is important to note, however, that there are several scripts currently in development that this prop factors into prominently. (Editor’s note: No there isn’t.)

Application: Unlimited.

“But Dan, surely the only use is for a chef character” you might say. To which I would certainly reply: “No. That’s wrong.”

Time-traveling cowboy? Eccentric, retired Naval deep-sea diver? Undercover, geisha assassin? Wise-cracking robot puppet? Why do I have to do all the work around here? (This should help our Google search results).

Look, if science fiction has taught us anything about the future it’s that shirts will button up the side. How we transition from strictly culinary uniform usage to entire militaries and scientific explorers  hasn’t been covered just yet.

Value: Who can say? How much is Freddy Krueger’s glove worth? Herbie the Luvbug? Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber? These are all props that have transcended their physical characteristics. Their value is greater than the sum of their physical properties. This shirt hasn’t been used in a Strange Ink Pictures film yet, therefore, its value is limitless. What film WILL it be used in? How important will that film be and how important will this prop be to that film? These questions are unanswerable.

Up next… SI.002 Mtv Microphone

Tags: chef shirt, films, Props | Category Props, films