A Galliano Goose-Chase | Designing and Making Graphic Props for Filmmaking

Vinnie Galliano was a famous mobster from New York during the 1960’s who was charged with numerous offences during his reign of terror. Murder, extortion and corruption of public officials were among Galliano’s repertoire. The New York Police Department conducted a secret undercover operation to arrest him however, their plans were foiled after Vinnie was tipped off and fled the scene - jumping out of the window and making a dramatic exit via getaway car.

I created a series of props to document the rise and fall of the Galliano narrative including a Criminal RAP sheet, a newspaper front page and a call memo sheet from within the Police Department.

For my project I decided to base my fictional character Vinnie Galliano after an old passport photo of my Dad. I always joke about how his passport photos always look a little scary so this is his mafia moment! After researching some images of various rap sheets I decided to pick my favourite elements from each one to use in my design. Working in Photoshop I hand drew all the lines, as well as creating two faux stamps. I added some texture to the text so that it looked like the ink was patchy. To create the mugshot I desaturated the colour and photoshopped a little ID board on the bottom. This feature appeared in most of my reference photos, so I thought that was a nice touch to include. Next, for my newspaper, I thought of a catchy headline that told us a little about the character. I also added in some visual details that set the scene like including the statue of liberty for the newspaper header.

As mostly a digital artist I really missed the hands on constructing part! After tackling a few printer issues that I managed to work around I added all the little details. I used Annies aging trick with the vaseline and folded some of the corners to reflect the handling process. I didn't have time to get a stamp made so I created one in photoshop using a masking trick to create an ink repelling effect. I think It turned out pretty effective. I also constructed my own folder and used some split clips to bind everything together.

For the final touches in the photographing stage I brought in a few old props to set the scene. I included a vintage photo I found at a flea market that reminded me of mysterious surveillance footage. I also thought to include some bullet casings and a call memo sheet. I designed the call memo in photoshop then printed it out and added the handwriting last.

This project was such a joy to create! Thank you Annie for such an inspiring and insightful course. I can't wait to keep exploring this wonderful world of design for film and TV!

My instagram is @bronterose if anyone is interested in following along with my creative endeavours.