The prop that the antagonist will be holding/using, can tell the audience a lot about the character. If the prop is a weapon (which is what the antagonist will usually have), the weapon/prop will imply and/or show the audience just how violent the person is. If the antagonist is holding a sharp knife, the audience can infer that they do not mind getting up close and personal whenever they are trying to kill someone. However, if the antagonist is holding a gun, the audience can see that the antagonist prefers to do their killings from a distance.
A death by knife is going to be more violent than a death by gun.
A prop can easily change the representation of a character. A character can go from being/doing something innocent, to being perceived as a threat; a danger. This is why producer must carefully plan out what props to use, so that the audience will interpret the characters in the way the producers want. Planning these props takes both time and consideration. The target audience must be taken into consideration as well. A teenager may not perceive a characters representation the same way an adult might
An example of the use of a prop:
Imagine a child, a little boy aged around 5 years old. He has his arms by his side and he is holding a teddy bear by its arm in his left hand. this child has an annoyed/angry look on his face. To the audience, this child looks like he is just having a tantrum. He is not coming across as dangerous, or any kind of treat. However, if you change the teddy bear to a bloody knife being held instead, the image changes. The audience will now feel a sense of fear, as they can infer somebody has been hurt by this child (judging from the blood on the knife). The angry look on his face, coupled with the knife will imply he is going to hurt more people. This child is now coming across as dangerous; as a threat to the people around him.
Some screenshot prop analysis:
- Texas chainsaw massacre:
A prop within the image is a chainsaw, (being held up in the air). The prop is being used to show the audience how violent this antagonist is. A chainsaw implies that the killer does not mind getting up close and personal, creating a sense of fear and potential disgust within the audience. These emotions are being created as a chainsaw killing is going to make a mess... even if the audience do not physically see the chainsaw cutting into somebody, they understand and know what is happening... It is a gory weapon. This (imagined or physical) image, coupled with characters cries of pain, fro the audience, will create the feeling of disgust, fear and potentially empathy for the character.The prop is being held up in the air, above the characters head. This positioning tells me that anyone unfortunate enough to be below its blades, can/will be seen as small, weak and insignificant, (and that they are about to come to a painful and bloody demise...). A sense of anticipation, as well as fear of the chainsaw falling upon a character, will be created at this point because the audience knows what is about to happen.
