Watch: Making a Movie Prop – Deckard’s Police Badge in ‘Blade Runner’

Watch: Making a Movie Prop – Deckard’s Police Badge in ‘Blade Runner’

by Alex Billington
August 4, 2023
Source: YouTube

“We’re going to be printing these with the original cuts used to make them, on the original press they were printed on…” This will be one of the geekiest videos you watch all year. But that is what makes it so good. Adam Savage’s Tested YouTube channel recently posted this video of Savage visiting a legendary prop shop in Hollywood called Earl Hayes Press. During his visit to the shop, the staff decide to treat Adam to a one-of-a-kind, brand new sci-fi prop “replica” of – the police badge ID card from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982). Savage is a huge geek for these kind of props, and learns about how it’s made. Something so simple and tiny and barely visible in the movie is made with as much care and craft as all of the sets and costumes and everything else. They make a new ID from scratch – using the exact same material, same patterns, same machinery, and same finishing techniques that were used in the 1980s when Earl Hayes Press was hired to make this exact police badge for the original production. How awesome is that?! This is movie geek heaven.

Thanks to fans on Twitter for the tip on this video. Original description directly from YouTube: “One of the artifacts uncovered at the Earl Hayes Press is the original print blocks for Deckard’s police badge in Blade Runner! Adam couldn’t resist the opportunity to get this block back in a printing press to perfectly recreate this iconic hand prop exactly as it was made for the film–using the same tools that were originally used to make it!” This Tested prop video was shot and edited by Joey Fameli, featuring music by Jinglepunks. Published on Adam Savage’s Tested YouTube channel, where he often posts videos about making movies and what goes into all of the impressive behind-the-scenes craftmanship. We have also featured videos of Savage touring Peter Jackson’s prop collection and visiting Weta to learn about Ghost in the Shell’s props, too. I love these kind of inside looks, I’m a geek for this kind of attention-to-detail as well. For more info on the Earl Hayes Press prop shop and what they make – check out their official website. Who also wants one?

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