How 5 Movie Props Are Made To Be Eaten | Movies Insider

Prop makers frequently have to make props that aren’t just handled, but consumed by an actor. Food stylists like Melissa McSorley have to replicate an object’s true properties while making something safe to eat. Typical prop blood can be safe to put around an actor’s mouth is small qualities, but in HBO’s “True Blood,” the characters had to consume a lot of blood, meaning her concoction had to go far beyond red juice. She also found ways to replicate the viscosity of blood. McSorley used cleverly disguised dates to imitate a live cockroach for “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” and made edible maggots from scratch for Netflix’s “Daybreak,” so she wouldn’t harm any actual live maggots.

Check out more of Melissa McSorley’s work here:

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How Edible Props Are Made For Movies & TV | Movies Insider

[yehwat]

It really looks convincing because despite me knowing the fact that those aren't real. It still creeps me out to see them eat it.

[seoulsonyosounds]

This is truly an underrated Hollywood job, as a viewer you never consider long filming hours/multiple takes could affect the food in a scene and the food stylist had to research for substitutes. As for the gross stuff made edible, that's even more impressive lol she had to be an impromptu scientist and research how cockroaches look like, how a plant-eating monster poop would look lmao, so interesting

[kirkian]

this vid was great and informative, plus the interviewer was hilarious lol. thanks for showing Melissa McSorley's work, it's cool seeing how much detail goes into prop food

[MoonlitPhoenix]

So to be clear, food stylist heard their parents say "don't play with your food" and then laughed in their faces

[slowstowns]

i'm also a phlebotomist, and can attest to how realistic and accurate that blood looks. i was a bit blown away at how realistic it was

[valkyrie]

Now THAT is detail. I've raised chickens, and I hate to find unlaid eggs inside, but it happens. And yes, like on an assembly line, they range in size and color depending on how close they are to being eggs. All yolk, all edible.

[dhruw]

I am curious to know what she cooks for her family?

[chrismartin]

I thought all cockroaches were edible. What have I been eating all this time?

[scottaseigel]

OMG, does this lady have a kid’s cooking site? My grandkids would TOTALLY LOVE to make maggots, cockroaches and poop snacks!

[radoslav]

2:22 wasted opportunity to say "it was bLoOdY good!"

[JoeAvella]

Eating and drinking all those props were fun! I ate one of her fake poops in a TikTok after the shoot and it was flagged lol.

[lcslaelan]

As nearsighted, I almost grab a cockroach and put it into dates container. Then, I ran as it was flying towards me. So, she spot on with the resemblance.

[AlfredAmeneyro]

This is so awesome. I mean, it must be difficult to be an actor and actually eat any or even hold any of these. The human body is so smart that our eyes recognizes something and the brain sends signals to the rest of the body saying: dont do this, this is bad. Is a natural response to run away from a disgusting or dangerous situation, even though we as an audience and the actors know that they are gonna be ok after the shoot, even thought we know and they know anything that they do infront of the camera is real, and they have to sell the emotions so we can translate them and feel disgust, danger or pleasure. This is really the secret behind movie magic.

[LuNaxd]

She surely did a perfect job with the dates
When I was little I lived in a place where cockroaches are pretty big and sometimes if I opened a door in the night a roach could come inside and walk over my feet. I remembered that so clearly that I was seriously scared and disgusted about eating dates because the texture and shape are so similar. Even to this day it's still a bit hard for me not to think I'm eating a cockroach, the only dates I'm okay with eating now are the darker round and soft ones from Tunisia.

[skittstuff]

Wow, her dedication to detail is incredible. I never would have guessed at some of the things she did here to get the right look and feel. It's also impressive that they taste good too!

[mariannecontrino]

This was really interesting. Just wish videos like this, would explain how it is someone gets into this line of work....same with prop masters, stand ins, or even casting directors. They seem like such cool jobs to have, but it's really not something you go to school for. There's no "casting" degrees, so really curious how people end up in that position.

[Mary-shbp]

I was a former phlebotomist! I could totally work with her when it comes to blood props. 😂

[jayak]

I respect her hard work and dedication.

[nebulonicc]

In Hannibal they had a scene where they were eating a rare delicousy called ortolan which is a baby bird cooked and eaten whole. Obviously nobody wants to eat a whole cooked baby bird, (and also there are some ethics concerns uh—) so the props team made fake ortolan out of marzipan and raw spaghetti noodles for the legs

[littleblizzard]

Yes on the viscosity of blood! That is a pet peeve of mine in movies!