We were commissioned by dbrand to create a trap inspired by the Saw films. The prop was designed as an interactive gag for Linus, where an iPhone 17 was placed inside the box. The setup made it appear that reaching through the top trap would injure his arm, but an alternative solution was provided: smashing a breakable plastic “glass” panel using a glass shattering hammer.
The entire unit was custom designed to assemble and disassemble into multiple pieces for easy transport and setup. The front breakaway panel was created by molding the original plastic piece in silicone and casting replacements using Smash Plastic, the same specialty breakaway material used in film production. Multiple panels were cast to allow for several “smash” attempts during filming.
To ensure everything arrived safely, we built a heavy duty shipping crate inspired by Volpin Props’ crate construction methods. Though in the end, Linus did not use the trap as intended, we still got a good laugh out of it! Now that we know what Linus is capable of, we can plan for the next project!
