The McLovin ID: Superbad
Apatow Productions
Production designer Chris L. Spellman only knew that he had to make a fake ID for McLovin, but because he had just finished a movie in Hawaii, he suggested Hawaii be the state on the card. Seth laughed at the idea and said “Yeah, let’s make him from Hawaii.”
The Little Tramp’s Cane: Charlie Chaplin
In Charlie Chaplin’s 1964 autobiography, he recounts how he found his most famous character, The Little Tramp, through props. He was told to put together a comedy act immediately for a scene, so he went to wardrobe to figure something out. He said, “ I would dress in baggy pants, big shoes, a cane and a derby hat. I wanted everything a contradiction: the pants baggy, the coat tight, the hat small, and the shoes large. I added a small mustache, which, I reasoned, would add age without hiding my expression.”
“I had no idea of the character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the make-up made me feel the person he was. I began to know him. When I confronted Sennett I assumed the character and strutted about, swinging my cane and parading before him. Gags and comedy ideas went racing through my mind.”