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Interview: Proton Packs and prop design with Garrick Backer

We talk with Garrick Backer from Knowone's Designs about getting started as a prop designer and the creation of Ghostbusters' Proton Packs.

Sam Chandler

July 7, 2020 7:00 AM

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All of us here at Shacknews have a deep love of all things related to video games and cinema. We also love our figurines and collectibles. When these two collide, it’s truly something special. Our own Greg Burke had the opportunity to sit down with Garrick Backer of Knowone’s Designs and talk about designing life-sized Proton Packs as well as his journey as a prop designer. Check out the video below to see how this whole process is accomplished!

Garrick Backer talks about vacuuming forming props

Garrick Backer’s company, Knowone’s Designs, is all about creating props, costumes, and other types of creations. Speaking of his personal designs, Garrick has created a full Gordon Freeman suit of armor as seen in the Half-Life series. You can check out some of the other incredible work on the Knowone’s Design website.

One of the many interesting snippets from our interview with Backer’s is his method of designing Proton Packs. Instead of using an entire mould system, the pieces are created using vacuum forming. This ensures the pieces are cheaper to design while also being easier to use and generally faster to create. This method also ensures Backer’s wooden blocks don’t breakdown and deform over time.

Learning how Backer creates the Proton Packs was what pushed Greg over the edge to getting his own. In a special video, Backer goes over the tiniest details over what’s involved in creating one of these must-own products. He shows the vacuum forming station, as well as the various tech and attachments used to bring it to life.

For more interviews with talented artists from the gaming and cinema industry, make sure you check out the GamerHubTV and Shacknews YouTube channels. We have tons of amazing content there just waiting for you to devour.

Sam Chandler

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler