The Acetate a.k.a. The Devil's Vinyl
This time around, I'm going to be discussing a one-off prop that is almost certainly never going to be seen again. My interests usually lie in props of the more iconic variety, pieces integral to a show or movie. So the fact that I am so enamored with this one-time-only piece of Constantine speaks pretty well for it, I think.
This prop was, in a way, the title character of Episode 3: "The Devil's Vinyl"
This prop was, in a way, the title character of Episode 3: "The Devil's Vinyl"
I love vinyl. I always have. Ever since I was a teenager, when no one except DJs had it, I maintained a collection of vinyl LPs and 45s. That may have something to do with my love for this particular prop.
In the episode, the record is an Acetate--a master record that was cut live in the studio in the days before magnetic recording--that accidentally captured the voice of Satan, imbuing it with an evil that drives people to madness. It's a combination of two different urban folktales; the blues man selling his soul to be the best and the recorded voice of the devil driving people mad. The show dovetails these legends beautifully and simply, with the devil coming to claim the blues man's soul while he's cutting a record, its voice being recorded in the process.
In the episode, the record is an Acetate--a master record that was cut live in the studio in the days before magnetic recording--that accidentally captured the voice of Satan, imbuing it with an evil that drives people to madness. It's a combination of two different urban folktales; the blues man selling his soul to be the best and the recorded voice of the devil driving people mad. The show dovetails these legends beautifully and simply, with the devil coming to claim the blues man's soul while he's cutting a record, its voice being recorded in the process.
That's the story. The prop itself is a 10" record in a decorative jacket with a label hole that is called a "disco bag." I love it because it perfectly captures the Nouveau stylings popular in the 30s with incredible ornamentation on the jacket and a simpler, though complimentary, design on the label. Despite the complex ornamentation, it's a pretty simple prop. But one that I was immediately smitten with. So much, in fact, that I will have a fully playable, screen-accurate replica within the next few weeks. And, yeah, I'll be showing it off here.
UPDATE: The fully playable version is complete and you can read about it here.