Two Watford companies — Anarchy and Bob’s Bits — supply props to a number of studios, so when Anarchy director Jason Szukalski watches television in the evening, there is a good chance he will see something that he has drawn up and machined in Alphacam (www.alphacam.com) for Bob’s Bits.

Bob Thorne, who buys surplus items from Formula One, the Ministry of Defence and other sources, says: “Art directors, prop buyers, set decorators and production designers come to us to see what they can use in their film, TV show or advert. Basically, we provide high-tech and futuristic set-dressing components, antique/vintage technology and a growing range of props.”

One project saw 40 control panels with buttons and flashing lights supplied for a space station featured in the 2013 film The Last Days of Mars (and now being used in another film). “My original client found some lights and panels that he liked among my stock, so Jason drew up a number of panels in Alphacam, then machined them on his three-axis Pratix router.” Other props that they have produced include a new eye for Big Brother and the shed that Kevin Bacon hauled up a beach in the EE ‘shed-load of data’ advert.

Jason Szukalski says: “Alphacam is the backbone of our company; without it, we couldn’t respond as quickly as we do. There’s not a working day goes by that I don’t use it; it’s the fastest and most versatile way for me to achieve what I need to. As soon as I look at a part, I’m breaking it down into machinable components. I was a model maker by trade, before moving to a company where I started using computers and CNC machines. I’ve not thought in the same way since my first day of working with Alphacam around 20 years ago; it completely changed my logic.”