How is this usually used? Do productions rent the parts to build more complete props, like a full plane interior, then tear it down and return the individual parts? Inventory control would seem very complicated!
You won't find it so much any longer, but there was a time in the early 2000s when some major Hollywood props were still available for rental at prop houses. You know how art masterpieces go missing and you wonder who has them hung on their walls to show guests? Well, there are a bunch of people who are now highly respected in Hollywood who took advantage of the rental deposits to "borrow" very famous props and then "lose" them during film productions and they can now only be seen if you know the right people ;)
These individual parts are likely used to build larger props that a production can't otherwise acquire. For example, assembling a cyberpunk plane interior, or the control panel in a time machine.
They can also be scattered around a set where those individual parts would belong (like a mechanic's studio) to make the space feel real and lived-in.
Lastly, they can be used for close-up shots (with just a little bit of production design built up around them). This is a lot cheaper than renting an entire interior.
Amusingly, their video showing their aircraft interiors displays "This video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated."[1] They probably have full authorization to show clips from some movie, but YouTube doesn't recognize that.
But for anything larger, what generally happens is some sort of overall deal is worked out, which covers a large swath of props. Like “airplane set pieces” for $X and then the prop house just tracks what from that category is actually used. That also covers replacements or trades on the day of shooting. Much simpler for all involved, and it “feels” like a discount.
Most of the screen-accurate parts on my old car came from Apex:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBo1DvKzRJ4
Apex was the source for many, many Hollywood propmasters.
I think I had to go to Black Hole for the last of all the original Ghostbusters parts, though: (sadly now closed)
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/18130
I remember flying back from LA one time with a suitcase filled with bomb-looking parts from Apex and setting off some sort of explosives detector at LAX, probably from the toxic dust covering all the parts. First Wife ran off laughing while I got surrounded by security :D
All I can say is, if you like gear, you gotta visit a place like this.
[1] https://skycraftsurplus.com/products/vintage-ford-mgm-51-shi...
There is a story how Peter Beck bought there an LR101 vernier thruster from Atlas ICBM, and then smuggled it to New Zealand. Examining the engine showed him that "professional" stuff was not necessarily too much more complicated than what he could make at home. This was probably one of the factors which inspired him to start Rocket Lab, which he did after returning from the USA.
* http://www.activesurplus.com
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s5RkCWKQrA
* https://nowtoronto.com/lifestyle/the-gorilla-store-keeps-the...
Great documentary on it -
88MPH: Ths Story of the DeLorean Time Machine
https://youtu.be/fgOb22gz_TY?t=46m04s
Linked to the segment Apex is brought up.
These people are clowns.
I guess if you "have to ask"...