‘Tron”s Canadian prop designer shares secrets behind some of film’s effects

By Nick Patch

TORONTO – The first thing that jumps out about “Tron: Legacy” is its sleek design, with glow-in-the-dark discs and neon-accented bikes and bodysuits providing rare sparks of colour over a stylishly dark backdrop.

For Canadian prop master Jimmy Chow, all that minimalist elegance provided quite a challenge.

“It was a very narrow channel of design that we had to work within,” Chow said in a telephone interview this week ahead of the film’s opening on Friday.

“I would say that I was kind of exposed naked on every prop I did. A lot of times, when we do something, we layer it in with the set dressing, or it’s part of the costume. This particular movie, the design element is very specific and very clean and very linear, so if you’re making a mistake, it’s really going to show — it’s like you’re playing out of time or you’re out of tune.”

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