Production teams have been ordering custom bobbleheads for years, and almost always for one of three reasons: something to give the crew at wrap, something to hand out for promotion, or something that has to appear on camera.
Each has different constraints, so it is worth being clear which one you are ordering before you ask for a quote.
Wrap gifts
The classic use. Each cast or crew member gets a figure of themselves, often in costume, sometimes with the production logo on the base. On a long shoot it is the gift people keep on the desk for the rest of their career.
The practical problem is headshots. Collect usable photographs of everyone during the shoot rather than after the unit has dispersed - chasing images from a scattered crew is what delays these orders, not the sculpting.
Promotional and press runs
Figures of the leads in character, made in quantity for press kits, festival stands, competition prizes or cast-and-crew screenings. These are identical-unit runs, so they are the cheapest per piece and they qualify for bulk pricing.
For anything above 50 units we build a physical prototype first and send you 360-degree photographs to approve before the mould is made.
On-camera props
A bobblehead that appears in a scene - on a detective's desk, in a character's car, as a running visual gag. Two things matter here that do not matter elsewhere: continuity and timing.
- Order duplicates. If it is handled, dropped or destroyed on camera you need identical spares, and a re-order later will not match exactly.
- Check it against the set. Matte finishes photograph better under hot lights than gloss, which can blow out.
- Confirm rights. If the figure depicts a real person or a licensed character, clear that on your side before production.
Lead times
Prototype creation runs one to two weeks, then production is four to eight weeks depending on quantity. Sea freight adds four to six weeks; air freight brings that down to one or two at higher cost.
For a shooting schedule that means starting the conversation at prep, not in the week you need the prop. If your date is tight, call before ordering and we will tell you honestly whether it is achievable.
Getting a quote
Send the quantity, the deadline and whatever reference you have - stills, costume photos, character art. Mixed designs are quoted per design rather than pooled, so a set of six different characters is priced differently from six identical ones.
