Props & Objects: Using Everyday Items in New and Surprising Ways

Introduction

Objects play a key role in visual storytelling—they create meaning, context, and symbolism. But when objects are used in strange, unexpected, or surreal ways, they force the brain to re-evaluate what it’s seeing and create instant intrigue.

By introducing unusual props, using objects incorrectly, making items float, or blending people with objects, you can break visual expectations and capture attention instantly. These disruptions make viewers stop scrolling because they challenge reality, making them curious about what’s happening.

This guide explores four key techniques for using props and objects to disrupt expectations, along with brainstorming questions and content ideas to apply them effectively.

Holding or Interacting with Unexpected Objects

Why it works: When someone holds an object that doesn’t belong in the scene, it creates instant curiosity—viewers pause to process why it’s there.

Brainstorming Questions:

1. What’s an object that would feel completely out of place in my environment?
2. How can I hold something that looks totally unrelated to what I’m doing?
3. What happens if I treat an absurd object like it’s completely normal?
4. How can I contrast a serious situation with a ridiculous prop?
5. What’s a way to use an everyday item in a setting where it doesn’t belong?
6. How can I mix objects from different time periods or cultures for contrast?
7. What happens if I carry an item that’s way too large or too small for the setting?
8. How can I interact with an unexpected object in a way that makes sense, yet still feels strange?
9. What’s a way to swap a normal object with something completely unrelated?
10. How can I make it look like I’m discovering an object that clearly shouldn’t be there?

Content Ideas:

1. Holding a giant spoon while drinking from a tiny cup.
2. Carrying a houseplant like it’s a baby, treating it completely seriously.
3. Typing on a watermelon instead of a laptop.
4. Sitting at a desk in a field, using office supplies as if it’s an indoor space.
5. Wearing a scuba diving mask while casually drinking coffee.
6. Carrying a notebook as if it’s a purse, flipping it open dramatically.
7. Wearing headphones while listening to a completely silent, blank journal page.
8. Reading a book upside down while nodding as if it makes sense.
9. Holding an umbrella indoors while standing under a regular ceiling light.
10. Casually holding a random food item (banana, pizza slice) like it’s a phone.

Using Objects Incorrectly

Why it works: The brain expects objects to be used in specific ways—when someone misuses an object, it creates immediate visual confusion and intrigue.

Brainstorming Questions:

1. How can I take an everyday object and use it in a completely wrong way?
2. What’s an item people always use the same way, and how can I flip that expectation?
3. How can I wear or hold an object in a way that makes no logical sense?
4. What happens if I swap two objects and use them for each other’s purpose?
5. How can I use an object upside down or backward while acting like it’s normal?
6. What’s a tool that would be ridiculous to eat with?
7. How can I exaggerate a mistake in object usage to make it even more obvious?
8. What happens if I use something small for a job that requires something big?
9. How can I make my actions look serious while doing something completely absurd?
10. What’s an object that, when misused, could look like it belongs in a surreal world?

Content Ideas:

1. Eating soup with a fork, struggling to pick up the liquid.
2. Wearing a notebook on the head like a hat, acting totally normal.
3. Brushing hair with a fork instead of a brush, Ariel-style.
4. Using a calculator as if it’s a phone, having a serious conversation.
5. Holding a candle in front of a fan, confused as to why it won’t stay lit.
6. Wearing a scarf as a belt, wrapping it multiple times as if it’s fashionable.
7. Using a banana as a microphone while reporting “serious news.”
8. Typing on a blank sheet of paper as if it’s a laptop keyboard.
9. Holding a book in the air like a steering wheel, pretending to drive.
10. Trying to drink from an upside-down coffee mug, acting completely unbothered.

Floating, Levitating, or Suspended Objects

Why it works: The brain knows that gravity applies to everything—when an object appears to float, move on its own, or levitate unnaturally, it creates instant intrigue.

Brainstorming Questions:

1. How can I make an object look like it’s floating without visible support?
2. What’s a creative way to make an item appear weightless?
3. How can I use hidden strings, magnets, or editing tricks to create a levitating effect?
4. What happens if an object slowly rises instead of falling?
5. How can I make an item hover near me without touching it?
6. What’s an unexpected way to have an object “glide” across the screen?
7. How can I film something in reverse to make it look like it’s defying gravity?
8. What happens if I act normal while objects around me float?
9. How can I make it look like something is slowly falling up instead of down?
10. What’s an optical illusion that makes an object appear to hover mid-air?

Content Ideas:

1. Holding a pen in the air, then letting go as it continues to float.
2. Making a book “levitate” by subtly hiding the hand holding it.
3. Dropping a journal, but it floats up instead of down.
4. Having an object “hover” between two hands without touching.
5. Creating the illusion of a coffee cup slowly rising on its own.
6. Tossing an object, then reversing the footage so it seems to fly back to you.
7. Filming someone walking while their shadow moves in the opposite direction.
8. Letting go of a balloon, but instead of floating up, it slowly sinks.
9. Holding a candle that appears to flicker in mid-air without support.
10. Making a pen “stand” upright on a desk without tipping over.

Blurring the Line Between People and Objects

Why it works: The brain processes human forms and objects separately—when they blend together, it creates a surreal, mind-bending effect.

Brainstorming Questions:

1. How can I position objects to make them look like part of my body?
2. What happens if I wear or hold something in a way that visually merges with me?
3. How can I create an illusion where an object appears to replace a body part?
4. What’s a creative way to make a person’s face disappear behind an object?
5. How can I blend clothing or accessories to seamlessly transition into objects?
6. How can I use reflections to mix human and non-human elements?
7. What happens if I make my hand “melt” into an object I’m holding?
8. How can I film from an angle where an object looks like a part of my body?
9. What’s a way to make my silhouette merge into an unexpected shape?
10. How can I use masks, props, or lighting to blur human and object distinction?

Content Ideas:

1. Holding a book in front of the face, revealing a drawing where the head should be.
2. Wearing sunglasses that reflect a completely different scene.
3. Positioning a hand behind a notebook so it looks like fingers are sticking out of the cover.
4. Hiding half the face behind an object that perfectly matches the skin tone.
5. Blending a scarf seamlessly into a long book spine.
6. Holding a plant in front of the face so it looks like leaves are growing from the head.
7. Editing a notebook to look like an extension of an arm.
8. Placing hands through a mirror illusion so it looks like they belong to someone else.
9. Making a coffee cup replace a person’s face in a surreal edit.
10. Blending a human figure into a patterned background, making them nearly invisible.

Final Thoughts

Using unexpected props, misused objects, floating items, and body-object illusions instantly disrupts expectations and creates a scroll-stopping effect. These techniques make content visually compelling, intriguing, and impossible to ignore.