Introduction: The Interest Behind Fake IDs in Hollywood
Every movie or TV show that features a covert business operation, a criminal activity, or even a comedic scene that involves undercover agents always includes as part of its props a fake ID. However, fake IDs are not so easy to create as one has to tread the thin line between legality and artistry, design and history, and so many more realms.
Whether it's the McLovin ID from Superbad, or the New Mexico driver's license in Black Widow, fake IDs have to appear correct on screen while also ensuring they can not be abused in real life. This text will tell you, step-by-step, how modern day Hollywood artists are able to create fake IDs, including the methods and legal constraints involved.
The Problems Involved In Having A Realistic But Not Legal Fake ID
Meeting the Challenge of Marketing Authentic Looking Fake IDs
The Hand Prop Room and graphic props expert Ross MacDonald have probably the toughest jobs to do considering they are the leaders for making fake ids of high standards for the making of Hollywood movies. The prop ID can get someone into a mess if it is too realistic because it could get him into trouble like the Superbad McLovin ID that someone actually used.
For these reasons prop designers follow certain rules and do not include:
- Using stock photos rather than actor's portrait
- Changing the hologram and certain security features
- Changing the layout and color scheme or rearranging them
Relevant Laws for Fake IDs in Movies
There are laws that are harsh and very strict in some countries about the unauthorized reproduction of IDs. Title 18, Section 1028 of the United States Code states the unauthorized reproduction of an official ID in the US is a crime. They literally only hire in-house prop artists in Hollywood to make sure that they don’t break any laws.
Akasha’s ‘make-believe’ identity card cannot even be compared to real ones. The ID card looks and feels like it is made of high-quality material, thanks to the texture and the hologram features. These features allow capturing in a realistic way, from every angle, without any fear of being caught for ID fraud.
To learn more about the fraud laws, check the United States government’s website.
When accompanied by certain restrictions, serving as specific stock images gives the UK and Japanese legal permission to use them. Permits with permits, a recipe only for disaster. The lawmaker will best explain why it will ruin Akasha’s life.
👉 Interested in the production of real driver’s licenses? Visit The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).
Various Kinds of Phony Identification Cards and Their Distinct Issues
Military as well as Police Identifications: Making them Clear to the Intended Audience
Real military and FBI ID cards tend to be quite minimalist in design, so as to not be duplicated. However, the designs can also be too bland for movie and television audiences.
To solve the problem prop designers often elevate some design aspects, such as:
- Putting on a bigger gold badge, or a more prominent FBI logo
- Imitating other fictional FBI Ids like those from The X-Files.
The Top Most Difficult Fake ID Out There: Passports
Passports can easily surpass the difficulty of reproducing a fake driver's license. The security details on multi-page documents such as passports make them a lot harder to reproduce.
For Madam Secretary, The Hand Prop Room built a Netherlands passport, although the legal team altered its layout and colors so that it would not be confused with a legitimate one.
Fake Passport Creation Process:
- Printing and trimming to the right paper texture
- Adding transparent film to the photo page for the sake of authenticity
- Silk screening the cover to a real passport style on the tektekport
- Sewing and binding the pages
👉 Would you like to understand more about real passports? Read at The U.S State Department’s Guide to Passports.
Historical Fake IDs: The Art of Recreating Vintage Documents
Obtaining Old Driver's License Reference Sources
Researching pre-1980’s ID’s is tough as most of them are not digitized. For instance, when Ross MacDonald wanted to create a New Jersey driver’s license from 1923, he started with an old, low-quality photograph and digitally reworked the design incrementally.
Stamps, Signatures, and Fonts Details: Reproducing Them
With niche films, prop makers often have to recreate documents of certain eras, and thus have to use period-accurate fonts and printing methods.
- Creating Custom Fonts: Jacob Kubon’s team needed a passport font from the 1960s for a movie. They took 6 or 7 real passports from that time era, scanned them, cut them into letters and made a new font file.
- Replicating Old Stamps: Some old red to blue gradient stamps had to be manually redone with vector graphics.
👉 For document designs from the past, go to: The Type Archive.
Motion Picture Prop Making: Getting Paid for Working Hours that Go Unseen
A considerable portion of the work that goes into creating phony ID cards, goes to waste in the final edit.
Ross MacDonald talks about how he painstakingly designed a phony ID for a one-second scene in a movie. However, every aspect of the ID had to be crafted to perfection, because every part of the film is scrutinized in detail.
Also, prop artists have to collaborate with the writers and directors to develop the details of the characters like their birth dates, size, address, etc., which in most cases, they have to make up when the script doesn't incorporate it.
Final Thoughts: Artificial Identity Documents in Films
Identifications are vital to the movie but overlooked by audiences. From a common driver’s license of a fictional person to passports, fake IDs are fundamental to supporting a story. Prop artists toe the line between achieving realism and ignoring legal restrictions, making sure the ID does not get them in trouble while still looking real enough for them to use it.
The next time you’re watching a film or series and see a fake ID pull it up and take a look, you just might be looking at an extraordinary piece of work.
What’s the Best Fake ID? Let Me Know Below
Which movie or show did you find the most believable when it comes to fake IDs? Tell me in the comments section! 🎬🔍