Lamps & Lighting Props for Movies, Television & Commercials

Shannon Lamp Service has spent decades creating lamps that are anything but ordinary. In addition to our custom lamps and lampshades for homes and businesses, we have also supplied lamps and lighting props for feature films, television productions, commercials, and advertising projects.

Our experience includes supplying more than a dozen lamps for the feature film Dreamer, starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning, as well as creating unusual custom lamps for commercial productions. Because we build and modify lamps in our Lexington, Kentucky shop—and manufacture our own custom lampshades—we can often provide something that simply cannot be found in a typical lighting store.

Need a working lamp made from an unusual object? We have created lamps from bowling pins, fire extinguishers, electric meters, bottles, antiques, and many other unexpected objects. Whether you are a prop master, set decorator, production designer, photographer, or advertising professional, if your project calls for something unusual, give us the challenge.

Lamps Used in the Movie Dreamer

Lamps provided by Shannon Lamp Service in Dreamer

In 2004, the set decorator for the upcoming feature film Dreamer happened to drive past Shannon Lamp Service while scouting and purchasing props in Central Kentucky. She later told us that she saw our store, turned around, and came inside to see what we had.

The film, starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning, was being filmed in Central Kentucky, with much of the story centered around a Kentucky farmhouse. The production needed vintage lamps that looked natural and authentic in that rural setting.

Working from notes provided by the director, we went through our showroom with the set decorator and selected about a dozen vintage lamps for the farmhouse interiors. But there was one request that required something special.

The production wanted a horse-themed lamp with motion for the bedroom of Dakota Fanning's character. We didn't have anything in stock that matched exactly what they were looking for, so we designed and built a custom lamp specifically for the production. The finished lamp featured a moving horse scene and became part of the character's early-morning routine in the film.

Although the custom horse lamp appears on screen for only a few seconds, creating exactly what the production needed is a good example of what Shannon Lamp Service does best: when the right lamp doesn't exist, sometimes we can make it.

The production had several additional lighting needs that we were able to fill. The lamps seen throughout the interior of the farmhouse were purchased from Shannon Lamp Service and can be spotted in numerous scenes throughout Dreamer.

Here's a video clip of the lamp in motion

Note: Some images from Dreamer have been digitally enhanced for clarity and presentation. The lamps shown are representative of the lamps supplied by Shannon Lamp Service for the production. The video has not been editied.

This vintage Aladdin lamp was supplied by Shannon Lamp Service for Dreamer. We restored the lamp and made the custom lampshade shown in the film.

This one-of-a-kind lamp was custom-made by Shannon Lamp Service from a bronze horse figurine specifically for Dreamer.

Custom & Period Lighting for Productions

Every production has different needs. Sometimes the challenge is finding a lamp that looks exactly right for a particular time period or setting. Other times, the script calls for something unusual that simply doesn't exist.

With decades of experience in lamps, restoration and custom lampshade manufacturing, Shannon Lamp Service can help provide, restore, modify or create lighting for a wide variety of settings. Our inventory and experience cover many periods and styles—from early kerosene lamps appropriate for scenes set before electric lighting, to vintage and traditional lamps from throughout the 20th century.

We also enjoy the unusual requests. Over the years, we have made working lamps from bowling pins, fire extinguishers, electric meters, bottles, antiques and many other unexpected objects. The examples shown below were not made specifically for film or television productions, but they demonstrate the type of custom work we can create when a project calls for something unique.

While we may not always be able to source the particular object a production has in mind, if you can provide the object, chances are we can turn it into a lamp. We can then design and manufacture a custom lampshade in the appropriate size, shape, fabric and style to bring the entire project together.

Whether you need a historically appropriate lamp for a period set, a custom lampshade to complete the look, an unusual object turned into a working lamp, or simply something you haven't been able to find anywhere else, give us the challenge.

Examples of Custom Lamps by Shannon Lamp Service

The lamps shown below are examples of custom pieces we have created over the years. They are shown to demonstrate what is possible and may no longer be available. If you have an unusual object you would like turned into a working lamp, chances are we can do it—and we can create a custom lampshade to complete the project.

Examples of Period Lighting — Pre-Electric Era

For productions set before electric lighting became commonplace, Shannon Lamp Service can provide authentic kerosene and oil lamps appropriate for a variety of historical settings. Our experience with vintage lighting can help a production select lamps that look appropriate for the period, setting and scene.

The lamps shown below are examples of the types of period lighting we may be able to provide. Availability varies, so contact us with the time period and type of setting you are trying to recreate.

Have a Lighting Challenge?

Whether you need an authentic lamp for a particular period, an unusual object turned into a working lamp, a custom lampshade, or simply a lighting prop you haven't been able to find anywhere else, we'd like to hear what you're looking for.

Shannon Lamp Service has been solving unusual lighting problems for decades. We may already have what you need, or we may be able to restore, modify or create it for you.

Prop masters, set decorators, production designers, photographers and advertising professionals—give us the challenge.