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Built for prop nerds
Deep dives into props, design decisions, engineering choices, and the small details most people never notice.
Where Ghostbusters gear gets torn down, talked through, and put to the test.
Bench Tested is for builders, collectors, and franchise diehards who care about more than nostalgia. This is where props, engineering, design choices, and fandom all collide, without the fluff.
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Why it hits
Not just another fandom podcast
Bench Tested leans into the craft side of the franchise. It is built for people who actually care how the gear works, how the props were built, and what separates a cool replica from something that really feels screen-worthy.
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Builder-first conversations
Film tech, fan builds, fabrication, electronics, and the practical reality of making gear that looks right and works.
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Straight from the field
Interviews, breakdowns, and real talk from builders, artists, and fans pushing the hobby forward.
Inside the containment unit
What you get
This show lives where fandom obsession meets actual craft. It is for people who want to know why a prop works, why a build fails, what makes something screen-accurate, and how to push their own projects further.
01
Movie prop breakdowns
02
Builder interviews
03
Pack, trap, and wand tech
04
Behind-the-scenes design talk
05
Fandom, gear, and franchise discussion
06
What makes a build feel screen-worthy
Special thanks
Support from the community
Bench Tested is built in the same spirit as the best Ghostbusters fan work, collaborative, detail-driven, and fueled by people who actually care about making cool things the right way.
A special thanks goes to the makers and supporters helping keep the passion side of this fandom alive.
Featured supporters
Support the shops behind the work. Click either logo to visit.
Community spotlight
Learn more about the causes behind the community
Ghostbusters fandom is at its best when it does more than build props and quote lines. These organizations reflect the part of the community that shows up, gives back, and does real good for real people.
Ghostbusters Give Back
Ghostbusters Give Back highlights the charity and outreach side of the fandom, bringing fans together to support meaningful causes and community efforts.
Visit Ghostbusters Give Back
Starlight Children's Foundation
Starlight Children's Foundation works to bring joy, comfort, and support to hospitalized kids and their families through programs and experiences that make a hard situation more bearable.
Guest contributions
Spotlight on Sean Charlesworth
Sean Charlesworth represents the exact kind of craftsmanship Bench Tested exists to celebrate, thoughtful design, practical engineering, film-aware aesthetics, and builds that actually function in the real world.
Featured contributor
Sean Charlesworth
From working alongside Adam Savage to creating highly detailed functional Ghostbusters builds, Sean sits at the intersection of fan passion and serious fabrication skill. His work is not just visually strong, it is engineered with intent.
Keymaster Helmet
A standout example of character-driven fabrication, executed with the kind of detail and finish that elevates a replica into something memorable.
Murray Bros. Caddyshack Tournament
Functional Ghostbusters tech built for a real event environment, where presentation, durability, and usability all matter at the same time.
RTV Trap from Ghostbusters: Afterlife
A sharp look at practical build execution, film-inspired detailing, and the kind of engineering decisions that make a hero prop feel alive.
Upcoming guests
Who is coming up on Bench Tested
More than just guest announcements, this is where the next round of deep-dive conversations starts. Expect talk around electronics, prop design, engineering choices, workflow, screen accuracy, fandom history, and what actually separates solid work from average builds.
Featured guest
Indy Magnoli, Magnoli Clothiers
Episode date: 5-13-2026
Indy Magnoli from Magnoli Clothiers joins the show to talk through the craftsmanship, tailoring, design philosophy, and attention to detail that go into creating clothing and costume pieces fans actually want to wear.
We will touch on quality, screen-inspired garment work, what customers can expect when ordering, how accuracy and wearability intersect, and the level of thought that separates great costume work from generic replicas.
Be a guest
Want to be considered for Bench Tested?
If you build, collect, restore, design, fabricate, document, or contribute something genuinely interesting to the Ghostbusters community, send in your info. This is for serious fits, not random self-promo with no substance.
Ready to drop in
Queue it up and get into the weeds.
Hit play and dig into the builds, the gear, the franchise, and the details that actually matter.