SALE.
NBC'S SARAH HARMAN HAS THAT
STORY.
&gt;&gt; IT REALLY FEELS LIKE YOU'RE
TAKING A WALK THROUGH THE
FUTURE.
&gt;&gt; YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF FUTURE
RIGHT HERE.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: FOR DECADES THIS
CAVERNOUS WAREHOUSE IN LOS
ANGELES IS WHERE HOLLYWOOD
DIRECTORS CAME WHEN THEY NEEDED
TO CREATE THE FUTURE.
JOHN'S BEEN MAKING FILM PROPS
FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS.
HIS SPECIALTY, SCI-FI FILMS.
THE EYEBALL FABRICATION MACHINE
IN BLADE RUNNER, JOHN SAID HE
MADE THAT.
THE SICOKINETIC METER IN GHOST
BUSTERS, THAT'S JOHN AGAIN.
AND PRETTY MUCH GG IN THE
BACKGROUND OF STAR TREK, YEAH
JOHN.
WALKING AROUND HIS MODERN PROPS
WAREHOUSE EVERYTHING LOOKS
VAGUELY FAMILIAR.
&gt;&gt; THIS IS FROM ROBO COP.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: CAN I FIT IN THAT?
&gt;&gt; YEAH, YOU CAN.
YOU, SURE.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: DOES IT DO
ANYTHING?
THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT I WAS
EXPECTING.
&gt;&gt; IT CAN ACTUALLY GO COMPLETELY
360 DEGREES.
&gt;&gt; DOOR THERE'S EVEN MORE.
REMEMBER THESE CHAIRS FROM MEN
IN BLACK?
&gt;&gt; LET'S GET GOING.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: AGENT X REPORTING
FOR DUTY.
JOHN MOVED TO LOS ANGELES IN THE
EARLY '70s.
ONE DAY HE HAPPENED TO BE ON A
FILM SET AND SAW A PROP BREAK.
THE ROOKIE TOLD THE PRODUCER HE
COULD MAKE A BETTER ONE.
THE REST IS HISTORY.
&gt;&gt; THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST
MACHINES I HAVE.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: PERHAPS MORE THAN
ANYONE ELSE HIS VISION OF THE
FUTURE HAS HELPED TO SHAPE OUR
OWN IDEAS.
BUT EVEN HE'S SOMETIMES
SURPRISED BY WHICH PROPS BECOME
ICONIC.
&gt;&gt; IT'S BEEN IN 200 PRODUCTIONS.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: A YOUTUBE FAN
LOVINGLY DUBBED IT THE MOST
IMPORTANT DEVICE IN THE
UNIVERSE.
OKAY, SO WHAT IS IT?
&gt;&gt; I THINK THE GUYS CALL IT THE
DUAL AXIS GENERATOR.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: BUT WHAT DOES IT
DO?
WHAT IS IT FOR?
&gt;&gt; IT JUST DOES THIS.
&gt;&gt; ALL I FOUND IS THESE RED
LIGHTS KEEP MOVING BACK AND
FORTH.
ASIDE FROM THAT THIS THING SEEMS
TO HAVE NO OTHER FUNCTION
WHATSOEVER.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: A LOT HAS CHANGED
IN THAT TIME.
THE RISE OF COMPUTER ANIMATION
AND SPECIAL EFFECTS HAVE MADE
MANY OLD-FASHIONED PROPS
OBSOLETE.
DOES IT MAKE YOU SAD?
&gt;&gt; I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT
OF SADNESS TO IT BUT I THINK
EVERYTHING CHANGES.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: SO HE'S RETIRING
THIS MONTH.
HE'S AUCTIONS OFF HIS PROPS BUT
HIS HOPE IS THAT A MUSEUM WILL
TAKE SOME OF HIS MORE WELL-KNOWN
PIECES.
HE'S NOT PLANNING TO KEEP MUCH
FOR HIMSELF.
&gt;&gt; I'M NOT SUCH A FAN OF THE
FUTURE ANYMORE.
&gt;&gt; Reporter: AFTER A LIFETIME OF
CHANNELLING THE FUTURE HE'S
FINALLY CONTENT TO LIVE IN THE
