The smash-hit Men in Black franchise premiered its latest entry, Men in Black: International, on June 14. Decked out in black suits and sunglasses, the trademark look of the series, Men in Black (MIB) agents hit the silver screen for an action-packed, science-fiction romp.

While the lead MIB agents policed aliens on Earth, a Sony designer helped shape the aesthetics of the movie by designing the agency members’ high-tech pen projectors. The prop-design project for Men in Black: International is just another example of Sony designs featuring prominently in films by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Comments from the designer

The set pieces you see in MIB films, things like watches and cars, all have a sleek, classic look. However, it’s just a disguise for what the items really are: high-tech weapons and futuristic gadgets. That gap is what the MIB props are all about. When I started designing the pen projector, I focused on giving the item a standard, classical aesthetic that would make it totally unassuming at first glance. You’d never expect such a mundane-looking pen to transform into a projection device.