department PA for a low budget film. "The pay was ridiculous: $30 a day
for 14 hours, but I was young and energetic. I was also very excited about
working on a film." Although she earned little money, she gained valu-
able experience that enabled her to land other work.
Drawn to the art and prop departments, Richardson continued to
work off and on throughout the 1990s. "I quit a couple of times to work
in an office, but I always came back." Some of Richardson's credits
include: American Pie II, Nuk'em High II and III, Slow Burn, Shock 'em Dead,
and Time Force.
Job Overview
The prop master is responsible for obtaining and maintaining all
portable objects used in the production, such as a book, dish, glass of
water, or a desktop computer.
Prop master Rick Toone points out there are added responsibilities for
prop masters working in commercials. "If there is cereal in the cupboards,
you set the cereal box so the brand name is seen. Whatever the product
is, you're responsible for making it look good."
Special Skills
In addition to having an understanding of camera lenses to know how
a shot is framed and a knowledge of the filmmaking process, Rick Toone
says, "Working in props, you have to be a jack-of-all-trades; the handy-
man who has a sense of style and knows what looks good in the frame
and what doesn't. Nowadays you need to know a lot about graphics. You
need to have a general decorating sense of color, style, and texture."
Advice for Someone Seeking This Job
"Landing a first job is hard," says Toone. "You have to have been on
the set doing something else. You don't start out being a prop master.
You assist or work in the art department. The best way to become a prop
master is working your way in through the art department. Start as a PA
or become a swing guy. You need to have a sense of what it takes to get
the job done, as well as seeing what it is. There are a lot of things the art
department does that you have to understand how to do. Once the
camera rolls, the set is yours. If they've hung the drapes a certain way,
JOB TITLE: PROP MASTER,
PROPERTY MASTER
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