wasn't very good and the money wasn't great, but the people were nice
and fun. It was a way to work eight hours a day and see my kids." After a
year, the programs went on hiatus for four months, then returned and did
another short run of shows, before production moved to New York.
Toone returned to commer-
cials, working with some of
the biggest feature directors,
such as Ridley Scott, on Nike
and other spots. Even with
contacts that would enable
him to transition into feature
films, Toone elected to focus on
commercials.
"If you do three movies a year, two of them are out of town, so you're
gone from your family. The divorce rate is very high in features. Then you
can have eight or nine months off because a project gets pushed back or it
falls through. To me it's more of a roller coaster ride than commercials."
Job Overview
The prop assistant, under the direction of the prop master, is in charge
of all props used throughout the production. Some productions may des-
ignate an outside props person to purchase props, and an inside props
person to oversee their placement, use, and maintenance on set.
"On a feature, it is very clear what your rank and file is," says prop
person Jason Ivey, "but on a commercial, waters get a little muddy. You
may be in the prop department and end up doing special effects, like
smoke or snow. You may be the entire art department, in which case you
rely a lot on production to help you move large pieces of furniture."
"If you're doing property on a feature, it can be stressful, making sure
everything is right. You have to stay true to what the person would really
use and make sure the environment matches the script. If a glass is half
full or a light wasn't on, you have to make sure it is the same when they
reshoot the scene."
Special Skills
Individuals working in the property department must be physically
able to lift and carry furniture and other heavy objects. They should
JOB TITLE: PROP ASSISTANT,
ASSISTANT PROPS, OR PROPERTY ASSISTANT
"Pay attention
to everything around
you at all times."
--Rick Toone
CAREER TIPS
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