Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1536054
10 PROP CULTURE I SUMMER 2025 W ith a career spanning more than four decades, Emily Ferry is not just a legend amongst her fellow Property Masters, but she is a true film trailblazer. In a craft dominated by men, Emily became the first woman Property Master in film and television. Emily has property-mastered such landmark films as The Right Stuff, Addams Family Values, Ed Wood, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, just to name a few. She has recently become the first recipient of the Property Masters Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award, given at its inaugural MacGuffin Awards ceremony. It is fitting that we follow this line of historic film "firsts" as she sits down for Prop Culture's first "Spotlight On" interview. PROP CULTURE: Emily, you have been a Property Master for going on 50 years. What did you do before this? EMILY FERRY: I went to school for technical theater, and I learned about the film business from my husband, who was a well-respected Property Master. As much as I wanted to, I did not start as a Property Assistant or work my way up, because every time he tried to hire me, I lasted a week or so before the union discovered I wasn't a member. I went down to the regional union local and asked to be put on a permit list, but an officer there refused. When I asked why, he said, "Because you're a girl." So, I hired an attorney and started what would be a seven-year legal battle while working on commercials and nonunion films. Just before that case went to trial, pressure from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) brought broad changes across Hollywood that allowed me to join the union and officially work as a Property Master. EMILY FERRY PROP CULTURE: It must have been challenging to be a woman at a time when the craft was all men. EMILY FERRY: Luckily for me, it was such an explosive time in film. The industry was motivated to try something new by hiring a young woman with a strong art background and a lot of energy, rather than a more seasoned Property Master. Thankfully, I was smart enough to figure most of it out, find camaraderie and support among my peers, and educate myself through experience from show to show. It's hard not to have imposter syndrome throughout all of this, and yet, after 25 years at it, I realized that I was just as capable as any of the men. PROP CULTURE: How does it feel knowing you have influenced so many women Property Masters and have been an inspiration for them to pursue a career in the film industry? EMILY FERRY: I was so touched by all the women who joined me on stage at the MacGuffin Awards when I accepted my Lifetime Achievement Award. As I said in my speech, I always tried to help other people, support the union, and do the right thing. Being a woman, I was told, "You're too small. You're too weak. You can't do this. You won't be smart enough. You won't work hard enough. You're going to get pregnant and have a baby and go home." So I wanted to be there for people who needed guidance, S P O T L I G H T O n P R O P E R T Y M A S T E R