Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1536054
PROPERTYMASTERSGUILD.ORG 21 project, the major challenges were the military gear and weaponry. The authentic military uniforms, weapons, and personal artifacts of the era had to be truly a part of each character's life in 1940s wartime Europe. The 6888th was stationed in England and France, and while their mission was non-combative, they were still operating in an active war zone. This meant sourcing antiques then replicating everything from the 1940s to look true to the time. I have always had a passion for designing, creating, and building things. I now look at every prop and decide if it is one that I have time to personally take on and build. I decided the only way to stay true to the correct props and my standards was to fabricate everything we needed within our Property Department. We utilized my team's strengths from casting, painting, sewing, to carpentry and 3D printing. My goal as a Property Master is to never have a viewer realize that any of the items being used in the production are newly manufactured. In this film's case, there were hundreds of replica rifles, pistols, and heavy artillery weapons, operator headphones, and microphones. We carefully researched, handpicked, and recreated to match the exact models used by American and Allied forces at the time. If it did not exist, then I would have to build it. In which case, even the smallest details were important, including the markings on the weapons and the wear and tear they would have realistically sustained after years of war. Our team worked closely with armorers and military historians to ensure the handling and usage of these props remained faithful to historical records. When it came to stunt weaponry for a period movie, most replicas are not safe to use as props in a film. Working with the stunt team, we would determine the type of stunt prop they would need. Foam rubber, ridged rubber, and even hard resin weapons were made to help accomplish their actions in the scene and remain safe. The sheer number of props made in-house was one of the largest my team and I have ever fabricated for one film. There was no challenge too big for our Property Department to handle. Not only did we end up molding and casting more than 100 period-correct gas masks to match the ones worn by the women of the 6888th, but we also created specialty outlet valves that could house KN95 filters inside the masks so the actors could remain COVID-compliant while filming. I did extensive research on the planes flown over this area where the women were stationed and the type of bombs that were dropped and well known for not detonating upon impact. These were known as UXBs (unexploded bombs),