Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1536054
8 PROP CULTURE I SUMMER 2025 Is life in the biz getting you down? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed or not know where to turn? There's no need for you to suffer alone. Theresa and Scott want to help. They're right here for you in the pages of Prop Culture! Dear Theresa and Scott, I have really enjoyed your column and thought this was the perfect place for the younger property folks to turn to for some great sound advice. Then one day, I was looking at your intro and I realized, hey, they are talking to me!! You asked, "Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed or not know where to turn?" BINGO! I have been a Property Master now for well over 30 years and it has been a career I have loved and continue to be so very proud of. In all that time, I have never even been close to losing my insurance. Now, at 62 years old, that may become a reality. Work has been at a historic low. I have actually gone into my bank of hours for the first time in my career and that is soon to be drained. After all the countless hours I have contributed to my motion picture insurance, I may find myself without insurance for the first time in my career. I know I can buy COBRA, etc., but I am hoping there is some other alternative. I have put well over 60,000 hours in my over 30 years, and I am hoping for a better solution. Signed, Feeling Overwhelmed Dear Overwhelmed, We are so proud you turned to us for some of that great sound advice. First off, congratulations on such a long career. What an amazing achievement and how heartwarming it is to hear that after all these years of industry ups and downs, you still love what you do! You should certainly be an inspiration for all those younger property folks you mentioned. You have every right to be proud! Surprisingly, the information which will help you has not been so readily available, so you have every right to feel overwhelmed. Hopefully, we can help clarify your options regarding health insurance without needing COBRA or risking a lapse in coverage. Our first recommendation is for you to explore the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan (MPIPHP) website at www.mpiphp .org. Since you have told us you are 62 working with you again someday!" Well, that's exactly what happened. When the show came back for Season 7, I received the call and Karen did not. I had been in touch with Karen, and I know she assumed she would be going back. There was certainly no reason for her to think otherwise. My first question to them was why Karen was not getting the call. They told me they just felt it was time to go in a different direction. I tried to dig for a bit more information, but they told me the decision was already made and if I was not interested in the job, they would offer it to someone else. I promise I never once expressed interest in taking over the show nor did anything that could be considered campaigning for the position. This is certainly not the climate for me to turn a job down, but I don't want to hurt the person who essentially trained me, and I dread the thought of her thinking I stabbed her in the back. HELP!! Signed, No Knife in Hand Dear Knife, Yikes! There are few times when we would say, "Glad we are not you" to someone with a job offer, but yikes, we are glad we are not you! Okay, so let's step back and take this one step at a time. "Karen" is not getting the invite to come back regardless of whether or not you decide to take the job. The first thing you should do is be 100% honest and upfront with Karen. After having been friends for all these years, hopefully, Karen knows you would never betray her. But this will be an emotional time, and you need to reassure her that you had no part in the decision. Leave no room for misunderstanding. Remember, she will be hurt and angry and not just at production. If you are lucky, she will know in her heart you had nothing to do with her not being asked back and she may wish you well and encourage you to take the job. That is about as best a scenario as we can hope for. Other than that, this one will be on you to read the room and make your decision. If her friendship means everything to you, then you may need to let her know that you are on her side and will always stand up for her. Tell her how wrong and ungrateful her treatment was and let her know there's no way you'd work for people like that. You will miss out on the job, but you will have her as a friend forever. Go forward! We believe you will do what you know in your heart is the right thing to do. If you have a problem about any aspect of working in the film business or as a Property Master, just write to us at the address below. Then remember to look here at "Dear Theresa and Scott" for your answer. Even if we don't get to your question, we bet you will always find something that can help! See ya next issue. Love, Theresa and Scott | Prop Culture editor@propculturemag.com years old and have been an active member with 30 years and have worked more than 60,000 hours, you are eligible for retiree health benefits. It is important to know that enrolling in this plan does NOT require you to retire. You can continue working full time, and those hours will still contribute to your pension. This benefit provides you with lifelong health insurance security without the pressure of meeting hourly requirements or drawing down your bank. After you apply for this plan, you are set for life and will no longer need to worry about losing your insurance. Applying for this plan could not be easier. To qualify you must be at least 62 years old, have worked more than 15 years and have at least 20,000 credited hours. Done! You have all of that. There are also other plans depending on your age and situation, so the first step would be to sign on to the MPIPHP website. We would highly recommend calling them at 855-275-4674 and following the prompts for "participant" and then "retiree health." Their staff is exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful. After one phone call, you may very well have answers to all of your questions and no longer feel so overwhelmed. We really hope this helps you and please pass this information around. You are never too old to learn something new! Dear Theresa and Scott, HELP!!! Last year, I took over a show when the Property Master "Karen," who had been on it for the first six seasons, had to leave. I got my start as her Property Assistant many years ago. Karen has remained a close friend, and she highly recommended me for the job. It was due to a personal situation and her departure was amicable with all concerned. I was warmly received by the entire cast and crew and the line producer "Lauren" could not have been better at helping me get up to speed. I finished up the remaining four episodes of that season and at the final wrap, I received the customary, "You did an amazing job, and we really look forward to