Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1536054
PROPERTYMASTERSGUILD.ORG 25 a replica mechanical arm from Terminator 2 and from shows I've worked on. I have a replica of the bat from The Walking Dead. And so, I think that's why I appreciate props so much. They are such an essential part of creating moments that have stayed with me for my entire life from when I was a kid, so it has a special place in my heart. PROP CULTURE: Not just as a movie fan, but as a writer and producer, how crucial do you think props are in forging a believable world and narrative within a film? LATOYA MORGAN: It's absolutely essential. I think props are helpful in creating moments that help sell the character. Props can give you moments of emotion and really add color and depth to the world that you're trying to immerse yourself in. Some things, a prop like the compass in Pirates of the Caribbean, literally guides the characters. Other times, a prop can carry more emotional weight. Think of a MacGuffin, like the briefcase in Pulp Fiction. Its contents are unknown, yet the entire story revolves around it. I appreciate how diverse props can be and the various meanings they can bring to a narrative. As a writer, I think about props a lot because they can drive both character development and plot progression. So for me, props are the way to sell the world, to sell the character, and to make all this make-believe believable. PROP CULTURE: Before you started working on set, did you understand the Property Master's role? particular prop because you think it might be too expensive or time- consuming to acquire or build? Or do you simply reach for the sky and await the Property Master's feedback? LATOYA MORGAN: I reach for the sky! Look, I'm hiring brilliant folks who will bring their creativity and magic to the show. So, until you guys tell me something is impossible, I'm always going to shoot for the moon. PROP CULTURE: Has there ever been a moment while you are writing where you've laughed to yourself, thinking, "There's no way they're ever going to find this." LATOYA MORGAN: No, I haven't, actually. I believe in all department heads, especially the Property Department. But I think that's the beauty of collaboration. If I've proposed something and there's a concern about the budget, that's when I like to really drill down with the Property Master. I ask, how can we possibly find a middle ground? How can we achieve the core idea we've been dreaming of, but also fit it within the given budget? As the showrunner, I take keeping our budgets intact very seriously. I'm constantly amazed by their brilliance in how they find shortcuts to get us where we need to be. So I'm all for leaning into the creativity of our collaborators. PROP CULTURE: I recall our first meeting during pre-production on the pilot for Duster, bringing you over to ISS, the prop house. What was your impression of visiting such an expansive prop house? LATOYA MORGAN: Oh, my goodness. To me, it was heaven. It was exactly the kind of place I love to spend time in. Perhaps it's because early in my Hollywood career, I worked at the Disney Archives, so I'm a true nerd at heart. I absolutely geek out over this kind of stuff. PROP CULTURE: My thought in bringing you there was to display the sheer variety of props available to you. LATOYA MORGAN: Yes, absolutely! It definitely sparked a lot of ideas. Even just walking through where you had all your various props laid out for me to see. All the different kinds of bags that characters could hide things in, there were just so CASABLANCA DIRTY HARRY PULP FICTION LATOYA MORGAN: I had a general idea of what a Property Master did, but I don't think I truly understood the depth of their work, especially how much they actually create. It wasn't until I started working on set that I realized they manufactured that! They designed it! They sourced it from some incredibly obscure place! My level of appreciation for the detail and the pivotal role Property Masters play in the world of the story went up exponentially once I became a TV writer and had the chance to be on set and really witness all the work that goes into what they do. PROP CULTURE: As a Property Master, I have always seen myself reflected in the props, viewing them as characters with their own tangible weight, history, and inherent stories—a form of subtle character development. Do you recognize this quality in Property Masters? LATOYA MORGAN: 1,000%! I think the props are an extension of the character and really help define what and who that character is. Let's just use guns for example. What type of weapon it is makes a difference, right? Are you Dirty Harry, you know, the .357 Magnum, or are you a 9mm Beretta, or are you a Walther? Simple things like that say a lot about the character. I love it when Property Masters spend a lot of time thinking about it because I do. PROP CULTURE: It's all part of the process! LATOYA MORGAN: I love the dialogue between our departments. One of the things that I really love is when in our conversations, how I would give you sort of a general idea of what I've been thinking about, and then you would either create something or bring me something that I hadn't thought of before. That's the magic of the process. PROP CULTURE: When you're writing, do you hesitate about including a