Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538452
PROPERTYMASTERSGUILD.ORG 25 demand that kind of coordination, because every set piece requires full involvement from props, wardrobe, stunts, makeup, special effects, hair, and cinematography. There is no department that is not essential from the start. PROP CULTURE: Can you recall what was the most challenging prop-related problem that had to be solved during the production of Bloodlines? We trimmed the actor's nose hair, used those inserts, and props and makeup collaborated to 3-D print a custom hinge that attached to the inner hook. The actor could then control the pull of the ring himself, just out of frame, which made the shot look disturbingly real. I sketched the idea and brought it to stunts first. They approved it. Makeup effects refined the adhesive, and we tested it on the stunt performer. The morning of the shoot, we fit the final version on the actor. And it worked. It was every department working together. Once the path was clear, everyone jumped in. That is how these films get made. If one department fails, the whole thing falls apart. But when everyone is all in, the result speaks for itself. PROP CULTURE: That is incredible. It really shows how true collaboration across departments is what brings a moment like that to life. CRAIG PERRY: Movies are too hard to make if you don't. PROP CULTURE: So, shifting gears a bit, let's talk about the American Pie movies. They're a very different kind of project, tonally, thematically, and culturally from the Final Destination series. CRAIG PERRY: Yes! PROP CULTURE: To a lot of moviegoers, that pie has become burned into pop culture. Can you recall the process of choosing the pie? CRAIG PERRY: It is the title of the movie. Well, it became the title of the movie. We didn't know at the time it was going to be. In fact, when we were getting the script ready to take to the marketplace, about two days before submitting it to places to read, we added the pie scene. It didn't CRAIG PERRY: Let me tell you, the tattoo parlor scene looks simple on screen, just one guy in a room. But it was a major challenge. From a props' perspective, it started with the septum ring. The actor did not have one, so props had to work with makeup to create a believable piece that could connect to a chain rigged inside the set. David Dowling and I spent a lot of time figuring out the weight and gauge of that chain, so it felt real and heavy enough to sell the moment, but not so much that it looked unsafe. Once we had that solved, we had to reverse engineer the design. Production design incorporated multiple chains of the same type, so it blended into the set and did not feel like a setup for a single gag. Props then fabricated a plastic version of the chain with magnets, since the actor would be holding and interacting with it. Special effects added magnetic components to the fan so the chain could loop around it and stay in place but still fall safely when needed. PROP CULTURE: Once again, working on a film set is a collaborative effort! CRAIG PERRY: Every department had to be involved. Even with all of that, 36 hours before shooting, we still did not have a safe, workable solution to attach the septum ring to the actor. I had been advocating for the scene for a long time, so the directors turned to me and asked, "What do you have?" I remembered Lon Chaney in Phantom of the Opera using pacifier nipples inside his nose to alter his face. That sparked an idea. What if we used small inserts inside the actor's nose, not to distort, but to anchor a hidden connector? SEPTUM RING PHOTO: RINGO AMERICAN PIE AMERICAN PIE