Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542039
18 PROP CULTURE I WINTER 2026 sunglasses for Dylan and his rucksack that he carries when he first arrives in the Village. We provided countless hand gabs, eyeglasses, and jewelry to complete the looks of key characters. I worked closely with set decoration to provide the functional equipment for the various concert performances, including that soundboard and Newport, all the backstage gear, and the recording suite at Columbia Records. I worked with our graphics department to create the countless number of backstage passes, concert programs, matchbooks, menus, newspapers, letters, and airline ephemera. Our scenic department was pivotal in giving our props the proper age that spoke to a time period where people held onto possessions for long periods of time. On this project, I collaborated with sound and music supervisors to provide them with the proper sounding instruments and equipment. It took a major collaboration to recreate all the album covers for Dylan, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, and Pete Seeger with photographs of our actors replacing the music icons. PROP CULTURE: What do you like most about our craft's work? MICHAEL JORTNER: I love how a specific prop, no matter how intricate or common, can play a pivotal role in a scene. Whenever I start a project, I begin with populating my office with objects that embrace the specific time period or subject matter of the project. Especially on a period film such as A Complete Unknown, it helps to spark a conversation with whomever steps into our office. Each project has its own language, its own universe that needs to be developed. I love to find a place in the project for each prop that we purchase. On a project that has so many rich layers to it, you can never have too many props on hand. Beyond what is written in the script, the job of the Property Department is to interpret the vibe, energy, and staging of a particular scene to bring life to the action in the background, as well as what's happening with the main characters. We truly get the opportunity to have a dynamic impact on each frame of a film. E x c e l l e n c e i n P E R I O D F E A T U R E F I L M 2 0 2 5 A Complete Unknown Michael Jortner, PMG PROP CULTURE: What was your most challenging hurdle of A Complete Unknown? MICHAEL JORTNER: Since all the musical performances were recorded live during filming, it was imperative that all the microphones sounded properly and were functionally intact, as well as visually "new" for the time period. The Columbia Records Studio A set comprised a wide array of microphones, recording equipment, amplifiers, and instruments that were all utilized to tell the story of Bob Dylan's music from his first album to "Like a Rolling Stone." PROP CULTURE: How do you collaborate artistically with the other departments to deliver what was needed? MICHAEL JORTNER: On this project, I found myself working with the costume department by providing the all-important