Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542039
your home or in your studio. It needs to look beautiful, of course, rich, and spark a little bit of ambiguity. We see that it's a trophy, but what does it represent and how?" As it happens, representing the accomplishments of a department, the fruit of which spans boundless topics and scenarios, defies strict and literal iconography. By taking a more interpretive approach, Brad and Andres were able to pinpoint a visual message that would resonate the essence of the craft. Brad recalls: "We went through dozens of sketches before landing on the concept of a ball representing the props that we bring to the set being lifted up by something that represented the work of the property team. Just as we elevate the props that we bring to the screen, the design wanted to reflect that idea." With the concept illustration in focus, the work had only just begun. As any Property Master well knows: The most brilliant screenwriter may inspire with ideas, but ultimately, ink is cheap. Bringing this concept into the third dimension would still demand deft fabrication by skilled artisans to accomplish the desired result. The next stage involved bringing in IATSE Local 800 concept artist John Bush, who took the focused concepts and transformed them into 3D models, abstracting the drawings to create dimensional digital objects. This enabled the Property Masters Guild Awards Committee to 3D-print low-resolution miniatures of the top five prospective concepts. Much akin to a prop "show- and-tell," having these physical objects to consider in-hand allowed tactile understanding of their proposed forms. Brad noted: "From there, the winning design stood out. It was an easy choice, and the Committee was nearly unanimous on the design that we finally chose. In the end, it was harder to find the scale and figure out what the front side of it was than it was to pick the design." Armed with the Committee's feedback, John was able to develop the design into a fully realized, photo- realistic 3D render to help visualize material finishes. It was at this point that the winning concept earned its stamp of approval and manufacturing could begin. To complicate matters, the manufacturing approach to producing the trophies would be divergent to that of a typical hand prop, which is often only required to survive a few impactful moments of exposure during filming (and typically with the assurance of a duplicate waiting in the wings). By contrast, an honor such as this possesses heirloom-potential and requires that every ingredient ensures staying power in maintaining durability and appeal for generations to come. Eager to meet this challenge in support of the craft, Studio Art & Technology (SAT) lent its manufacturing prowess to the project. As Executive Vice PROPERTYMASTERSGUILD.ORG 29