Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544153
PROPERTYMASTERSGUILD.ORG 9 Jonathan Frakes: By Scott A. Buckwald, PMG F ew figures in television and film embody the collaborative art of storytelling more fully than Jonathan Frakes. From the bridge of Star Trek: The Next Generation to a prolific career behind the camera, Frakes has built a body of work defined by narrative precision and deep respect for the artisans who bring stories to life. Audiences first embraced him as Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, a role woven into television history which remains embedded in popular culture. As director of Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection, he helped shape the franchise's cinematic evolution, while features such as Clockstoppers and Thunderbolts* showcased his versatility with scale, visual effects, and character-driven adventure. His directing credits span Star The Prop Culture Interview Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and series beyond the franchise, including The Orville, Burn Notice, Leverage, Castle, The Librarians, and NCIS: Los Angeles. In this conversation, Frakes reflects on the evolution of the industry, the energy that drives successful production, and the essential partnership between actor, director, and craftspeople. Thoughtful and remarkably personable, he has an ease about him that immediately puts you at ease, a quality that mirrors the collaborative spirit he brings to every set. His perspective makes him a natural presence in this issue of Prop Culture magazine. PROP CULTURE: Good morning, Jonathan! Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with us. JONATHAN FRAKES: Very glad to be here. I was gathering props for my wife to sketch. I picked up the wrong sketch pad from her studio in the rain. PROP CULTURE: I believe the last time you and I worked together was 14 years ago. You were directing episodes of Switched at Birth! JONATHAN: Oh yeah, up in Santa Clarita. I really liked being on Switched at Birth. I thought Lizzie Weiss was the bomb. PROP CULTURE: She really is. I just adore her. JONATHAN: Anyway, let's get into, I got stories, I got stories for you. Oh, God, I was fortunate. My dad was an English professor and film addict. He said you might as well try and do something you love, and I support you completely and it worked out for me. I'm blessed. PROP CULTURE: That kind of encouragement clearly stayed with you, and that journey has led to a unique career working successfully on both sides of the camera. JONATHAN: I wouldn't say that makes me unique at all. I was really grateful to be able to make that transition to another craft. I mean, I work, I just did a Hallmark movie, I have a little recurring thing. PROP CULTURE: Having worked as an actor and now primarily as a director, how has your understanding of props evolved? As a director, you now collaborate with the Property Department to assign meaning and intention to those objects. JONATHAN: I think that having been an actor really helps to be a director. Interestingly enough, I do not always assign them myself. At the start of prep, you meet with the department heads, usually beginning with an art department meeting, followed by a breakdown and then a dedicated prop meeting, where you can get into the nitty-gritty. I generally go to the Property Department, which I've always loved. I love the idea of going out and touching and being in the room where all the props are laid out on the table and here's your choice for this and here's your choices for that. You know, it's like having a great first assistant director or a great cinematographer. PROP CULTURE: When you are directing episodic television, you're coming into a world that's aleady been established. JONATHAN: If you don't have somebody who clearly gets it in these key positions, you can taste it early in prep. You have enough shit