Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544153
PROPERTYMASTERSGUILD.ORG 31 the actor being wrapped (Cliff) and the actor doing the wrapping (Jayson). The scene required close coordination between stunts, makeup, and props. Planning and rehearsals yielded breathable prosthetics, varied rigging options, and then more rehearsals to ensure safety while maintaining the required intensity. In the New York region, animals are treated as props. Releasing native fish on camera required approvals, health records, water testing, and location guarantees before we could shoot. The volume of paperwork was new for me, and it wasn't clear until the day before if American Humane would permit us. Sourcing white-tailed deer required compliance with chronic wasting disease protocols and transport prohibitions for a native species. After three months of trying with every contact I had, I had almost given up. But as usual, Dawn's Animals came through. Access was secured through a partnership with a Mennonite-operated game farm following multiple visits and delicate negotiations. The chicken playing Gertie required early socialization to ensure safe and consistent handling by a child actor. Multiple pre-calls established familiarity and trust well ahead of the camera. Overall, this project was very gratifying with the intimate, granular and textured nature of the props. My takeaway is that objects retain memory. When props are constructed and chosen through character logic, they minimize the distance between the actor and the role and strengthen the world's cohesion. I don't think props should announce themselves. They should reduce the distance between who the actor is and who the character has been for years. If the audience believes in the world without knowing why, the work is doing its job. L-R: LANEY SIFFORD, FIONA GREGORY, DANA VELEZ