Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546176
2 PROP CULTURE I FALL 2026 LETTER FROM THE EDITORS W elcome to Issue 8 of Prop Culture. Each issue reminds us why we started this magazine: to give our craft a voice, celebrate the people behind the work, and shine a light on the objects, choices, builds, fixes, finds, and happy accidents that bring our stories to life. In our last issue, we announced a truly historic moment for our community. For the first time, Property Masters and Assistant Property Masters were now eligible to apply for membership in the Television Academy. After nearly 80 years since the Academy's founding in 1946, the Property Department was finally being recognized for the creative and technical contributions we bring to every production. We cannot begin to describe the overwhelming response we received from our fellow Property Masters and Assistant Property Masters who were eager to join the Television Academy. Just as meaningful was the heartfelt response of love, celebration, and congratulations we received from friends and family, who understood how important this moment was. We were also deeply moved by the reaction from our fellow film and television craft members, from production assistants and sound mixers to producers and well- known actors, all recognizing what this milestone means for our department. What was especially overwhelming was the number of people who responded with, "Well, it's about damn time!" How right they are. If you are a Property Master or Assistant Property Master and would like to join the Television Academy, we encourage you to do so. The more of us who join their ranks, the louder and stronger our collective voice becomes. Plus, it is a lot of fun! That same spirit continues through the growth of the Property Masters Guild. While the PMG may have originated in Los Angeles, it has become a truly worldwide organization. We are seeing more and more members across the United States, in places like Albuquerque, Atlanta, New York, Boston, and beyond, as well as throughout Canada and Europe. Whether you work in a major production hub, a smaller market, in a union, or outside of one, you are encouraged and welcomed to join the PMG. So, tell your friends. We also want to especially encourage contributions to Prop Culture magazine from across the globe. Share your stories, your photos, your work, and your life experiences with us. We would love to read them, and we would love to publish them in a future issue. This is your magazine. Do not be concerned if you do not consider yourself a great writer. You write it, we will edit it. Just drop us an email at EDITOR@ PROPCULTUREMAG.COM. In this issue, PMG Property Master Chris Call returns with "Anatomy of a Scene," this time examining Michael Corleone's deadly meeting at Louis' Italian Restaurant in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather. To a moviegoer, it may seem like a simple dinner between three men that ends with a gun fired three times. To a Property Master, it is a carefully built house of cards. Chris explores how Douglas Madison Sr.'s work helped bring this legendary scene to life, and how the role has evolved from old-school ingenuity to today's highly technical and regulated production process. We also bring you Baza Novic's fascinating piece on "Faux Reality," exploring how props give shape to the carefully constructed world behind unscripted entertainment. From dating shows and game shows to elaborate high-stakes competitions, Baza looks at how the prop team helps turn chaos into story. In this issue's Prop Culture interview, we sit down with producer, writer, and showrunner April Blair. April shares her approach to storytelling and discusses the vital role the Property Master and other creative department heads play in bringing those stories to life. Our signature Prop Culture columns also return, with "Scene Stealers" spotlighting Property Master Tom Sullivan and his work on one of horror's most iconic props from Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead. "Dear Theresa and Scott" is back, along with another "Go for Props" cartoon, and in "Ask the Experts," Property Masters John D. Bert, Dean Eilertson and Federico Ciommo share how unscripted props ended up changing the script. As always, and now for the eighth time, thank you for reading. Thank you for subscribing. And thank you for doing what you do. "Y'all come back now. Ya hear!" Sincerely, Scott A. Buckwald, PMG and Theresa Corvino, PMG