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Jay Duckworth is a prop designer who has broken the barriers of prop design in the theater industry.

Jay Duckworth is most known for a scene he did a prop design for in the well-known broadway musical "Hamilton". In this scene, he was able to create a paper that would not burn fast whilst on stage being burned.

The musical had lots of elements of paper which was seen throughout the play. Jay Duckworth's job was to have the paper burn for long enough without harming anyone in the theater.

Professor Duckworth has had over 36 years of experience in major and small productions that have deemed him the Props Master.

Although he has had major success in the entertainment industry, Mr. Duckworth has gone to teaching and being a keynote speaker for many theater based colleges and programs.

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Prop Design is one of the most significant roles in the theater and film industry.

A prop designer's main job is to create and design the props that will be used for seen in a production.

A prop design can be found working in a shop and behind the scenes during the play.

Their work often happens before the production as they are in charge of making the play seem more realistic to the story.

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According to research made in the fall of 2022 there are less than 500 people employed as prop designers, 436 to be exact.

Jobs related to this career can usually be found of the sets of many plays as well as in the productions of all films.

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The description for this job is as follows: The Prop Designer plans and designs props for use in theatre, film, and television productions. They work with the costume, set, and sound designers under the direction of the art director or technical director. They also prepare sketches and diagrams to communicate design concepts.

The general job of a prop designer is to obtain all the props needed for the production.

The specific duties of a prop designer are to not only obtain all the props needed but to also consult and work with the stage manager to properly rehearse the props. As well as research the play/movie to make sure that the props are appropriate for the time period and the setting.

The most common amount of hours that a prop manager works when working in a production is usually 40 hours without any breaks.

The hours are more demanding however during seasonal shows, especially in the winter where the production manager would want to have the props done in time to be able to promote the production.

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Skills required are artistic abilities, communication skills, planning abilities, flexibility and punctuality.

Experience is necessary, it is recommended to start working as a props assistant or technician.

A common method of entry for this job is to start off as a props assistant or technician. It is best to have experience in creating props as well.

It is necessary for you to have or at least develop these skills to have a successful career in prop design.

In order to obtain a prop design job, it is recommended to create a portfolio of what you have done in the past as well as recommendations.

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Classes like wood shop, ceramics, and stagecraft can prepare a person who is pursuing a career in prop design.

While a degree isn't necessary for prop work, a background in art, design, crafting, and/or carpentry is usually preferred. Knowledge of various materials and tools is also important as prop makers need to get creative when it comes to ensuring actors can actually use the props.

Training isn't required but some experience is needed in order to obtain a job, the length of the experience usually depends on how long it takes to finish a production.

Harvard, Penn State, USC, Stanford, and Cornell has the best classes to help students who want to pursue this kind of career. A portfolio is always the best option when applying.

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Another job that one can transfer their skills of being a prop designer is a set designer.

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The starting salary for a prop designer is about 38,500 yearly. This salary can become larger in sum however this depends on the state that you live in. California has the highest pay in the country with a salary of 78,600.

The salary can increase over time depending on the projects.

The average hourly wage is about 32 an hour.

There can be opportunities to increase the sum but it depends on the project.

Education can increase the salary because it can open a lot more opportunities with projects.

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The benefits to this career is the salary that comes with the job, which is pretty high when considering that it doesn't require a college education.

Some hazards is that sometimes the career may not be as stable as some people may want it to be. Although you get to be creative, you can't have all the freedom when planning the props because you need to stick to the story.

You can join the local 44 as a union.

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Ross MacDonald who is a prop master in Connecticut grew up reading and enjoying comic books and loves the art behind the paper. Ross began his career as a magazine, book, and newspaper illustrator. Through his experience, he was able to become a paper prop master for movies and theater.

Ross MacDonald has been working as a prop master for over 25 years. Ross has been able to create props for over 50 movies and television shows. His first major motion picture to design props was for "Baby's Day Out" where he created the illustrations for the children's books in the movie. He has also worked on all 5 seasons of "Boardwalk Empire" where his work is featured in every episode. His work has been featured in "Parks and Recreation" and many more films and shows.

He has designed things like books, documents, passports, wanted posters, maps, government forms, and FBI reports. When creating his props, Ronald always likes to keep in mind the backstory of the prop. When creating a book in specific, his method of creating a worn book is by understanding how the book could have gotten its worn look.  When creating the prop Ronald considers the character, their handwriting, how old the paper is, and when the paper or book was used or delivered. He also considers the colors and the material and what the paper would be made out of or used for.

A usual project for Ronald can take a day, an hour, weeks, or months depending on the type of production and what they are asking for, and the demand for it. For books, not only the page that is being used will be filled out the whole book will be shown in the film or show or production which is why the process can sometimes be tedious. Although the prop will only be used for a split second it is Ronald's job to make the book or piece of paper look as realistic and important as possible.

(The interview used for this assignment was from Great Big Story on Youtube titled "This Prop Master's Work Is Hidden in Plain Sight", published October 16, 2018)

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This Prop Master’s Work Is Hidden in Plain Sight

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I watched an interview of Ross MacDonald and was able to learn a lot about him and his job and what he has accomplished. Ross MacDonald is a prop master and designer. I retrieved the interview from a YouTube channel, Great Big Story, and their YouTube video titled, This Prop Master's Work Is Hidden in Plain Sight, that was published in October 16, 2018.

What I thought was very interesting was the kind of work that Ross does behind the scenes. I don’t think I ever really considered the kind of work that goes in with making props let alone paper props. What a Mr. MacDonald does is, he creates the art that is used in placed in theaters in movies that helps make it seem like more realistic. I don’t think many people understand how important a piece of paper can be in a movie or in a scene. The thought process behind each prop is really interesting to me because I didn’t think that it was necessary to try and understand what might have happened to a prop in order for it to get it into its current condition. I think it’s very creative the way that Ross uses his creative abilities to be able to create something that might seem very simple, but is extremely important to a movie. I think many people, underestimate prop makers, and I don’t think they consider that kind of work and the kind of determination and time that goes into creating things for production. I also think that many people under appreciate the time and work that goes into making props, because usually the focus in the movies are the people in the actors and so I feel like the prop makers kind of go underappreciated, but overall was extremely impressed by Rosses work. Everything seems so realistic and it’s just really cool to see that someone’s work, something so small as a piece of paper can create such life in a movie.