Studio Mechanics Training
Launch a Career in the Property Department
APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED.
Reel Works and I.A.T.S.E. Local 52 are partnering to create awareness about careers in the Property Department on film and television productions.
Interested New Yorkers will be required to attend a mandatory information session to learn more about the craft in addition to completing an online application. If selected, participants will qualify for placement on NYC union productions as a Set Dresser.
What Does the Property Department Do?
On film and television productions, the Property Department is responsible for the continuity of placement and proper operation for set dressing and props. The on-set team is tasked with cleaning and maintaining these pieces, and of policing the set to ensure that props and set pieces are not lost or damaged.
Continuity is a major concern for the on-set dresser and on-set props. Working with the script supervisor, these people take photos of each set to ensure that the decor stays the same from one scene to the next and resets items as needed after each shot. Detailed logs are kept listing every item used, its position, and any notes on distressing and movement that should occur through the progression of the shots.
Depending on the production, the inventory of props and set dressing may number in the hundreds or thousands. The sourcing (buying, renting, building), storage, and tracking of all set dressing and props are handled by the off-set teams. Set Dressers who work off-set are responsible for dressing each set, based on the Director and Production Designer’s requests. It takes a highly organized individual to keep track of it all and perfectly replicate a design plot to the smallest detail.
Additional careers in the property department include: Property Master, Special Effects, Armorer, Set Decorator, Greens Person, and Lead Person. To learn more visit local52.org.
What Are the Requirements for working in the Property Department?
Applicants should be current NYC residents, 18+ years of age, with a high school diploma or equivalent, and legally eligible to work in the US.
Local to New York State, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania (excluding Pittsburgh), Connecticut.
An OSHA-10 Construction Safety and Aerial Lift Certification is required to work on set. You do not need this to attend the info session or to apply, but you will need to complete this before being eligible for the over hire list to work in the property department for Local 52. Reel Works will provide resources for where you can obtain these certifications.
We acknowledge that the media and entertainment industry can do better when it comes to access for media professionals from marginalized communities, including people of color, women, and LGBTQIA+ people. Therefore, we strongly urge those with the following identities to apply: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), LGBTQIA+, women and non-binary people, people living with disabilities, and others with lived experience being part of marginalized communities to apply for this training.
Post-secondary educational background studying art, film/TV production, or theater is helpful, but not required.
Knowledge of interior design is a bonus, whether you gain it through coursework or glean it from magazines and online.
Comfortability using a drill is recommended.
Experience in stagecraft, carpentry, moving furniture, and sewing are also valuable.
Being able to pay attention to detail, think fast on your feet, follow directions, be reliable and solve problems creatively are crucial.
Someone with good spatial reasoning and awareness will do well in the property dept.