One of the reasons I love working in production is that even though my job is the same, what I’m working on changes every day. One day I could be learning about harvesting camel’s milk in Morocco and the next how to make homemade marshmallows. It can be Christmas in July or Halloween in June.
With changing themes come changing props, and that is where things get interesting. I don’t want to mislead you, my job usually has nothing to do with props. Most of the variety of props and subjects are captured in the field… but every once in a while we need to do a pick up shoot on our stage. And that’s when I burst into action. I run into the metaphorical phone booth as Heather Hansen, production manager, and run back out as Heather Hansen random-prop-master-extraordinaire!
Have you ever had to let your phone go to voicemail because you were busy spray-painting an artichoke gold? I have. Once, on a hot day in August, I made a tiny santa hat for a pink plastic flamingo. I’ve had to make flowers bloom, find live baby chicks willing to chirp on queue, and figure out how to make a radish wink all on a moment’s notice. I’ve come home covered in glue, paint, glitter, and food stains. Sometimes all at once.
Just as I was about to type “I can’t wait to find out what’s next” I remembered that I have to go help wrap Christmas presents in March. This is so fun…
Heather Hansen