I Want To Be A Prop ManagerIf you're interested in becoming a prop manager, you probably have a flair for design and like to make things. There is no specific career path to follow, but taking art and design courses at school will teach you some of the relevant skills. At university, you may want to pursue a communications or media studies degree or take classes in photography, film, television, fine arts, architecture, theatre and industrial design. It's also a good idea to gain practical experience, so perhaps volunteering to make the props for a school play or community theatre production is a good place to start. As a props manager, you will work with many different people, from members of the cast to the production team, so you should enjoy collaborative work. The job will also take a lot of creativity, since it will often be up to you to design a prop. A good example is the bird that was made for Beasts and Beauties. The director decided the bird should be created from kitchen utensils, but it was up to the head of props to find the parts and put it together. In addition to being creative, he also had to know how to make the bird functional and robust enough to be used in more than fifty performances. Resourcefulness and frugality are also important qualities for a props manager to have. The props budget is often very tight, so it is useful to be able to find ways to stretch the budget, such as knowing where to find cheap materials and thinking of ways to re-use existing material. | 
