In short: A prop master runs the property department on a film or TV drama. They make, hire, store and transport every movable item seen on screen, and prepare the props for each day's shoot. The role is senior, reports to the production designer and works closely with the set decorator.
A prop master runs the property department on a film or TV drama, making, hiring, storing and moving every movable item that appears on screen. The role is senior, and the prop master reports to the production designer within the art department.
What a prop master does on a shoot day
The work starts a few weeks before shooting. The prop master agrees the prop needs with the art team, does the research and draws up property lists. For each item they decide whether to hire it or make it, and they set a schedule for the location and construction departments.
On the day, standby props handle replacements and changes as a scene is reset. Prop hands move and store the hired items. The prop master keeps continuity in mind throughout: a cup that is half full in one take has to be half full in the next.
After shooting, hired props go back to their suppliers. The rest are sold or disposed of.
Who they work with
The prop master reports to the production designer and works in the art department alongside the set decorator. They also work closely with the director, the art director, the prop buyer, the location manager and the construction manager. Their team can include standby props and prop hands. For hired items they work with the production buyer, and for made items they recruit carpenters, artists and makers.
Kit and skills
ScreenSkills lists these skills for the role:
- An understanding of film, including the director's vision, the script breakdown and continuity.
- Historical knowledge and an eye for authentic set dressing.
- Craftsmanship with varied materials, and the ability to make and repair items.
- Safe handling of large, heavy and fragile objects.
- Organisation of staff, budgets, schedules, transport and storage.
The profile also says learning to drive is essential, since so much of the job is moving heavy, fragile items between a hire house, a workshop and a set.
Props include heavy items, sharp edges and anything that moves or breaks on cue. Weapons, breakaway glass, special effects and rigged moving parts each need their own checks. This is general guidance only, and a competent person must assess the actual job, including every prop that is made, altered or handled by an actor.
How to become a prop master
Most people work up. ScreenSkills names standby props, dressing props, props storeman and assistant prop master as the usual steps. Other routes include:
- Trainee. ScreenSkills recommends its Trainee Finder scheme for starting as an art department trainee.
- Apprenticeships. Junior prop master or props technician roles in film, TV or theatre can be a way in, as can apprenticeships in related crafts such as furniture making.
- Qualifications. At Level 3, A-levels or Highers in relevant subjects, or vocational courses such as BTEC, UAL, OCR Cambridge Technical, NCFE and T Level Craft and Design. A degree is not required.
- Free training. ScreenSkills offers e-learning, including its Passport modules and the "Getting into the screen industries" modules, plus skills checklists.
Networking helps. ScreenSkills suggests its events and local film office events, a LinkedIn profile and local online groups. Bectu, the union for workers in the creative industries, offers career development support to members.
Do you need one on a small shoot?
- A talking head or a podcast: no. A prop or two can be placed by the crew.
- A product, lifestyle or interview day with a few props: usually not, but someone should own the list and track what is hired and what has to go back.
- A drama with actors handling objects, several scenes or a period look: yes, or at least one person who acts as prop master for the day, because continuity breaks quickly.
- A shoot with weapons, breakable items or effects: yes, and a competent person must assess the risk.
The how to brief a video shoot guide covers the information a crew needs before a day starts, including the props.
Related roles
Sources
- ScreenSkills, Prop master (film and TV drama), read 5 November 2026
- ScreenSkills, Production buyer (film and TV drama), read 5 November 2026
- Bectu, home page, read 5 November 2026
Related guides
Questions we get asked
What does a prop master do on a film set?
A prop master makes, sources, stores and transports the props used in a production, from the items an actor holds to the objects that dress a scene. They draw up property lists with the art team, decide what to hire and what to make, and oversee the standby props who handle changes during filming.
What is the difference between a prop master and a production buyer?
The production buyer finds and books items from prop houses and suppliers, and tracks budgets and hire dates. The prop master decides what the production needs, manages the making and storing of props, and runs the props team on set. On large productions the two work from the same list.
How do you become a prop master in the UK?
Most prop masters work up from standby props, dressing props, props storeman or assistant prop master roles. ScreenSkills points people who are starting out to its Trainee Finder scheme for art department work.
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