On a busy day the assistant prop master is the person in the prop department that actors see most. The prop master might be at a prop house picking up tomorrow's hero props or meeting the director about a weapon scene. The assistant is on set with a cart of labeled bins and a phone full of continuity photos, making sure the right coffee cup is in the right hand at the right fill level.
Getting the day's props ready
Prep for a shoot day starts the evening before or at the prop truck before crew call. The assistant pulls every prop for each scene on the call sheet and bins them in scene order with the scene number on each bin. For a day with scenes 41, 42, and 17, that might be:
| Scene | Props | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Car keys, briefcase, travel mug (half full) | Mug matches scene 40 close-up |
| 42 | Briefcase, laptop with screen graphic, office badge | Badge cleared by art department |
| 17 | Grocery bags (3), cereal box, milk jug | Cereal box is custom label; bring 2 spares |
Food props need special handling: fresh supplies in the morning, a cooler, extras for multiple takes, and dietary information for actors who have to eat on camera. A scene where a character eats a sandwich through eight takes of coverage needs a lot of sandwiches cut the same way.
On set, take after take
During rehearsal the assistant watches what each actor does with every prop. Which hand holds the phone? When does the glass go down, and how much has been drunk by then? Those notes and photos become the continuity record. Between takes the assistant resets everything to its starting position, refills drinks to the same line, and swaps anything broken or eaten.
When the camera turns around for coverage, the assistant resets for the new angle and checks against photos from the master. The script supervisor logs what the actor did; the prop department makes it repeatable. The two compare notes when there's a question, and a quick look at each other's photos usually settles it.
At wrap the assistant collects props from actors, checks everything back in against the day's list, locks hero props away, and preps bins for tomorrow. A missing hero prop is a crisis, since there may be no duplicate and a reshoot costs far more than a second copy would have.
The truck and the paperwork
The assistant usually keeps the prop truck organized so anyone in the department can find items fast. They also track:
- Receipts and purchase orders for things bought during the shoot
- Rental agreements and return dates for pieces from prop houses
- Loss and damage notes, written the day it happens
- A continuity log by scene, with photos
A continuity log template organized by scene and take is a practical format for that last item.
Kit rental
The prop master's box rental usually covers the department's tools and supplies. Some assistants bring their own cart, a set of tools, or a dedicated continuity camera or tablet and negotiate a small kit rental for it. As with any kit, it's paid weekly on the deal memo, separate from wages, with an inventory attached so it's covered for loss or damage.
Pay under Local 44
Assistant property masters in Los Angeles work under IATSE Local 44. Local 44's posted schedule for theatrical motion pictures over $15 million (August 4, 2024 to August 2, 2025) lists the assistant property master at $53.79 an hour for daily hires, with a weekly guarantee of $3,232.39. The weekly figure is built on a $52.99 base: 40 straight hours plus 14 at time and a half, or 61 paid hours. Under the 2024 Basic Agreement, minimums rose again by 4% in 2025 and 3.5% in 2026, compounding, so check Local 44's current schedule before budgeting. Low budget and new media tiers pay less.
A long day adds up quickly. At the 2024-25 hourly rate, a 13-hour day works out to 8 hours at $53.79 ($430.32), 4 hours at time and a half ($80.69 an hour, $322.74 total), and 1 hour at double time ($107.58), for $860.64 before fringes.
Moving up
Assistants typically come from prop assistant jobs on commercials, music videos, and indie features. The step to assistant prop master on a union show usually comes through a prop master who wants you on their crew. Local 44's membership page lists 30 days of union work registered with Contract Services as the first requirement to join, followed by placement on the Industry Experience Roster. Days on a non-union show that becomes union count if you were on it before it organized. In New York, prop crews are generally part of IATSE Local 52.
Storiara for prop tracking
In Storiara's Assets module, each prop can have photos, availability, and cost fields, and the find in script option shows which scenes it appears in. The Script & Breakdown View lets you highlight a line in the script and add a new prop without leaving the page. See Props & Wardrobe.