Exclusive: A Conversation with Prop Maker Ross MacDonald (Parks and Rec, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and More)

Editor’s Note: Your Entertainment Corner has exclusive first access to The Staffa Corner Podcast (hosted by Greg Staffa, Sr. Writer for Your Entertainment Corner.)

The Staffa Corner Podcast

Episode 4

Guest: Ross MacDonald (Prop Maker)

In this episode of The Staffa Corner Podcast, I spoke with Ross MacDonald, a man of many talents. His illustrations have appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Newsweek, Time, and Rolling Stone. He’s written and illustrated several children’s books and a couple of adult humor books.

He’s also created props for over 100 movies and television shows, including Greyhound, Zombieland: Double Tap, John Wick, and more. Some of his memorable creations include the Pawnee Charter from the series Parks and Rec and the book of secrets from National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

What I admire about MacDonald’s work is the level of detail that goes into a prop that might only be seen for a split second. It’s riveting to hear him talk about seemingly mundane things like font types and what goes into creating period pieces. I especially enjoyed listening to him share examples of how circus posters were made and what goes into recreating them.

Check out Episode 3 of The Staffa Corner Podcast with stunt man Pete Klein

It was surprising to learn how much communication goes into certain props. To be honest, I assumed some assistant would call someone like MacDonald and tell him, ‘We need a tobacco tin from the 1800s.’ One would be fabricated and shipped off to Hollywood. Instead, it’s much more of a collaborative process.

I was absolutely riveted to his story of the hurdles he faced creating a particular prop for Boardwalk Empire, not to mention the moral aspects of it all. The creative solution to making something authentic to the time while not compromising your integrity is an aspect I never thought about while watching some of the darker shows on television.

I sincerely appreciated talking to MacDonald. As both a historian and teacher, you can hear the passion in his voice as he talks about the past, and his efforts to be as authentic as possible. It’s a work ethic that seems rare these days.

I hope you enjoy listening to him as much as I did.

For more on Ross MacDonald’s work you can check him out at https://www.ross-macdonald.com