A Rossland Props Master is creating a buzz about bringing more movie biz to the West Kootenay.

As a Props Master or Props Buyer, Paul Wagner organizes the props department on movies and TV productions, and designs, researches, sources, buys, builds, monitors, and selects the props for a variety of genres.

But Wagner would like to do it more often from his Rossland residence.

His most recent film, the Netflix movie Love Hard, rocketed to the number-1 viewed movie on Netflix after its Nov. 5 release.

鈥淚鈥檓 working with producers to try to bring some projects out to the area,鈥� said Wagner. 鈥淒ue to COVID, I was able to prep from my home in Rossland for three weeks.鈥�

For the production of Love Hard, Wagner brought Greater Trail talent on board, and it was their contributions that made the prospect of an industry in the area more realistic.

Wagner recruited Paul Durkin from Lauener Bros. Jewelry in Trail to create the family鈥檚 prop rings also known as 鈥榟ero鈥� rings.

鈥淗e came to me, during COVID, about a year ago, and he said he had an upcoming Netflix piece of work to do, and part of the script was there was an engagement ring that was going to be passed from Jimmy O. Yang to another character, Nina Dobrev,鈥� explained Durkin. 鈥淭his ring was going to get some screen time, so they term that a 鈥榟ero prop鈥�. It just means it鈥檚 actually used as part of the story line.鈥�

Durkin designed and fashioned not only the hero ring in the Lauener Bros. lab, but a variety of rings for the characters, customized to suit the ages of each member of the family.

Durkin, needless to say, is pleasantly surprised at the film鈥檚 success.

鈥淚t blows my mind,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like no. 1 in South Africa and Canada - everywhere.

鈥淚鈥檓 sitting here in Trail and all of a sudden I鈥檝e had I don鈥檛 even know how many million people view something that came from my hands and is now involved with this film.鈥�

Wagner also recruited fabrication expert and Castlegar resident Jason Taylor, who created the prototype of the glow-mold baby Jesus from the film鈥檚 Nativity scene right here in Trail.

Taylor has a unique skill set, with a diploma in structural/architectural design from BCIT, and a diploma from the Vancouver Film School in computer graphics and animation, he helped in the development and implementation of the MIDAS facility in Trail.

Former Times reporter and Writer鈥檚 Block creator Val Rossi also pitched in. According to Wagner, she was instrumental in helping with the publishing of the newspapers and connecting him with Kootenay Mountain Culture magazine for placement in the movie.

鈥淭here are a lot of stock things that they probably could have used for a production like that, but to actually have Paul (Wagner) come in and go 鈥楬ey, let鈥檚 make it something a little different, use your creativity and we鈥檒l come up with something really cool,鈥欌�� said Durkin. 鈥淪o it was really fantastic.鈥�

The home-based talent showed Wagner that there is the capacity to have a props manufacturing hub in the area.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool to be able to work with people who are super talented and really get that kind of world that I am in, and they are right there in Trail, so that鈥檚 very handy,鈥� said Wagner. 鈥淭he ability to do that kind of manufacturing in the area is definitely available.鈥�

Wagner compares West Kootenay to the Weta of B.C., a New Zealand organization that is a standard bearer for creativity and innovation in visual effects and animation.

Wagner also was Props Master for 2021 releases Antlers and the GI Joe saga Snake Eyes. He also lent his skills to the Ryan Reynolds blockbuster movies Deadpool and Deadpool 2, where the props and budgets came in on a massive scale.

鈥淎ntlers is not what I would call a prop-heavy show, for me the size and scale is quite different having done massive feature films, that are like a $200M movie that is super hero or fantasy based movie.

鈥淭hose ones they鈥檙e much more involved, it鈥檚 more complicated when you build a world.鈥�

Wagner鈥檚 greatest satisfaction comes from his contribution in building Cable, the eye-glowing military, half-man half-machine, in Deadpool 2.

A scarred and chiseled, walking armoury, Cable鈥檚 menacing appearance is softened only by a soiled Teddy Bear attached to his belt.

鈥淚 work closely with the actors, I work closely with the costume department and very closely with the stunt department,鈥� said Wagner.

鈥淐able was one of the characters that is my claim to fame in Deadpool 2, Josh Brolin鈥檚 character.鈥�

In the future, Wagner sees these initial efforts spinning off into more opportunities for local business and potential enterprises directly related to the film industry.

鈥淚鈥檓 trying to use as many manufacturers as a I can locally and hopefully be able to, in my mind, have a sustainable film industry in the Trail area would be awesome.鈥�

Wagner鈥檚 previous credits also include Star Trek Beyond, Paycheck, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Warcraft, I, Robot, and X-Files.

sports@trailtimes.ca
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