Walter Klassen
A Prop shop for movies and films being shot in Toronto and the region.
Overview
A 4-month internship at Walter Klassen FX in Toronto, Ontario taught me various design skills, such as prototyping, dealing with problems on the go, designing for manufacturing, and how to create designs that can easily be manufactured, and finally how to create these silver screen props efficiently and cost-effectively while still needed to look very high quality. In addition to design skills, I was able to observe first hand the business and project management side of design.
After my internship, I was hired to work 4 more months until the continuation of my schooling in September.
4 Months internship
Hired for 4 more months
Toronto, Ontario
Roles and Responsibilities
A brief summary
In the first few days at my shop, my jobs included mainly organizing and cleaning. This allowed me to become familiar with the structure of the shop and observe the workflow. As my time progressed, I went from helping to sand and finish props, to creating small props on my own. These props allowed me to gain and improve my skills in multiple areas such as machining, welding, mold making, assembly, finishing, and CAD/ 3d Printing.
For a detailed report of my time at Walter Klassen download my internship report.
Netflix: Titans
Deathstrokes Knife/ Magazine
This was the first major prop I was given the lead on. The most educational experience I could have had. Lots of mistakes were made, and lots of lessons were learned. I developed critical thinking skills, having to orchestrate solutions for unanticipated problems, and developed a better understanding of machining.
Process of build
The Umbrella Academy
Pogo's Space Chair
This prop was designed by my manager, Patrick Kroetsch. However, I decided to place emphasis on this prop as well because I learnt a lot about designing for easy manufacturing and finishing techniques as he enlisted me to help him assemble the build.
