References
Biography
With over 25 years of experience, Launa Staehle, a Los Angeles based IATSE Local 44 Prop Master and Independent Art Director has the expertise, resourcefulness and drive you need for your next production. She has worked within a huge range of production styles, formats and parameters throughout the United States and abroad. These diverse experiences have given Launa valuable skills and specialized insight into what each production’s needs will be and a plethora of creative solutions to facilitate them.
Making imagined ideas and dreams become a reality on a screen, is more than a career for Launa; it is a passion. This passion fuels her profound drive and commitment to her craft. Whether building the Time Machine for Great Minds with Dan Harmon, creating giant slingshots for Tosh.0, designing the Captain Latvia action figure for Brooklyn Nine-Nine or building the Kid Kits for The Baby Sitters Club, this work is exiting and fulfilling, for Launa, on every show. Even as a child, Launa loved to discover and create. She built forts, spaceships and rockets out of anything she could sculpt or mold. During her childhood, Launa learned how to tell stories and make inventive 16mm films full of comical narratives. Cultivating this knowledge, Launa saw how a subtle change in an edit, splice or the slightest adjustment to a camera angle could change the whole narrative.
At the University of Central Florida, Launa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Motion Picture Technology, with a focus on Screen Writing and Above the Line Production, while also studying Fine Art and Sculpting. In addition to her formal studies, Launa worked at a prop fabrication shop in Orlando, Florida, and learned many fabrication techniques.
Launa’s thesis film, Alice in Laundroland, was awarded several grants and recognized by Disney IDEAS with the accommodation of Promising New Filmmaker. The success of Alice in Laundroland led to Launa being hired to Production Design her first Feature: The Brothers less than a week after graduation.
In 2004, Launa moved to Los Angeles and began to focus primarily on prop mastering. Since that time, Launa has prop mastered features and television shows for NBC Universal, Hulu, Comedy Central, Netflix and Nickelodeon. Additionally, Launa has prop mastered commercials for clients such as ABC Family, Funny Or Die, Milagro Films, Motiv, TNT, Go Films, Klutch Creative and MTV. She has production designed and art directed features, television shows, commercials and music videos for companies including: The History Channel, CBS Sports, Caviar/ Cracker and HBO.
A compelling image can make you laugh, cry, or see the world from a new perspective. This image, key element or prop can communicate a thousand ideas in seconds. Launa Staehle makes these powerful elements come to life through her designs and creations. Whether it is a featured prop that defines a protagonist or a subtle color choice in the background of a set, these visual devices have a huge impact on the power of a scene. The successful design and use of a prop creates higher production value, impacts the audiences’ suspension of disbelief and beguiles them with the magic we have created.
Launa makes custom props, both for shows she is the Prop Master of, and as commissioned custom fabrications. She sculpts and paints whenever she has free time, and continues to write scripts with plans to direct more films in the near future.
Whether for work or pleasure, Launa enjoys the immersion of experiences, challenges and adventure that traveling to new places can bring. Filming on location has its own unique set of requirements. Launa has worked in many locations throughout the United States and abroad. She has camped in deserts under the stars; crashed through giant waves racing tropical storms; climbed to the top of giant pyramids and sledded down sand dunes. Applying the life experiences and wisdom of working and traveling in remote locations, Launa brings a broader understanding and real-world knowledge and skills to each project.
In conjunction with Launa’s work on location and savoir faire, she is proficient in an array of mediums, genres, and formats. Launa’s ability to think outside the box and unique problem-solving abilities bring a fresh take to any production team. She has excelled at leadership and advisory roles in both the production and print worlds. Launa enjoys working in the collaborative environments that makes these projects successful.
With an extensive prop kit, Launa’s 48’ prop trailer is fully loaded and ready to roll. When you bring Launa onto your project, you will be impressed with her professionalism, experience, and her enduring passion for her craft. As an essential part of your team, she ensures that your project is the best it can be. Launa always strives to surpass all expectations.
Each show has unique challenges and goals. Whether your show will help create a better world, make you laugh or simply be a brief escape from reality, Launa will approach it with the highest levels of conviction, grit and focus on delivering quality results.
A creative and resourceful problem solver, Launa looks forward to the treasure hunt and fabrication challenges that are unique to being a Prop Master. She loves creating reality from ideas and dreams, from script to screen. Her passion, knowledge and experience create an unparalleled drive to deliver superior results.
Whatever you can imagine, she can make happen.