Martyn Doust serves as the property master for the live-action Disney+ original series, Andor.
Every Star Wars film produced by Disney has benefited from Martyn Doust's expertise, and he held the position of prop master for the television series Andor. Doust was aware from the outset that his involvement in the show would be demanding. Under the direction of showrunner Tony Gilroy, the series aimed for a more realistic and grounded approach compared to other Star Wars projects, necessitating more location shooting. Doust and his team anticipated visiting numerous new worlds, each requiring its own distinctive visual identity, aesthetic, and atmosphere. Their goal was to create props that appeared to belong authentically to each environment.
Doust's team recognized early on the need for a striking and recognizable blaster for Cassian Andor. Doust initially drew inspiration from Han Solo's DL-44 to ensure the blaster was easily identifiable, even in silhouette. The team examined various designs and the construction methods used for the original Star Wars blasters. Their research extended to the Expanded Universe and computer games, ultimately leading them to the K-16 Bryar Pistol from Star Wars Battlefront, which they presented to Doust. He found the blaster visually appealing and compact enough for Andor to conceal. Doust felt it was crucial to justify the blaster's prominent front end, conceiving the idea that it overheated with prolonged use, requiring users to flip the center section to install a cold barrel. This feature was physically incorporated into the prop by the prop makers. The added functionality and design elements led to the designation of a new model number, the MW-20 Bryar pistol.
The NS-9 Starpath Unit was initially described in an early script draft as "a piece of navigational tech" with an unbroken seal. The item needed to appear valuable, fit within a small bag, and possess a distinctly "Imperial" aesthetic. Doust considered the Starpath the MacGuffin that initiates the partnership between Andor and Luthen Rael. Doust's team prioritized functionality in determining the Starpath's appearance, theorizing that it was the component of the navigation computer responsible for plotting courses through the stars. Doust integrated the Starpath's unbroken seal into its backstory, suggesting that a compromised seal would render hyperspace routes unreliable, thereby enhancing its value. To create the prop, Doust sourced what he described as "an old piece of military junk" from the Ministry of Defence, featuring handles that he envisioned being plugged into a larger system. This device served as the foundation for the Starpath, which was subsequently refined with the addition of platinum- and gold-colored elements and the Imperial cog.
Doust perceived the cereal known as Crunchies as an ordinary, commonplace aspect of daily life. He included a bowl and spoon to represent the essential components of a cereal meal. Doust understood that the scenes depicting the Time Grappler striking an anvil with hammers needed to be exceptionally iconic for Ferrix, given its role as the village clock. Following Tony Gilroy's instructions, the prop had to be fully functional and produce the correct sound. The team researched hammers from diverse cultures and disciplines, ultimately finding inspiration in front-heavy Japanese hammers. These provided the initial concept for the shape, which was then scaled up. Doust aimed to deviate from conventional designs when working on the anvil. The final design drew inspiration from a musical anvil, which was enlarged and augmented with additional layers. Doust viewed the anvil's sound as its primary purpose, believing that the form should reflect this function. The team dedicated significant time to the anvil and hammers, recognizing their importance to Ferrix. The props were embellished with Star Wars design elements and finalized in appearance.
When the prop department was developing a metal detector for a bouncer at a brothel, they initially considered a modern scanner, but Doust rejected it as being too contemporary. Instead, Doust sought a prop that evoked the 1970s and could be operated with one hand. After examining various security devices, Doust was inspired by an electric carving knife, which possessed the appropriate handle shape, ergonomic design, single-handed operation, and a prominent button on top. Doust believed that the scanner prop exemplified the show's prop-building methodology and echoed the prop construction techniques used in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. Doust was not surprised to see the anvil and hammers featured prominently in the Andor trailer, which debuted on May 26, 2022. Doust appreciated seeing Diego Luna, the actor portraying Cassian Andor, subtly flick his wrist and press the button in the show.