Production Designer
Get involved with production design
What is a production designer, you might ask? Well, a production designer is the person who takes the vision of the director and the producer and designs the overall look for any given film, television show or play. Since the scope of the film is conceived in the production designer’s head through the input of the producer, screenwriters and directors, the production designer must work closely, listen and be able to suggest alternatives if an idea seems too far-fetched or hard to complete within a reasonable amount of time or budget.
Production designers are artists in their own right, combining the creative vision of a paint or pastel artist with the technical skill and knowledge of an architect. They work closely with the set designer, props master, costume designer and hair and makeup artists to ensure that the look and feel of a film or play is right and that it is done properly.
Becoming a Production Designer
Finding a production designer job is not as easy as putting your resume on Monster.com and hoping for the best. Usually, production designer jobs are awarded to those who have demonstrated artistic skills; a prop master or set designer, for instance, can become a production designer. Production designer is not an entry-level position; this is a field where you will have to work your way up the ranks.
A key aspect to becoming a production designer is learning to draw and how colors interact with each other. For this, many production designers have either gone to a school dedicated to the fine arts, or been disciplined and talented enough to learn the craft on their own. The importance of technical skill melded with creative vision cannot be stressed enough. Though sometimes a production designer will draw upon already-established monuments and famous architectural landscapes, such as recreating an Egyptian temple or the city streets of New York City, the vision of how a set and costume ensemble should look is dependent upon the imagination of the production designer.
One way to become a production designer is to work your way up through the art department ranks. The production designer is the head of a movie production's art department, and they are employed on a freelance basis. Most newcomers start out as set dressers and work their way up to the role of art director; the art director is the second-in-command in the art department. As you work your way up and gain more experience, you'll build your network of contacts and have an easier time landing art director jobs. Volunteering on low-budget projects and taking internships are both tried and true ways of getting started in the film industry.
In addition to artistic and technical skills, a good production designer needs management skills. Production designers are also constantly interacting with set designers and costume designers to coordinate their disparate efforts into a unified whole. Similarly, they must deal with explaining problems or delays to the director and producer and come up with solutions so that the film can go on. The production designer’s efforts are critical to the success of any Hollywood film or Broadway play.
