What an Art Director Does

What the art director's construction crew provides

hardware for doors, windows, cabinets; door numbers, sign plaques, hanging signs; wallpapers, veneers, built-in shelves; plumbing fixtures (radiators and water heaters); built-in kitchen appliances; vent grills, exposed ducts, pipes; hard flooring or wall-to-wall carpeting; awnings, entrance canopies, large tents; greens; billboards, marquees, fixed electrical neon signs

Alfred Hitchcock's Origin

he was an English art director who wanted to try directing

Sheen

high-gloss paint that adds a whole new dimension to sets

5. It don't mean a thing if

it ain't got that look

7. Be there when it's still

just lines on the floor

Assistant Art Director

maintains momentum of pre-production activity

Fra Dominico

man who expressed his love for the faith by illuminating word of god

6. Dirty old hand props

need aging too

What the set decorator's dressing crew should provide

wall hooks, drapery hardware, blinds, valances, interior shutters, area carpets (sometimes wall-to-wall carpeting), light fixtures, switches, electrical outlets, exposed telephone wire, wiremold, posters, lobby cards, desk signs, hanging neon signs, tents/temporary canopies, interior/potted greens

Location Manager

person who functions as a liaison with location owners and local authorities

Stunt Coordinator

person who gets everything ready for stunts to happen

Makeup Artist

person who gives special make up effects or helps establish the world through makeup

Producer

person who has been with a project the whole time/money man

Photo-Effects Coordinator

person who help establish the visual concept of the film

Technical Advisor

person who helps research the show a lot to make things possible

Supervising Art Director

person who is familiar with every film in production and who protects the studio from shitty "art directors"

Property Master

person who is in charge of all of the props and the way they look

Gaffer

person who is in charge of all the lighting

Transportation Coordinator

person who is in charge of getting people everywhere on a budget

Director of Photography

person who is in charge of lighting, camera, etc

Key Grip

person who is in charge of the equipment needed to film

Special Effects Dude

person who is involved in all of the effects sequences and can fix a lot of things

Assistant Director

person who keeps a shooting company running smoothly

Model Maker

person who makes models of the sets to show layouts

Sign Shop

person who makes signs for things like parking lots, computer-generated signs, silk-screen signs, hand-lettering signs

Standby Greensman

person who makes sure all the plants are looking the same way and don't ruin shots

Costume Designer

person who makes sure everything actors wear fits into world of film

Script Supervisor

person who makes sure that the script is honored

Sound Mixer

person who makes sure the sound comes out right for a film

Accountant

person who runs all the numbers

Wrangler

person who supplies wagons, gear, and tack

Hair Stylist

person who takes care of the way people's hair looks

Standby Painter

person who touches up the pain ton walls, props, or wardrobe

Blueprinter/File Clerk

person who was in charge of copy blueprints and taking care of files

Publicist

person who worries about public image

Writer

person who writes the screenplay and describes stage direction to start creating the set

Director

person whose image is being made into a film

Upholstery Shop

place that draws from same fabric resources as drapery that upholsters furniture to give a look you need

Furniture Refinishing Shop

place that gets furniture looking as it should for a set

Special Effects Department

place that has all of the things you would need to make special effects

Metal Shop

place that has all the metal you could ever need for a more realistic look

Scenic Backing Lots

place that has both painted and photo backings for sets

Prop Shop

place that has/can make any prop you need

Electrical Fixture Department

place where electric needs for sets are met, you could find signs, street lamps, neon signs, etc

Hardware Department

place where things are put that don't fit into any one of the others - locksets, bolts, mail slots, bath accessories

Drapery Department

place where you can find any drapery you may need

The Mill

place with every power woodworking tool where you can pre-assemble almost every set

Stage-Condition Plans

plans that showed the size and exact position on each set on every stage

Property House

prop house that holds a variety of things you might need for a set

Art Director title origin

publishing business

Drafting Room

room consisting of 10-40 drawing boards

Depression Connotation

security, warmth, inferiority, evil

Backup Sheet

set number, location, set title, anticipated work, estimated cost

9. The presentation is a bit of

show business

Kinetics

something all filmmakers should understand about the movement of all parts of a film

Elevation Connotation

superiority, holiness, isolation, chilliness, vulnerability

Local 876 of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees

today's society of motion picture and television art directors

2. Don't cheat

unless you have to

Contrasts

used to highlight things as brightness, size, confinement, or opulence

Cinemagundi Club

first art director society

Craft Service

person who feeds people

The Great Train Robbery (1903)

example of a film that needs art direction despite having a wonderful location

Intolerance

(by D.W. Griffith) showcased work of art director through Babylonian palace sequence

The Poseidon Adventure

example of when a storyboard becomes mandatory when stunts and special effects dominate a scene

Art Director on Citizen Kane

Perry Ferguson

Film Editor

Person who takes care of the footage/film filmed and puts it all together into a film in post-production

Art Director's Breakdown Sheet

Set title, scene numbers, page count, estimated cost, set numbers

What did Menzies win an award for (special honor)

The Dove and Tempest

Winner of first Art Director award

William Cameron Menzies

Soundstage

a space that has the full capacity to make a film as opposed to a warehouse

Set Designer

draftsman who makes working drawings (blueprints) for sets, props, and furniture

Set Designers

draftsmen who create the working drawings (blueprints) for motion-picture sets

Texture

an indefinable quality of reality that lifts a film, performance, or setting out of the ordinary into greatness

Staff Shop

architectural treasure trove, place where people can make duplicates or ornate decor for set decoration

4. The horizon is always

at eye level

10. Show no set

before its time

3. Signs of protest are

best done by amateurs

paint shop

creative center of the backlot

Plumbing Department

department that fixes all plumbing needs on a set to get working running water

Research Department

department that holds the largest accumulation of files, where information is kept and found

Master Carpenter

designed the first sets

8. If it feels good

do it

Placement

elevation, proximity, or position

Charles Rosen

one of the people of successfully transitioned from stage to film design

Cast

people who act

Set Decorators

people who assume the expanded responsibilities of an art director

Artistic Executive/Technical Director

people who designed things that need more historical/regional accuracy than a master carpenter could provide

Set Illustrators

people who illustrate what the sets will look like

Costumer

people who keep track of all the costumes and keep them in good shape

Chief Draftsman/Drafting Room Art Director

person in charge of drafting room

Production Manager

person responsible for budgeting and controlling the expenditure of a huge sum of money

Casting Director

person who casts who is in a film

Production Coordinator

person who coordinates everything together and does a lot of work

Light and Shadow

the domain of the director of photography

1. All the camera sees is

the last coat of paint

Line and form

they make up everything we see and touch

Grip Room

where the grips are often found - they hang backings and strike sets, hang over-head-light scaffolding, move stock units to and from stages, install muslin ceilings