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