Art Directors

In my menu choices, I said that I would like to be the First Assistant to the Art Director for the feature film we are going to do for our class. I didn't really know much of what the Art Director does, I figured they mostly did costuming and such but I read an article about what the role is during Pre-Production and Production.

Apparently, Art Directors are in control of the set and the budget for the props as well. During Pre-Production, they are supposed to be the ones to organize the commissions for the special effects as well as casting the animals (if they are needed), hiring all vehicles being used in the film, find locations, and be sure that the set is ready to go when the date comes to shoot. Before they go location scouting though they have to go through the script and find what props or items that need to be used in the film. There is also a team called the "draughtsmen" who draw plants for what the set would look like based on the script.

During the production, the Art Director must continue to overlook the set to make sure that it fits with the scene, along with the costuming. They are also responsible for overseeing the dismantling of the previous sets. Construction is another responsibility of the Art Directors apparently. According to the article, after the filming has been finished, they must ensure that the locations have been cleared of all debris and any material used on set as well as make sure that all the bills for the film have been paid.

I didn't know that Art Directors had to do so much stuff, I was not prepared for this when I said I wanted to be the First Assistant to the Art Director. I learned a lot that I had to do for this feature film if I am placed in the Art Department.