Art Directors Reference Guide

From ADG Art Direction Wiki

Dear Guild member:

The following pages represent phase one in the creation of our first Art Directors Manual. This document is every bit a work in progress and it will eventually be published and made available to all Guild members, professional colleagues and academics alike.

Currently, there are only a few decent contemporary books on the subject of Production Design and most of those are more conceptual than technical in their content. It is the Guild’s intention that this publication shall become the premier reference and resource tool for all our members, consisting of both conceptual, but more importantly, technical information to assist you in your day-to-day endeavors.

As it is a work in progress, your input about both its form and final content will be both welcomed and appreciated. As you will see from the Table of Contents, there are a number of intended future chapters that will cover many facets of our profession. To achieve our goals we will need contributors with professional experience on the various topics outlined. To this end all submissions and comments from our membership are both solicited and encouraged.

Please help us make this a lasting document that is significant in both its details and its relevance.

All the best,

Thomas A. Walsh

Chairman, Art Directors Guild

Contents

• The Look
  • The Production Designer, Director, Director of Photography relationship.

• Definition of the Craft
  • Production Designer: definition of the job

• Design Concepts
  • Research
  • Conceptualizing; sketches
  • Storyboarding, design for the shot, camera angles, perspective projection
  • Foam Core Models
  • Virtual model and walk-throughs
  • Designing for the Three-Camera TV Series
  • Designing for One Hour TV Series

• Art Department Staff
  • Definition of positions: Production Designer - Art Director - Asst. Art Director - Set Designer - Illustrator - Model Maker - Graphic Artist - 3D Design - Pre-Vis
  • Duties and Rates
  • Organizational Tree

• Related Departments
  • Set Decorating
  • Props
  • Construction - Paint - Greens - Signage - Construction Coordinator
  • Mechanical/Special Effects
  • Visual Effects
  • Locations
  • Costumes
  • Stunts
  • Transportation/Picture Vehicles

• Production
  • Accounting
  • Production
  • Legal
  • Clearance
  • Product Placement

• Deal Making
  • Scale vs. above scale
  • Kit rentals - Car rentals - Computer rentals
  • Five-day vs. six-day deals
  • On location: Travel, housing, car rental, idle days and per diem
  • Prep time/wrap time
  • Post production and visual effects consultation
  • Paid advertising

• Breaking Down the Script

• Budgeting and Scheduling
  • Set list
  • Preliminary design
  • Location vs. Stage vs. Warehouse
  • Construction budgets
  • Set Decoration: labor, purchases and rentals
  • Art department labor budgets
  • Expendables budgets
  • Manpower scheduling

• The D.P., Camera and Lighting Crew
  • Director of Photography - Gaffer - Key Grip - Camera Operator
  • Lighting
  • Designing for light
  • Exterior Light
  • Lenses
  • Aspect ratios
  • Film stocks
  • The color white
  • Gels
  • Formats (16mm, 70mm, 3-D, IMAX, 35mm, Super 35, Anamorphic, HD)
  • The dolly and its movement
  • Cranes
  • Underwater photography
  • Driving shots
  • Aerial photography

• General Construction Terms

• Scenic Backings
  • Photo vs. painted vs. dimensional vs. computer-generated
  • Determining size
  • Shooting photo backings and digital or physical manipulation and equipment
  • Laying out a painted backing
  • Horizon lines and set height and camera height
  • Accommodating rental backings
  • Determining built backings and pieces
  • Rigging and hanging
  • Lighting backings and its impact on stage layout
  • Special effects lighting
  • Other backings

• Graphics/Signage
  • Vinyl letters
  • Signwriters and hand-painted signage
  • Dimensional signage
  • Backlit
  • Neon
  • Fonts
  • Vehicles and special applications

• Problem-solving techniques
  • Forced perspective
  • Matte Paintings
  • Mirrors
  • Rear screen projection (RP)
  • Various and sundry tricks
  • Pre-vis

• Mechanical & Special Effects
  • Rain
  • Water
  • Snow
  • Wind
  • Pyro and explosives and bullet hits
  • Automobiles and planes
  • Moving set pieces
  • Breakaways
  • Flying rigs
  • Electronics
  • Stuntwork
  • Tanks and underwater sets

• Visual Effects, CGI and Other Technologies
  • Blue/green/orange screen/hard cycs
  • Perspective registration
  • Multi-plane camera moves
  • Plate photography
  • Motion Control
  • Working Mattes
  • Other working knowledge
  • Virtual sets
  • On-camera models/foregrounding miniatures

• Studios and Vendors
  • Mill/Moulding
  • Paint shop
  • Staff shop
  • Metal shop
  • Prop shop
  • Sign shop
  • Hardware shop
  • Scenic backing shop
  • Striking/recycling/toxic waste
  • Greens houses
  • Scene docks
  • Prop houses
  • Moulding shops
  • Video houses
  • Misc. specialty catalogs

• Research
  • Research libraries
  • The internet
  • Clearance

• Wrap and Post Production
  • Second unit
  • Visual effects
  • Reshoots
  • Sequels

• Public Relations
• Union benefits and obligations, rules and regulations
• Training Programs