Production Designer

There are three roles that control the Look of the film:

1. The Director (who is the key creative vision, and directs the actors);

2. The Director of Photography (who is in charge of the camera and lighting); and

3. The Production Designer

The Production Designer is the Head of the Art Department.

The Art Department is in charge of everything within the frame that isn't the camera. That means:

• the set dressing (everything in the background of the scene);

• the props (anything item that an actor touches);

• the costumes;

• the hair and makeup (with the HMUA);

• set build / set design

They are also in charge of the Continuity of the location. They will take photos of locations before dressing the set, and will refer to the photos to ensure everything goes back in place. They will take photos of how the department dressed the set and where props were placed, to make sure the items return to the correct position before the next take.

In a larger production, the Production Designer is the HOD (Head of Department), and their second-in-charge is the Art Director. For an AOTS project, which is much smaller, we often will have only an Art Director, who acts as the head of department.

The Production Designer needs to have a strong creative eye. They need to understand colour theory, aesthetics, and visual storytelling. They must have strong time management, people management, and budget management skills. They are often set a budget for their department. A good Production Manager will have connections and good negotiation skills to find a good bargain. The Production Manager will have tools to help them ensure the location is not damaged and is put back the way we found it - for instance, being able to attach things to walls without causing damage.