PRODUCTION DESIGN
(ART DIRECTION):
"The designer does not begin with some preconceived idea. Rather, the idea is the result of careful study and observation, and the design is a production of that idea."
-- Graphic Designer, Paul Rand
"The details are not the details. They make the design." -- Designer, Charles Eames
"There are three responses to a piece of design: 'yes,' 'no,' and 'WOW!' Wow is the one to aim for." -- Graphic Designer, Milton Glaser
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." -- Artist, Edgar Degas
-- Graphic Designer, Paul Rand
"The details are not the details. They make the design." -- Designer, Charles Eames
"There are three responses to a piece of design: 'yes,' 'no,' and 'WOW!' Wow is the one to aim for." -- Graphic Designer, Milton Glaser
"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." -- Artist, Edgar Degas
Overview:
In film and television, a production designer or P.D. is the head of the art department and the person responsible for the overall visual look of the production. Production designers have a key role in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working with the director, cinematographer, and producer, they must select the settings and style to visually tell the story. The term "production designer" was coined by William Cameron Menzies while he was working on the film Gone with the Wind. Previously (and very often subsequently) the people with the same responsibilities were called "art directors." The position is sometimes also described as "scenic designer" or "set designer." |
FILMS WITH AMAZING ("WOW" LEVEL) PRODUCTION DESIGN:
DUNE (2021) ARRIVAL 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY PAN'S LABYRINTH BLACK SWAN ALIEN (also ALIENS, ALIEN 3, AVP, PROMETHEUS, and ALIEN COVENANT) BLADE RUNNER and BLADE RUNNER 2049 MAD MAX (also THE ROAD WARRIOR and MAD MAX: FURY ROAD) DR. STRANGELOVE DISTRICT 9 FARGO O' BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY BLACK HAWK DOWN MINORITY REPORT THE GREAT GATSBY (2012) THE RETURN (2003) HERO (2002) INCEPTION HUGO A.I. ARCTIC ARCANE (Netflix Series) ISLE OF DOGS (and most other Wes Anderson films) |
Production Design Project:
Remember, there's a difference between "real" and "believable." Great art direction understands that there's also a difference between design that makes a film believable and design that makes a film have impact. Go for impact if there's no way to do both.