Art Director
An Art Director shapes the visual identity of a production, translating the Production Designer's vision into practical, achievable designs. Key responsibilities include:
Visual leadership: Breaking down the overall creative concept into detailed designs for sets, locations, and visual elements
Department management: Overseeing set decorators, property masters, set dressers, and art department crew
Technical planning: Creating and supervising detailed drawings, plans, and blueprints for set construction
Location preparation: Assessing and preparing filming locations to match the production's visual style
Budget management: Finding creative solutions within financial constraints whilst maintaining visual quality
Interdepartmental coordination: Liaising between the Production Designer, Director, Director of Photography, and construction teams
The Art Director bridges creative vision and practical execution, ensuring every visual element serves the story within the production's timeline and budget.
Set Designer
A Set Designer creates detailed visual designs for the environments where filming takes place. Key responsibilities include:
Design development: Translating script and creative vision into visual concepts
Technical documentation: Producing detailed plans, elevations, and technical drawings for construction teams
Material specification: Selecting appropriate materials, textures, colours, and finishes
Visual communication: Creating scale models, sketches, or digital renderings
Research and authenticity: Ensuring historical and visual accuracy, particularly for period settings
Practical problem-solving: Adapting designs to meet budgetary, technical, and scheduling requirements
The Set Designer transforms creative concepts into buildable blueprints, ensuring environments support the narrative whilst remaining feasible to construct.
Property Master
A Property Master manages all props on a film set, ensuring every object supports the story and maintains visual continuity. Key responsibilities include:
Sourcing and acquisition: Finding, purchasing, renting, or creating all objects actors interact with on screen
Continuity management: Ensuring props appear consistently across different takes and scenes
Department oversight: Managing props assistants and coordinating with other departments
On-set coordination: Positioning props correctly and making real-time adjustments during filming
Organisation and tracking: Maintaining detailed records of all props throughout production
Budget control: Working within allocated budgets whilst finding cost-effective solutions
The Property Master ensures every object on screen fits the visual style and serves the story, working closely with the Production Designer and Art Director.