Information
about careers
Art director
Art director (A.D.) is the title for a variety of
similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, film and
television, the Internet, and video games.
General role
and job description
Various artists may create or develop specific parts
of an art piece or scene; but it is the charge of a sole art director to
supervise and unify the vision. In particular, the art director is in charge of
the overall visual appearance and how it communicates visually, stimulates
moods, contrasts features, and psychologically appeals to a target audience.
The art director makes decisions about visual elements used, what artistic
style to use, and when to use motion.
One of the most difficult problems that art
directors face is to translate desired moods, messages, concepts, and
underdeveloped ideas into imagery. During the brainstorming process, art
directors, co-workers, and clients are engaged in imagining what the finished
piece or scene might look like. At times, an art director is ultimately
responsible for solidifying the vision of the collective imagination while
resolving conflicting agenda and inconsistencies between the various individual
inputs.
Interfacing
between information technologies and marketing activities
A coordination among the different professionals in
the mentioned areas is wanted, under the supervision of an experienced leader
who will decide the last characteristics of the final promotional products in
the services companies. The art director activities and responsibility will
avoid the possible loops in the development of the products, with some wasting
of time and productivity, throughout the statement of some guidelines defining
the most suitable features of that products.
In advertising
Despite the title, an advertising art director is
not necessarily the head of an art department. In modern advertising practice,
an art director typically works in tandem with a copywriter. The team usually
works together to devise an overall concept (also known as the
"creative" or "big idea") for the commercial, mailer,
brochure, or other advertisement. The copywriter is responsible for the textual
content, the art director for the visual aspects. But the art director may come
up with the headline or other copy, and the copywriter may suggest a visual or
the aesthetic approach. Each person usually welcomes suggestions and
constructive criticism from the other. Ideally, the words and visual should not
parrot each other; each should enhance or enlarge the other's meaning and
effect.
Although a good art director is expected to have
graphic design judgment and technical knowledge of production, it may not be
necessary for an art director to hand-render comprehensive layouts (or even be
able to draw), now that virtually all but the most preliminary work is done on
computer.
Except in the smallest organizations, the art
director/copywriter team is overseen by a creative director, senior media
creative, chief creative director. In a large organization, an art director may
oversee other art directors and a team of junior designers, image developers
and/or production artists, and coordinates with a separate production department.
In a smaller organization, the art director may fill all these roles, including
oversight of printing and other production.
In film
An art director, in the hierarchical structure of a
film art department, works directly below the production designer, in
collaboration with the set decorator, and above the set designers. A large part
of their duties include the administrative aspects of the art department. They
are responsible for assigning tasks to personnel such as the Art Department
Coordinator, and the Leadman, keeping track of the art department budget and
scheduling (i.e. Prep/Wrap Schedule) as well as overall quality control. They
are often also a liaison to other departments; especially Construction, Special
FX, Property, Transportation (graphics), and Locations Departments. The Art
Director also attends all production meetings and tech scouts in order to
provide information to the set designers in preparation for all departments to
have a visual floor plan of each location visited.
In the past, the title of art director was used to
denote the head of the art department (hence the Academy Award for Best Art
Direction). On the movie Gone with the Wind, David O. Selznick felt that
William Cameron Menzies had such a significant role in the look of the film,
that the title Art Director was not sufficient, and so he gave Menzies the
title of Production Designer. The title has become more common, and now
Production Designer is commonly used as the title for the head of the Art
Department, although the title actually implies control over every visual
aspect of a film, including costumes.
In publishing
Art directors in publishing typically work with the
publications editors. Together, they work on a concept for sections and pages
of a publication. Individually, the art director is mostly responsible for the
visual look and feel of the publication, and the editor has ultimate
responsibility for the publication's verbal and textual content.
In Japanese
animation
In Japanese animation productions, the role of art
director (bijutsu kantoku) refers specifically to the background artist in
charge of producing background art for the animation, either personally or by
directing a team of artists.
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