ABSTRACT
The art director is responsible for interpreting the director’s ideas for the script and transforming them into a visual plan. Working from photographs, paintings, and other films, these two department heads create a “look” for the film. The art director then disseminates the director’s visual plan to the rest of the art team who, in addition, are responsible for overseeing the continuity and consistency from scene to scene. It is a key position and one that beginners frequently misunderstand, undervalue, and fail to appreciate. The reason is that the ability to create an illusion through art direction is like a magic trick: everyone admires the end result, but no one realizes that it took hard work and special talent to achieve what is only an illusion. The “look” of any film project has its origins in the script. The screenwriter’s descriptive stage directions and dialogue instill in the reader’s imagination the environment, mood, and tone of the piece.
