Overview of the role
The production designer designs and creates the sets inside which programmes are made. Some are built in studios, others are ‘on location’ created in places such as theatre stages, hired spaces or outside.
The production designer heads up the art department and works with director, producer, lighting director, floor manager, camera supervisor and sound supervisor to ensure the set they design incorporates the needs of the whole production. Together they create the vision for the production. The production designer often recommends an art director and production buyer with whom they may have worked on many productions.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the scale / budget band/ genre of production.
- Identify creative requirements or concepts by creating a script or running order breakdown
- Research style and period relevant to the production
- Liaise with the location department and brief the types of locations required
- Consider the brief and the feasibility of meeting it against budgetary and scheduling restrictions
- Suggest amendments or enhancements to the brief, liaising with the art director and considering all the tools of creation at their disposal
- Consider how they will create the design visualisation, recruiting team members to create the visuals for them if necessary
- Consider how the use of virtual production, visual or special effects may affect the design visualisation
- Confirm all teams, including set decoration, construction, props and VFX, and tradespeople have a shared understanding of the design
- Check and confirm their interpretation and design visualisation are technically feasible and meet production requirements
- Suggest viable alternatives if requirements change
- Communicate with the art director and the set decorator the decisions that have been made and instigate regular team meetings
- Agree a workflow method with the team that ensures production wide communication
- Brief the team on their role in the research
- Assess existing material to check relevance and currency, identifying places for further research
- Maintain knowledge of current trends, designs and fashions, and avoid historical inconsistencies
- Check the information they wish to use is legally available to them
- Present the research material in the required form
- Record all sources of information and store with the research results
- Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information in-line with organisational procedures
- Review and record key information and any changes from the production brief which could impact on designs and safety requirements
- Attend site recces to determine design parameters and limitations
- Identify and agree priorities and resource implications with appropriate members of the production
- Evaluate key information and significance relating to scenes, locations and shooting schedules via the script breakdown and ensure this is shared interdepartmentally for collaboration between, for example, props, graphics, set decoration, SFX
- Justify estimates of costs for the proposed design
- Present the design concept visuals to the production team using any artistic visualisations such as sketches, models, 3D renders to aid understanding of the creative vision
- Use the script breakdown to reference scenes and locations to aid a further understanding of the design proposal
- Meet with relevant teams to discuss the practicalities of the agreed visualisation and the type of materials, equipment and locations required
- Review any suggested additions or changes to the visualisation and present any changes to the relevant people
- Monitor changes to the production schedule and ensure relevant people report any issues to the PD or AD
- Determine the line producer’s preferred way of working and create an accurate budget template
- Draft the budget based on the script breakdown or running order
- Update production on budgeting progress frequently
- Check for changes in the production and the potential impact on budget
- Consider alternative solutions if the cost is prohibitive
- Share the budget with relevant people and record all agreements and ensure all parties confirm their acceptance of the agreement
- Monitor and manage budgets to ensure that resources are being used according to agreed budget plans
- Attend budget review meetings with the art director, art department coordinator, line producer, accounts and construction manager to ensure that all spending is on track and not going over predicted spend
- Discuss cost implications of other department requests or changes to schedule or script. Suggest revisions where needed and gain written agreement for any additional spend or budget alteration
- Update budgets as required, ensure expenditure details are recorded in an appropriate IT package
- Use information from budget monitoring and control to assist in the preparation of future budgets
- Oversee the choice of suppliers ensuring they are competent, affordable and suited to the job
- Select the most appropriate suppliers to meet requirements using fair, valid and realistic interpretation of information
- Review the work of contracted suppliers to ensure the work is being carried out in line with production brief requirements and deadlines
- Select key team members, contracting them via production
- Get production’s permission for key members to read the shooting script
- Provide key members with access to the production schedule
- Develop a workplan for the team
- Confirm everyone in the team understands the scope of work
- Manage the team’s workload and hours appropriately
- Provide individuals the opportunity to contribute to their own personal development
- Ensure the team is clear on the procedure for dealing with problems and how, when and to whom to escalate problems
- Work with production to create a good working environment between art department and production with regards to the team and crossover issues such as clearances
- Provide feedback to the team on the overall production and its progress
- Instigate regular catch-up meetings with all key members of the art department team
- Undertake specific health and safety training at the start of a production
- Create a risk assessment identifying working practices, locations and aspects in the job which may be harmful to themselves or others
- Consult with production’s health and safety advisor to check all potential risks have been covered
- Update the risk assessment when things change or requirements are altered on set that might have a health and safety implication
- Tell representatives on set to contact the production designer immediately if they are asked to something that might impact safety
- Ensure the art department logs any accidents or near misses and reports them to production
- Consider working hours for the team and ensure they are not working longer hours than deemed safe
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of production designer.
- Able to conceptualise and design environments that fit the script and vision of the director and producer
- Skilled at drawing or creating visuals that communicate design ideas
- Manage the art department, oversight of construction, set decoration and props teams
- Budget development and management
- Network and liaise with other departments acting as key decision maker for all art department related concerns
- Research and analytical: planning practical requirements against brief breakdown and production vision
- Communication: interpreting others’ requirements and communicating requirements to departments and colleagues
- Teamworking: collaborating within own and other departments, liaising with production and accounts
- Planning: scheduling and planning practical requirements for equipment and supplies to meet production design needs
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving issues with designs so that productions remain on schedule
- Leadership and management: lead the art department team, upholding ethics and maintaining respect when dealing with others. Supporting and encouraging junior members of the team
- Resilience and enthusiasm: adapt positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met. Proactive and explores new ideas and non-standard ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the production
- Productivity: organises work effectively and achieves required results within deadlines. Demonstrates the drive and energy to get things done in pressured situations, and escalates appropriately when necessary
- Ethics and integrity: honest and principled in all of their actions and interactions. Respectful and inclusive of others
- Flexibility: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities and working requirements and has the flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing production environment
- Professional development: develop an ethos to learn and seek out learning and networking opportunities, identifying those that will be most beneficial