Hey guys! I am an architecture student who has an interest in production design, as in the making of film/theatre sets and stages. I love movies, and have always loved how they are made, but I don't know how I could learn more about production design, as its generally a theatre arts topic rather than architecture. So if anyone can help me with the following questions, or advice in general, I would greatly appreciate it!
-What are some good production design books or videos to have learn more about the career?
-Is it possible to be a production designer with a bachelors in architecture?
-Anyone know any popular production designers?
-What are your favorite movies from any genre with awesome sets?
If you are in EU / the UK ..check this out Stufish.com . Not really a set/theatre design , but if you want to work on the next U2 stage production… this is the place to be.
I used to do set design and construction in college and around 2010. It's very fun however it's a highly competitive field with low pay.
You can be a production designer with a BArch however you're going to be at a disadvantage in the beginning. This is because you won't know about theatrical lighting, construction, rigging, staging, sight lines, actor flow, ect.
I started out in production design / cinematography way back before I switched over to architecture. The best way to pick it up is to go beg your way into a job with PD shop somewhere. It will help a LOT if your drawing skills are solid. If they aren't, go fix that first. You might also look into some of the stronger cinema programs (UCLA / USC).
Dec 16, 24 2:07 pm ·
·
gwharton
Pretty much the all-time high water mark for great production design has got to be Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies. Nothing else really even comes close on comprehensiveness, detail, and consistency of look and feel. Ridley Scott has done several films with really exceptional production design. Alien and Blade Runner are big milestones. There are some good books about the development of both.
Dec 16, 24 2:11 pm ·
·
gwharton
After Lord of the Rings and the CG revolution, production design saw a major fall-off in cinema as everything went digital. I think we're seeing the beginning of a reversal on that now, back to real FX with CG enhancement and overlay only. It's quite striking to watch a late 90s or early 00s film with heavy visual effects (Dark City / LOTR) next to a modern all-CGI animated film (any of the Marvel capeshit or Cameron's Avatar movies). The real effects present and age much better as well as being more convincing on screen.
Dec 16, 24 2:20 pm ·
·
gwharton
Obviously I have a lot to say about this lol.... A final note: Get connected with the ADG (Art Director's Guild). It's the main professional society for production designers of all kinds. And check out the work of some of their most well-known members: Dante Feretti, Rick Martin, Catherine Martin, Dean Tavoularis, Bo Welch (who started as an architect).
Dec 16, 24 3:42 pm ·
·
bowling_ball
I hate to be that guy, but your take is exactly backwards. Yes, practical effects are usually better visually, but they're also really limited in this age of endless superhero movies that have seem to have forgotten about quality completely. The industry is going AWAY from craft, not towards it - that includes everything from story writing, to special effects, to editing, and sooner than you think, even the actors. There will always be a small market for Indy films, but it'll always be just that - a small market. The rest of the industry is investing heavily in AI. For all intents and purposes, the film industry (by that I mean workers) will likely shrink considerably over the next decades, while product will increase substantially (and quality will decrease accordingly but money will be made, which is all that matters)
Dec 16, 24 5:53 pm ·
·
gwharton
The big animated/CGI extravaganzas aren't fresh anymore, and their box office performance has been showing that. Capeshit cartoons are over. That's not the future. It's the past. The future looks like The Mandalorian: using the combination of practical effects, high tech systems, and CGI/AI high-pass to create a much more resonant, authentic-feeling product at much lower cost, much faster.
All the plots are still based on the Hero's Journey in some fashion. Writers for some films simply do a better job at adapting it. Regardless how good the special effects are, if the film has a bad plot for it's target audience it won't do well.
I agree with Gwharton (in this case lol). The wave of the future, for high budget productions is indeed like the Mandalorian. That said, for the OP, if you are proficient in BOTH the CG stuff (maya, rhino, blender etc) as well as building stuff, you stand a much bigger change of being a success in this industry, which as mentioned, is super competitive. Be ready for periods of intense work following by months of lull. Hope you have the mental and fiscal support for that journey, of it will suck the life out of you.
The first that comes to my mind is Mark Fisher. He's had a 40 year career in creating immersive environments for large-venue live performance acts. (U2, Pink Floyd, Madonna, Rolling Stones). https://stufish.com/mark-fishe...
A long time ago, I drafted plans for a main set they built from my plans and drew some as-built drawings of an old hospital for another movie. I am in IMBd. I disliked the pace, and except for the friend who got me the job, the insanely demanding finger-pointing people above me was awful. Otherwise, I could probably become a production designer someday. Nobody cares about your diploma, etc.
In the US, you should check out Tait. They do a lot of the big stage shows, rides for disney, and other complex interactive design build. I've worked with them and they have some great people with an architectural background. https://www.taittowers.com
and if you want to see amazing set design and costumes and are in NYC area...go and see the Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera. Definitely an amazing spectacle.
As another thing to think about, there are also groups like Ralph Applebaum Associates that focus on Museum Exhibit design. A lot of the stuff they do is composed interactive experience design which has a lot in common with production design.
Production Design Architecture?
Hey guys! I am an architecture student who has an interest in production design, as in the making of film/theatre sets and stages. I love movies, and have always loved how they are made, but I don't know how I could learn more about production design, as its generally a theatre arts topic rather than architecture. So if anyone can help me with the following questions, or advice in general, I would greatly appreciate it!
-What are some good production design books or videos to have learn more about the career?
-Is it possible to be a production designer with a bachelors in architecture?
-Anyone know any popular production designers?
-What are your favorite movies from any genre with awesome sets?
If you are in EU / the UK ..check this out Stufish.com . Not really a set/theatre design , but if you want to work on the next U2 stage production… this is the place to be.
I used to do set design and construction in college and around 2010. It's very fun however it's a highly competitive field with low pay.
You can be a production designer with a BArch however you're going to be at a disadvantage in the beginning. This is because you won't know about theatrical lighting, construction, rigging, staging, sight lines, actor flow, ect.
I started out in production design / cinematography way back before I switched over to architecture. The best way to pick it up is to go beg your way into a job with PD shop somewhere. It will help a LOT if your drawing skills are solid. If they aren't, go fix that first. You might also look into some of the stronger cinema programs (UCLA / USC).
Pretty much the all-time high water mark for great production design has got to be Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies. Nothing else really even comes close on comprehensiveness, detail, and consistency of look and feel. Ridley Scott has done several films with really exceptional production design. Alien and Blade Runner are big milestones. There are some good books about the development of both.
After Lord of the Rings and the CG revolution, production design saw a major fall-off in cinema as everything went digital. I think we're seeing the beginning of a reversal on that now, back to real FX with CG enhancement and overlay only. It's quite striking to watch a late 90s or early 00s film with heavy visual effects (Dark City / LOTR) next to a modern all-CGI animated film (any of the Marvel capeshit or Cameron's Avatar movies). The real effects present and age much better as well as being more convincing on screen.
Obviously I have a lot to say about this lol.... A final note: Get connected with the ADG (Art Director's Guild). It's the main professional society for production designers of all kinds. And check out the work of some of their most well-known members: Dante Feretti, Rick Martin, Catherine Martin, Dean Tavoularis, Bo Welch (who started as an architect).
I hate to be that guy, but your take is exactly backwards. Yes, practical effects are usually better visually, but they're also really limited in this age of endless superhero movies that have seem to have forgotten about quality completely. The industry is going AWAY from craft, not towards it - that includes everything from story writing, to special effects, to editing, and sooner than you think, even the actors. There will always be a small market for Indy films, but it'll always be just that - a small market. The rest of the industry is investing heavily in AI. For all intents and purposes, the film industry (by that I mean workers) will likely shrink considerably over the next decades, while product will increase substantially (and quality will decrease accordingly but money will be made, which is all that matters)
The big animated/CGI extravaganzas aren't fresh anymore, and their box office performance has been showing that. Capeshit cartoons are over. That's not the future. It's the past. The future looks like The Mandalorian: using the combination of practical effects, high tech systems, and CGI/AI high-pass to create a much more resonant, authentic-feeling product at much lower cost, much faster.
All the plots are still based on the Hero's Journey in some fashion. Writers for some films simply do a better job at adapting it. Regardless how good the special effects are, if the film has a bad plot for it's target audience it won't do well.
I agree with Gwharton (in this case lol). The wave of the future, for high budget productions is indeed like the Mandalorian. That said, for the OP, if you are proficient in BOTH the CG stuff (maya, rhino, blender etc) as well as building stuff, you stand a much bigger change of being a success in this industry, which as mentioned, is super competitive. Be ready for periods of intense work following by months of lull. Hope you have the mental and fiscal support for that journey, of it will suck the life out of you.
The first that comes to my mind is Mark Fisher. He's had a 40 year career in creating immersive environments for large-venue live performance acts. (U2, Pink Floyd, Madonna, Rolling Stones). https://stufish.com/mark-fishe...
A long time ago, I drafted plans for a main set they built from my plans and drew some as-built drawings of an old hospital for another movie. I am in IMBd. I disliked the pace, and except for the friend who got me the job, the insanely demanding finger-pointing people above me was awful. Otherwise, I could probably become a production designer someday.
Nobody cares about your diploma, etc.
In the US, you should check out Tait. They do a lot of the big stage shows, rides for disney, and other complex interactive design build. I've worked with them and they have some great people with an architectural background. https://www.taittowers.com
and if you want to see amazing set design and costumes and are in NYC area...go and see the Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera. Definitely an amazing spectacle.
As another thing to think about, there are also groups like Ralph Applebaum Associates that focus on Museum Exhibit design. A lot of the stuff they do is composed interactive experience design which has a lot in common with production design.
https://raai.com/
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