Art Department
The art department is one of the many departments on a film set that go unnoticed if done correctly. You should be immersed in the film and not think twice about how spaces look like what's on the walls, desks, or in the bedrooms. Beautifully subtle yet striking, the art department fills the world.
Art Department has, in my opinion, one of the hardest jobs on set, both physically and mentally. A lot of planning, prepping, and making sure everything looks great and makes sense for the film. Oftentimes on indie projects, the art department might use what's already in the space instead of buying or bringing new set decorations to save money, time, and space. In 1914, on a silent film called “The Cheat,” Willfred Buckland was the first person credited as the head of the art department for crafting the overall visual aesthetic. Fast forwarding to now, the art department is a staple of every film, big or small, whether you have someone dedicated to the role or not. It might be the director, cinematographer, or even one of the actors doing set dressing or planning the look of the space.
Starting out in film, you will probably use what you have and not change too much about the space you’re shooting in. Over time, you will start to tweak the background, moving/replacing paintings, posters, lamps, plants, etc. It really matters what the space the characters are in looks like to sell the whole film. The greatest example of that is watching a period piece film set in the 1800s or even set in the 1990s; every film needs to look like that time period. If you watched a film set in the Victorian era, but the castle you rented didn’t have an art director to oversee how the space should look, you would be taken out of the film and not fully engaged with the story because you’re noticing all the things that are out of place or not in place.
A lot of indie filmmakers and projects don’t think too much about the art department or the set dresser. They are worried about the camera angles, lighting, and performance, but one way to make your projects look that much better is by hiring an art director. From pre-production to production, the art department and director will work hand in hand to make sure they are bringing the vision of the directors to life while giving advice as well on what looks good and what does not. A lot of times, on indie films, you have one or maybe two people in each department, and for some departments, they need way more people to help out. Lighting and Art are the two departments that could always use the most people to run smoothly and quickly. So when hiring an art director, remember to hire someone you trust, but also make sure they have a crew of their own.
Next time you watch a film, look at everything in the background. Someone had to glue, tape, place, tack, etc, everything to make the film feel real and more enjoyable to watch. If you would like to hear more about the art department, listen to our newest podcast episode.