This is a Production Designer.
This particular Production Designer also doubles as my first friend in California. (When my scared and naive self showed up for work on my very first day of my very first show, a mohawked man was staring back at me. I was freaked out. I was thrilled. He turned out to be one of the kindest men to ever walk the earth, and he was especially nice to me, so then I felt very edgy to have a friend with a mohawk.)
This Production Designer has worked for The Gorilla for eons and in our family he is voted as The Person You Would Call If You Needed To Hide A Dead Body. I'm not sure if this is a trait shared by all Production Designers.
Production Designers are responsible for the look of the entire project. Each scene is mapped out by the Production Designer to produce the cohesive style of the film. They are a wildly creative bunch and can come up with ideas you've never thought of in a million years. But ultimately they are following through on the vision set forth by the Director.
Art directors, set dressers, property masters and the entire art department all report to the Production Designer who in turn is responsible to the Director.
Production Designers on scripted films, especially if they're complicated like a period piece or futuristic, have a major job to do. The script can be genius, the acting top-notch, but if something is off about the set design, your subconscious will notice it and take the impression of the movie down three pegs.
On the other hand, a mediocre story can be transformed into pure magic when the locations, sets, props, and costumes come together in the right way.
It is an art form.
This production designer - like most, I'm sure - can be an engineer, a carpenter, a painter, and costumer in about three seconds flat. You may think the art choices for this franchise are just an accident.
They're not.
My husband is shooting his third feature film. I am giving a little End Credits Education. Read about Associate Producers by clicking here.
