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WHAT IS A PRODUCTION DESIGNER?

Production designers develop a visual plan for an entire production, including sets, props, costumes, color schemes, lighting, and frequently the entire flow of a film. Because film is a visual medium, the “look” the production designer establishes can involve the audiences emotionally as much as story lines and dialogue.

Up until the late 1930s, the title “art director” generally meant the same as “production designer” does today, but when David Selznick gave special recognition to William Cameron Menzies for his comprehensive work on Gone with the Wind, this special title later came into general use. Because art directors became “production designers,” art directors now carry out the production designers’ overall ...

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