The Art of Production Design

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The Art of Production Design explores the area of production design and art direction as narrative art forms in cinema and other media. The term “Production Design” and its affiliated disciplines are constantly evolving, but essentially are responsible for creating the atmospheres, settings, and characters which establish a film’s look or “feel”. It can also help with narrative, move the plot, comment on the action, or add symbolic content. Art directors, scenic designers & painters, set decorators, property masters, special effects, costume designers, and hair/make-up personnel are just a few of the many craftspeople that work under the title, “Production Design”. In this course we will examine these areas and the evolution of mise-en-scene. We will explore the many choices with regard to production design through multiple media, (film, tv, theatre, branded content, music video, commercials, & print). Through lectures, screenings, visual presentations, and guest speakers; students will get an in-depth perspective of the overall involvement production design plays in storytelling. Students will also explore their own creative choices through exercises and assigned projects. This may include but is not limited to: architectural, decorative, costume, and cultural research, location scouting, set dressing, lighting design, color theory, graphic design, and photography. In this course students will be asked to extend their knowledge and experience of the arts while developing their critical and reflective abilities. Students will interpret and analyze particular creative works, investigate and explore the relations of form and meaning, and through critical and creative activity, come to better understand the intended audience for a given work of art and how its meaning and significance changes over time.