Kidlet career guidance?

[resonant]

The kidlet has decided that their dream job is being on the team of people who take a book/fairy tale/whatever and make decisions about how to create the visuals of a movie -- the characters, the clothes, the architecture, etc.

Anybody have any knowledge of that field? I promised them I'd poll my community and see if we could find (1) anybody who had suggestions for them or (2) anybody actually working in the field whom they could fanperson.



edited 2019 to retroactively correct the kidlet's gender pronouns

Comments

[pocketmouse]

In theatre, at least, the director has a central idea, and the department designers (lights, costumes etc) come up with a vision that reflects that, and then things co-evolve from there. I can't imagine it'd be too different in cinema. You're probably looking for things with the phrase 'artistic director' (as opposed to thing like 'director of cinematography').

[resonant]

Good thought. This also makes me think that she might be interested in getting involved in costume/set design for theater, which isn't perfectly on target for what she's talking about but would be pretty easy to get into.

[hypertwink]

Creative Director in an ad agency, probably the art director. In the movies/TV, in combo with the director and sometimes the writer, a Production Designer translates the visual look from the page -- under him are the set/costume/lights/props/music designer & department. Like many jobs, you train as a gopher and rise up into these jobs.

Good luck :)

[resonant]

I would imagine the gophering would be pretty interesting, too!

[metaphortunate]

She wants to be a concept artist. Google "concept artist", "Pixar concept art". Historically, see Mary Blair.

[resonant]

Wow! That is excellent advice! I'll forward it on.

[princessofgeeks]

In the movies, it's called Production Designer.

[resonant]

See, this is why I love this community -- I knew people would have words.

[qian]

My brother's doing a course with these guys on Art Direction. That looks like it's at least adjacent to what she's interested in?

[resonant]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing.

There are so many things that go into movies that you don't think about!

When I first began working with graphic designers, one of them pointed out that any time you're watching a movie and someone holds up a magazine or a menu, any time a fictional company's logo is shown, any time you see a business card or a wedding invitation --- "A graphic designer was here!"

[sheylindria]

In movies that would be Production Design. You would start as an Art Department Runner / Production Runner and work your way up.

[resonant]

She says, "Yeah! I want to do that! And everything else too!"

[laurajv]

One blog she might like is La Bricoleuse: http://labricoleuse.livejournal.com It's written by a costume crafts artisan who is a friend of mine & Bas's, so it's adjacent to production design work, and there's some hella fun stuff on there about how things are put together and the kind of work people do in grad programs.