Art Directing Schools
The primary role in cinema of an art director is the responsibility for the overall visual appearance of a finished film. The art director decides how to achieve the stylistic visual effects requested by the director of the movie and captured on film by the cinematographer. The art director helps the director of the movie capture a mood, deliver the message of the film and define the directors visual concepts. Art directors work closely with other key members of the creative filmmaking team, such as the set director and production manager, to turn the director's ideas into a finished product. Training for art direction can take place in a college setting or through a private school specializing in art.
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Training Choices
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Many art directors start their careers with a bachelor's degree in arts and design and begin their careers as entry-level artists. Some colleges and universities offer courses in art direction. An arts and design degree can enable students interested in art direction to develop a marketable skill and bridges the gap between the student's artistic skills and contemporary technologies. You can earn a degree in art at a number of colleges and universities, but an independent school of art and design is more likely to focus solely in a highly specialized area of study, such as cinema art direction.
Get Started Early
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There are a number of ways to get the training necessary to be an art director. High school students should take courses in art, mechanical drawing or drafting, and photography. A number of art schools across the country offer training in graphic design, including courses in design, layout and photography. Prospective art directors generally start their careers by putting together a portfolio of their best work because a portfolio is a traditional prerequisite to gaining admission at an art school.
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Formal Education
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One frequently followed path to becoming an art director of film and video productions is by earning an undergraduate art degree or attending a private art school, followed by a degree or certification from film school. After graduation many art direction students work with small television networks and then move into film.
Summary
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Colleges offering degrees in art differ from career schools in that they require graduates to complete liberal arts courses in addition to art and design courses, while a school specializing in art and design allows students to focus only on their field of interest.
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References
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- Photo Credit movie reel image by Maria Bell from Fotolia.com
