An art director is a person who is in charge of the visual aspects of a finished product, often at a managerial level. A book, an advertisement, a movie, a video game, or a periodical are all examples of products. The term is used in a variety of industries, and each product type has its own set of challenges.
The art director at an advertising agency is in charge of the overall look of the advertisement, whether it’s in print, on a billboard, or on television. He or she frequently collaborates on the overall concept with a copywriter, who then provides the words that will be used. He or she usually has the final say on which models, actors, and other freelancers are hired. Finally, he or she brings all of the visual elements together to help finish the project.
Working in books or magazines, an art director must ensure that the publication’s look and feel are consistent. Art directors usually specialize in certain publications. Unless there are illustrations within the text, book art directors often concentrate solely on the book covers. Page layout and art matching for each issue’s stories are overseen magazine art directors.
The art director is in charge of setting up and dressing sets in movies and television shows. Set decorators, set dressers, and one or more assistants work under this person. The art director usually works beneath the production designer, who is in charge of the piece’s visual texture, in the film and television production hierarchy. Sets, costumes, and hairstyles are all part of the visual texture.
Art directors for video games assist in the creation of vibrant and detailed environments, characters, and animation that bring the game to life. In this medium, the director will frequently collaborate with a large number of people during the concept phase before moving on to pre-production. Because many game production companies are small, those in charge of art must choose the best freelancers while staying within a budget.
A video game art director must often consider many technical considerations in addition to worrying about the game’s visual surface. He or she must ensure, in collaboration with programmers, that the game code being written will run smoothly and adhere to the vision agreed upon at the start of production. Art directing for video games requires technical knowledge and a willingness to learn new software.
There is no one-size-fits-all way to become an art director. Typically, one begins as an employee under the supervision of someone in the industry before progressing. Artists who want to be art directors must be responsible and organized, as well as have leadership and management skills.