The Virtue of Art Director in Filmmaking

I've met so many people who proudly stated that they are a director, editor, scriptwriter and director of photography. But when it comes to art directing, they tend to consider it as uninteresting. They're stupid. Main reasons? Art director is a highly skilled work. 

Art Director is a superman disguised as Clark Kent. 

Art directors literally have to worked their ass off since day 0. During pre-production, they have to manage almost anything. From arranging the art department budget and schedule of work, up to identifying and preparing sets, all props, and any special items that the script may needed. They have to commissioning all special effects (such as explosions or car crash sequences), hiring all vehicles (from cars to horse drawn carriages), organizing the casting of all animals (chosen by the director), and observing the construction process of the props needed. 

During the production day 1, Art Directors had to present on set to oversee the construction, dressing and striking (dismantling) of the remaining sets. And even after the film wraps and the shooting is completed, Art Directors have to ensure that all sets are struck and locations cleared, and that all outstanding art department bills are paid.

Art is the biggest department on any film, and Art Director is their spearhead. Sadly, sometimes they are underappreciated. The audience tends to value highly the film directors and sometimes, director of photography. So little credit was given to the Art Director. Thus, only humble and highly committed person are allowed to walked on this path. Me? I'm half-assed person and a stage hogger, so i think i'll pass. 

Anyway, Let's just appreciate the ultimately tough jobs of Art Director. Here are several shorts that i think are perfectly displayed the splendid power of an Art Director:

So, what do you think?

References:
Media Match USA