Part I

THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRODUCTION DESIGNER

To understand the origin and development of production design, we will first see how the increased popularity and improved technology of motion pictures required better stories and acting, as well as more believable settings. Many designers came from the theater, along with theatrical setting techniques, but as the film industry developed, designers created design and building techniques that satisfied the needs of a new medium.

Part I describes the production designer’s responsibilities, basic set elements, the production environment in which the designer works, and illustrates lighting techniques that affect the designer’s work.