Overview of Art Direction in Film and Television

             Images--they draw us into their sinful lust, invigorate us, suck us in like zombies or candy. I, like most of us, am a media junkie, and gladly process sparkly music videos with no content and horrific movies that I later dislike. Undoubtedly, many times I have paid more attention to the beauty of the design on my entertainment rather than its verbal content, not to say that the two are separated. The topic of this writing is, therefore, my most addicting brain amphetamine as well as opiate-art direction for films and performances. Here I will explore my visual fetish.
             Film art and production direction is a direct descendant of stage design and the very first art director was a craftsman. In many ways, I find stage design a more compelling medium due to its direct interaction with the audience and a greater impact and awe arising out of usage of multimedia and unusual distortion of space and reality. The special effects-educated audience is more likely surprised by the miracles arising in real space than in the so commonly manipulated world of the film unless the film itself brings with it an element of tangibility. While much even of the more contemporary stage design seems fairly traditional, there is much experimentation in the field. After the war, under the crumbling funding, the theatre designs became highly minimal and fostered experimentation in the medium.
             The new theatre has been called the theatre that survived the theatre. Their liberated settings combine realistic, abstract, multi-media, and environmental scenic techniques. Stage design does not restrict itself only to theater and opera. Great sets have been created for musical performances, commercial installations, and art exhibitions.
             Art direction for films comes as a natural offspring of stage design. At its birth, film production was largely uncharted territory, and the first sets, so as to not to confuse either the actor or the audience, used painted boar...

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