{{distinguish|Artistic director}} {{Short description|Supervisor of an artistic production}} {{multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=August 2018}} {{original research|date=August 2025}} }}[[File:Book Cover for Thoughts on Design by Paul Rand.jpg|thumb|''Thoughts on Design,'' a book by influential art director and [[graphic designer]] [[Paul Rand]]]]'''Art director''' is a title for a variety of similar job functions in [[advertising]], [[marketing]], [[publishing]], the [[performing arts]] (including [[Theatre|theater]], [[film industry|film]], [[television]], and [[animation]]), fashion, the [[Internet]], and [[video game]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://catandbee.onsugar.com/33-things-I-know-about-Art-Direction-19040343|title='33 Things I Know About Art Direction'|website=Catandbee.onsugar.com|access-date=25 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116213231/http://catandbee.onsugar.com/33-things-I-know-about-Art-Direction-19040343|archive-date=16 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The art director's role is to supervise the visual style and images of an artistic production.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Art Directors |url=https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/art-directors.htm |access-date=2025-10-17 |website=Bureau of Labor Statistics |language=en-us}}</ref> In particular, they are in charge of its overall visual appearance and how it communicates visually, stimulates moods, contrasts features, and psychologically appeals to a target audience. The art director makes decisions about visual elements, what artistic [[style (visual arts)|style(s)]] to use, and when to use [[motion graphic design|motion]]. One of the biggest challenges art directors face is translating desired moods, messages, concepts, and underdeveloped ideas into imagery. In the brainstorm process, art directors, colleagues and clients explore ways the finished piece or scene could look. At times, the art director is responsible for solidifying the vision of the collective imagination while resolving conflicting agendas and inconsistencies between contributors' ideas.
In eastern animated works, such as Japanese [[anime]] and [[Chinese animation]], the role of {{nihongo|art director|美術監督|bijutsu kantoku}} specifically refers to the artist in charge of supervising and directing the background art and the background art staff of a particular work, rather than a role unifying a work's overall artistic vision.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://creativefreaks.net/0819-2/|script-title=ja:アニメの美術監督になるには？仕事内容や年収と合わせて紹介|trans-title=How to Become an Anime Art Director? Job Description and Annual Salary|website= Creative Freaks|date=August 20, 2020|language= Japanese|access-date= December 13, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.sakugabooru.com/glossary/art-director/|title=Art Director|website= Sakugablog|date=30 October 2016 |access-date=December 13, 2024}}</ref>
==In advertising and marketing== {{expand section|content on an art director's role in marketing|date=August 2025}} [[File:Art director and copy writer at a large advertising agency. Detroit, Michigan. July 1942. (26767552717).jpg|thumb|Art director and copywriter at an [[advertising agency]] in Detroit, Michigan, in 1942]]In modern [[advertising]] practice, an art director typically works with a [[Copywriting|copywriter]] as a creative team<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kay |first=Ben |date=2021-11-29 |title=Art director vs copywriter? |url=https://www.creativereview.co.uk/art-director-vs-copywriter-advertising-creatives/ |access-date=2025-10-17 |website=Creative Review |language=en-US}}</ref> to devise an overall concept (also known as the "creative" or "big idea") for a commercial, mailer, brochure, or other advertisements. The copywriter is responsible for the text (referred to as "[[Copy (publishing)|copy]]"), and the art director for the visual aspects.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-05-03 |title=Duties and career opportunities of an Art Director |url=https://miamiadschool.es/en/art-direction-everything-you-need-to-know/ |access-date=2025-10-17 |website=Madrid Ad School |language=en-US}}</ref> Art directors commonly collaborate on execution of the advertisement with other team members such as [[Graphic designer|graphic designers]].<ref name=":0" /> A benefit of a creative team is that art directors may contribute to the concept or copy, and copywriters may suggest a visual approach. Such collaboration, first pioneered by [[William Bernbach|Bill Bernbach]] of [[DDB Worldwide|DDB]], is considered to improve the creative work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BAYERS |first=CHIP |date=2011-08-08 |title=Bill Bernbach: Creative Revolutionary |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/bill-bernbach-creative-revolutionary-133901/ |access-date=2025-10-17 |website=ADWEEK |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Petit |first=Zachary |date=2014-03-12 |title=Legends in Advertising: Bill Bernbach, the Original Don Draper |url=https://www.printmag.com/featured/legends-in-advertising-bill-bernbach/ |access-date=2025-10-17 |website=PRINT Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Bernbach - Creative Hall of Fame |url=https://creativehalloffame.org/inductees/bill-bernbach/ |access-date=2025-10-17 |website=Creative Hall of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref>
Although a good art director is expected to have good [[graphic design]] judgment and technical knowledge of production, it may ''not'' be necessary for an art director to [[artistic rendering|hand-render]] [[comprehensive layout]]s, or even be able to draw, now that virtually all but the most preliminary work is done on computer. Despite the title, an advertising art director is not necessarily the head of an art department.
A team composed of an art director and copywriter is typically overseen by a [[creative director]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Inglis |first=Theo |title=Graphic Design Bible: The Definitive Guide to Contemporary and Historical Graphic Design for Designers and Creatives |publisher=Prestel Verlag |year=2023 |isbn=978-3-7913-8990-5 |pages=160–161}}</ref> In a large organization, an art director may oversee other art directors and a team of junior [[graphic designer|designers]], [[Visual arts|image developers]] and/or [[production artist]]s, and coordinate with a separate production department. In a smaller organization, the art director may fill all these roles, including overseeing printing and other production.
==Performing arts== ===In theater=== {{expand section|date=August 2025}}
===In film=== [[File:Bahubali With Prabhas.jpg|thumb|Actor [[Prabhas]] with [[Sabu Cyril]], production designer and art director for ''[[Baahubali: The Beginning]]'']] An art director heads a film [[art department]], working directly below the [[production designer]] and in collaboration with the set decorator and the set designers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2022-09-16 |title=How to Become an Art Director |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/art-director-70426/ |access-date=2025-10-17 |website=www.backstage.com |language=en}}</ref> A large part of their duties includes the administrative aspects of the art department. They are responsible for assigning tasks to personnel, such as the art department coordinator and the construction coordinator, tracking the art department budget and scheduling, and overseeing overall quality control. They are often also a liaison to other departments, especially construction, special effects, property, transportation (graphics), and locations departments. The art director also attends all production meetings and tech scouts in order to provide information to the set designers in preparation for all departments to have a visual floor plan of each location visited.
The term "art director" was first used in 1914 by Wilfred Buckland<ref>{{Cite web|title=ADG - Full History|url=https://adg.org/the-guild/full-history/|access-date=2021-04-26|website=adg.org|language=en}}</ref> when this title was used to denote the head of the art department (hence the [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Academy Award for Best Art Direction]]), which also included the set decorator. Now the award includes the production designer and set decorator. On the movie ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'', [[David O. Selznick]] felt that [[William Cameron Menzies]] had such a significant role in the look of the film that the title art director was not sufficient, and so he gave Menzies the title of production designer.<ref>{{cite book | last=Preston | first=Ward | title=What an Art Director Does | publisher=[[Silman-James Press]] | year=1994 | pages=150 | isbn=1-879505-18-5}}</ref> This title is now commonly used as the title for the head of the art department, although the title actually implies control over every visual aspect of a film, including costumes.
On films with smaller art departments, such as small independent films and short films, the terms "production designer" and "art director" are often synonymous, and the person taking on the role may be credited as either.<ref name=":1" />
In the United States and Canada, the [[Art Directors Guild]] is a [[Trade union|labor union]] for art directors and related professions in film and television production.
===In television=== {{expand section|date=August 2025}}
===Other=== {{expand section|content on art direction in other performing arts|date=August 2025}}
==In publishing== [[File:Louise Fili and Gail Anderson (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Louise Fili]], former art director at [[Pantheon Books]], and [[Gail Anderson (graphic designer)|Gail Anderson]], former senior art director of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'']] Art directors in [[publishing]] typically work with the publication's [[Editing|editor]]s. Together, they work on a concept for sections and pages of a publication. The art director is mostly responsible for the visual look and feel of the publication, and the editor has ultimate responsibility for the publication's text content.{{cn|date=December 2024}}
[[Mehemed Fehmy Agha]] was one of the first art directors in [[magazine]] publishing, having assumed the role first at German ''Vogue'' in [[Berlin]], and then in 1929 at [[Condé Nast]] in New York, providing art direction for ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', [[Vogue (magazine)|''Vogue'']], and [[House & Garden (magazine)|''House & Garden'']].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Inglis |first=Theo |title=Mid-century modern graphic design |date=2019 |publisher=Batsford |isbn=978-1-84994-482-3 |location=London, United Kingdom |pages=157}}</ref>
==Other== {{See also|Game art design#Lead artist / art director}}{{expand section|content on art direction in video games and on the internet|date=August 2025}}
==See also== * [[Production designer]] * [[VFX creative director]] * [[Scenography]] * [[Art Directors Club of New York]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{film crew}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Art Director}} [[Category:Art directors| ]] [[Category:Advertising occupations]] [[Category:Filmmaking occupations]] [[Category:Theatrical occupations]] [[Category:Theatrical management]]