Honorable Mention in the Foreword Indie Awards 2016 For many design students, the expectation is that they will one day reach the top of the ladder within a design studio or corporation and become an art director. But what does this mean and how does a design student get there? What does an art director do? How is it different from being a designer? How does one lead and inspire a team, work with freelance designers, illustrators and photographers? Inside Art Direction answers all these questions for design students and professionals alike. Through interviews with 18 art directors working in a range of different industries from books and magazines to music and film to web and app design, students learn about how they got to where they are, what the art director's job really entails, and receive advice about the future of art direction. In the 28 case studies, illustrators, art directors and editors discuss specific assignments that they worked on, how they came up with ideas and the process of getting to the final result. With practical, hands-on advice, tips and art direction assignments that students can try out, Inside Art Direction provides insights about this fascinating field.

"For many design students, the expectation is that they will one day reach the top of the ladder within a design studio or corporation and become an art director. But what does this mean and how does a design student get there? What does an art director do? How is it different from being a designer? How does one lead and inspire a team, work with freelance designers, illustrators and photographers? How do they sell this work to editors, department heads and clients? Becoming a Successful Art Director answers all these questions for design students and professionals alike. It is at once an illustrated art book, a handbook on how to be creative in this exciting work environment, and a guide to what to expect on entering the workplace. Giving practical, hands-on advice for both beginning and advanced students, It will provide a clear picture for graphic design and illustration students of how to work with art directors and the range of industries where an art director might be employed."--

This book is a highly informative, highly entertaining introduction to what art direction is and what art directors do. Written by two of the world's leading experts on the subject, it covers the role of art director in numerous environments, including magazines and newspapers, advertising, corporate identity, museums, and publishing. It also provides an insight into what makes a successful art director, what an art director actually does all day, what makes things go right, and what makes things go wrong. Alongside perspectives on typography, illustration, and photography, there are case studies of successful art direction in different spheres, from McSweeney's to Vier5's web design. The authors have also invited pre-eminent international art directors to interpret their roles in special sections of the book that they have art directed themselves. The result is an impressive, enlightening, and often very funny diversity of perspectives and approaches. Clearly written, including a glossary of handy art director sayings, an "art director test," and more, Art Direction Explained, At Last! will provide students with insights into the world of art direction and professionals with a perceptive overview of their profession.

Art Direction examines the key techniques, approaches and 'secrets' involved in the development of creative advertising concepts. Mahon provides tips on how to use surprise, simplicity, provocation and visual drama to communicate the advertising message. The book examines the process of visualizing and exploring different ideas, and discusses the use of moving image, photography, illustration and typography to realize these ideas. It also explores the use of different advertising media, from traditional formats to new and alternative channels of communication.

Who can forget the over-the-top, white-on-white, high-gloss interiors through which Fred Astaire danced in Top Hat? The modernist high-rise architecture, inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, in the adaptation of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead? The lavish, opulent drawing rooms of Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence? Through the use of film design—called both art direction and production design in the film industry—movies can transport us to new worlds of luxury, highlight the ornament of the everyday, offer a vision of the future, or evoke the realities of a distant era. In Designs on Film, journalist and interior designer Cathy Whitlock illuminates the often undercelebrated role of the production designer in the creation of the most memorable moments in film history. Through a lush collection of rare archival photographs, Whitlock narrates the evolving story of art direction over the course of a century—from the massive Roman architecture of Ben-Hur to the infamous Dakota apartment in Rosemary's Baby to the digital CGI wonders of Avatar's Pandora. Drawing on insights from the most prominent Hollywood production designers and the historical knowledge of the venerable Art Directors Guild, Whitlock delves into the detailed process of how sets are imagined, drawn, built, and decorated. Designs on Film is the must-have look book for film lovers, movie buffs, and anyone looking to draw interior design inspiration from the constructions and confections of Hollywood. Whitlock lifts the curtain on movie magic and celebrates the many ways in which art direction and set design allow us to lose ourselves in the diverse worlds showcased on the big screen.

A wealth of information from Preston's experiences in the film industry.

Design is at the essence of storytelling, but how does a production find its style and identity? This book explains how to approach design, whether for film, television, video promo or commercial making, and introduces the techniques needed to make ideas happen. Through theory and practical exercises, it looks at design in a different way and shows how the simplest decisions can become powerful ideas on screen. Explains the roles of the design team, including the production designer and art director; Explains how to extract design information from a script and how to identify key themes that can be used to support the telling of the story; Looks at how and where to research ideas, and suggests ways to illustrate them; Explores the importance of images, colour, texture and space to captivate an audience; Shows how to prepare drawings and models using various media; Refers to film and television productions, and shows how design decisions contribute to the story.