ART DIRECTION: The VISUAL

LANGUAGE
of FILM

© A.M.P.A.S. ®

Teacher’s
Resource
Guide
 Youth Media International Ltd.

Dear Educator, by the Academy Awards to teach executives, film editors, make-up
outh Media International, in valuable lessons in critical thinking artists, composers, songwriters, sound
Y cooperation with the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,
and to develop visual literacy skills.
The Academy, organized in 1927, is
and visual effects experts, and writers.
Please share this material with
is proud to present the most recent a professional honorary organization other teachers in your school.
edition of annual study guides that composed of more than 6,000 Although the material is
focus on the different branches of motion picture craftsmen and copyrighted, you may make as many
the Academy. women. Its purposes include photocopies as necessary to meet
This guide focuses on art advancing the art and science of your students’ needs.
direction, one of the many craft areas motion pictures; fostering To ensure that you receive future
involved in the collaborative cooperation among creative leaders mailings, please fill out and return the
endeavor of creating a motion for cultural, educational and enclosed reply card. Also, feel free to
picture. Students will learn about art technological progress; recognizing e-mail us at [email protected]
direction (or production design, as it outstanding achievements; and to comment about the program at
is also known) as they complete the fostering educational activities any time.We welcome your thoughts
activities in this kit, which is intended between the professional community and suggestions.
for students in secondary school and the public at large. Academy
English, language arts and members are the people who create Sincerely,
communications courses.The movies—the cream of the industry’s
activities are designed to capitalize on actors, animators, art directors,
students’ natural interest in current cinematographers, costume designers,
films and the excitement generated directors, documentarians, studio Roberta Nusim, Publisher

Program Components when awards shows seem as common as nightly news

1.This instructional guide programs, the Academy Awards are unique because the
2. Four student activity masters judges—Academy members—are the top filmmakers
3. A four-color wall poster for classroom display from around the world.The question, “Who gets the
4. A response card for teacher comments Oscar?” is decided by a true jury of peers.
The awards process provides a wonderful
Target Audience opportunity to teach your students about the many
This program has been designed for students in craft areas—and the many communications
secondary school English, language arts and techniques—that play a part in creating a motion
communications courses. picture. Filmmaking is by nature a collaborative process,
with each creative area supporting and being supported
Program Objectives by the others. Because our space is limited, this kit
1.To enhance student interest in and knowledge about focuses on just one of those areas—art direction.
the motion picture development and production process.
2.To encourage students to use critical thinking as they Selecting Films for
learn how production designers contribute to the Student Viewing
process of creating a motion picture. Students may select the films they wish to view during
3.To engage students in an exploration of film as a the following activities.
medium of communication. The following films have won Academy Awards for
4.To help students become more visually literate. art direction and may be appropriate for your students:
Moulin Rouge (2001), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Introduction (2000), Titanic (1997), Star Wars (1977), To Kill a
The first Academy Awards were handed out on May 16, Mockingbird (1962) and Citizen Kane (1941).
1929, just after the advent of “talkies.” By 1930, The following films were nominated for Academy
enthusiasm was so great that a Los Angeles radio Awards for art direction and may be appropriate for
station did a live, one-hour broadcast, and the Awards your students: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
have enjoyed broadcast coverage ever since. (2001), The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Rings
The number and types of awards have grown and (2001), Pleasantville (1998), William Shakespeare’s Romeo
changed over the years to keep up with the + Juliet (1996), Apollo 13 (1995), A Little Princess (1995)
development of the motion picture industry. Awards of and Forrest Gump (1994).
Merit—Oscars—are presented in each (or in sub-
divisions) of the following categories: acting, animated Activity 1
feature, art direction, cinematography, costume design,
directing, documentary film, film editing, foreign- CREATING the LOOK
language film, make-up, music, best picture, short film,
sound, sound editing, visual effects and writing. In an age A rt direction is a broad concept encompassing many
visual elements of film production—set design and
construction, locations, décor, props and costumes. point out examples of the defined architectural terms.
Over the decades, the nature of art direction has Then have them focus on one scene in a selected film
changed considerably.The first film sets were devised and discuss how camera movement and lighting work
by pioneer French filmmaker Georges Méliès at the with the basic set design.
turn of the 20th century.With their painted backdrops,
Méliès’ sets resembled traditional theater scenery— Supplementary Activity: Have
immovable and two-dimensional. In 1916, D.W. Griffith’s students videotape a short scene in various locations
silent epic Intolerance made cinema history, in part around school, including at least one outdoor setting.
because of its full-scale sets. Unlike his predecessors, Screen the tapes and discuss how the architectural
set builder Frank Wortman considered Griffith’s moving elements in each setting affected the scene.
camera when designing for Intolerance, devising a Alternatively, have students photograph or draw
completely integrated, three-dimensional space. various locations around school and discuss how a

ART DIRECTION: The VISUAL LANGUAGE of FILM

William Cameron Menzies, designer on such classics scene could be set in each setting.
as Gone with the Wind (1939), is considered the father of
modern production design. Menzies’ sweeping cinematic Activity 2
vision and distinctive personal style helped elevate the
art director’s position in the Hollywood hierarchy. In SETTING the STAGE
the 1950s, as film production became more costly and
complex, the scope of art direction expanded. Studios
recognized the need for full-blown production
O nce the architectural elements are in place,
production designers must decide how to decorate
their sets and locations. Set decoration includes all
designers—artists who would be responsible for the props and furnishings, including foliage and food, used in
overall look of a film—not just the sets. a given scene. Sometimes individual props and
Production designers collaborate closely with the furnishings can be crucial to the story: the witch’s
director and cinematographer to visualize the hourglass in The Wizard of Oz (1939), or the sled in
screenplay.Together they determine how visual Citizen Kane, for example. More often, however, the
components can best be combined to tell the screen effect of set decoration is collective.As in real life, we
story. As award-winning production designer Patrizia make assumptions about film characters based on their
von Brandenstein notes,“The most beautiful ballroom environment. How characters decorate their living
on earth means nothing unless it helps the context of room, or what they put into their medicine chests, can
the story.” When devising sets or considering locations, tell us as much about them as the dialogue or action.
production designers must first determine the volume, To get the most out of set decoration, production
or overall size and shape of a space. Does the scene designers study the script’s characters.Whether the
call for a large, rectangular space, such as the Xanadu story is contemporary, futuristic or period, designers
mansion in Citizen Kane (1941), or a claustrophobic strive to create a credible everyday world. For period
enclosed space, such as the submarine in U-571 (2000)? pieces, designers conduct research at libraries and
Just like painters, production designers exploit archives to help them achieve authenticity. For
perspective to direct the viewer’s eye toward a futuristic or fantastic stories, they consult with
particular spot in a set or to create a sense of depth. scientists and engineers to create sets that are both
Scale can be used to evoke feelings about a space.The imaginative and believable. Sometimes, however,
stairway in Scarlett O’Hara’s Atlanta mansion in Gone designers choose drama over realism, selecting props
with the Wind, for example, is outsized. Its large size or furnishings that may not be absolutely accurate, but
suggests Rhett’s excesses and his power over Scarlett. are emotionally true.
This sense of power becomes especially obvious when Students can learn about the connection between
Rhett forcefully carries Scarlett up the stairs to the set decoration and visual storytelling by creating a
bedroom. Although architectural elements apply most detailed environment for a specific character.To test
significantly to sets, they can also be used in location whether they have picked appropriate details, have
filming.The mental institution in One Flew over the them share their descriptions with their classmates.
Cuckoo’s Nest was a real place, but its chain-link fences
and barbed wire were manipulated to emphasize the Supplementary Activity: In teams,
inmates’ feelings of oppression. have students research a recent past decade (1950s to
Ultimately, what separates production designers 1980s), then find or make props that represent the
from their theater equivalents is the camera. Every set period. Have them create mini-sets and videotape a
or location must accommodate the camera’s changing scene using their set.
three-dimensional view.Whether the camera itself is
moving, or the framing is changing, the set should Activity 3
facilitate the movement. A good designer will consider
how the set or location will look from various angles COLOR and TEXTURE
and distances, and in different lighting conditions, as
demanded by the script.
Encourage your students to “see” the architectural
I n addition to architectural elements and set decoration,
production designers rely on color, tone and texture to
help realize their vision. Often the main characters in a
components of production design by studying photos script are assigned color and fabric palettes.When
or paintings by artists like Vermeer and Giotto and choosing a palette, designers consider the characters’
emotional journey as well as their social and cultural separate costume designer. In the past, special effects, such
background.The chosen colors may show up in the as miniatures and matte paintings, were also in the
characters’ costumes, in the props they use, or in the décor of production designer’s domain. As effects became more
their habitat. Colors can have culturally specific symbolic complicated, with computerized images and other
meaning. In Western cultures, for example, red usually denotes technical innovations, independent special effects
danger; white denotes purity. In the Chinese culture, white is departments evolved.
the color of death, and red signifies happiness and health. For most production designers, the collaborative
Colors can hint at the emotions or states of mind of a process begins with storyboards, sketches and models.
character.As used in the story sequences in A Little Princess Storyboards are drawn on panels and depict in continuity
(1995), for example, the bright oranges and purples, when the main action of a film scene or sequence. Have your
contrasted with the grays and browns of the rest of the students study set sketches from Pleasantville and compare
movie, suggest the happiness in Sara’s past. Certain colors them to the final film.Then have them create their own
can even suggest physical states.To bring out the theme of storyboard or set sketches for a story that they have read
drought in the script of Chinatown (1974), production in class. Finally, ask them to view one of the films
designer Richard Sylbert chose white buildings for many of nominated this year for art direction and analyze it in
his locations, because “white makes you feel hotter.” terms of how its architectural elements, set decoration
Color tones and shading are also important in art and color contributed to the story.
direction. Saturated, deep colors convey a sense of Each year, the film industry produces an array of
seriousness and intensity, while bright colors suggest outstanding new releases. Some are appropriate for
lightness and delicacy. Black-and-white photography families, some are appealing to teens, and some are geared
reproduces the world exclusively in tones of black, gray toward adult audiences. If you or the parents of your
and white.Therefore, a production designer working on a students feel that some, or even all, of this year’s nominees
black-and-white film must be aware of how the colors of might be inappropriate for viewing by young people, you
his or her set are going to translate into those tones. can modify this activity in several ways.They can view
The texture of a wall, prop, furniture piece or costume Academy Award nominees and Academy Award-winning
is another tool of the production designer. Along with films from past years to complete the exercises. A list of
color, the choice of materials can add to the overall design some past nominees and winners appears at the beginning
concept. For William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, for of this teacher’s guide.
example, production and costume designer Catherine
Martin separated the Capulet and Montegue families
through choices of color, pattern and texture. She selected Resources
dark reds and blacks and fabrics like leather and denim for For more information about art direction and the
the Capulet family, and bright-colored Hawaiian shirt Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, visit
patterns for the rival Montegues. these Web sites:
To illustrate how colors affect how we view a film, have • http://www.artdirectors.org
your students observe and describe places in their • http://www.oscars.org
everyday world in terms of color. Ask them how the • http://www.oscars.com
colors of their classroom, bedroom, doctor’s office, etc.,
make them feel.Then have them write a scene set in their Additional Resources
school or neighborhood and describe what colors and Art Direction for Film & Video, by Robert L. Olson.
textures they might use to heighten the drama. Woburn, MA: Focal Press, 1998.
By Design: Interviews with Film Production Designers,
Supplementary Activity: Have students by Vincent Lobrutto.Westport, CT: Praeger Pub
pick a favorite novel and devise palettes for the main Text, 1992.
characters. Palettes may be done as a collage or a chart, but How Movies Work, by Bruce F. Kawin. Berkeley, CA:
should include color chips and fabric swatches from local University of California Press, 1992.
paint or fabric stores.Ask students to explain how their Production Design & Art Direction, by Peter Ettedgui.
palettes connect to the story’s characters and development. Woburn, MA: Focal Press, 1999.
Setting the Scene:The Great Hollywood Art Directors, by
Activity 4 Robert S. Sennett. New York: Harry N. Abrams,
Inc., 1994.
LEARNING from the BEST What an Art Director Does: An Introduction to Motion
Picture Design, by Ward Preston. Hollywood, CA:
H ow production designers operate depends in large
part on the director, the budget and other practical
constraints. Budgets, for example, can determine how
Silman-James Press, 1994.

many scenes will be shot on location.

Art departments have two main divisions.The first ACADEMY OF MOTION
focuses on the drawing board, where sets are designed and PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES Youth Media
International Ltd.
blueprints produced.The second division deals with P.O. Box 305
Easton, CT 06612
furnishings, costumes and props.The production designer (203) 459-1562
www.youthmedia.com

oversees both divisions, although most films employ a

©2003 YMI Ltd.
 Activity
CREATING
1
Reproducible Master
the LOOK
also consider how the cam-
P roduction designers are responsible for the overall look of
a film, including decisions about overall style, set design and
construction, location selection, and set decoration. Many pro-
era is going to be used in a
given set or location. Is the
duction designers begin their careers studying architecture or camera going to be moving
theater design. Understanding fundamental design concepts, all through the space at eye
such as an architect might learn, is vital to effective art direc- level, for instance, or looking
tion. Along with the basic shape, designers must decide on the down at a single, fixed angle?
volume, or size, of their space, as well as its depth.The design- How will the set or location be lit? Natural light from the
er must also decide if the space is going to be realistic or styl- west? Artificial overhead light?
ized. In the movie Babe, for example, hyper-realistic spaces From a magazine, book or the Internet, select a photograph
were used to enhance the fairytale quality of the story. As with or painting that contains a room that is visually striking.
a painting, a set’s depth can be enhanced through perspective. Consider the following questions:What is the first thing you
Adding windows and doors, for instance, can increase the notice about the room? What is its overall shape and size? Are
sense of depth. Scale (or the relative size of objects) can be the elements within the space in proportion to one another?
manipulated for emotional effect. In The Secret Garden, Stuart Is the space shallow or deep? If there are windows and doors,
Craig made the mansion sets huge in proportion to the girl to how do they function in the set? Basically, how does the space
emphasize her feeling of powerlessness. Production designers help the filmmaker tell the story?

Name or general description of painting or photograph: Where is the camera in the scene?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artist: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Is it moving or fixed?______________________________________

Describe the architectural elements of the room—shape, Do you think that the scene was set in a real location or a
volume, scale, depth—and suggest how they work together to space constructed for the film? Why?
create a feeling about the space: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Now imagine the scene in a different setting. Describe the new
architectural elements:

Pick an indoor scene from a film that was recognized for ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
achievement in art direction. As you watch the scene, try to ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
focus on the architectural elements of the art direction and ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
their relation to the camera.
How do your changes affect the way the camera moves in
Title of film: ________________________________________________________________________________ the scene?
The scene I will observe is: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Describe the set’s architectural elements: Architectural Elements of Set Design

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Perspective: The way things look from a given point
according to their size, shape, distance, etc.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Scale: The apparent size of a represented object in
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ proportion to the actual size of that object
Volume: The amount of space inside something
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

© 2003 YMI Ltd.

 Activity
SETTING
2
Reproducible Master the STAGE
S et decorations—the props and furnishings that fill out a set or loca-
tion—are key elements of production design.They include not only fur-
niture and its accessories, but paint color, wall hangings, greenery and food
items as well.The décor of a room is its overall style and is suggested pri-
marily by the furniture. Common décors include modern, traditional, rustic
and European, but the décor of a specific set may be more haphazard or
mixed. Set decoration conveys valuable information about a script’s charac-
ters and helps tell the story visually. Consider, for example, a scene set in a
lawyer’s office.The décor of the office is ultra-modern and hints at success.
We wouldn’t be surprised to find a wall of hardbound law books there, but
if we noticed dust on all the books, we might assume they weren’t getting
much use, or cleaning. Chinese takeout cartons and an electric shaver on
the lawyer’s desk, a toothbrush and toothpaste on his filing cabinet and a
blanket on the couch tell us the office doubles as a living space. A desk cal-
endar with a lot of blank space suggests business is slow. D escribe four props in the room related to
your character and explain how those
items suggest your character’s occupation, hob-
bies and tastes:

1. __________________________________________
______________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
______________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
______________________________________________
4. __________________________________________
______________________________________________

Taken together, these set details describe not a successful lawyer, but one
Share your room details with a classmate.
who has no clients and has to live in his office to make ends meet.
Based only on these details, have your class-
Sometimes details like these are mentioned in the script, but often they are
mate guess the sex, personality, occupation and
added by the production designer. As production designer Dean Tavoularis
social background of your character.
(The Godfather trilogy, The Outsiders) notes, “Whether it’s a period or a
contemporary story, one should always think about what possessions char-
Now, using your props, create some action for
acters might have in their environment.”
your character in that room. Describe what
your character is doing and imagine how your
set enhances the story:
Invent a character or pick one from a favorite novel. Imagine
a room (bedroom, living room, office, etc.) that your charac- ______________________________________________________________________________
ter might spend time in.What type of room is it? ______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Describe the décor, or style, of the room. Is it funky?
Conservative? Is it cluttered or sparsely furnished? Neat or Elements of Set Decoration:
messy? Are the walls bare or covered? Décor: Style or mode of decoration, as
of a room, building, or the like
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Prop or property: Object used by an
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ actor or displayed as part of a set
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

© 2003 YMI Ltd.

 Activity
COLOR
3
Reproducible Master
and TEXTURE
on him. Designers also think in terms of tone—how light or
I n addition to architectural elements and set decoration, pro-
duction designers rely on color and texture to realize their
vision. Often designers devise color and fabric palettes for the
dark, bright or dull each color will be.Although more subtle
than color, textures, such as you might find in fabrics, can also
main characters in a script. Palettes include fabric swatches and enhance storytelling. Coarse fabrics, such as burlap or canvas,
color chips and are usually displayed might correspond to a rough character.A room filled with
on a board. Colors can reflect smooth, shiny objects, like mir-
the social and cultural back- rors and stainless steel appli-
ground of a character, as well as ances, might suggest a reflective,
his or her personality. A charac- bright personality.
ter who always dresses in grays The fantasy picture
and browns, for instance, is Pleasantville (1998), in which two
most likely serious and conserv- 1990s teenagers are transported
ative. Colors can also be used inside a black-and-white 1950s
to emphasize themes and television show, demonstrates
moods in a story. A set decorat- the complexity of color in art
ed all in red might heighten the direction. As the modern-day
violence of a story, while a teenagers alter the dull, pre-
white set might underscore a dictable 1950s television world,
theme of purity and innocence. the black-and-white environment
Sometimes colors work by gradually takes on color.
directing the viewer’s eye towards a particular spot in the Production designer Jeannine Claudia Oppewall had to decide
frame. In early Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, Fred which objects or actors in each scene should be “colored.” The
Astaire used to be dressed in a brighter white shirt than the first object to take on color was a single red rose. In the
chorus dancers so that the audience would immediately focus scene, red represented physical passion.

What were the outstanding colors of each location?

I magine your classroom entirely in black and white. List which
objects you would color and how you would color them, to
show the following:
1.__________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________
Anger:__________________________________________________
3.__________________________________________________________________
Joy: ____________________________________________________
Sadness:________________________________________________ Based on the colors you listed above,
Strength:____________________________________________________ describe what types of scenes (love scene,
fight, chase, etc.) might be played in these
What textures do you see in your classroom? locations and why:
________________________________________________________________ 1. ____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Scout your school or neighborhood and select three spots for
location shooting, giving special attention to color. 3. ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
The locations I chose were:
1. ____________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________ Elements of Color and Texture:
3. ____________________________________________________________ Palette: A range of colors used for a particular purpose
Texture: The visual and tactile quality of a surface
Tone: A tint or shade; hue

© 2003 YMI Ltd.

 Activity
LEARNING from
4
Reproducible Master the BEST
S toryboards are a chronological layout of sketches or photographs that outline the main
action of a film scene or sequence.They provide information about the physical require-
ments of a particular set or location as well as an outline for the action in the shot. A sto- n the previous activities, we
ryboard sketch indicates not only which characters are in a shot and their general locale,
but camera angles, movement and framing as well. In addition to storyboards, production
I learned about the many ways
in which art direction, as envi-
designers use detailed sketches in creating their sets.The sketches are turned into blue- sioned by production designers,
prints and given to construction crews to realize. Models of sets, built to scale, help the can help tell a visually stimulat-
filmmakers visualize the three-dimensional space in which they will be working. ing story. Now it’s time to look
Below are storyboard sketches from Pleasantville, designed by Jeannine Claudia Oppewall. at the films that were nominat-
As a class, compare the sketches to stills of the set from the finished film: ed for art direction this year.

List the nominees for best art

direction in the space below:
1.______________________________
____________________________________________
2.______________________________
____________________________________________
3.______________________________
____________________________________________
4.______________________________
____________________________________________
5.______________________________
____________________________________________

Pick one film that you would

like to see from the list of nomi-
nees. As you watch, think about
how the film uses architectural
elements, set decoration and
color to enhance the story.
After viewing the film,
describe why you think the
Academy chose to recognize
the art direction in that film
nomination and whether it was
or was not appropriate.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Now using the scene you wrote in Activity 2, draw your own storyboard on the back of ____________________________________________
this sheet, indicating what the viewer will see in the first eight shots. In addition to your ____________________________________________
character, be sure to include as many details of your set as possible.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________

© 2003 YMI Ltd.