History of Production Design?

James Gifford

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Sep 27, 2003, 2:42:33 PM9/27/03

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My impression is that the title and job of production designer is a
relatively new one, postwar if not even more recent. Does anyone know
who (and with what title) would have been responsible for crafting the
visual design of a film ca. 1930?

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John Harkness

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Sep 27, 2003, 2:45:01 PM9/27/03

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On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 11:42:33 -0700, James Gifford
<jgif...@surewest.not> wrote:

>My impression is that the title and job of production designer is a
>relatively new one, postwar if not even more recent. Does anyone know
>who (and with what title) would have been responsible for crafting the
>visual design of a film ca. 1930?

The art director.

John Harkness

James Gifford

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Sep 27, 2003, 4:11:46 PM9/27/03

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John Harkness wrote:
>> My impression is that the title and job of production designer is a
>> relatively new one, postwar if not even more recent. Does anyone know
>> who (and with what title) would have been responsible for crafting the
>> visual design of a film ca. 1930?

> The art director.

Thanks. Can you (or anyone) recommend a good book on the technical,
production end of filmmaking in the prewar era?

Dave Garrett

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Sep 27, 2003, 6:05:12 PM9/27/03

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In article <3F75EF02...@surewest.not>, jgif...@surewest.not
says...

> John Harkness wrote:
> >> My impression is that the title and job of production designer is a
> >> relatively new one, postwar if not even more recent. Does anyone know
> >> who (and with what title) would have been responsible for crafting the
> >> visual design of a film ca. 1930?
>
> > The art director.
>
> Thanks. Can you (or anyone) recommend a good book on the technical,
> production end of filmmaking in the prewar era?

As far as art direction/production design, Mandelbaum and Myers' two
volumes, SCREEN DECO and FORTIES SCREEN STYLE, are highly recommended.
Also Albrecht's DESIGNING DREAMS, Barsacq's CALIGARI'S CABINET AND OTHER
GRAND ILLUSIONS, and Sennett's SETTING THE SCENE: THE GREAT HOLLYWOOD
ART DIRECTORS.

Some of these are out of print, but you should still be able to find
them at the library (or via interlibrary loan) and via the usual online
used book search engines.

Dave

James Gifford

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Sep 27, 2003, 6:19:21 PM9/27/03

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Dave Garrett wrote:
> As far as art direction/production design, Mandelbaum and Myers' two
> volumes, SCREEN DECO and FORTIES SCREEN STYLE, are highly recommended.
> Also Albrecht's DESIGNING DREAMS, Barsacq's CALIGARI'S CABINET AND OTHER
> GRAND ILLUSIONS, and Sennett's SETTING THE SCENE: THE GREAT HOLLYWOOD
> ART DIRECTORS.
>
> Some of these are out of print, but you should still be able to find
> them at the library (or via interlibrary loan) and via the usual online
> used book search engines.

Superb. Thanks!

Ollie W. Holmes

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Sep 27, 2003, 9:32:42 PM9/27/03

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This is an interesting question. At the height of the silent era
(Sunrise, 1927), the production designer is credited as the art
director. Yet, earlier, in 1915, the same man, Rochus Gliese is listed
as a production designer. Now, here we are in the 21st century, and we
are back to a combination of the two. Name me a movie that has both.

*

Answer: View from the Top (2003). This also has a Set Decorator.

James Gifford

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Sep 27, 2003, 9:55:53 PM9/27/03

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Ollie W. Holmes wrote:
> This is an interesting question. At the height of the silent era
> (Sunrise, 1927), the production designer is credited as the art
> director. Yet, earlier, in 1915, the same man, Rochus Gliese is listed
> as a production designer. Now, here we are in the 21st century, and we
> are back to a combination of the two.

What is/are/were/should be the differences between a production designer
and art director?

John Harkness

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Sep 27, 2003, 10:46:20 PM9/27/03

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On Sat, 27 Sep 2003 18:55:53 -0700, James Gifford
<jgif...@surewest.not> wrote:

>Ollie W. Holmes wrote:
>> This is an interesting question. At the height of the silent era
>> (Sunrise, 1927), the production designer is credited as the art
>> director. Yet, earlier, in 1915, the same man, Rochus Gliese is listed
>> as a production designer. Now, here we are in the 21st century, and we
>> are back to a combination of the two.
>
>What is/are/were/should be the differences between a production designer
>and art director?

Well, of course, in the early part of the last century, there was a
certain fluidity involving titles

There are a lot of films that have both -- Schrader's Cat People,
Alien, Blade Runner -- films with an overarching look that covers
everything, costumes, buildings, whatever. That would be the
production designer. The art director would be the guy scratching his
head figuring out how to execute the "genius's" designs.

John Harkness