British Film Designers Guild
Encyclopedia
A society of British Film Directors and Designers was founded in 1946, for the betterment of the Design in British Films. Out of this society grew the Guild of Film Art Directors, and the present British Film Designers Guild, who now include in their membership all the various branches of the Art Department. They are not a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. The British equivalent of the Art Directors Guild
Art Directors Guild
The Art Directors Guild is an American labor union and branch of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees representing almost 2,000 motion picture and television professionals....
(of America), although smaller in size are one of the key organisations in the Cine Guilds of Great Britain that work directly with the UK Government:
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport http://www.ukinvest.gov.uk/10356/en_GB/0.pdf.
This Guild is presented primarily to assist Producers
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and others to select Department members who will maintain the highest standards of Art Direction, even on the smallest of productions
Filmmaking
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, from an initial story, idea, or commission, through scriptwriting, casting, shooting, directing, editing, and screening the finished product before an audience that may result in a theatrical release or television program...
, and whose knowledge, experience and talent have been proven to be the highest in a medium where four fifths of the spectators attention is visual.
The British Film Designers Guild has members in every grade of the art department, from draughtspersons to costume designers
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
, set decorators to production designers, and was formed with the aim of raising the standards and the profile of the art department and protecting the interest of its members.
Art Department positions
The hierarchy in the United Kingdom does have some title variants with job descriptions. Here is a guide to the main positions within each area, as there are many alternatives dependent on the film requirements and to which country the film is based in. Some titles vary like for example Draughtsman UK, to Set Designer or Draftsman USA http://www.wiki.artdirectors.org/~wiki2/index.php?title=Set_Designer.The Production Designer is the head of various departments, Art, Construction, Decorating, Property & Prop Making. Here is a guide to the main positions within each area.
- Production designerProduction designerIn film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
(Feature film), Supervising art director - controls staff, work & schedule req., Art directorArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
(or Production designer for Commercials) usually several positions - controls several sets, draughts, organizes & liaises with trades, Stand-by art director (shooting crew), Assistant art director - draughts & liaises with trades, Art department co-ordinator, Senior draughtsperson (lead set designer U.S.) experienced draughtspeople who choose to stay drawing board based, draughtsperson (Set designer or Draftsperson U.S.), Junior draughtsperson, Art department assistant or Runner (Production runner U.S.). - Set decorator (a.k.a. dresser U.K.) - selects all props and set dressing. (Set decorator U.S.Set decoratorA set decorator is in charge of the set dressing on a film set, which includes the furnishings, wallpaper, lighting fixtures, and many of the other objects that will be seen in the film. Props and set dressing often overlap, but are provided by different departments...
is in charge of background dressing and stand-by), Production buyer, Assistant set decorator, Assistant buyer. - Property master - controls prop collecting, storing, dressing, manufacture and stand-by.(Property master U.S.Property masterThe property master is an artistic and organizational employee in a film, television or theatrical production who is responsible for purchasing, acquiring and/or manufacturing any props needed for a production...
, is in charge of action props - acquiring, manufacturing and stand-by. Assistant property master, Supervising props dresser Lead man U.S.LeadmanA leadman is a Set Decoration department member who is responsible for the props and swing gang and/or the set dressers on a film set. The swing gang does the set dressing and wrapping. Set dressers keep the set in the proper condition by placing and moving elements and props as needed for the...
, Props storeman, Props co-ordinator, Stand-by props (also On-set U.S.), Props dresser Set dresser U.S.Set dresser-In Film:Set dressers arrange objects on a film set before shooting. They work under the direction of a leadman, a set decorator and a production designer. Set dressers place furniture, hang pictures, and put out decorative items. They are also responsible for some light construction and assembly...
or Swing gang U.S.Swing gangIn film-making, a swing gang is one or more persons who make last-minute changes on a film set. This may include construction of new portions of a set the director requests or simply striking large furniture at a set dresser's request....
(Swing gang can also refer to set construction in the U.S.) http://www.imdb.com/Glossary/S, Prop dresser (Note Set decoration and Property are different departments in U.S.) - Construction manager, Assistant construction manager, Construction buyer, H.o.D. (Head of Department) Carpenter (a.k.a. Chippie), H.o.D. Painter, H.o.D. Plasterer, H.o.D. Rigger & H.o.D. Stagehand (a.k.a. Stag). Within each department is Supervising, Chargehand positions to Labourers & Apprentices.
- H.o.D. Prop maker - works in conjunction with Props, Senior prop makers, Prop maker, Sculptors & Apprentices.
Other titles include Visual Effects art director, Vehicles art director, Locations art director, Concept artist (Illustrator U.S.), Storyboard artist
Storyboard artist
Storyboard artist is a profession specialized in creating storyboards for advertising agencies and film productions.A storyboard artist is able to visualize any stories using quick sketches on paper at any moment...
, Graphic designer, Sign writer or Lettering artist, Model maker
Model maker
A model maker is a professional craftsperson who creates a 3 dimensional representation of a design or concept. Most products in use and in development today first take form as a model. This "model" may be an exacting duplicate of the future design or a simple mock-up of the general shape or concept...
, Armourer
Armorer
An armourer or armorer is a member of a military or police force who maintains and repairs small arms and weapons systems, with some duties resembling those of a civilian gunsmith....
, Greensman (Greenskeeper U.S.)
Greensman
A Greensman or Greensperson or Greenskeeper is any production personnel on a film set which is responsible for obtaining and taking care of anything "green" – plants, grass, trees, flowers, and other various landscaping materials like rocks, gravel, sand, etc...
, Drapes master and Scenic artist.
Refer also to Film crew
Film crew
Television crew positions are derived from those of film crew positions.A film crew is a group of people hired by a production company for the purpose of producing a film or motion picture. Crew are distinguished from cast, the Actors who appear in front of the camera or provide voices for...
& Art Department Guide U.S..
Collecting Society
This Society was formed out of work done within the Guild to benefit members and has since grown to assist many other departments within film production.The BFDG no longer operates as a collecting society, after a reorganising of its core business model. They are proud to have championed the establishment of the principles behind "Copyright" and the definition of "Authors" within the Film and Television Industries, and to have paved the way for residuals to be paid to Key UK based technicians. Do contact the guild for more information on directly joining other existing societies.
Closely related departments
- CameraCinematographerA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
- LocationsLocation managerThe Location Manager is responsible for the finding and securing locations to be used and coordinating the logistics involved for the production to successfully complete its necessary work...
- SFX - Special effects (Physical or Mechanical effects U.S.)
- VFX - Visual effectsVisual effectsVisual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
Famous members
- Ken AdamKen AdamSir Kenneth Adam, OBE, born Klaus Hugo Adam , is a motion picture production designer most famous for his set designs for the James Bond films of the 1960s and 1970s.-Childhood in Germany:...
, Production designer - Dr. StrangeloveDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the BombDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, commonly known as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy film which satirizes the nuclear scare. It was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, and featuring Sterling...
, The Ipcress FileThe Ipcress File (film)The Ipcress File is a 1965 British espionage film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Michael Caine, Guy Doleman, and Nigel Green. The screenplay by Bill Canaway and James Doran was based on Len Deighton's 1962 novel, The IPCRESS File. It has won critical acclaim and a BAFTA award for best...
, Barry LyndonBarry LyndonBarry Lyndon is a 1975 British-American period romantic war film produced, written, and directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackeray which recounts the exploits of an 18th century Irish adventurer... - John BarryJohn Barry (set designer)John Barry was a British film production designer, known for his work on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, for which he received the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.-Career:...
, Production designer - A Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork Orange (film)A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
, Star WarsStar Wars Episode IV: A New HopeStar Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the... - Gavin Bocquet, Production designer - Star Wars II & III
- John BoxJohn BoxJohn Allan Hyatt Box OBE, , was a British film production designer and art director. During his career he won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction on four occasions and won its BAFTA equivalent three times, making him the most decorated film designer of all time...
, Production designer & B.F.D.G. Ex Officio - Lawrence of ArabiaLawrence of Arabia (film)Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
, Doctor ZhivagoDoctor Zhivago (1965 film)Doctor Zhivago is a 1965 epic drama-romance-war film directed by David Lean and loosely based on the famous novel of the same name by Boris Pasternak...
, A Passage to IndiaA Passage to India (film)A Passage to India is a 1984 drama film written and directed by David Lean. The screenplay is based on the 1924 novel of the same title by E. M. Forster and the 1960 play by Santha Rama Rau that was inspired by the novel.... - Allan Cameron, Production designer - The Da Vinci CodeThe Da Vinci Code (film)The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard. The screenplay was written by Akiva Goldsman and based on Dan Brown's worldwide bestselling 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code...
- Peter LamontPeter LamontPeter Lamont is a noted set decorator, script editor, art director, and production designer most famous for working on eighteen James Bond films. The only four Bond films that he did not work on are Dr...
http://www.007magazine.co.uk/casino-royale-news.htm, Production designer & B.F.D.G. Ex Officio - TitanicTitanic (1997 film)Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
, True LiesTrue LiesTrue Lies is a 1994 American action-comedy film directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Charlton Heston, and Art Malik. Eliza Dushku also appears in the film in one of her first major film roles...
& various Bonds films - Anthony Masters, Production designer - 2001: A Space Odyssey2001: A Space Odyssey (film)2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
- Anthony PrattAnthony D. G. PrattAnthony D. G. Pratt is a British production designer from London, England. He is the great nephew of William Henry Pratt, better known as Boris Karloff and the nephew of actress Gillian Pratt Anthony D. G. Pratt (born 27 November 1937) is a British production designer from London, England. He is...
, Production designer - The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)The Phantom of the Opera is a 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical of the same name, which in turn was based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.... - Michael StringerMichael StringerJohn Michael Stringer was a film production designer, art director, painter and illustrator.Stringer's work as art director on Fiddler on the Roof , involving much shooting in Yugoslavia, earned him an Academy Award nomination shared with the Hollywood production designer Robert Boyle and set...
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.obituaries/browse_thread/thread/2528116cb6f521ae/a296293c50a6b2cf?lnk=st&q=british+film+designers+guild&rnum=1&hl=en#a296293c50a6b2cf, Production designer/Art director & G.F.A.D. Ex Officio - Casino Royale (1967)Casino Royale (1967 film)Casino Royale is a 1967 comedy spy film originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is set as a satire of the James Bond film series and the spy genre, and is loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.The film stars David Niven as the...
, Fiddler on the roofFiddler on the Roof (film)Fiddler on the Roof is the 1971 film adaptation of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, with music composed by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, about Tevye and his Daughters. It was directed by Norman Jewison. The film won three... - Lindy Hemming, Costume designer - Casino RoyaleCasino Royale (2006 film)Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
, Topsy-TurvyTopsy-TurvyTopsy-Turvy is a 1999 musical drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh and stars Allan Corduner as Arthur Sullivan and Jim Broadbent as W. S. Gilbert, along with Timothy Spall and Lesley Manville. The story concerns the 15-month period in 1884 and 1885 leading up to the premiere of Gilbert...
Published articles
- British Broadcasting B.B.C. online news report inc. BFDG/Collecting society
- Memorandum submitted by the Cine Guilds of Great Britain U.K. Government - House of Commons report
- The objectives of the C.G.G.B. Cine Guilds of Great Britain
Related literature
- Film Design, Terence Marner. (Tantivy Press, 1973. ISBN 0-900-73069-2)
- The Oxford Guide to Film Studies, John Hill. (Oxford University, 1998. ISBN 0-198-71124-7)
- Ken Adam: The Art of Production Design, Christopher Frayling. (Faber and Faber, 2006. ISBN 0-571-22057-6)