Art Director

Do you enjoy telling a story using visual arts? Then being an Art Director might just be the perfect career for you. In this article we explore what is an Art Director.

Job Responsibilities

Here, as an Art Director your role is to make sure that the images, prints or adverts convey the message they were intended to. You will be responsible for creating a gripping story by combining individual works to make one big picture. 

In film productions Art Directors work hand in hand with producers to be able to produce the best visuals. As an art director, you may need to help in setting up the set and sometimes supervise in the wardrobe and makeup department.

What to Study

Digital Photography: Comprehensive Certificate Course

This comprehensive course will teach you how to get the most out of your photographic equipment. You will learn how to take the best photos you can imagine.
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Digital Photography: Certificate Course

Photographers can make moments even more special. This is by knowing their equipment well and by having an eye for the right moment, lighting and so on.
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Digital Photography: Short Course Certificate

Skills Academy offers three courses in Photography Studies, all designed to help improve your knowledge and skills in the world of Photography. Sign Up Now!
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What is an Art Director?

An Art Director is the person responsible for how the overall art project looks. They direct how the images/videos are laid out and presented to the people. This could be in magazines, newspapers, websites, television productions, product packaging and other printed or digital media.

They could either do this by themselves working independently or direct others to create the art work. They work very closely with photographers, graphic designers and producers.

Benefits of Being an Art Director

Listed below are reasons why you should consider taking up a career as an Art Director:

  • It brings out the best of your creative abilities.
  • You can travel all around the world, working with different people in many different projects.
  • It gives you the freedom to be self employed or start your own business.
  • It is flexible as it allows you to work in any creative industry.
  • There is a potential to make a lot of money as you could work in different projects at the same time.

Kickstart your career as an Art Director with Skills Academy.

 

How Much do Art Director Earn

According to Payscale, Art Directors can earn anything from R23 926 to R36 170 monthly depending on experience and level of education. Other major factors that determine your salary are your skill set, the company you work for and the kinds of projects you would be working on.

Taking our creative entry level course will be beneficial in fast tracking your career. You will be able to land jobs sooner and then work your way up from there.

How to Become an Art Director

Art  Directors are usually required to have some form of qualification in a creative arts field. However, this job is mostly determined by experience. Most Art Directors start with entry level jobs like being an assistant or photographers and graphic designers then work their way up.

You need to have at least 4 years of experience in the creative industry field. It is quite easy to get this experience as you can work while studying. Studying with Skills Academy will make this possible for you’d be studying via long distance. Developing a good portfolio is also beneficial in assisting with moving up the ranks to becoming an Art Director.

Job Opportunities for Art Directors

There’s quite a demand for Art Directors and there will always be across all creative industries. Regardless of where you work, your role as an Art Director is essentially the same. However, you have the choice of working in different industries. You can tailor this to your interests and skills. Let’s have a look at the different industries you could work in:

Publications and advertising industries – Here your role is to make sure that the images, prints or adverts convey the message they were intended to. You will be responsible for creating a gripping story by combining individual works to make one big picture.

Film productions – In film productions Art Directors work hand in hand with producers to be able to produce the best visuals. As an art director, you may need to help in setting up the set and sometimes supervise in the wardrobe and makeup department.

Skills You Need to Become an Art Director

Art Directors will always be needed to oversee the work of photographers, graphic designers, illustrators and everyone else involved in the art project. To be able to execute their job perfectly, an art director will need to possess certain skills such as:

Leadership skills

Because they will be leading and directing other creatives, art directors need to be able to know how to lead effectively. You can pick up this skill from the work experience you will gain as you work your way up.

Time-management skills

Art Directors often work under strict deadlines and oversee multiple projects at a time. So the ability to manage your time well is critical. You also need to be able to delegate and prioritise which project comes first. This is a skill you can pick up from studying via distance learning institute such as Skills Academy.

Creativity

This is an artistic role. Directing how all those image layouts are set will require a knack for a creative eye. You need to be able to see the beauty before it is even completed in order to create the best work.

Communication skills

Communication is crucial here. You need to be able to communicate in a way that is quickly and easily understandable. You also need to be able to grasp and understand what is being communicated with you by clients and your coworkers.

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Author: Ncebakazi Stoto
Last Updated: August 21, 2020