Production designer

What does the role of production designer entail?

Responsible for the overall look of the production. They have to talk to the director about the feel, design, look and atmosphere of the production. Sets and locations have to be found. Costumes and lighting can be discussed with the people on this roles.

During a production, which other members of the production and which other areas of the production does the production designer co-ordinate with?

They co-ordinate with the lighting and costumes teams. It depends on the script, but there is working with the director.

What issues with locations can occur during the production of a TV drama?

Places like The Tower of London and Hampton Court are now huge tourist attractions, so they wouldn't be able to use them as sets for a movie due to the difficulty in having it plainly to themselves without any distractions nearby.

What skills, education and experience is it beneficial for a production designer to have?

Good to have an artistic background to be able to draw and draft. Work experience in production will really help because it is hard to learn the skills of each individual sector such as costumes and understanding conditions needed to film. Work experience would help to find out what area you would like to work in within the industry.

During the production process itself, where are the working locations that a production designer tends to work and how do these relate to the actual filming of the TV drama?

They worked in some national trust properties. They also worked in halls and they had to cover paintings for the filming of the scenes.