Also called: Supervising Art Director
Turns the production designer's vision into buildable plans, managing the set construction and art budget.
A film art director reviews blueprints with carpenters, checks paint samples, and makes sure a spaceship cockpit set will be finished by Thursday. They're the bridge between design and construction.
BLS art directors median ~$111k; film-specific pay varies.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Architecture, design, or theater degree.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Architecture, Interior Design, Theater Design.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). BLS projects slow-to-average growth for art directors.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI concept and drafting tools speed plans; managing builds, budgets and crews to bring designs to life stays human.
Classes: Drafting or CAD CTE, Art, Geometry, Theater design.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.