Screen or Live Performance Designer
What the work is
Plans, organises and controls the artistic and visual design of film, television, video or live performance productions.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Works closely with clients and creative teams to guide the visual direction of film, television, video or live performance productions
- Interprets scripts and creates visual guides to reflect character, setting, lighting and story
- Researches and gathers visual references including photographs, sketches and other visual materials to inform artistic direction
- Develops and presents artistic concepts and visual presentations
- Continually assesses the artistic progress of a project and provides direction as necessary
- Oversees the design and creation of sets, costumes, props, lighting, video and other visual elements
- May provide guidance and feedback to Actors and performers regarding their artistic interpretation and portrayal of characters
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a short film shoot at a series of locations around a regional town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A scene comes together after a long day and everyone on set feels it
- A tricky location problem gets solved and the shoot stays on schedule
- You watch the finished film with the whole crew and see your own small decisions on the screen
Hard days
- Rain on the day you had planned for sunshine, with a crew waiting for you to decide
- A creative disagreement between two people you both respect
- A long day that ends with tomorrow's call sheet still not written
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 231437, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.