Career Overlap Occupation record
RecordJob

Where a production designer can go next

5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a production designer already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.

Production designers are responsible for the complete look (style, colouring and locations) of television programmes, series, motion pictures and commercials. They create the visual concept for the entire production such as set design, lighting, costumes and camera angles. Production designers work together with the director, designers and oversee the art department. They also create sketches, drawings, do colouring and location research and advise props and stage settings to the director.

Also known as production design manager, film production designer, art department lead, art department manager, TV production designer, television production designer, art department supervisor, animation production designer.

Professionals 38 skills on file 5 career moves 0 above 60% overlap Closest: location manager, 41%

Fig. 2 · Career map 5 nearest · ESCO v1.2.1
location manager 41% covered stand-in 35% covered director of photography 31% covered script supervisor 31% covered video and motion picture dire… 30% covered production designer You are here
  • 70% and above · short step
  • 50 to 70% · real move
  • Below 50% · substantial retraining
The 5 nearest destinations from production designer, each one a link to that move’s record. Distance from the centre is how much retraining the move takes; the figure on each is how much of that role a production designer already covers. All 5 are listed in the tables below.
Table 1

Table 1 · A bigger jump

Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.

Table 2

Table 2 · What the job itself asks for

A production designer needs 16 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.

Required skill Area
  • supervise costume workers management skills
  • create production schedules management skills
  • provide input to collaborators to guide their work communication, collaboration and creativity
  • develop the look of a production communication, collaboration and creativity
  • analyse logistic needs information skills
  • conduct research on trends in design information skills
  • adapt designers’ work to the performance venue communication, collaboration and creativity
  • develop design concept communication, collaboration and creativity
  • consult with production director communication, collaboration and creativity
  • film production process arts and humanities
Table 3

Table 3 · Jobs that lead here

The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a production designer does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.

Index

Look up another occupation

Production designer is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.

Note

How these figures were compiled

Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a production designer’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.