Every detail you see on screen helps tell the story. The places characters live, the clothes they wear and the objects around them all need to look and feel right for the world of production.

Designing and building that world takes artists, designers, makers, and builders. Some develop the overall look, while others draw, construct, paint, source, sew, style and create the individual elements that bring it to life.

Does this sound like you?

You might feel at home here if you enjoy making things, working with colour, texture and detail, solving practical and creative problems, and turning ideas or designs into things people can actually see, wear or use.

Love

• Making and creating
• Art, design and visual storytelling
• Working with your hands
• Clothes, objects and spaces
• Seeing ideas become real

Strengths

• Creativity
• Practical problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Visual thinking
• Making and craft skills

What kind of job would suit me?

Creating the physical world of a screen production takes many different creative and practical skills. Here are just some of the roles involved. Which of these could you picture yourself doing?

Design the world of the production

• Production Designer: leads the design of the production’s visual world, working with the director to shape the look of sets, locations and other elements that help tell the story
• Art Director: helps turn the production designer’s vision into reality, coordinating the art department and overseeing the practical work needed to create it
• Set Decorator: chooses and arranges the furniture, furnishings and decorative details that make sets and locations feel like believable spaces

Build and finish the sets

• Construction Manager: plans and oversees the construction of sets, coordinating the people, materials, budget and practical work needed to build them
• Set Builder: builds and assembles sets and other structures needed for filming
• Carpenter: makes and installs timber structures, fittings and other constructed elements for sets

Find and make the props

• Props Master: oversees the props needed for a production, making sure the right objects are sourced, made, and prepared ready for filming
• Props Buyer: finds and purchases the objects and materials needed for the production
• Props Maker: creates or adapts props that can’t be bought or sourced

Creates the costumes

• Costume Designer: designs the overall look of costumes, using clothing to help communicate character, setting, period and story
• Costume Supervisor: organises the practical delivery of the costume design, coordinating fittings, budgets, schedules and the costume team
• Costume Maker: makes, alters and fits costumes created for performers
• Wardrobe Assistant: helps prepare, organise and maintain costumes and assists performers with wardrobe during filming

Transform the performers

• Hair and Make-up Artist: creates and maintains the hair and make-up looks that performers need for their characters and for continuity between scenes
• Hairstylist: creates and maintains hairstyles, wigs and hairpieces to achieve the look required for each character, period or scene
• Prosthetics Artist: designs, makes and applies prosthetic pieces and make-up effects that transform a performer’s appearance

Support culturally informed production

• Cultural Consultant: provides specialist cultural knowledge and advice to help productions represent people, stories, places and cultural material appropriately and respectfully

Script your learning journey

There are many ways to build the skills and knowledge you’ll need for a career in screen. Some courses offer broad experience across screen and media, while others have a more technical, creative or theoretical focus, and even courses with the same name can offer different experiences depending on where you study. No journey is the same: the best fit will depend on what interests you, how you like to learn and where you’d like your career to take you. Explore the training and education providers below to find the kind of learning that fits you.