Set and Exhibit Designers
Design special exhibits and sets for film, video, television, and theater productions. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.
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Annual Salary
$66,280/ year
Median wage · BLS🇺🇸 USA
What You'll Actually Do
The core tasks and responsibilities that fill a typical day.
- Examine objects to be included in exhibits to plan where and how to display them.
- Acquire, or arrange for acquisition of, specimens or graphics required to complete exhibits.
- Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
- Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements.
- Estimate set- or exhibit-related costs, including materials, construction, and rental of props or locations.
- Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
- Inspect installed exhibits for conformance to specifications and satisfactory operation of special-effects components.
- Plan for location-specific issues, such as space limitations, traffic flow patterns, and safety concerns.
- Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions.
- Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting.
- Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit layouts.
- Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary.
- Design and produce displays and materials that can be used to decorate windows, interior displays, or event locations, such as streets and fairgrounds.
- Select set props, such as furniture, pictures, lamps, and rugs.
- Assign staff to complete design ideas and prepare sketches, illustrations, and detailed drawings of sets, or graphics and animation.
- Observe sets during rehearsals in order to ensure that set elements do not interfere with performance aspects such as cast movement and camera angles.
- Design and build scale models of set designs, or miniature sets used in filming backgrounds or special effects.
- Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements.
- Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets.