Study Online w/ Leaders in Film at the Academy of Art. Free Info.
www.academyartonline.com
Creative and Effective Designs. Build your brand and create sales.
www.renardadv.com/
Multimedia Furniture - Tape Storage Modular Racks - Command Consoles
www.winsted.com
Rental & custom sets, show systems. 1000's of solutions to choose from
www.ConceptDesignInc.com
Acoustics, Design & Integration services for the discerning client
kaufmanandassociates.net
The design studio for Todd Cherniawsky, IDSA, that is a multi-faceted company specializing in production design, art direction, set design, graphics, and pre-visualization services for the feature film and television commercial industries.
www.asylumdesignworks.com
New Jersey based multi-service television design firm. Along with set design, Blair offers fabrication, installation supervision, design and space planning for newsrooms and studio facilities.
www.blairbroadcastdesigns.com
Company offers virtual set and scenic design through visualization technology. Pre-visualization allows design flaws to be discovered and changed long before the set is actually built, which saves substantial amounts of time and money. This met...
www.virtualsets.com
Guide to Studio and Set Design
How to freelance your talent in television studio set design
A creative career is one that has unlimited potential for success but also has a high rate of failure. Not only does a professional need talent in what he does, he also needs to be inventive, resourceful and able to market himself well in order to succeed.
Before you begin your career as a freelance studio and set designer, you should
- Get formal training in studio and set design at a college or university
- Put yourself in a television studio as an intern
- Get experience in construction and building
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Become adept at using Vector Works and AutoCAD
Drafts are so important because they give all the vital information to the crew constructing the set. Clear, concise and professional drafts are especially essential when dealing with highly technical details in a studio or set design.
I recommend:
Invest in VectorWorks and AutoCAD. Either is helpful, but learning both is beneficial.
Do digital renderings for studio and set design
The ability to sketch and paint traditional renderings is a neccesity. Digital renderings are a vital tool in communicating your ideas and including all of the essential technical tools that a television studio set requires such as microphones and cameras.
I recommend:
Use Adobe InDesign or Illustrator CS3.
Create an electronic portfolio of studio set designs
A professional portfolio is as important to a set or studio designer as a resume. Every designer should also have a hard copy portfolio, but an electronic portfolio provides the opportunity to distribute samples of your work easily and at a very little cost.
I recommend:
Try the Digital Portfolios Made Easy system, which is ideal for those who are technologically-challenged, or Mahara which is available for download online.
Put your TV studio designs into a flipbook
This is simply another way to creatively market your talents. Put your designs into a small book that is relatively low-cost to produce in case you need to give one to a potential client. This book should be small, easy to flip through and coffee-table style.
I recommend:
Use Mimeo to create a very professional, well put together book highlighting your design talents in a colorfully printed and bound format. A cheaper option is creating your book with InDesign and printing it at Kinkos.
Provide other related services in addition to studio and set design
Include light rigging and design or sound rigging. Both of these are highly specialized areas, and it could serve a television studio well to not have to find two or three professionals when one freelancer can do the job. Many universities offer training in both.
I recommend:
Find the best audio equipment at ZZ Sounds. Get the best lighting equipment from Helix Camera and Video.
Have a strong online presence
In our fast-paced world, people often don't like to invest a lot of time in researching those they hire. Many base their opinions of success totally on your online presence. If you cannot afford to create and maintain a professional website, then at least put your name out there in as many places for as low cost as possible, and be sure to link each profile with the next.
I recommend:
Set up accounts at places like Guru and Elance.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide- Network fiercely. Networking is always important in any career, but is especially so in a highly specialized and competitive career like television studio design.
- Get as much set design experience as possible. Design marketing booths for malls, sets for small and local tv studios and even displays.
- Try getting jobs with small studios in smaller areas. Smaller cities do not have the competition that the major cities have.
