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Film Set Design Education and Training

Prepare for a dream career with the right film set design education and training

By Nikki Wheeler
Working in production set design is a dream career for many. A movie set design career is exciting and dynamic, working on new and completely different projects all the time. A film set designer has the potential to work with famous film producers and directors, travel around the world and earn a high salary.

Film set design requires the perfect blend of skills. A designer must be creative and artistic, yet technical and analytical. To increase the odds of making it in this highly competitive industry, a potential movie set designer must hone the skills needed by getting film set design education and training in one of the following ways:

1. Learn about film set designing in a traditional school setting.

2. Get much needed experience in movie production design to learn practical application of the skills learned in school.

3. Develop a well-rounded skill set by learning all aspects of movie set design to stay competitive in the industry.

 

Get the most complete set designer information with a degree

While there are no specific film set design degrees, most film set designers get their education by starting in a theatre program. Getting a Bachelor of Arts in theatre production set design will provide an education in all aspects of set design, including construction, design concepts, drafting, hands-on experience and much more.
Try: The Art Institutes International has a Bachelor's degree program in set and exhibit design. The UMBC Department of Theatre and Illinois State University both have exceptional degree programs in set design.

Shape your education perfectly for film set design

Customize your education for a career in movie or TV set design by adding a short-term film program to a Bachelor's degree in set design. This will give you an education specific to the film production industry, and when supplementing a four-year degree in set design, you will be perfectly trained for a successful career with movie set designs.
Try: The International Academy of Film and Television offers diploma, certificate and short-term workshops in film making. The New York Film Academy offers an intensive one-year film program.

Learn essential movie set design software

Training and education in the most widely-used, computer-aided drafting programs will set you above the rest and prepare you for entry-level drafting positions with film set design companies, especially since many college programs concentrate heavily on hand drafting.
Try: Familiarize yourself with AutoCAD, the most widely used program, with the tutorials available on Autodesk. Take online courses from The CAD Institute for training in various levels of AutoCAD or 3D Studio VIZ.

 

  • Further develop skills as a well-rounded film set designer by having an understanding of art, art history, history, architecture and interior design.

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