Will “Set Designer” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Job Description

Design special exhibits and movie, television, and theater sets. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.

Job Details

• The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 27-1027.00
• The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 57,600.00
• The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 27.00
• Currently, there are 12,060 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Set and Exhibit Designers”.

Also Known As…

• Set and Exhibit Designers
• Show Design Supervisor
• Set Designer
• Set Decorator
• Scenic Designer
• Production Designer
• Exhibit Preparator
• Exhibit Designer
• Display Coordinator
• Designer
• Design Chief
• Theater Set Production Designer
• Stage Set Designer
• Scenic Arts Supervisor
• Room Designer
• Presentation Specialist
• Museum Exhibit Designer
• Miniature Set Designer
• Food Stylist
• Exhibit Specialist
• Event Designer
• Event Decorator and Designer
• Display Designer
• Design Supervisor
• Art Director
• Art Coordinator

Tasks for “Set Designer”

• Confer with clients and staff in order to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, and/or promotion requirements.
• Estimate set- or exhibit-related costs including materials, construction, and rental of props or locations.
• Coordinate the removal of sets, props, and exhibits after productions or events are complete.
• Examine objects to be included in exhibits in order to plan where and how to display them.
• Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions.
• Provide supportive materials for exhibits and displays, such as press kits and advertising, posters, brochures, catalogues, and invitations and publicity notices.
• Acquire, or arrange for acquisition of, specimens or graphics required to complete exhibits.
• Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information as necessary.
• Coordinate the transportation of sets that are built off-site, and coordinate their setup at the site of use.
• Read scripts in order to determine location, set, and design requirements.
• Incorporate security systems into exhibit layouts.
• Design and produce displays and materials that can be used to decorate windows, interior displays, or event locations such as streets and fairgrounds.
• Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
• Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects and/or lighting.
• Plan for location-specific issues such as space limitations, traffic flow patterns, and safety concerns.
• Select and purchase lumber and hardware necessary for set construction.
• Assign staff to complete design ideas and prepare sketches, illustrations, and detailed drawings of sets, or graphics and animation.
• Direct and coordinate construction, erection, or decoration activities in order to ensure that sets or exhibits meet design, budget, and schedule requirements.
• Observe sets during rehearsals in order to ensure that set elements do not interfere with performance aspects such as cast movement and camera angles.
• Arrange for outside contractors to construct exhibit structures.
• Design and build scale models of set designs, or miniature sets used in filming backgrounds or special effects.
• Confer with conservators in order to determine how to handle an exhibit's environmental aspects, such as lighting, temperature, and humidity, so that objects will be protected and exhibits will be enhanced.
• Inspect installed exhibits for conformance to specifications, and satisfactory operation of special effects components.
• Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit layouts.
• Select set props such as furniture, pictures, lamps, and rugs.
• Develop set designs based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
• Attend rehearsals and production meetings in order to obtain and share information related to sets.

Related Technology & Tools

• Synthetic web slings
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• Handsaws
• All-purpose scissors
• Sound mixing boards
• Digital still cameras
• Laptop computers
• Paint application rollers
• Claw hammers
• Furniture staplers
• Personal computers
• Airbrush paint applicators
• Tablet computers
• Pneumatic nail guns
• Portable air compressors
• Rotary saws
• General purpose paintbrushes
• Portable stepladders
• Sewing machines
• Electric arc welding equipment

• Nemetschek Vectorworks Spotlight
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Figure 53 QLab
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
• Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
• McNeel Rhino software
• Google SketchUp
• Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
• Autodesk Maya
• Act-3D Quest3D
• Autodesk 3ds Max
• Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Systems Adobe Director