Will “Stage 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
• 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 “Stage Set Designer”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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