The Art Director backdrop - movieMx Review
The Art Director movie poster - The Art Director review and rating on movieMx
19497 minDocumentary

The Art Director

Is The Art Director a Hit or Flop?

FLOP

Is The Art Director worth watching? With a rating of 6/10, this Documentary film is a mixed-bag for fans of the genre. Read on for our detailed analysis and user reviews.

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The Art Director Synopsis

A film's art director is in charge of the set, from conception to construction to furnishing. This short film walks the viewer through art directors' responsibilities and the demands on their talents. They read a script carefully and design a set to capture the time and place, the social strata, and the mood. They must be scholars of the history of architecture, furnishings, and fashion. They choose the colors on a set in anticipation of the lighting and the mood. Their work also sets styles, from Art Deco in the 20's to 30s modernism. Then it's on to the next project. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.

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Top Cast

Dana Andrews
Dana AndrewsSelf (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ronald Colman
Ronald ColmanSelf - from 'Late George Apley' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Joan Fontaine
Joan FontaineSelf / Jane Eyre (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ann Harding
Ann HardingSelf - from unidentified film (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rita Johnson
Rita JohnsonSelf - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Charles Laughton
Charles LaughtonSelf - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)
George Macready
George MacreadySelf - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dorothy McGuire
Dorothy McGuireSelf / Kathy Lacy (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ray Milland
Ray MillandSelf - from 'The Big Clock' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Gregory Peck
Gregory PeckSelf - Philip Schuyler Green (archive footage) (uncredited)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Art Director worth watching?

The Art Director has received mixed reviews with a 6/10 rating. It might be worth watching if you're a fan of Documentary movies.

Is The Art Director hit or flop?

The Art Director has received average ratings (6/10), performing moderately with audiences.

What genre is The Art Director?

The Art Director is a Documentary movie that A film's art director is in charge of the set, from conception to construction to furnishing. This short film walks the viewer through art directors' ...

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Critic Reviews

CinemaSerfJul 15, 2025
★ 6

This is quite an interesting short feature that spotlights the creative skills of the art director. Often creating the scenario from scratch, and equipped with a considerable knowledge of the styles of halcyon days as well as an imagination for what might be yet to come, this person has to create detailed sketches from which extensive and obviously expensive sets are built. It’s an integrated position that sees those with lighting and photography roles playing a complementary part in delivering the raw structure from which the director and the actors work to create the bright and airy or the dark and gloomy. It illustrates many of these talents using archive footage from previous films and even suggests that these designs inspire household furnishings and layouts, too.