ART DIRECTION

Art directors are dreamers. They live in a fantasy world. To be honest an art director is a weirdo. As a kid, probably drew cartoons of his teachers; painted Halo characters on the family minvan. An art director is nothing but a wild imagination going wild and getting paid for it. They dream up the concepts and visuals for any medium from web sites, social networking, banners, magazine and tv ads, video games, posters, billboards, catalogs, mobile ads and apps to full length movies.

Here’s how it works: first, as an art director, you get together with a copywriter, and sometimes a digital designer, an account or new media planner and brainstorm until ideas emerge. Once the idea is approved internally in the agency, the concept is shown to the client. If the client “buys” the concept, then the concept is produced. During the production process you call in a photographer or film crew to shoot the concept. Or you use an illustrator instead. Or a broadcast producer, or perhaps a digital production artist. Maybe your concept is selected to win a Clio or Addy. You get rich; you buy a Harley or a bio-fuel Smart Car with a 20 inch video monitor. You become a famous art director. No more suit and tie; you’re super cool in jeans and a tee shirt with a japanese graphic. 

Then before you know it, you're a creative director. If you're a guy, you trade the tee shirt for a knee length Indian kurta and cowboy boots. If you're a girl, all black leather is perfect.  Either way you'll finally get a big paycheck.  And be the one to go to Cannes to pick up your Lions.