Location: Index >> Special Features

By: Skan

Introduction

Because the industry we work in is not about sitting in a cubicle from 9 to 5, nor walking around all day in a suit and tie, many people are unfamiliar with what entertainment / concept designers do for a living. We are really just a subdivision of design that focuses on projects within the entertainment industry, much like how Industrial Designers focus on products. Unknown to most people, the entertainment / concept designer's work is actually seen by many different people from all across the globe. In this article, I'll attempt to briefly explain this career and how it fits into the industry.

Entertainment / Concept Design

So what exactly is it that we do? Well, entertainment / concept designers are essentially visual problem solvers. We use our drawings to communicate a solution for entertainment projects. Just like advertising, in our Industry, there is a stage known as "pre-production". This is where projects go into its infant planning stages and have to be pitched and approved before they reach the consumer. I’ll elaborate more on pre-production in the next section.

Shown above is a simple diagram to illustrate the relationship between production and pre-production. I have used a simplified movie production pipeline to help me with this explanation. When projects go into planning stages, the project will need a director at the helm, writers to create a plot, and of course, the entertainment / concept designer to conceptualize what everything looks like. With all that solved, the project can now start production. Production will take what is decided in pre-production and develop the product in the given direction.

Pre-production is actually a very important phase in any project. Over here, a lot of planning is done prior to anything being made. Because what is decided at this stage goes on to influence the entire pipeline in later stages, there is a very strong emphasis on getting it done right. During this time, the project will demand visual solutions. Things like :"what does this look like?" and "How will that work on screen?" or "where does this scene take place in?". That is where we step in. We conceptualize a solution for these visual problems. We provide the project with various possibilities so that they can easily go into production.

Also it doesn’t have to always be movies, games or animation. In the example below, you can see how commercial entities like Svedka, makers of alcoholic drinks, also use design and pre-production to help promote their products.

In the pictures above, you can see how from the designer’s solution, the entire production falls into place. The 3D mock-ups are done, then it goes to the workshop to be fabricated and then assembled for the final promotional piece. Can you imagine if the initial design was not done well? The rest of production would be chaotic without proper direction.

Scope and Field of Work

So where can an entertainment designer find work in? Well, the nature of our job demands that we be able to design for a wide range. Although the bulk of our work comes from Games and Movies, just like the previous example, we are also expected to be able to design for toys, commercials, theme parks and anything else that will go into production. That is why the subject matter and the style usually does not matter. Because we are trained to tackle projects from all angles, it is not uncommon to see entertainment designers branch out beyond their normal field. Below are a few examples of the various fields we are able to work in. You can click on each thumbnail for more information about each project.

This is just a portion of where an entertainment / concept designer can ply his trade at. These days, you can see design everywhere. If you can make the connection, any product you see, hold or use, is likely to have passed through the entire pre-production to production phases. So it is no different in the entertainment world. Whatever exists will need to be designed.

Art & Design

At this point, I feel it is important for me to just briefly explain the difference between art and design. In this context, we are just interested in how they are applied to the industry, and not in the discussion to determine which is superior. While many people may tend to see it as the same thing, in our industry, there is actually a distinction between the two.

The value of art, lies in the actual artwork itself. The art piece is directly involved in the transaction with the consumer. But for design, the value lies not in the design drawing, but in the final product; Be it a movie, game, toy, etc..
The design drawing actually never reaches the consumer. And people only get to see it in those "behind the scenes" books. As designers, we are focused on solving how things work, both in aesthetics and function.

In design, there is much less room for self expression. While both sides do use the same elements to visually communicate to their audience, their purpose and how each applies itself to the industry is actually very different.

Closing

So that was an short write-up about what an Entertainment / Concept designer’s job is about. Hopefully I have been able to explain a bit more about actually what this industry encompasses and the role we play in it. For me, I don’t think there is better industry to be in. I grew up playing games, reading comic books and watching movies. It gives me great joy and satisfaction to be able to do this for a living and share it you everybody here.