

The Scenic Designer may design any projections or special background visuals called for by the scenic design or may collaborate with a Projection Designer for this aspect of the production. They create drafting and working drawings, with details and specifications of colors, textures, finishes and furnishings that are necessary for the carpenters to build the sets, for the scenic artists to paint and finish the sets, and for the props master to dress the sets. The Scenic Designer does research as needed to create sketches, renderings and/or a model for presentation. In Live Performance, Scenic Designers read and analyze a script that might be available for a project, have discussions with the director and producer about concepts, production timeline and budget (including how much time has been budgeted for an Associate and/or Assistant Designers who are involved in all steps of the process) and then design the set(s) required for the production. That being the case, Scenic Design members perform a variety of jobs, depending on the type of project. Members of the Scenic Design category work on projects in the areas of both Live Performance – theatre, opera, ballet, concerts, industrial shows, exhibits – and Recorded Media – film, television, web streaming, cable. They create the surface of the production in texture, color, and artistry. But it is the scenic artist that has the talent and skills to take a designers rendering and recreate it in giant proportions, to turn a piece of plywood into beautiful marble, to make you believe a flat object is three dimensional.

Scenic art work is not as glamorous as some other jobs in the entertainment industry and a scenic is often covered in dust and paint. A scenic will often work standing for long periods of time, and of course they work overhead using rollers and other tools. A scenic must be able to carry five gallons of paint, joint compound and other materials. This may involve spackling and sanding plaster/joint compound and troweling with heavy compounds to texture walls, often while working on a scaffold, ladder, crane or genie. Besides painting sets a scenic artist is involved with the prep work prior to painting. Scenic artist jobs are physically demanding and often, especially in motion pictures and commercials, members are asked to work long days that are ten hours or more and often start at 7 am or earlier. USA 829 scenic artists are expected to meet a very high standard in these areas. The ability to match color, create faux finishes and paint Trompe L’oeil are essential skills for a scenic artist.
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The craft of scenic art involves being able to master and execute the following skills: Lay-out, surface decoration, sculpting, mold-making, casting and painting of scenery and properties for all media, plus the execution of models, miniatures, and some graphics.

Scenic Artists work closely with Scenic Designers and Art Directors as well as other IATSE union crafts. Louis, at the Metropolitan and other opera companies, in network television, on commercials and on feature films and episodic television from Delaware to Maine. USA 829 Scenic artists are employed at scenic shops in New York, Chicago and St.
