Tuesday, August 19, 2008

How to Become an Art Director

If your goal is to become an art director it is important to consider many things. You should have an educational background in art and create a good work experience in the fields also. There are many different fields of art you might consider and many things you will need to do.

If you want to become an Art Director you must begin by thinking as a Director. There are several fields of art you want to think about. These fields include marketing, Internet, theater, film, and television. You should become versed in all of these fields the best that you can. As a director you will be in charge of all of the different fields. You may have a specialty but you will need to know each of these fields very well. You will be in charge of all of these different fields and the people who are managing them. It will be your responsibility to ensure everything is running properly for each department.

You should have a specialty as an Art Director. Specialties can include things like art design, photography, stage craft, graphic design, website design, and more. The most important thing about a specialty is that you will get your foot in the door to a business or a school. You should have one thing that you do best and that you focus on. Even though you are versed in all of these subjects you should be almost an expert at one of these specialties.

When your goal is to become an Art Director you need to be working on your specialty all of the time. You should try and find work in your specialty to become a professional at it. This specialty cannot be a hobby that you do while your employment is in another field. You might make no money at all and be very poor for a long time but eventually it will pay off. It is important to build the work experience in the field of your specialty. As you build the work experience you need to be networking with as many people you possibly can in the same field. This will help you meet people who need your services. This will help you generate revenue and build a name for yourself. Networking is the best thing you can do because people will refer work to you and you will build up a good set of references too.

When you want to be an Art Director you should begin to build a portfolio of your efforts and your best work. If you have work that you don't think is so great you should still include it because someone else may find it fantastic. Include everything in your portfolio and be sure that it is not all the same but unique in their own sense.

When you begin the process of looking for work as an Art Director you should put a list together of the names of people in the industry you know that you can ask for a job. These people should be well established and doing well. Think about the places you aspire to work and if you see yourself working there in the future. You should call these people and ask them for an interview. You can put together a resume but you can also call them and talk on the phone. This is more personal, especially if you already know them. You can bypass the resume process and just talk to them.

It is important to be clear to the people you are interviewing with that your goal is to be the Art Director. Before you go to your interview you might want to practice with a friend answering questions about art and why you are the right candidate for the position. You might not fully be qualified for an Art Director position but you have put the idea in the interviewer's mind that the Director position is where you want to be. This means that they could place you in a position that would eventually advance to the Director.

When you attend the interviews for the Art Director or a step down position you need to be as honest as possible. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You should ask as many questions as possible. Do not walk away wondering anything. Remember to be clear that your ultimate goal is to be the Art Director. Although, you might be interviewing for a photographer position they will know your interest.

The most important thing to remember when you want to be an Art Director is that you are looking for the right place to work. Although you have an interview there is no reason to be nervous. You need to find the job that is right for you. Be sure you want to work for the company you are interviewing with and if you think you would like the people you would be working with. It is very important to take your time in deciding which company is the right choice for you.

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