Production Design Shapes More Than the Look
Estimated read time: 5 - 6 minutes
Production design shapes a story’s look, its world, and the techniques used to create it. As virtual production and VFX have expanded in film and TV, control over those decisions has often shifted towards other teams, or later in the process than it should.
There are many ways to structure a production. For projects using a more traditional filmmaking setup, this article shares a few practical ways to empower the art department with game-engine tools in the design process. - Felix
Roles, Responsibilities, and What “Production Design” Really Includes
What is this job, and where does it start and stop?
A hand-drawn map of the production designer and their collaborators, including physical and virtual.
Production Designers lead the art department and often begin earlier than people realize; sometimes during writing or development, well before green-light. Even when hired later, design decisions are already forming through references, conversations, and feasibility checks.
The role translates a director’s vision into visual metaphors that can be built, shot, and delivered on time and on budget. Production design leads concept design and physical builds, coordinates costumes, hair, makeup, and VAD, and works closely with virtual production and VFX to shape the look of a project.
From early concept through delivery, production design impacts both creative and financial decisions; making it a role that starts early, evolves throughout production, and typically concludes as production wraps, ahead of post.
Planning the World: Techniques That Prevent Expensive Surprises
How do you introduce virtual production and VFX techniques to the art departments, without slowing the project down?
Virtual storyboards review meeting with Directors of Photography.
When applied successfully, these techniques don’t add more work; they help focus energy where it’s most needed. Shots and lighting are quickly laid out through scene block-outs, camera, and lighting, helping clarify scale and coverage before scope locks in. Virtual pre-lights and virtual scouting let teams test ideas and agree as a group, reducing surprises later.
Accounting for coverage helps guide budget, schedule, and asset reuse; keeping decisions intentional and speeding the process up rather than slowing it down.
Physical vs Virtual vs VFX: How Decisions Travel Across Pipelines
When one decision hits three departments, how do you avoid mismatch?
(Image Description: To the left - Unreal Engine Visualization Render, To the right - shoot day BTS shot)
When it comes to construction, production designers often have the first say in what becomes a physical build, virtual production, or VFX; and what each is meant to look like. Yet it’s common for the final film to drift from that original vision, especially once VFX are involved. This isn’t a failure of the art department; more often, it’s because they aren’t given the responsibility, time, or tools to design in formats that are usable for VFX and virtual production, making clear turnovers difficult beyond physical builds.
Early alignment around shared visual targets, using tools like virtual boards, previs, techvis, and virtual scouting; helps physical, virtual, and VFX teams see the same intent. Validating these decisions in pre-production can help make turnovers clearer, reduce surprises, and keep the project better aligned as it moves forward.
Scope, Schedule, and Budget: The “Whether You Plan for It or Not” Part
How does design turn into days, dollars, and risk?
Digital Asset outline for Godforge Game Cinematic
When design decisions affect physical builds, virtual production, and VFX, budget and schedule issues usually don’t come from post-production making the wrong calls. Sometimes, it’s because the art department (or design team) wasn’t given the time or tools to create clear, usable creative turnovers in the first place.
Designing with usability in mind; and using tools like virtual art department workflows, techvis, and virtual scouting; helps production designers carry their vision forward collaboratively, aligning teams early around the same visual intent and execution plan.
