This film about art direction was produced by members of the Motion Picture Industries in cooperation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It opens with a set having been constructed for the filming of a motion picture (:42). The man in charge of this creation and the focus of this film is the art director (1:10). His first duty will be to analyze the script and craft the appropriate type of background for the film (1:44). Part of this decision-making process will be whether or not to construct and entire building or a partial (2:16). The art director must be intrinsically familiar varying areas of architecture (2:24). Books are pulled from shelves as much of the work is research based (2:45). Many study famous architects from the past including Nicholas Hawkes, Inigo James (2:51), and Christopher Wren (2:57). They also must be familiar with varying eras of architecture such as the Tudor and Jacobean (3:24). Because of their extensive knowledge and creations, many have been accredited with exuding an influence over home design and furnishings (3:44). The example had been filmed 15 years prior to the making of this film and thousands of home owners sent letters for the floor plans of the authentic early American home depicted (3:51). After the architectural design has been formed, the mood of the story comes into play (4:36), and this includes bright lights for upbeat scenes (4:43) and darker tones for a more somber scene (4:48). Although the films were in black and white the color still played an important factor (5:12). The sketch artist is depicted at work and will be under the close watch of the art director (5:15). Prior to the actual set, a miniature built to exact scale model is crafted (5:33). This was helpful for the plans of angles of actual shooting later (5:44). The set décor is being set into place (5:50) and must blend evenly with the architecture. As shooting commences, the art director stands by for consultation with the camera man and director (6:07). The film draws to conclusion as we are reminded the goal of this man’s job was to allow audiences to forget they were simply looking upon a screen (7:16).

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