The Art of Overthinking Everything

DECEMBER 23, 2024

RYAN GREAVES
ART DIRECTOR

As an art director, being on set is where all your skills come together. It’s a chance to obsess over the details, collaborate with talented creatives, and nerd out over angles, composition, propping, color, and light. Everything that feels effortless in the final asset is the result of sweaty moments and creative problem solving along the way.

By the time you’re on set, the creative vision should (hopefully!) be locked in, leaving room to experiment within the core concept. On the day of the shoot, you grab a coffee, meet new creative collaborators—or catch up with trusted friends—and dive into focused time to create something beautiful. Not every shoot goes perfectly, and a thousand things may try to hold you back, but a few key skills can help you stay focused and move toward a successful wrap.

PLAN AHEAD

An organized and detailed production deck is your grounding document. A solid, client-approved deck answers 90% of questions—covering the schedule, shot list, creative vision, and more. This allows you to focus on dynamics and unforeseen elements on set. The more detailed and visually accurate the deck, the better. While every production is different, make it as comprehensive as time and budget allow.

LEAD THE TEAM

Trust your team and your vision. You’ve chosen the right partners—trust them to bring their best while matching their energy. Be excited, collaborate to refine the work until it feels right, and make bold moves when needed. Think through possibilities ahead of time because you’re the person with the answers. When challenges arise, collaborate with the team to keep moving forward. Positivity not only makes the job more productive, but it makes it more fun, too.

TIME IS FINITE

There IS a budget, and there are ONLY so many hours in a day. If you’ve visualized the production in advance, you’ve likely built in time for the unknown—new materials, techniques, or unexpected delays. While certain shots may take longer than planned, there’s usually a way to make up time or cut unnecessary elements to stay on target. Keep the energy up and make quick decisions about what’s working and what’s not.

SPACE & COMMUNICATION

Check in regularly, but also give space for the work to happen. Once the team is aligned on the shot, allow time to execute, check the schedule, review progress, and ask questions. Communication, as with most things, is the key to success.

Big thanks to all the creative directors, project managers, set stylists, make-up artists, assistants, photographers, location scouts, talent, grips, videographers, and every title you can think of that has been involved in work with me on set. I wasn’t always this wise and picked these thoughts up on my way.