Why you should want a Computer Specialist
Set Designer in your Art Department
The simple answer is that while the Computer Specialist Set Designer rate is higher than the Senior rate, a Computer Specialist can work more efficiently and thereby, save you money. Depending on the project, time savings can be considerable. Since Seniors often receive more than the Senior rate, this really becomes a non issue.
I've heard it said that people think computer drawings are final and locked in. Actually, the truth is that pencil draftings, marker renderings, and cardboard models are locked in. It is much easier to edit a computer drawing, model, or rendering or generate any number of alternative ideas.
Most Art Departments have gone digital for graphics, budgeting, Internet. Leaving out CAD is like driving a 2001 car with a 1980 engine. Digitizing the drawings will bring the full power of the computer into play.
When should you use a Computer Specialist Set Designer?
The short answer is any time you think you might make a change, draw something more than once, draw something symmetrical, make signs and graphics, transmit electronically, use automated manufacturing, or doing previsualization or walk-throughs. In other words, almost any time.
How to make efficient use of a Computer Specialist Set Designer
The most efficient use of a computer specialist is to involve him/her in the entire process, beginning to end, using the computer for all the steps of the design process. Some examples:
A recent project, I used the computer exclusively: design, computer models, computer renderings, working drawings, even walk-throughs. I saved many hours of work.
Another project was done entirely by hand. I drew some sets over and over on different sheets, different scales, with many changes. I could have done this in half the time had it been entirely on the computer.
The project before, the Art Director surveyed the locations and drafted them by hand. Then had me redraw them on the computer, using his hand draftings as my data. Not only did this involve drawing each of the locations twice, but lost the accuracy of the computer by using less accurate hand draftings as data - "GIGO" (garbage in - garbage out). Had I done the survey and drawn each location once on the computer, It would have saved time and been more accurate.
I recently interviewed for a job to make a computer model. Drawings and a cardboard model were already started. I asked what they wanted from the computer model that they couldn't get from the cardboard model and the Art Director wasn't sure. Had I done the drawings on the computer and extrapolated these into a computer model, significant time savings would have resulted. As it was, I would have simply been duplicating work already done and saved little.
Imagine this example formula:
Draw once by hand (10 hours) + redraw/trace with changes (8 hours) + redraw/trace with changes (8 hours) = 26 hours.
Draw once by hand (10 hours) + redraw on the computer (12 hours) + make changes (1 hour) + make changes (1 hour) = 24 hours; save little.
Draw once on the computer (12 hours) + make changes (1 hour) + make changes (1 hour) = 14 hours; save almost half.
How you can benefit by employing a Computer Specialist Set Designer
Reuse data.
Changes are faster.
Computer models are more versatile.
Make signs and graphics.
Previsualization.
Computer controlled manufacturing.
More accurate.
Cleaner.
Backups and archiving.
Digital data can be transmitted electronically or faxed.
Why Not to Hire a Computer Specialist.
Reuse data.
Digital data can be reused in a number of different ways.
Plan and elevation of Mexican village set. Once the 1/4" scale plan and
elevation were finished, the details were also almost finished. Any of the data here can now
be reused for other drawings, the computer model, to illustrate text reports, and
even graphics for web pages. Because it is digital data, there is little or no loss
when changing scale or converting. A CAD program such as AutoCAD © is as
accurate as the user's input, in my case, very accurate. AutoCAD ©.
This 3/4" Detail is simply a copy of the 1/4" scale drawing, plotted in a different
scale. All that was needed was to add the text and dimensions which differed from the
1/4" scale drawings.
There are many advantages to using the computer in Visual Effects to preprogram the motion control, build the right amount of a model, to give a head start to CGI models. We used this method on Batman and Robin and Shrek.
