Production Design and Art Direction from Bruce Hill
THE ART DEPARTMENT
Above is a chart showing all the main people involved in making a commercial. There are many different areas even within the art department of interesting and valuable work. All of the trades are highly skilled but many areas take on trainees and assistants, which is where most start. Initial rates of pay are low but improve once experience is gained.
Some good opportunities of gaining experience exist on the many short films being shot throughout the world where the majority of crew work for expenses only and these can be found on numerous websites like www.mandy.com .
These films are often quite successful and are great for building up your experience. A good (and full) cv, together with a car, are all that's required to get on the paying jobs. Beware though as there are always more experienced crews than there are jobs available.