How To Find The Artists On A Film or TV Show

If you've ever admired a film you have artists to thank for it. They help create the visuals and action for every scene. Nathan Schroeder told me nothing appears onscreen with someone designing it.

One thing I noticed working on this site is its not easy to find exactly who worked on a film.
Some sites will publish concept art or storyboards without giving credit. This is mainly because the publicity department doesn't give it out. Its not their fault. Sometimes they don't know. Other times, if the film is in preproduction, they can't release the names due to an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).

Here's how to find the artists on a film you like.

First, go to IMDb. I still think it needs a lot of improvement, but its the best we've got.

Head to the "Full cast" section and look for the art department. In that section, I look for several things but here's how to decipher the concept artists. There are lots of titles for a concept artist. Look for terms like Illustrator, Conceptual Designer or Creature Designer. Sometimes they end up in a higher level like Art Direction. Storyboard artists are generally credited as storyboard artist. So, that's pretty easy.

Once you find the name, or names, head to their IMDb page and see if they have an "official site". Most don't. If its not there, hit up Google with the name. Sometimes you have to add the term "concept" "illustrator" or "storyboard" if its a commoon name. Usually the IMDb page will come up first. If the artist gets good press, then their page will come up near the top. Otherwise the hunt is on. From here it gets a lot trickier.

Sometimes artists will do an interview and the site will add a link. Other times artists will share links of other artists on their site.

One resource that I found helpful is ADG.org (Art Director's Guild). Go to the member directory and search for their name. This one is tricky because not everyone is a member and the portfolios are smaller.

But, the reality is not all artists have portfolios or websites online. Running a site is tricky and they either don't have time or thnk its important.

The last resource I'll recommend is the one featured on my site called "Artist Links". I maintain a spreadsheet of all the artists I find and contact and this is an export of the list. I update it once or twice a month.

So there you have it. If you have a favorite sci-fi or comic book movie find the artists who created them!

Have you tried to find an artist website? Do you have a favorite?

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Write by: Arek - Wednesday, August 22, 2012