Art Director (Film, Television or Stage) plans, organises and controls artistic aspects of film, television or stage productions.
Occupation description
Art Director (Film, Television or Stage) plans, organises and controls artistic aspects of film, television or stage productions.
Occupations considered suitable under this ANZSCO code:
- Production Designer
Art Director (Film, Television or Stage) is a VETASSESS Group B occupation
This occupation requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher.
Applicants must have fulfilled at least one of the following four criteria (1–4):
Description of Pathways
The information below describes the available pathways for a Skills Assessment under Group B. Please note that in order to achieve a successful Skills Assessment Outcome, a positive assessment for both qualifications and employment is required.
Pathway 1
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree and in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree.
In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Pathway 2
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree and in a field not highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree.
An additional qualification in a highly relevant field of study at a minimum AQF Diploma level is required. Additional qualifications in a highly relevant field of study include those comparable to the AQF Diploma or AQF Advanced Diploma or AQF Associate Degree or AQF Graduate Diploma.
In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least two years of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
For example, an applicant for the occupation Quality Assurance Manager completed a non-relevant AQF Bachelor qualification in April 2024 and later completed an AQF Diploma in Quality Management in May 2026. The applicant commenced employment with the organisation in May 2024 and remains employed there.
Under Pathway 2, the applicant satisfies the minimum educational requirement for a Group B occupation through the AQF Bachelor qualification. Accordingly, employment is counted from the completion date of the Bachelor qualification, meaning employment from May 2024 onwards may be considered toward both the required Qualifying Period (QP) and any remaining eligible period for the points test.
As the later Diploma qualification is highly relevant to the occupation, the applicant may access the reduced employment requirement applicable under Pathway 2. In this case, only two years of QP are required, and that employment may be counted from the post-Bachelor period rather than from the Diploma qualification completion date.
Pathway 3
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree and in a field not highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree.
In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least three years of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Pathway 4
This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree with or without a highly relevant major field of study to the nominated occupation.
Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree.
In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:
- at least six years of employment at an appropriate skill level that includes at least one year of highly relevant employment within the last five years before applying,
- working 20 hours or more per week, and
- highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Qualification & Employment Criteria
Qualification
Dramatic Arts (Design) or Production Development is a field of study which provides training in the design and technical skills for the visual elements of a production for theatre, opera, music, dance, film and video, television, multi-media or events.
This occupation requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree and in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation.
Employment Criteria
Highly relevant tasks include, but are not limited to:
- Studies scripts or scenarios to determine theme and setting
- Assesses staging requirements for productions in association with specialist designers
- Selects or approves costumes, furnishings, lighting, props and artefacts
- Confers with directors, producers and other management over design detail
- Supervises and coordinates the activities of staff involved in wardrobe, makeup, lighting and property
- Directs placement of items on set
- May prepare sketches, scale drawings or models of sets and scenes
- Oversees creative aspects of film, television, radio or stage productions
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