of set designer on Planet of the Apes. Although Chernawsky worked pri-
marily with set decorator Rosemary Brandenburg, detailing items of the
spaceship, he also met production designer Rick Heinrichs and had an
opportunity to work closely with him.
Chernawsky worked as the
set designer on another James
Cameron IMAX project titled
Ghosts of the Abyss, and picked
up some work as an illustrator
on Company Man. He next
worked as the production
designer for the television
movie 100 Days in the Jungle,
shot in Central America. There he had to hire a local crew to realize his
vision for the film, which wrapped just before Christmas 2001. He had
only been back in the States a few weeks when he was hired to design the
set of The Hulk, another film with production designer Rick Heinrichs.
Job Overview
Working under the direction of the production designer and/or art
director, the art department coordinator manages the department office.
The coordinator is responsible for tracking the department's budget;
negotiating usage and obtaining legal clearances for products and
artwork appearing on screen; researching products, periods, and other
information; ordering samples and other materials; and dispersing infor-
mation for the production designer and art director.
Special Skills
A production coordinator must be detail oriented, able to multi-task,
have excellent verbal and written communication skills, be a people
person, have the ability to negotiate, and be a problem solver.
Advice for Someone Seeking This Job
Most production coordinators begin their career as production
assistants, whether specifically assigned to the art department or not,
and work their way up. "When you start out as a PA, the best advice
I could give is: Move your ass!" says coordinator Laura DeRosa. "When
JOB TITLE: ART DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR
"Don't be afraid
to fail. Face up to your
failure and learn from
it."--Todd Chernawsky
CAREER TIPS
User Comments Add a comment…