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Set designer apprenticeships

Creative and media

Set designer apprenticeships - where to start

You can get into this job through

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • working towards this role


    • University

    You can study for a higher national diploma or degree in a relevant subject, like: 

    • fine art
    • interior design 
    • 3D design
    • theatre design 

    Several universities, colleges and drama schools also offer courses in performing arts production or design for film and television. You'll usually need 1 or 2 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma. You'll need 2 to 3 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a degree. 

    College

    You could learn some of the skills you need for this job through a college course like a Level 3 Certificate or Diploma in Production Arts. You'll usually need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent.

    Work

    You could start as a set designer's assistant, art department trainee, prop maker or a runner in film or TV and work your way up.

    Volunteering

    You should find practical experience and build a portfolio of your design work to show to potential employers. You can get relevant experience by getting involved in: 

    • student theatre or film local amateur or community theatre 
    • low-budget independent films 
    A DVD or online portfolio showing sets you've designed for amateur theatre, school plays or films would be useful.


    Set designer apprenticeships - what it takes

    Skills and knowledge

    You'll need: 

    • knowledge of the fine arts 
    • design skills and knowledge 
    • to be thorough and pay attention to detail 
    • the ability to use your initiative
    • the ability to work well with others 
    • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things 
    • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure 
    • excellent verbal communication skills 
    • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

    Set designer apprenticeships - what you'll do

    Day-to-day tasks

    You may: 

    • study scripts and discuss ideas with the director 
    • communicate your ideas to costume, make-up, props and lighting designers 
    • work out problems like lighting and scene changes 
    • research historical, contemporary or futuristic details to get the right look for the production 
    • create effective designs within the available budget
    • sketch design ideas to produce a storyboard 
    • build and photograph scale models
    Working environment
    You could work in a theatre, in an office, on a film set, in a creative studio, from home or at a film studio. Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors some of the time.

    Career path and progression - Set designer apprenticeships

    With experience, you could work on larger and more prestigious film, TV and theatre productions.

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    Considering an Apprenticeship?

    There are lots of benefits to apprenticeships, here are our top 5:

    • Paid Training
      Not only will your organisation (or the Government) pay for all of your training, but you’ll be paid to do it. That means you could actually get paid to get your degree and have no debt!
    • Range of career opportunities
      There are over 625 different apprenticeships to choose from, in a range of industries. Whether you’re interested in law, marketing, construction or engineering, you’ll find something up your street!
    • Earn & learn
      As an apprentice, the minimum you’ll earn is £6.20 an hour, but we’ve seen apprentices earn a starting salary of up to £30,000 a year! You could also get other employee benefits like gym memberships, paid holiday and sick pay.
    • Great career prospects
      Employers think apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications. In fact, many large employers train their graduates and apprentices together!
    • Learn on the job
      There’s only so much you can learn when you just do a qualification. As an apprentice, you’ll also get to learn on the job - whether that’s designing amazing graphics, chopping vegetables or building engines!

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