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The allure of appearing on television or in a motion picture is a dream not exclusively limited to the acting profession. From the perspective of a visual artist and/or art gallery, having their fine art appear as set decor in a film production can evolve into a potential exposure outlet to millions of viewers. Very few working artists and galleries primarily because of a general unfamiliarity about the set decoration and film making industries pursue this form of artistic placement and exposure. This unfamiliarity is rooted in misconceptions about such issues as: 1) who is directly responsible for renting or buying artwork for film production sets 2) primary rental and sales outlet sources for artwork 3) standard film industry compensation for use of artwork 4) geographical and time-sensitive considerations for delivering artwork and 5) essential permission clearances and license rights needed by film companies to shoot artwork as background decoration. The principal renters or buyers of film set design artwork are professionals called set decorators. As defined by their own national trade association, the Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA), set decorators are key members of the design team for film, television, commercials, and other filmed media. Once the background sets are built and painted, or a specific location is chosen, the set decorator's job is to bring in the objects and surroundings that "dress the set" or create the ambiance necessary to compliments a screenplay's physical setting. Most television and motion picture productions require multiple sets during the process of filming. Each set may require a specific or unique theme and color design determined jointly by the design team and interpreted into actualization by the decorator.
The very dizzying nature of the film industry and production shooting involves tremendous adaptation and flexibility by decorator professionals that are accustomed to working under strict budgets and time pressure. A set decorator is generally the last individual preparing the physical set before a film shooting company arrives and assumes the ultimate responsibility for its upkeep and readiness. Set Decorators themselves tend to be transient freelance artists hired on a per project basis (often weekly or monthly) unless they are contracted for a specific television series or motion picture production (which may extend for consecutive months or years). Their professional networking skills and reputations serve as their resume and these strengths are elevated by cultivating a solid base of reliable vendor outlets (including artists and art sales outlets). Their primary interaction with the visual art community comes in the form of their shopping responsibilities for specific set decor objects including artwork, furniture, fabric, industry specialty items, lighting fixtures, etc. The most consistent and commonly used source for renting and sometimes purchasing artwork comes through independent and studio Property (Prop) Houses that carry large inventories of decorative accessories. The evident advantages for a set decorator to utilize a prop house are convenience and an expansive inventory selection. Prop houses are in the service business of providing short-term rentals and often convenient door-to-door delivery services. As shoppers, set decorators are generally "hands-on", insistent on seeing items firsthand as they visually integrate rental selections into the overall design context of their project themes. Direct purchases of artwork (as opposed to rentals) may be an option if a particular set will be utilized throughout an entire extended shooting season, but they are rare and not a source of revenue most prop houses anticipate or encourage (since it depletes inventory which must be replaced). Prop houses must carry a significant volume of decor item inventory in order to remain a relevant rental source for decorators. Some develop a reputation for carrying strong time period or style inventories of decor items and evolve into specialists. Set decorators have variable needs depending on the specific production project they are working on and most prefer to make their decor selections from a minimal number of rental outlets. Thus, spree or bulk rentals (called yellow tagging) are not uncommon practices. A prop house may not serve the best interest of a visual artist or gallery since they rarely enter into consignment arrangements, preferring to purchase artwork outright along with the "cleared" permission rights from the creating artist to rent the work to set designers. By signing away these rights, an artist is unlikely to be given a copyright mention during the rolling credits at the conclusion of the film. This lack of official of published recognition may serve as a major disincentive for an artist looking to enhance their creative resume. Utilizing "cleared" artwork is an essential formality all reputable production houses and their legal departments insist upon. Their potential exposure for litigation for artwork filmed without written permission by the creating artist is too financial a risk. A lack of signed documentation or not knowing a creator's identity for a piece of work freezes out many artists from potentially exposing their output on film.
Since future rental income from a particular work of art is the primary buying motivation of a prop house, their ultimate purchase price from an artist will tend to be low. Their typical rental pricing scale is oriented towards price reasonability and short-term use (often for less than 7 days). Thus, an individual painting or sculpture may rent out for an average of between $100-$250 weekly with pricing breaks available for extended periods of usage. Framed photography tends to be priced less (often under $100). In a best case economic scenario, many prop houses hope to average $3000 in rental income over the life span of their ownership of a piece of artwork, so their own investment tends to be significantly less. The use of Giclees is also gaining professional acceptance since digital reproduction work is more reasonable priced and as a filmed backdrop, look as convincing as an original work of art. A second, more artist-friendly resource for placing artwork in film productions may be engineered through Art Consultants specializing in this form of placement. The SDSA maintains a membership roster of both Prop Houses and Art Consultants which they distribute free of charge upon request. The primary value of a film industry specialized art consultant is their network of set decorator contacts and valuable experience in making transactions work to the satisfaction of both parties. They often split the rental fee with the artist and sometimes access a percentage from that fee for marketing, advertising and sales generation expenses. A customary rental fee accessed to the production company can range between 10-20% of the retail-selling price for works under $5000 and negotiated rates for more valuably priced works. Many insider art consultants do not require exclusive representation contracts with artists, but will not represent artists who sell their work directly to prop houses or through other since they are direct competitors. A consultant's clientele base is cultivated through a positive professional reputation, a diverse selection of offered art styles and their ability to deliver works as promised timely and with minimal complications. Most consultants are open to considering new artist's work for representation, but equally adamant that artists respect their expected standards of follow-up performance. Art consultants, like their set designer counterparts have zero tolerance for working with difficult or temperamental artists since their own professional reputation and livelihood are at stake. Art Consultants and an art licensing organization such as Art Resource based in New York City (www.ArtRes.com) provide additional representational services that may result in license fees paid to artists or the estates of artists for the use of their broadcast images. The license fees are typically based on whether a work is a featured showcase or incidentally displayed, the distribution channels of the film production and length of time a license is required for a filming. Use fee structures are also based on whether or not the production company is educationally based, a charitable institution, or low-budget producer. The permission request process which a licensing company employs for approving the use of artwork on film involves the production company: 1) submitting the title of the film or program with a synopsis outline (to determine the suitability of the request) 2) outlining the planned distribution of the film or program (such as public, network, cable television, film festivals, etc.) and 3) elaborating on how if a specific artwork will be directly mentioned in a script. These factors are then considered by the artist (or their estate) and representatives before granting consent for use. If permission is granted in writing to use or reproduce a specific work of art, the production company is legally obligated to provide a copyright credit line for the end credits. A third and often more circuitous route to film art placement can involve direct contact between an artist and/or gallery with individual set directors. Obtaining home addresses and telephone information is frowned upon, however, if a decorator is collaborating with a specific production company, that organization can be an excellent starting point for contact. An excellent reference source for Set Directors and their current projects are published quarterly in the Set Decorators Society trade magazine Set Decor. The website ArtMailingLists.com sells an unlimited use database of 450+ international production company listings for $60 in a Microsoft EXCEL file format. Some set decorators may prove receptive to this form of direct sales contact while others may be more reluctant to vary from their traditional source outlets. Forwarding digital images, website addresses, slides or photographs of your work may be helpful but most likely if you are an unknown supplier; they will need to view your work in person. Tenacity and timing will be the key to success in direct selling or rentals as production schedules are sometimes drawn up weeks before actual shooting dates. An out-of-area artist or gallery must be willing and able to timely ship their work out upon demand and often at their own expense. This may not make financial sense for rentals based on the amount of total income potentially generated. A geographical reality working against many interested artists concerning placements is that the film industry within the United States is located principally in Los Angeles and New York (where nearly all of the prop houses and industry oriented art consultants are based). Regional film shooting opportunities exist but there are significantly. Overseas, most film work is done in large urban centers through production companies often with discreet public visibility (by their own design). Set Decorators remain your principal source of contact at any geographical location. Taking all of the placement complexities into account, having your artwork appear on film may significantly enhance your recognition and credibility. As working artists, we understand the longshot nature of gaining greater exposure for our work. Perhaps our own reach for the stars my find us on a wealthy exposure road less trodden by our peers. For information on Film Industry Prop Houses, Art Consultants and the Set Decorator trade, contact: Set Decorators Society of America Marques Vickers is a fine artist member of the Set Decorators Society of America and his figurative sculpture, paintings and photography can be viewed on his award winning web site www.Marquesv.com. He is the author of "Marketing and Buying Fine Art Online: A Right-Brained Guide to a Left-Brained Industry. |
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