TV/Movie Set Designer
Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this
career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare
for and meet your career goals. Visit
ASU's Career and Professional
Development Services
to learn how to develop your career plan.
Potential job titles in this career
Designer,
Display Coordinator,
Exhibit Coordinator,
Exhibit Designer,
Exhibit Preparator,
Historical Society Window Dresser,
Installations Designer,
Projection Designer,
Scenic Designer,
Set Designer
* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.
Develop set designs, based on evaluation of scripts, budgets, research information, and available locations.
Prepare rough drafts and scale working drawings of sets, including floor plans, scenery, and properties to be constructed.
Prepare preliminary renderings of proposed exhibits, including detailed construction, layout, and material specifications, and diagrams relating to aspects such as special effects or lighting.
Read scripts to determine location, set, and design requirements.
Submit plans for approval, and adapt plans to serve intended purposes, or to conform to budget or fabrication restrictions.
Attend rehearsals and production meetings to obtain and share information related to sets.
Confer with clients and staff to gather information about exhibit space, proposed themes and content, timelines, budgets, materials, or promotion requirements.
Research architectural and stylistic elements appropriate to the time period to be depicted, consulting experts for information, as necessary.
Observe sets during rehearsals in order to ensure that set elements do not interfere with performance aspects such as cast movement and camera angles.
Collaborate with those in charge of lighting and sound so that those production aspects can be coordinated with set designs or exhibit layouts.
In this career, it is important to know
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
It's useful to be good at
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
| Location |
Pay period |
2025 |
| 10% |
25% |
Median% |
75% |
90% |
| United States |
Hourly |
$20.07
|
$25.40
|
$36.17
|
$50.01
|
$65.10
|
| Yearly |
$41,750
|
$52,830
|
$75,240
|
$104,030
|
$135,410
|
| Arizona |
Hourly |
$18.59
|
$19.33
|
$22.25
|
$29.14
|
$52.59
|
| Yearly |
$38,660
|
$40,200
|
$46,280
|
$60,610
|
$109,380
|
| 2025 Median% |
| United States |
$36.17
Hourly
|
$75,240
Yearly
|
| Arizona |
$22.25
Hourly
|
$46,280
Yearly
|
Employment (2024)
31,300
employees
Projected growth (2024 - 2034)
Slower than average (2% to 3%)
Projected job openings (2024 - 2034)
2,500
* Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
Program term definitions
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite
the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn
a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for
some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible
for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue
the accelerated master's during the junior year of their
bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about
eligibility requirements and
how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or
professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two
diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work
with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more
than one college and provide opportunities for students to take
advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon
graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma
conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often
and look for the "New Programs" option.
Students from western states who select this major may be eligible for a
reduced nonresident tuition rate of 150 percent of Arizona resident tuition
plus all applicable fees. See more information and eligibility requirements on
the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program
Web site.
check up to 3 programs to see a side-by-side comparison
This program will be stored in your saved programs (upper right) only for this
session. To save for later use, please
sign in.
This program will be stored in your saved programs (upper right).
A minor is an approved, coherent focus of academic study in a single
discipline, other than the student's major, involving substantially fewer
hours of credit than a corresponding major. Certain major and minor
combinations may be deemed inappropriate either by the college or department
of the major or minor.
This is only the first required math course. This program may contain
additional math courses; See Curriculum for details.
The level of intensity represents a measure of the number and academic rigor
of math courses required.
The level of intensity represents a measure of the number and academic rigor
of math courses required. Courses included in the General level: MAT 142
The level of intensity represents a measure of the number and academic rigor
of math courses required. Courses included in the Moderate level: MAT 117, MAT
119, MAT 170, MAT 210, SOS 101, CPI 200
The level of intensity represents a measure of the number and academic rigor
of math courses required. Courses included in the Substantial level: MAT 251,
MAT 265. MAT 266, MAT 267, MAT 270, MAT 271, MAT 272, MAT 274, MAT 275
Students pursuing concurrent degrees earn two distinct degrees and receive two
diplomas. ASU offers students two ways to earn concurrent degrees: by choosing
a predetermined combination or creating their own combination. Predetermined
combinations have a single admissions application and one easy to follow major
map. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your
academic advisor. Either way, concurrent degrees allow students to pursue
their own personal or professional interests.
Concurrent degree programs are specially designed academic programs which
provide high-achieving undergraduate students the opportunity to complete two
distinct but complementary bachelor degrees at the same time. Students must
meet minimum admissions standards for both programs and be accepted
individually by both colleges offering the concurrent program.
Concurrent degree programs are specially designed academic programs which
provide high-achieving graduate students the opportunity to complete two
distinct but complementary graduate degrees at the same time. Students must
meet minimum admissions standards for both programs and be accepted
individually by both colleges offering the concurrent program.
Accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for
high-achieving undergraduate students who want the opportunity to share
undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of
their master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum
taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
Accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for
high-achieving undergraduate students who want the opportunity to share
undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of
their master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum
taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
A rolling deadline means that applications will continue to be reviewed on a
regular basis until the semester begins. International students should be
mindful of visa deadlines to ensure there is time to produce necessary visa
documents. Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit application
materials as soon as possible for consideration.
A final deadline means that all applications and application materials must be
received by Graduate Admissions by the deadline date. Applications that are
incomplete may not be considered after the final deadline. Applications that
are submitted past the final deadline may not be considered.
A priority deadline means that applications submitted and completed before the
priority deadline will receive priority consideration. Applications submitted
after the priority deadlines will be reviewed in the order in which they were
completed and on a space available basis. An application is complete after all
materials are received by Graduate Admissions.
The 24-Month STEM OPT Extension is an additional benefit from United States
Citizenship and Immigration Services that allows international students in F-1
status who receive a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in an approved
STEM field to apply for a 24-month extension of their standard 12-month
Post-OPT period, twice in a lifetime. This allows international students the
opportunity to gain additional off-campus work experience in their field of
study after completion of course studies and Post-OPT. The OPT extension does
not apply to students completing a degree through ASU Online.
