What Is an Assistant Set Designer and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

As an assistant set designer, your job is to help design the set for a film, television program, or theatre production. In this role, you may participate in each rehearsal, select art that fits the production, determine when to add or remove material from the stage, and otherwise help to keep things moving. The most important part of this job is selecting and acquiring set pieces on time and within the production budget. Assistant set designers usually work under one or more directors, such as the art director or production designer. You often see this job under a variety of titles, such as assistant art director or production assistant, so be sure to look at the content of each job post instead of just the title.

The primary qualifications for becoming an assistant set designer are a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and several years of experience in a production art department. Most assistant set designers start in an entry-level role and work their way up over several years. Employers strongly prefer you to have experience in the same type of production, so it's best to decide which field you want to focus on early in your career. Fulfilling the responsibilities and duties of an assistant set designer requires communication skills, leadership skills, and the ability to work collaboratively when solving problems.