Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games.
One of the biggest challenges art directors face is translating desired moods, messages, concepts, and underdeveloped ideas into imagery.
In the brainstorming process, art directors, colleagues and clients explore ways the finished piece or scene could look.
At times, the art director is responsible for solidifying the vision of the collective imagination while resolving conflicting agendas and inconsistencies between contributors' ideas.
In modern advertising practice, an art director typically works with a copywriter as a creative team.
The art director also attends all production meetings and tech scouts in order to provide information to the set designers in preparation for all departments to have a visual floor plan of each location visited.