ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
Early Art Directors were key to shaping film history. Documenting their work recognizes those who built the foundations of Art Direction and advanced visual storytelling from the silent era forward.

SYNOPSIS
Alfred Hitchcock, once a silent film Art Director, stated, “A filmmaker isn’t supposed to say things. They’re supposed to show them.”

In 2022, with the support of multiple contributors, an extensive research project began into the career of French scenic designer Ben Carré, utilizing his 400-page memoir as a primary source. This research included consulting and filming scholars and experts to provide perspectives on a significant era of innovation that influenced cinematic Art Direction.

The scope of Ben Carré’s biography has been expanded to include the previously undocumented history of early American motion picture Art Directors—designers who both invented and contributed to the rules and standards of Art Direction.

Production Design, previously known as Art Direction, is sometimes misattributed in terms of its influence on film style, particularly during the silent era, which is often credited to directors like Griffith or DeMille. Film historian William Everson commented that greater recognition of figures such as Ben Carré and Anton Grot, whose visual continuity sketches demonstrated effective storytelling, may challenge the auteur theory. Scholarship in early cinema tends to give predominant credit to Hollywood and lacks comprehensive international perspective. Presenting accounts of early Art Directors highlights their contributions to visual storytelling and foundational work in silent film. While technology and the medium of film have evolved, the principles of visual storytelling can be traced back to the silent era.

Early Art Directors started their careers prior to the development of cinema and worked across both silent and sound films. These individuals identified cinema as a medium focused on ideas, emotions, and actions rather than dialogue. Their creativity and adaptability were central to the development of their profession. Our account provides a record of the pioneers of art direction whose contributions have previously received limited attention.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature / Film Essay

DIRECTOR Thomas A. Walsh
PRODUCER Thomas A. Walsh
CO-PRODUCER Mark Morris, Merrily Murray-Walsh

WEBSITE bencarre.com

ID: 579