Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800)

Overview

The Art Directors Guild (ADG), operating as IATSE Local 800, is the union representing the art department community working in motion pictures, television, and commercials in the United States. Founded in 1937, Local 800 represents production designers, art directors, set designers, set decorators, illustrators, matte artists, graphic artists, scenic artists, title designers, and digital art department artists -- covering the full scope of visual development and design work on a union production.

The Guild is one of the largest IATSE locals by membership diversity, encompassing a wide range of related but distinct design disciplines under a single union umbrella. Its members are responsible for the visual world of every film or television production: from the overall production design concept down to the specific graphic design of a prop document visible on screen for two seconds.

Membership and Craft Categories

Local 800 organizes its membership into distinct craft categories, each with its own classification, minimum rate, and scope of work. Production designers (who hold creative oversight of the entire visual design) and art directors (who manage the day-to-day design work under the production designer) are covered, as are set designers who draft technical plans for set construction, illustrators who create concept art and storyboards, graphic artists who produce title sequences and on-screen graphics, and scenic artists who paint and finish scenic elements.

The digital transition added new classifications covering artists working in visual effects design, previs (pre-visualization), and virtual production art department roles. Local 800 has been active in establishing jurisdiction over these emerging roles as the art department's digital tools have expanded.

Excellence Awards

The ADG presents annual Excellence in Production Design Awards across film, television, and commercial categories. The awards recognize outstanding production design achievement and are regarded as among the most significant honors in the art department community. Award eligibility requires ADG membership or work on productions with ADG-covered art departments.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For productions hiring a production designer or art department, IATSE signatory status is required to access Local 800 members. The production designer is typically one of the earliest key hires in pre-production, and their rate is governed by Local 800's minimums for the applicable budget tier.

Independent productions often struggle with art department costs as a proportion of total budget. Understanding Local 800's low-budget agreement thresholds and modified rates can make signatory access more financially feasible on modest budgets while still accessing the professional design community.

See Also

For the broader IATSE structure, see IATSE in this directory. For how production design costs appear in film budgets, see Above the Line vs Below the Line.