Art Directors Guild Nominees Range From THE HELP to GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

The Art Directors Guild has announced the nominees for its 16th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, to be handed out Feb. 4 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Art Direction may not be at the top of your priority list for movies or TV, but I think it should be higher than many people hold it. Without art direction the tone of what you watch would be greatly impacted. I love being transported into a unique universe, and art direction helps make my movie and TV viewing experiences more enjoyable. 

Here are the nominees:

NOMINEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A FEATURE FILM IN 2011:

Period Film:

THE ARTIST                                                              Production Designer:  Laurence Bennett        

HUGO                                                                        Production Designer:  Dante Ferretti

THE HELP                                                                 Production Designer:  Mark Ricker

ANONYMOUS                                                          Production Designer:  Sebastian Krawinkel     

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY               Production Designer:  Maria Djurkovic


Fantasy Film:

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY

HALLOWS PART 2                                                  Production Designer:  Stuart Craig

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE

FIRST AVENGER                                                     Production Designer:  Rick Heinrichs

THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN:

THE SECRET UNICORN                                         Production Designer:  TBD

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:

ON STRANGER TIDES                                            Production Designer:  John Myhre

COWBOYS & ALIENS                                             Production Designer:  Scott Chambliss

Contemporary Film:

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO           Production Designer:  Donald Graham Burt

THE DESCENDANTS                                              Production Designer:  Jane Anne Stewart

EXTREMELY LOUD &                                           

INCREDIBLY CLOSE                                               Production Designer:  K.K. Barrett

DRIVE                                                                        Production Designer:  Beth Mickle

BRIDESMAIDS                                                         Production Designer:  Jefferson Sage

NOMINEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN IN TELEVISION FOR 2010:

One-Hour Single Camera Television Series"

BOARDWALK EMPIRE

Episode:          21                                            Production Designer:  Bill Groom

GAME OF THRONES

Episode:  A Golden Crown                             Production Designer:  Gemma Jackson

AMERICAN HORROR STORY

Episode:  Murder House                                 Production Designer:  Mark Worthington     

THE PLAYBOY CLUB

Episode: The Scarlet Bunny                Production Designer:  Scott P. Murphy

PAN AM

Episode:  Pilot                                     Production Designer:   Bob Shaw 

Television Movie or Mini-Series:

MILDRED PIERCE                                                   Production Designer:  Mark Friedberg

CINEMA VERITE                                                      Production Designer:   Patti Podesta  

TOO BIG TO FAIL                                                    Production Designer:  Bob Shaw

THE HOUR                                                                Production Designer:  Eve Stewart

BLING RING                                                             Production Designer:  Robb Wilson King

Episode of a Half Hour Single-Camera Television Series"

MODERN FAMILY

Episode:  Express Christmas               Production Designer:  Richard Berg

30 ROCK

Episode:  Double-Edged Sword                      Production Designer:  Keith Ian Raywood

                                                                                                                Teresa Mastropierro           

WEEDS

Episode:  Game-Played                                   Production Designer:  Joseph P. Lucky

CALIFORNICATION

Episode:  Monkey Business                Production Designer:  Michael Wylie

NEW GIRL

Episode:  Pilot                                     Production Designer:  Jefferson D. Sage

Episode of a Multi-Camera, Variety, or Unscripted Series:

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Episode:  Host Justin Timberlake,                   Production Designer:  Keith Ian Raywood, Eugene                

      And Musical Guest – Lady Gaga                             Lee, Leo Yoshimura,

   N. Joseph De Tullio

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Episode:  Ducky Tie                                        Production Designer:  Stephan Olson

2 BROKE GIRLS

Episode:  And The Rich Peoples                     Production Designer:  Glenda Rovello

                Problems

AMERICAN IDOL

Episode:   Top 12 Boys Perform                     Production Designer:   James Yarnell

DANCING WITH THE STARS

Episode:  Round One                          Production Designer:  James Yarnell


Awards, Music, or Game Shows:

83rd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS                    Production Designer:  Steve Bass

68th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES            Production Designer:  Brian Stonestreet

2011 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS                     Production Designer:  Florian Wieder

63rd ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS                            Production Designer:  Steve Bass

IT’S WORTH WHAT? 

            Best Buds                                                        Production Designer:  John Ivo Gilles

NOMINEES FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR

COMMERCIALS AND MUSIC VIDEOS FOR 2011:

ACTIVISION: CALL OF DUTY

Episode: Modern Warfare 3                Production Designer: Neil Spisak

VICTORIA’S SECRET

            Episode:  Red                                      Production Designer:  Jeffrey Beecroft

AUDI A8

Episode:  The Art of Progress             Production Designer:  Marcos Lutyens

CHEVY VOLT

Episode:  Discovery                                        Production Designer:  Jeremy Reed

JIM BEAM

Episode:          Parallels                                   Production Designer:  Christopher Glass