Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546606
8 P E R S P E C T I V E | S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 N E W S 2026 ADG Production Design Initiative B Y C O R E Y K A P L A N , J A C K F I S K , M A R C I A H I N D S , T H O M A S A . WA L S H , M E N T O R S The PDI is an ADG—Art Directors Branch— administered and funded opportunity. It has been created for the purpose of providing on-the-job mentorship, immersion and supervision for future careers in the Art Department. Participants are encouraged to seek out on-the-job experiences as design assistants in Art Departments that are essential for careers in Art Direction and Production Design. The following 15 extremely talented artists have undergone rigorous review by the PDI Mentor Committee and are ready for this next step in their careers. If you have an opening for a design assistant, please consider them or their peers on our availability list. Contact Laura Kamogawa at the Guild office: 818 762 9995 or laura@adg.org. Patrick is a designer and artist from small-town Kansas whose work spans Scenic Design, film, installation and Graphic Design. With a BFA in visual communication (KU) and an MFA in Scenic Design (Yale), his strengths lie in deep research, bold concept generation and creative direction. Blending story analysis with detailed 3D modeling and rendering, Patrick builds atmospheric, narrative-driven worlds designed specifically for the camera. Aayushi's training began at CEPT University in India, where she studied interior design. A pivot to Production Design took her to SCAD, where she earned an MFA. She is drawn to the emotional and tactile qualities of design, with a design process deeply rooted in research, character analysis and visual development. She believes the Art Department's role is to serve that story—not decorate it, not overshadow it, but breathe life into it through every surface, object, color and material. Masha is a designer and visual storyteller with an MFA in Production Design and a BA in fine arts. Her background in art history shapes the way she thinks about design, while her experience in concept art, illustration and 3D modeling helps her bring ideas to life. For Masha, design is a way of telling stories through character and atmosphere. She's especially drawn to work that is stylized, introspective, a little strange and with a bit of humor. P A T R I C K B l a n c h a r d M A S H A A n d r e y e v A A Y U S H I B h a t t THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET. DIGITAL MODEL. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. ANALOG MODEL. SOLARIS. DIGITAL MODEL/ILLUSTRATION.