What is a Honorary Doctoral Degree?

[Oliver23]

Look at

http://www.academyart.edu/media/media.asp?ID=2003040160273

In summary, Doug Chiang and McQuarrie received "honorary doctoral degrees" from the Academy of Arts in San Francisco for their achievements in motion picture concept production.

Is this a commonly given, real title, with real weight, or just an unusual kind of trophy?

Come to think of it, do production designers for movies commonly have Grad school level education? (and in what?Architecture?Industrial design?Illustration?Animation?......)

Lastly, are concept artists and production designers synonomous terms, or is one more "advanced" than the other?

[Reotharmus]

In the UK at least it's kinda odd..

they show that the person recieving the honourary doctarate has show skills above and beyond and are more than deserved of the title.. the reality on occasion is a University or learning institute which wants a famous patron and a couple of pics in the local rag

i dont think the title would hold much sway with anyone (though would be a doctorate all the same) however the reputation of the person recieving is normal worth an infinite amount more than a PHd etc...