Transcript Costume Design

Costume Design
(notes for the theatre production
section of your notebook)
Relationships
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Respect the chain of command.
Maintain regular contact with colleagues.
Make sure all communication is clear.
Assert your needs as an interpretive artist.
Check and double check before spending,
cutting, sewing, etc.
Design Team
Director
Technical Director
Stage Manager
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Props Master
Makeup Artist
Sound Designer
Costume Designer
Design Team Communications
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Director, Stage Manager & Tech Director:
concept, budget, progress, “issues”, and
deadlines.
Lighting Designer: colors.
Props Master: colors, time period, style, and
consistency.
Set Designer: colors, textures, entrances and
exits, and furniture.
Makeup: prosthetics, smudging, colors, and
costume changes.
Costume Designer’s Procedure
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Attend pre-production and production meetings.
Maintain regular communications with
colleagues.
Read and study script.
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Costume Crossplot
Actor Change Sheets
Research packet
Measure performers
Procedure (Cont’d)
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Develop your design for the show’s costumes
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Research and explore the design concept.
Create sketches.
Determine sources and budget.
Acquire the pieces.
Administer fittings, adjustments, and
maintenance
Create “Costume Plot Sheet” for run crew
Costume Strike
Working with the script
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Costume Crossplot: Create a chart showing
all characters and identifying the acts and/or
scenes in which they appear.
Actor Change Sheets: Create a sheet for each
actor, identifying time, location, climate and
situation of each act/scene in which he or she
appears. This will be used to develop your final
costume plot.
Research Packet: Use a variety of sources
(books, Internet, film) to get a sense of location,
time period, and demographics. Assemble info.
Measuring the Performers
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Make arrangements with the stage manager for
a time to measure the actors. It is the stage
manager’s responsibility to check with the
director.
Be sensitive and professional.
You are the costume designer, not the actor.
They may want to give input. Typically, that is
not tolerated; however, it will depend on the
environment set up by the director.
How to measure
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Create a form to record all of the following
measurements and information:
HATS: Measure in inches around the
head. Military dress hats fit high on the
head and are slightly smaller than civilian
wear.
GLOVES: Measure around the widest part
of the hand, not including the thumb.
How to measure (Cont’d)
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BOOTS & SHOES: To convert from men’s
sizes to women’s, take off two sizes.
MEN’S APPAREL: You need
measurements for a man’s chest, waist,
and neck.
WOMEN’S APPAREL: You need
measurements for a woman’s bust, waist,
hip, and basic dress size.
Research
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The time period, location, weather, class,
ethnicity, and personality of the characters
may dictate their dress.
Research: use fashion history books and
web sites, and watch films depicting the
setting.
Study fashion and familiarize yourself with
terminology and techniques.
Concept
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Before designing anything, understand the
director’s concept---how he/she envisions the
production.
The production may be stylized---not realistic--or the production may alter the setting depicted
in the script.
The director may wish to employ metaphor,
symbolism, or a motif that will effect your work.
Function of costumes
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Convey information about character.
Convey information about setting, class,
demographics, etc.
Must be consistent with the concept.
Must be practical in terms of
accommodating blocking and necessary
costume changes.
Three Types of Costumes
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Gala Costumes: costumes that are not
intended to represent a time period, but a
mood or idea
Modern Costumes: costumes that
represent contemporary fashions.
Period Costumes: costumes specific to a
time period and location.
The effect of color
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Bright warm colors suggest joyfulness and
laughter.
Bright cold colors suggest superficiality
and insincerity.
Dark warm colors suggest seriousness
and importance.
Dark cold colors suggest menace and
danger.
Choosing fabrics
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Consider how a fabric catches light.
Consult the lighting designer regarding the use
of colored gels.
Consider how distance effects the costume.
Small patterns do not “read.” Stark, solid colors
seem “costume-ish” and amateur.
Consult with colleagues to discuss the
practicalities of your design.
Sketches
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Once you’ve made some choices, you should
start preliminary sketches.
Afterward, consider the budget and where you
can acquire each piece---what is to be rented,
bought, or made. (You may want to rummage
through rental places or vintage clothing shops
before even setting pen to paper, but many
designers agree its best to start with your ideas
before giving in to practical limitations.)
Discuss the preliminary sketches with the
director and the design team.
Make final sketches.
Aging and Distressing
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“Fullers Earth” --- a fine, sifted powder available
at any costume rental shop. There are various
colors. Doesn’t leave permanent stains.
Experiment with leather spray, house paint,
varnish, stain, spritz bottles, sand paper,
anything sharp, powder, and colored hairspray.
Use sponges, old socks, etc. to apply products.
You can soak clothing in beer to make it retain
shape. Or try hair hairspray!
Accessories and padding
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It is the job of the costume designer to provide
accessories (hats, gloves, jewelry, corsages,
shoes, etc.). Be sure what you choose can be
“read” from stage and under the lighting used.
You may also need to deal with padding an
actor to change his/her weight. Study how
weight is distributed differently on men and
women.
Costume acquisition
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Costume rental houses.
Purchase: Salvation Army, vintage
clothing stores, etc.
Costume shop of producing theatre.
Altering existing pieces.
Creating from scratch.
Basic Skills
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Basic hand stitching
Basic clothing repair & alterations
(buttons, holes, “taking in,” “letting out,”
shoulder pads, velcro, zippers,
accessories, etc.)
Using a sewing machine.
Following a pattern.
Creating an article of clothing from an
original design.
Fittings, Adjustments, &
Maintenance
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Once costumes arrive or are finished being
made, it is time for fittings.
Actors should run through all their blocking in
costume.
Check how the costumes look with the set and
under the lighting.
You may need to make adjustments.
You may need to stick around during the run to
help maintain the costumes, making basic
repairs. Damage and repairs made to
costumes should be reported to the PSM.
Costume Plot Sheet
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Create a document to be posted in each
wing, backstage, and in the dressing
rooms.
List characters in each scene and identify
the costume they are wearing.
The actors may handle these changes
themselves, or run crew members may be
assigned to assist them.
Costume strike
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All costumes must be accounted for at the end
of the show.
Rented costumes must be dry cleaned and
returned promptly to the rental house.
Purchase or created costumes belong to the
costume shop of the producing theatre.
Costume shops of a theatre should be
thoroughly organized. A detailed catalogue
should be created and updated regularly.