Transcript The role of a costume designer

Costumes by Colleen
Attwood
The role of a
costume
designer
By Ashley King
Costumes by
Penny Rose
The Role of a Costume
designer
The role of a costume designer is to supply the clothing
of actors to wear on set. These costumes must contain
there own individual story, they must set the era for each
character, the personality and provide a visually
interesting scene for the viewer. Their job is to make the
movie, opera, stage, and television show character
"believable". Even if the theme or plot is fantasy.
This character in the movie Sweeny Todd, is
tall, thin, and slender making the viewer
automatically link cruelty and anger with the
character.
The costumes for mad men show the period of
time the TV show is set in.
Costume by Janie Bryant.
The tasks of a costume
designer
The tasks of a costume
designer
five primary tasks of this
role
• Handle creative influences of the director.
• Prepare costume sketches.
• Take actors measurements.
• Construct garments for the scenes of each character
and see if the garment reflects the chacters
personality, era and story.
• Make sure the garments are taken care of and
organised properly for each scene.
What kind of budget do they
receive to complete their job?
• It usually depends on the class of production,
for example a film can range to millions of
dollars whilst a small production or play could
reach up to the thousands or hundreds.
What specialist tools do
they use?
• Every costume designer must need…
• A sewing machine, pins, elastic, buttons, zips,
clasps, hooks and eyes, overlocker, heavy duty
scissors, tiny thread snipping scissors, a
needle, thread, fabric, embellishments, fabric
paint and dyes and bobbins.
( this is obviously a beginner sewers list of
supplies, the professionals list is much bigger)
How has new technology
changed their job?
• Sewing machines have been around for
thousands of years and they make sewing allot
easier. Although the last hundreds of years
new sewing machines have come out that are
touch screen and have higher quality stitches,
so over the last few years technology hasn't
dramatically changed the average costume
designers life, but instead have just made their
lives easier and faster.
How does the narrative (story) of
the film affect their work?
• The story line of the production DRAMATICALLY effects the work
of a costume designer. The era, mood, personality, location and
creativity of each character effects their costume. For example, in
the movie Sweeny Todd, The era is set in the late 1846 and the
costumes reflect the era brilliantly. The mood is dark and dreary
and the costumes reflect this also, if you look at the costumes all
in a heap, there isn't much colour and if there is it is mostly dark
and shadowed. The personality of the character is shown through
the costumes (tall and thin= mean, Chubby and short= funny and
loveable.) by colour and shape , and the location is also reflected
well too. (London- dark shades with a fleck of colour.)
What people do they have to
work closely with?
• The costume designer works alongside the
director, the lighting and scenic designers, and
the sound designers. The costume designers
also work closely with the hair and makeup
designers.
What training courses are
generally available? In Australia? In
WA?
Thankfully, there are many opportunities in Australia for costume designers, and many
different options.
Most universities supply a costume course as well as TAFE, however there are two main art
schools in Australia that are brilliant for costume. The first is NIDA. NIDA is Australia's National
Institute of Dramatic Art, a centre of excellence in training for theatre, film and television.
NIDA's primary role is to select and train exceptionally gifted young people at a tertiary level,
preparing them for careers in theatre, film and television.
Course: Bachelor of Dramatic Art (COSTUME)__NIDA website. Based in Sydney
Or there is WAAPA (the course I dream of getting into)-The Western Australian Academy of
Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University. WAAPA is recognised nationally and
internationally for the quality of its graduates. WAAPA provides the most comprehensive
range of performing arts training in Australia and students can choose from a range of
internationally recognised courses.
Course: The Advanced Diploma of Live Production, Theatre and Events (Costume)
____WAAPA website.
What income are they likely
to receive?
• You can make good money designing costumes in Hollywood, but
the real problem is finding a way to earn a few bucks in-between
jobs. Most costume designers work on a freelance basis, which
means that they are self-employed, and have to seek out their
own opportunities from one project to another. There isn’t really
a Costume Designers ‘R Us’ that a director can visit to go
shopping for someone he can hire for his next production.
• If you are a freelancer, you will often be paid in three instalments
– once up front, once when all the work is completed, and the
final instalment when the film or theatrical production premieres.
• However the over all money can range from $100,000 to billions
of dollars.
What important awards
can they win?
• The Academy Award for Best Costume Design is given
out annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts &
Sciences for the best achievement of film costume
design of the previous year. Films which are eligible for
the award must meet a series of criteria, including the
requirement that the costumes must have been
"conceived" by a costume designer. For this particular
criteria, each submission is reviewed by the costume
designer members of the Art Directors Branch prior to
the ballot process.
•
- Wikapedia
State a person who is successful in
this area.
•
I have three main idols in this area, as they have designed costumes for my most favourite films.
•
1- Susan Hilferty- She designed the costumes for wicked, and became an award winning extremely successful
designer, I loved her ability of taking a bland colour and experimenting with it in wicked! Her costumes where
both visually interesting and all incredibly different. I loved the detail on each costume an liked how she made
each unrealistic “fantasy” character realistic and believable.
•
2- Colleen Atwood- This women designed the costumes for both Alice in Wonderland and Sweeny Todd
(which by now I think you can tell is one of my favourite movies.) I was ecstatic when watching these two
movies because of what an exciting unique world she had created with the use of clothing. Her costumes
where both dark and mysterious and Colleen does a great job of portraying each character across to the
viewer.
•
3- Penny Rose- Penny Rose designed all the costumes for Pirates of the Caribbean from movie 1 to 4 and did
an amazing job with it. Penny Rose was the reason I started to love costume design so much, It was released
in 2003 ( I was about 7 when it was released) and since this movie I always knew I wanted to be involved in
media. I thought it was a sign that I wanted to do directing but when I started using a sewing machine I knew
this is what I wanted to do. I loved the detail Penny put on Elizabeth Swans dresses and how she took a very
stereotypical, traditional pirate costume and created her own take of it. From what Jack Sparrow put on his
head, to his boots- she thought about every aspect and idea.
•
I have many other Idols in costume design including Cecil Beaton (my fair lady) , Eioko Ishiokas, Catherine
Martin and Angus Strathie (Moulin Rouge) and lastly Milena Canonero ( Marie Antoinette)
My idols creations
Susan
HilfertyWicked
My idols creations
Penny Rose
My idols creations
Colleen
Attwood
Milena Canonero.
My idols creations
State whether you would be
interested in doing this role, and
why/ not.
• This production role is ABSOLUTELY my dream, I want it more than
anything and have, ever since I was seven. I love the creativity involved, I
love how you can reflect the story/ scene on a characters piece of
clothing and I love having to think of the construction of the garment. I
plan to stay in school until year 12 and take fashion design courses in
Polytechnic west (TAFE) next year. I will take courses throughout my
entire years at school (as I am old enough to start next year) and gain
further experience in costume design and production. At the moment I
am currently Costume designer and wardrobe mistress for the
production of Mid Summer Nights Dream, and intend to further my
experience throughout the years.
• Every year I will try to take work experience at the Black Swan theatre
company costume department, and may eventually even try to get on a
real set. I plan to go to study a Edith Cowan university (WAAPA ) and get
my Advanced Diploma of Live Production, Theatre and Events (Costume)
certificate and hope fully will become a famous costume designer when
I'm older.