Costume Design (notes for the theatre production section of your notebook)

Relationships 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

Design Team Communications 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 Attend pre-production and production meetings. Maintain regular communications with colleagues. Read and study script. Costume Crossplot Actor Change Sheets Research packet Measure performers

Procedure (Cont’d) Develop your design for the show’s costumes 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 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 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 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) 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 “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 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 Costume rental houses. Purchase: Salvation Army, vintage clothing stores, etc. Costume shop of producing theatre. Altering existing pieces. Creating from scratch.

Basic Skills 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 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 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 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.