Costume Design Unit Review Version

Learning Questions What should effective costumes do? What is the role of the costume designer? What skills and knowledge does a costume designer need? What are the elements of costuming? What is a costume plot? What are the ways of obtaining costumes? How do I prepare and present a costume design?

Unit Terms Accessories Borrow Build Color Color Blocking Costume Parade Costume Plot Decoration / Trim / Details Fabric/Texture Modified Authenticity Ombre Palettes: Analogous, Complementary, Monochromatic Pattern Print Period Pull Rent Silhouette Status Stock Swatch Trim Visual Reference

LEARNING QUESTION #1 What should effective costumes do? Reinforce the mood and style of the production. Indicate setting Express internal characterization Express external characterization Distinguish between major and minor characters / status. Suggest relationships between characters. Modify an actor's appearance.

LEARNING QUESTION #2 What is the role of the Costume Designer? Analyzes the play. Develops costume designs. Collaborates with the director and other designers. Oversees construction of costumes.

LEARNING QUESTION #3 What skills and knowledge does a Costume Designer need? Design / Conceptualizing, sketching, rendering, presentation Construction / Understanding of fabrics, materials and techniques. Management Skills / Personnel, Time, and Budget KNOWLEDGE Play: Time Period, Setting Constraints: Time, Budget Character: Inside – Personality, Function (hero/villain) Outside – social status, job, wealth, physical appearance, age Ensemble – How does each character relate to the others? Demands of the Role: fighting; costume abuse; function of costumes

LEARNING QUESTION #4 What are the elements of costuming? Silhouette – Shape of the garment Color – Solids, patterns, prints, etc. Fabric – Weight, texture and sheen Details – Decorations, trims, accessories, etc.

SILHOUETTE: Long skirt, fitted at the waist; tight bodice, crew neck collar; long sleeves, puffy at shoulders and wrists, gathered at the elbow. FABRIC: Wool and silk. DETAILS: Floral appliques on the skirt. COLOR: Gold skirt and bodice with silver detail and white sleeves.

SILHOUETTE: Fitted pants tucked into high boots; vest-jacket with padded shoulders and fitted sleeves and flaired cuffs. FABRIC: Leather and silk. DETAILS: Ruffles at the neck and cuffs; ruching on vest; buckles on boots. COLOR: Black

Silhouette The most important element of the costume design is its shape or silhouette.

Silhouette The silhouette is just the shape – not the color, fabric or detail. Example: Pants Waist – high-waisted, regular, low-rise Length – short/shorts, short, knee-length, surfer/capri, long Fit – tight, slim, relaxed, baggy Cuff – tapered, regular, boot-cut

Color Copy and Color the Emotional Color Wheel. Color is extremely important because it has an emotional impact. Turn to page 225 in Basic Drama Projects – (Designing with Color and Light.ppt) Copy and Color the Emotional Color Wheel.

Color – Color Blocking/Patterns/Prints Colors can be combined in blocks, patterns and prints that make specific impressions.

Bulls-Eye Palette Example: Batman PRIMARY – Black – Powerful, mysterious SECONDARY – Silver – metallic, strong ACCENT – Gold – Magical, powerful

Fabrics Fabrics are selected for weight, texture, and sheen. Different fabrics drape and behave differently on the silhouette. Fabrics also have social and period impact. Choose fabrics that reflect your character’s personality, occupation and social status. There are many different types of fabrics, but it’s important to generalize in terms of weight, texture, and sheen. Weight: Heavy = wealthy, serious; Light = free, happy Texture: Coarse = poor; Fine = wealthy Sheen/Detail: Flat = simple, poor; Shiny/Detailed = wealthy

Fabrics NATURAL: Cotton – natural, lightweight, earthy Linen – rich, fragile, lightweight Wool – heavy, dull, poor Fur – rich or earthy/poor Silk – rich, lightweight, feminine Leather – heavy, dark, masculine Feathers – feminine, flamboyant

Fabrics MAN MADE: Nylon – 20th Century, Sheer Rayon – Silken look Polyester – Cotton look, inflexible, durable Latex / Vinyl – rubbery Plastic – hard, structural OTHER / FINISHES: Jersey – Knit fabric (cotton or synthetic) Velvet – crushed, looped, rich looking Satin – reflects light Velour – combines effects of Velvet and Satin

Detail The final element of a costume is how it is detailed. Detailing makes a garment look more finished. More detail makes a garment look more expensive, but too much can be busy or gaudy. Some Examples Piping Trimming “edging” Lining Appliques Embroidery Logos / Graphics

LEARNING QUESTION #5 What is a Costume Plot? A Costume Plot is a complete list of every character and every costume for each scene. Secondly, each costume can be described with notes on silhouette, color, fabrics, and trim/details. EXAMPLE: Macbeth, Act I, Scene 5 - Lady Macbeth ITEM SILHOUETTE COLOR FABRIC DECORATION / TRIM / DETAILS BODICE FORM FITTING; V-NECK BURGUNDY W/GOLD PAISLEY PATTERN WOOL Gold silk trim w/pearl beading. SKIRT FULL-LENGTH; MEDIUM-VOLUME SAME Gold silk trim down front and on hem. SLEEVES CAP-SLEEVE, FULL-LENGTH Lace ruffles at cuffs.

Creating a Costume Design As the designer, you must know: SETTING: Time Period Location CHARACTER: Age Gender Personality Occupation Social Status Relationships to Other Character Importance in Play Action in Play

Visual References

Original Costume Design CHARACTER: Select a Character you are familiar with. SOURCE and SETTING: List the play, tv show, film, or book your character comes from and the setting (Time and Place). SILHOUETTE: Sketch a complete design – front, back and detail. Add call-outs to the design to explain your choices. COLOR: Draw and label a bulls-eye palette showing the three most important colors in the design. SWATCHES: Choose at least one swatch of fabric or detail. COSTUME PLOT: Complete a Costume Plot table for the costume. NARRATIVE: Write a detailed description of the character’s background, setting, and personality and explain how your costume design connects to the character.

COSTUME DESIGN – Ex. Blithe Spirit PLAY: Blithe Spirit AUTHOR: Noel Coward SETTING: 1920s / England CHARACTER: Elvira is the ghost of Charles’ wife who returns to haunt him know that he has remarried. She is wealthy and conceited, but elegant. This dress uses ghostly grays and sheer fabrics to suggest that she is dead, but it is also has a form-fitting silhouette and revealing details like the slit to show her vivacious personality. ITEM SILHOUETTE COLOR FABRIC TRIM / DETAILS Gown Form-fitting, long, strapless. Steel and light gray with white train. Silk and sheer gauze. White trim at bodice, train. Gloves Elbow-length White Silk Silver thread seams.