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Transcript of Costume Design Process
7/31/2019 Costume Design Process
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The Costume Design
Process
Clayesmore School
Theatre Department Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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T h e f i r s t t h i n g t o r e m e m b e r a b o u t c o s t u m e d e s i g n i s
t h a t i t i s a P R O C E S S .
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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I d e a s w o n ’ t j u s t m a g i c a l l ya p p e a r i n y o u r h e a d .
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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B u t , i f y o u w o r k c a r e f u l l ya n d t h o u g h t f u l l y t h r o u g he a c h s t a g e o f t h e p r o c e s s ,
y o u w i l l d e v e l o p s o m e i m a g i n a t i v e d e s i g n s
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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Stage 1 - Analysis
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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AnalysisYou will need to work closely with the director and the rest of the creative team at this stage
Think about the central themes of the play - what ideas do
you want to e xplore through your costumes
What is the mood of the play? Does it change?
Does the play suggest a part icular t ime or place? Have a look at the image on the next page - What period does it suggest to you?
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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This design was for a production of ‘AServant to Two Masters’ which is set in Italy in the C17th.
Design: Thomasin Bailey. Peter Burke Theatre
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AnalysisHaving considered the play as a whole, a costume designer must think particularly closely about the individualcharacters.
What do you want the costume to convey about the character?
Does the character have any part icular requirements for the costume - is it essent ial that it has pockets, for example?
Does the character have to change costume? When?
You may find it helpful to complete a chart like the one on the next slide.
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Scene LocationTime of Day/
Year Particular Requirements
1 Kitchen Winter Just entered from garden. Comments on the cold. Upper class, wealthycharacter. Play se t in 1914
3 Trenches Winter Character has joined army as an off icer - 2nd Lieutenant. Just arri ved at front.
6 Trenches Spring4 months later - cost ume beginning to show wear and tear of
wart ime - some distre ss ing necessary (2nd costume) - quick change.
Play: Character:
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Stage 2 - Research
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ResearchThere are many places to research your costume - books in the library, the internet etc
You should also look at photographs or paintings from the period
Don’t restrict yourself just to looking at pictures of costumes- listening to the music of the time can give you a sense of the mood. Look at history books so you are aware of the relevant historical events
Make sure you keep everything! Keep all your research together and in a place where you can see it easily. Some designers use a sketchbook and others create large ‘boards’.Have a look at the examples on the next few pages.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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This was a sketch by Tanya McCallin who was cost ume
designer for a production of Rigoletto at the RoyalOpera House in London in 2001. She says:
“We used literally hundreds of paint ings, frescos and drawingsof the French and Italian Renaissance to make close s tudy of period detail . Sketches were made to select, distil and freelyinterpret information to suggest the hierarchical world of the piece. All the clo thes were made of lustrous silks and damasks,in gorgeous colours with emphasis placed on points and lacings
to achie ve a louche and de bauched l ook.”
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Thomas in Bailey Research board for Panta lone “A Ser vant to Two Masters” - Peter Burke Theatre 2006
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Thomas in Bailey Research board for Dr Lombardi “A Ser vant to Two Masters” - Peter Burke Theatre 2006
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Early research board by Michael Miller for
Smeraldina in “A Ser vant to Two Masters” -Peter Burke Theat re 2006
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Stage 3 - Form
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FormTry not to think yet about what your character will be wear ing.
Instead, try to keep thinking in quite abstract terms. Focus
on:
Colour
Shape
Texture
Scale
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Form - Colour Look at the images on the next couple of pages.
What does the dominant colour say about the
character?Look particularly at the way the designers have
tried to work with quite a limited palette of colours.
Sometimes, colour can be a good way of identifying
groups of characters
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This design is by Nancy Surman for a production of “The Duchess of Malf i” at Salisbury Playhouse in 2002.She says:
“ In this classic Jacobean revenge tragedy, the Duchess of Malfi is ensnared in a rich, powerful, violent world.Characters spill across the dark austere landscape like blood,scarle t from a freshly cut vein. The depravit y of the cardinalbestows a hellish corruption on his fiery vestments, while the opulence of the Duchess’ sweeping robes shock against the bloody rags of lunatics. The costumes blend Renaissance andcontemporary elements. Cut and silhouet te are evocati ve of
the period whils t mode rn fabr ics. ..g ive the costumesext raordinary richness and texture.
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The Duchess of MalfiDesigner: Nancy Surman
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Form - Shape Of course, you have to work with a real actor but
your costume can great ly affect the way they look.
Try to find a shape that seems appropriate for your character
Do you want them to seem long and angular, or roundand curvy?
It can help just to think about the shape at thisstage - don’t worry yet about the actual clothes. Can
you draw the shape with just a few lines?
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Alice in Wonder land and Through the looking GlassDesigner: Peter McKintosh RSC 2001
“Most people have strong images of how Alice should look, be it Tenniel , Peak, Disneyor Ralph Steadman. My designs retained 2D images in the settings but the costumesand characters were very three dimensional!”
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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Alice in Wonderland and
Through the looking GlassDesigner: Peter McKintosh
Notice how the shape of the drawing hasbeen captured in the final costume.
What can you tell about the character just
from the shape s used in the costume?
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A Servant to Two MastersCostume design for Smeraldina
Michael Miller Peter Burke Theat re 2006
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Form - Texture Think very carefully about the textures you want touse for your design
Your decisions might be affected by your research - you may want to use similar fabr ics and textures to the ones used in the period of the play.
Your character wil l be moving on stage - how do you want the costume to move? Do you want it to f low effort lessly? Do you want it to appear st iff andformal?
What sort of texture seems appropriate for your character?
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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The Streets of DublinThe Brix, London 1997Designer: Tim Heywood
“A magical romp through Victorian melodrama, seen wi th ver y modern eye s. The cost umes ref lected the beauty of the Victorian silhoue tte, a Dickensian delight in tru ly tattered waifs and strays and an expression of overt theatricality with bustles and frocks galore.”
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Form - Scale As a costume designer, you probably have less scope
to explore scale than a se t designer - your costume has to f it an actor, after all - but it is worth
considering this aspect. If your character has to be very imposing , you may be able to help the actor with your costume design.
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Stage 4 - DesignStyle
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Design Style This aspect of design can be simplif ied into the quest ion: is it right for your designs for thisproduct ion to be NATURALISTIC or NON-NATURALISTIC?
NATURALISTIC costumes try to re-create exactly the time and place descr ibed in the play. If the play isset in 1960, the designer will make the costumeslook exactly as they would have done then.
NON-NATURALISTIC costumes place much lessemphasis on time and place. Maybe the setting of
the play is a fantasy setting ; or in the future.
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Drawings andSamples
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Drawings and SamplesNow it’s time to put all your thoughts so far intosketches for your costumes.
Make sure you keep all your sketches - you never
now when you wil l want to go back to an earlier idea.
All designers have the ir own style of sketching.Some hardly draw at all, preferring to use
photographs, perhaps manipulating them with acomputer.
The important thing is that your sketches convey your ideas clearly.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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OklahomaNational Youth Music Theatre Designer: Kate Burnett
“The vigorous st ripes and checks say something abou t the bright, clashing life of the Americanfront ier. Concei ved as an ensemble piece, my cos tume drawings were sketch-schemes of groups of characters. I sampled the fabr ics before commit ting to colouring the se drawings.”
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Oliver Twist Liverpool Playhouse 2001Des igner: David Coll is
“The clothes, all tonally related to the se t, added to the sense of chiaroscuro, restlessness and menace that pervades the narrat ive .”
Compare the more realistic paintingsfavoured by thisdesigner with the sketches on the previous page.
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
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A Servant to Two MastersPeter Burke Theat re 2006Design for Truf faldino
Designer: Thomasin Bailey
Notice here how the costume changedbetween the sketch stage and the manufacture - though the initial idea
does find expression in the floor pattern used on the set!
You do have to be adaptable as adesigner and know when to alter your ideas - and when to stick to them stubbornly.
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A Servant to Two MastersPeter Burke Theat re 2006
Design for Clarice Designer: Sarah Baillie
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Once your ideas have been accepted by the director, you canbegin the manufacture of your costume
Follow the Costume lessons on the Drama Moodle (TechnicalCourses) for lots of information about making a costume.
There are a number of excel lent books in the library, publishedby the Society of British Theatre Designers, which you shouldhave a look at. They include:
Time & Space
2D/3D
Make Space