15. Costume Designer

"Clothes make the man" – First 4 minutes of meeting someone we make judgements about them – 55% appearance, 38% tone of voice, 7% what the person is saying.


What is a costume? – anything someone is wearing or not wearing clothing, underclothing, makeup, accessories (hats, scarves, fans, canes, umbrellas, jewelry)



Effective costume design should: 
* Reflect the production concept
* Exhibit unity of style among all the costumes in the production
* Provide visual reflection of each character’s nature and personality (age of the wearer, gender, socioeconomic status, occupation)
* Provide info about the world of the play (locale, historical period, season, time of day, culture, socioeconomics, religious, political environment)



Costume evolution – costumes change through out show as characters change. ie) Ophelia in Hamlet 



Practical considerations:
* Needs of the actor – fit, relatively comfortable and allow movement. May need to adapt historical style – maintain silhouette and line ie) Corset or hobble skirt
* Production venue – detail depends on how close audience will view the piece
* Budget
* Construction demands of the design – number of costumes, time to build, number and skill of sewers
     a. alternatives to construction?
           i. PULLING from stock
           ii. renting
           iii. buying



Presenting your ideas 
* Costume plot – who’s wearing what and when
* Sketches
* Inspirations

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