Costume Design

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Costume Design
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Functions of Costume Design

• Establish Time period
• Establish/support style of production
• Reinforce themes
• Support/reflect production concept mesh with
  other production elements
• Provide character information station in life,
  occupation, personality etc.
• Visually represent character relationships good
  vs. bad, hero vs. villain, lovers, etc.

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Functions cont..

• Facilitate actors performance movement, quick
  changes, fit the actors size, allow actor to be
  comfortable on stage
• Advance the dramatic action or visually represent
  changes in character that come about through the
  dramatic action

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Specifics of Costume Design process

• During readings/research/idea formation
• Designer will consider
• Character analysis
• Style of play
• Time period research fashions, artworks,
  paintings, catalogues etc.
• Special requirements ex. Skin of our Teeth
• Themes
• Requirements of actors movement dance, sword
  fights etc.
• Number of costumes per character

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Other steps

• -Preliminary sketches thumbnails
• -costume plot http//www.costume.com/rental/showp
  lot/fiddler.htm
• http//www.americancostume.com/page20.htm
• Measuring the actors
• http//www.costumes.org/classes/254pages/projects/
  measurement_sheet.htm
• Final presentations Full color renderings with
  color swatches
• http//www.costumes.org/SHOWS/100pages/miss_julier
  enderings.htm
• http//www.usd.edu/lscribne/playboy.htm
• http//condor.stcloudstate.edu/scogdill/mikado/re
  nderings/personae.html