Costume Design Process

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The Costume Design

Process

Clayesmore School

Theatre Department Tuesday, 22 December 2009



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



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 .




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




Stage 1 - Analysis




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?




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




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.




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:




Stage 2 - Research




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.




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.”




Thomas in Bailey Research board for Panta lone “A Ser vant to Two Masters” - Peter Burke Theatre 2006




Thomas in Bailey Research board for Dr Lombardi “A Ser vant to Two Masters” - Peter Burke Theatre 2006




Early research board by Michael Miller for

Smeraldina in “A Ser vant to Two Masters” -Peter Burke Theat re 2006




Stage 3 - Form




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




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




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.




The Duchess of MalfiDesigner: Nancy Surman




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?




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!”




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?




A Servant to Two MastersCostume design for Smeraldina

Michael Miller Peter Burke Theat re 2006




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?




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.”




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.




Stage 4 - DesignStyle




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.




Drawings andSamples




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.




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.”




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.




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.




A Servant to Two MastersPeter Burke Theat re 2006

Design for Clarice Designer: Sarah Baillie




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

Documents

Costume Design Process