Lee High School

How can I show others the costume design & process presented in theatre and/or film?

Arts & Communication

Emteecha Lopez

Senior Capstone

Jody Snyder

April 13, 2017

Emteecha Lopez
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Jody Snyder

Senior Capstone

April 13, 2017

Costume Designing and Planning

Film costuming serves two equal purposes: the first is to support the narrative by

creating authentic characters; and the second is composition, to provide balance within the frame

by using color, texture, and silhouette (Landis 70). There is more to costume design than one

might believe. It is complex, and there are many factors to take into consideration. Of course, the

costume has to fit the scene in the film or play, but it also has to be something that relates to the

character. To do this, their costume must match not only their personality, but also their style.

Also, it is important to know what material should be used based on the characters movement,

whether or not a culture is involved, and how to focus the entire process around how the actors

will perform, whether it be a film or a play. The full process behind costumes designed for

film and theater is planning, sketching, and draping.

No matter its length and complexity, the design process behind the costumes in theater

and film is the same. Like with almost all things, costume designers should never make a final

product first. Before there can be any hands-on activity, the designer must first think and plan.

First and foremost, the costume designer must know if the script is for a film or a play because

this will play a crucial role in the thought process. If the actor or actress is performing in a play,

it is important that the costume designer keeps in mind that there might be quick changes and

that the material should be light since they will be moving around a lot. The weight of the fabric

is important to keep in mind because different materials interact with its surrounding in different

ways. In his mind, he can picture how the character goes through his or her day. He has a
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relationship to the clothing and how it interacts with the environment in a physical way

(Ramos). If the actor or actress is performing in a film, the costume designer should keep in

mind that details should be precise considering there may be close-ups. Once the costume

designer knows how the story is being produced, the costume designer must look through the

script themselves and also look through any notes the director might give them. Important

information to look out for in the script is the date/year, weather, place, character personality, and

culture if there are any. For example, if the film or play is following a Chinese culture, the

costume designer might consider adding different patterns and bold colors into the costume.

Other important factors for costume designers to keep in mind are color and texture. If the actor

or actress is starring in a post-apocalyptic film, it can be said that the character will be found

wearing worn out and dull colored clothing with a grainy and dirty texture. Lastly, the character

and actors personality is also important to keep in mind. Thinking back to the prom scene,

would one think to see the tomboy girl in a very elegant dress? Possibly, but probably not. The

character would most likely be wearing a dress with the least glitter and sequins on it along with

some Converse or sneakers. Aside from the character, there is also the actor to take into

consideration. Knowing the actors personality can in the long run help with creating a costume

that makes not only the character happy, but the actor as well. With Jane, its not just whats

right for the character, its whats right for the actor playing the character. And those are two very

different things (Jones 11).

Once the thinking process is done, its time for the costume designer to move onto the

hands-on part. The fashion and costume design processes were experienced through hands-on

exploration of the techniques and steps required to create fashion and costume garments, and

through visitation to a costume shop (Nance). This process will typically start with getting the
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actor or actresses measurement and a rough sketch. The rough sketch will be quick and also the

point where the costume designer may add or leave out certain details that may have looked good

in their head, but bad when drawn out. After going through multiple rough sketches, the costume

designer is now ready to move onto the final sketch. This sketch will be formal, neat, and done

with patience. This sketch is typically how the designer plans for the final product to look like.

When you present your costume designs, you should show the sketch as well as the photo to

demonstrate how the final product will look (Boliver 18). Sometimes, costume designers will

also add fabric samples to the side of the sketch to keep in mind which fabric is for which project

and part of it.

The costume designer may now have the final sketch complete, but that does not mean

they can work on the final product right away. It is now time for the costume designer to start

draping the costume. Typically with draping, costume designers use cheap fabric such as muslin

to create the costume first. With this, there is a physical view and notes of changes can be made

such as the sizing, fitting, etc. Once all adjustments are finished, and the costume designer has

come across a draft that finally needs no changing, they can then finally create the final product,

basing it off the way the way they made the last draft.

Costume design has been around for ages, but the process and work behind it remain the

same. Costume designers make sure they plan first before doing anything else and need to make

sure they have everything figured out, like how they will be making the costume. Costume

designers also make sure to create multiple sketches after planning so theres a visual to base the

costume on. Before the costume designer can finally make the final product, the costume

designer must lastly drape. By draping, it helps the designer to see which areas look a bit off and
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dont fit right. The overall process of creating a costume takes not only planning, sketching, and

draping, but also patience and dedication as well.

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Works Cited

"Costume design." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Mar. 2017. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costume_design>.

Grode, Eric. "She Sews Actors Into Their Roles." New York Times, 1 June 2014, p. 11(L).

Academic OneFile,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7C

A369817482&it=r&asid=87ee78042096930b3fd64696769eb9ff. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.

Mirault, Don. "Jobs in Costume Design." Dance Magazine, Nov. 1999, p. 18. Academic OneFile,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7C

A57512693&it=r&asid=e89a3e81fa03f3d85dbabae9c49841de. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

Nance, Deirdra Rhianna. "An Analysis of Fashion and Costume Design Processes."

NCSU Libraries. N.p., 13 Aug. 2009. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.

<http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/2905>.

Owen, Bobbi. "Filmcraft: Costume Design." TD&T [Theatre Design & Technology],

Winter 2013, p. 70+. Academic OneFile,

go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=lom_accessmich&v=2.1&id=GALE%7C

A332247591&it=r&asid=c440cec7c1f0f0e129e01e396a92d058. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017.

"The Costuming Process." About Costume Design - ArtsAlive.ca The Secret Life of Costumes.

N.p., 2007. Web. 23 Mar. 2017.

<http://artsalive.ca/collections/costumes/process.php?lang=en&page=7>.