What is a Costume Designer Job Description, Duties & Salary
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While the term costume designer sounds rather straightforward, there is more to the job than you might initially think. Before we dive deep into all of the responsibilities of this rather undervalued role, let’s first take a look at the general costume designer definition. For a complete guide to the major roles in film production, check out our ultimate guide to film crew positions. Instagram has become a powerful tool for aspiring costume designers to showcase their creative personas online. May said that when she hires people, she definitely looks at their social media.
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Set and Costume Designer David Zinn Goes Big, Keeps It Real - American Theatre
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For this reason, costumers must have an understanding of storytelling and prioritize it when designing the costumes of a film. Costume designers are a critical part of creating a memorable character. Once aspiring designers are ready to lead the costume design, it’s usually easier to start on a smaller project, Adams said. Her first film as a costume designer was the black-and-white horror movie “The Eyes of My Mother,” where she was the one-woman wardrobe department.
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Now, many of the top film and fashion schools include costume design programs. Bronfman was the costume supervisor for the first two seasons of “A Handmaid’s Tale” and became the costume designer for the third season. Build shows need more craftspeople like tailors and seamstresses, as well as agers and dyers — the artists who take new clothes and make them look like they’ve been worn. An interest in costume design often starts with an interest in fashion.
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But one main difference is that in the fashion industry, the clothing is the star, whereas in costume design, the clothing is there to enhance a story, not distract from it. In this video, we break down how costume design is one element of the The Boys’ mise en scène that helps tell a story. Costume designers are one for the many storytelling contributing to a film.
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Additionally, they must have the attention to detail, leadership, and time management skills to get projects done on time. As for most in the theater business, networking and self-promotion are vital skills for finding work. “Don’t let your ego get in the way of a job that you could get,” said Song.
One of the most effective tools these designers have in creating the personality of a character through clothing is with color. Take a look at this video by Now You See It to get a better understanding of how costume design is often overlooked, yet important aspect of filmmaking. She had an opportunity to be a production assistant for a day on a Universal project to cover for someone, and there was a part of her that didn’t want to go back to assisting. But she had a good feeling about the job, it felt like a good fit, so she took it and ended up making some important relationships there. People in the wardrobe department are often on their feet all day, whether they’re transporting bags, steaming clothes or running from fitting to fitting.
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She needed to figure out how to make money, otherwise she couldn’t continue doing what she loved.
There are also tailors, seamstresses, agers, dyers and more craftspeople on the team. According to Glassdoor.com, the average base salary for a costume designer is around $50,000 per year with the potential for additional pay depending on the production. They are not designing for actors, but rather fictional characters.
Spring Musical Costume Designer
Costume design is an important aspect of filmmaking because it contributes to a film’s mise en scene. Mise en scene might sound like a completely foreign term, but luckily if you want to learn more about it, we break it down thoroughly in our next article and how it plays an important role in a film. Costume designers understand that filmmaking is a collaborative effort. In this phase of understanding the script and the story, designers will collaborate with the director. Take a look at this video below that analyzes how designers must really be storytellers to create iconic looks in film.
She understood that a low-income Korean family would still want to dress well and that the kids’ clothing would be more Americanized. She pushed for a light blue polyester blouse with a polka-dot skirt for the immigrant mother character Monica because it reminded her of an outfit her mom kept in her dresser for a long time. Typically, the best way to get your foot in the door on the path to becoming a designer would be to work as a costume maker.
They also schedule fittings with actors and oversee costume alterations and repairs, as well as providing actors and stagehands with guidelines for their proper care. Then, the costume designer begins researching designs, materials, and colors popular in the period, as well as details like how they might signify a character's social class. Designers may have the assistance of a dramaturg in this process, or assign research topics to members of their costuming team.
Perez encourages costume designers to build a brand, because then they can leverage their name recognition for higher pay. Once a movie costume designer has a clear understanding of the world of a story from their research and they understand the script of the film, they must put the two together. Before any decisions can be made and before any sketches are drawn, before anything is researched, a film costume designer must read and understand the script of a film. She gained experience working as a tailor at a Broadway costume shop.
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