How to design

a Costume

Costumes can go from absolutely stunning to simple and effective

THINGS TO REMEMBER !!!

Time periodTheme/MessageColour in relation to the sets and lightsComfort and durabilityThe whole outfit

TIME PERIODIf the Director wants a TRUE to LIFE

costume, you will need to research the style

Colour Try to get photos or pictures of how

people dressed in that timeEven Jewellery, watches and shoes!!!

Sketching

Designing A Costume Designer sketches out

designs that include:Character ideasHats – which can sometimes be a

problemFootwearProps – handbags, pipes etc

Historical - Roman

Egyptian

Medieval

Everyman – Goods Deeds

Everyman -

Costumes and Lighting You need to bear in mind the effect lights

have on a costume

Transparent under lightsLight colours disappear

Changing the colour of the costume

1900’s

Sets and CostumesA Costume Designer needs to be careful of getting

the right balance

You don’t want the costumes to Clash with the set colours

Blend in too much

The costumes can be symbolic or linked with the theme

Make believe

Design IdeasIncludeColourSwatches of materialAnnotation of ideas

Henry VIII

1920’s

Mother Goose

Napoleon

The Snow Goose

AnimalsWhen creating animal costumes you must

ensureYou are truthful to the animalMovement links with make up

CatsIn the creation of Cat

costumes, The designer allowed

for Movement Links with cats

colours Link with make up

The Lion King

The costumes in “The Lion King” are created using

MasksStilts

Extension of the bodyBlack outfits and puppets

Notice the leopard!

The giraffes are created by dancers on stilts

The dancers become the animalsusing puppets

The Lion Masks create the illusion of height and movement while still allowing performers

the opportunity to project his voice

The parrot is a puppet controlled by an actor in a

Black outfit

Design to Costume

It is always good to take photos of the finished

product.

The Design Should include:A page of research of ideasSwatches of material with annotationA rough designFinal design with annotationBibliography

Actual Costume

s

Dragon

Starlight Express

FinallyThe costume design

is up toyour

imagination