Added: 03/23/2006 |
Introduction to Professional Costume Designer TypesCostume design is the design of the characters' appearance in the cinema or theater performance. This typically involves choosing clothing or designing for the players to wear, but it may also comprise designing various accessories such as masks, makeup or even additional forms, such as the suits for whole body animal worn in the Cats musical (designed by the winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in 1983 - John Napier).
You may know that costume designer is the specialist who is responsible for design costumes for a stage or film production. Costume designer is considered element of the production team, together with the director, lighting and scenic designers. The costume designer during the working out might also work together with a makeup designer or a wig/hair master, with the latter two working on a secondary level. The role is a bit different as the theatre designer will create both scenic and costume elements, in European theatre.
There are several professional costume designer types but all of them will usually seek to enhance a persona of character through the way of dressing, while all at once allowing the performer to move without stinting and carry out actions as the script requires. The costume designer needs to have strong artistic talents as well as scrupulous fashion history knowledge.
There are three professional costume designer types: freelance costume designers, residental and academic costume designers.
Let's take a closer look at one of the professional costume designer types, which is called freelance designer. He or she is hired by a theatre company for a specific production, and may or may not in fact be local to the company that she or he is working for. There are three installments that a freelancer is usually paid in: opening night of the production, on the delivery of final renderings and upon hire. As a rule freelance costume designers are not compelled to any uniqueness in what companies they are designing, and may be working for several theatre companies simultaneously. Freelancers may or may not be United Scenic Artists member, and even established academic and residential designers may work on the side.
A residential designer is one of the professional costume designer types which hired by a theater company, for a production's extended series. This can be for many years or as short as a summer stock contract. A contract of residential designer may include limitation of the freelance work amounts they are allowed to have.
The residential designer (in contrast to the freelancer) works full time at the theater "on location", and is always ready to begin the work with the studio costumers and her or his other colleagues.
An academic designer on the other hand is one of the professional costume designer types who holds professorship at an educational institution. That type of costume designers is mainly an instructor, but may also carry out as a residential designer. Those designers as a rule work as freelancers, if it is allowed by schedule.
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