Major Project: Costume Decisions & Second Meeting with Actress about costume

The importance of costume
I thought it would be a good idea to do some research into costume and the impact it can have on the overall product. I first came across a senior student thesis : The Art of Costuming: Interpreting the Character through the Costume Designer’s Eyes by Brianne Crist (2014). In this thesis she speaks mostly about the role a costume designer would play when part of a big production team. Although I do not have a big production team and therefore I am required to multi skill and also act as a costume designer in a sense because  I must source the correct clothing myself. It is important for me to understand what that would entail on a wider scale so I can adapt it into my production role. 

The first point Crist makes is that how the costume designer will have plenty things to consider when making the choices. "These components include the script, the theme, the time period, the character, the sketches, the tools, and the costume plot."- (Crist, 2014:4) Since I am the one who has already created all of the above, I am confident I will be able to source the right things for the film. Starting with the script, Crist illustrated that: "Costuming may be a creative process, but it is still bound by the circumstance of the costume as prescribed by the script which includes such information as time period, and functional elements. The script is the costumer’s playbook through which they start the creative process."(Crist, 2014: 5) With this in mind, I thoroughly went through my script and made a list of all the things I would need. This thesis made me realise that every detail and choice you make counts. For example, out of my list of things to acquire for my shoot, one of the main props would be Isaiah's bicycle. Although this isn't necessarily costume, it is very much part of his identity and plays a role within the end scene. It was important for me to get a bike that would 

1) suit the character of Isaiah
2) be fitting within the time in which it is set. 

The bike I have chosen for this was a black BMX bike.

With my own knowledge judging by what I have seen from my peers, a bike of this style is usually used to perform tricks and stunts at skate parks etc so there is an element of fun to it. The people who tend to use this style of bike usually has a certain somewhat edgy persona that comes with it. I'd imagine a somewhat rebellious nature or a little bit of a thrill seeker. I thought it would be a nice touch to my character because it would illustrate that he does have that side in him even though we see him relatively quite and within himself. It is interesting what a choice of prop can say about the character as a whole. For example,  in south east London, the stereotypical outlook on young boys who deal drugs on bikes usually ride around on bikes like this: 

 

They would usually be dressed in all black and have hoods up, this would be the stereotypical image of a character like that. That doesn't suit my character but I do think it is a good middle ground if I couldn't get hold of any other bikes since a lot of people ride mountain bikes and are not drug dealers. However, since I am bearing in mind that my character is a young black boy and the target audience will also be around the same age of the actor, I am bearing in mind what image I give him. 

If I were to use a bike like any of these: 



You can imagine it would say something a lot different about the character than whats originally intended. Even though its just one prop that isn't shown all through the film, in my eyes, it is still a detail that shouldn't be taken for granted. 

As we move forward through the thesis, Brianne Crist talks about the importance of a costume designer's research. Again, touching upon the previously mentioned quote where she states "Costuming may be a creative process, but it is still bound by the circumstance of the costume as prescribed by the script which includes such information as time period, and functional elements."(Crist, 2014: 4) This relates to another major part of my film where my main actor is being revived by paramedics. I had gone back and forth with the script wondering whether I should make it paramedics reviving him or not but after a conversation with my lecturer, he advised me that it would be better and more powerful to do so and he also stressed how important it was to get the costume right. By almost reiterating what Crist's quote said, I knew I had to really research and source the appropriate uniform for Uk's paramedics. 

Upon researching, I found that most paramedics wear dark green basic uniform with blue medical gloves. And once they are outside, they usually wear high visibility jackets. Example below; 



it was now my duty to make sure I found something similar as it would have to fit the current time setting of the film.


Isaiah's Character

As I continue through the thesis and understand more about the impact of costume, I came across another important point that I must consider. Crist states; "...the details of costuming are determined by additional factors such as mood, class, age, gender, and personality." she elaborates by explaining that although there are many things to think about, the actual character's characteristics should be at the forefront. So, I knew I had to really focus heavily on how I wanted to portray my main character Isaiah. 

I wanted his character to be filled with so many contradictions. What I mean by this is Isaiah is a character who is quite withdrawn from thew world as he lacks certain confidences within himself, however he really comes alive and "brightens"when he engages in his art. So I wanted to constantly have him as the "brightest" in the room even when he is the quietest. kind of saying how things can be right in front of you and you wouldn't notice it. These choices all fit into the main theme of the film. My character will then be in all black towards the end of the film, showing a change in character as he becomes more depressed. Since he will be doing art, I will need to source clothes that are not constricting and would suit his activities. As well as suit the fashion style of a young artist who doesn't necessarily engage illegal activities and therefore wouldn't wear the stereotypical clothing of a "roadman" I had to source clothing that would bare all of those things in mind. Below is an image of the items I bought. "On the practical side, the costume designer clothes the actor and ensures that the actor is able to perform without constriction due to their costumes. " - (Crist, 2014: 4) with this in mind, I went ahead and got lots of loose fitting hoodies and T shirts that would suit the characteristics as well as be comfortable for him to wear.

*insert picture*


As you can see, with the character's characteristics in mind, I sourced really colourful tops. my personal favourite is the orange hoodie. I love the way orange looks agains dark skin and I therefore wanted the audience to have that same appeal with the colours too. It will really put the character at the centre of attention and so I want him to wear this top when he first interacts with Lily and when he sits at the dinner table. The idea is to have this vibrant person within a somewhat grey and basic setting. Below are images that inspired my costume choices.

(JOHN LEWIS X ORLA KIELY CAMPAIGN)

Second Meeting with main actress about costume
My first initial meeting was when I first interviewed Sigourney for her role where we discussed the current plans for the film as well payment etc. Originally, this meeting was meant to be a table read with both Sigourney and Moses but Moses was unable to make it last minute. So I thought I would utilise the time I had with Sigourney to go over my plans for costume. Since the meeting took place at her house, we were able to thoroughly go through her items of clothing to see if she had anything to suit the character. 


Lily's Character
my initial idea for Lily was to be seen as a sweet, innocent girl with good intentions. I wanted the colour palette for her to be really neutral and filled with lots of light colours such as beige, cream and even pastel colours like light pink. The idea was for the characters costume to actually contrast each other, making Isaiah to always seem be the most vibrant character in the room with his bright colours. 

During my meeting with Sigourney, I took pictures of some of the things we found in her closet that would suit the idea I was going for; 

As you can see, there was a clear colour scheme planned out and I was happy with the items found. All that needed to be done was gather a few more items because the montage scene would require more changes of clothes. This is where I would source some items from my own wardrobe.

Overall I was really happy with the amount of effort I put in making sure I got the right things to suit the personality of the characters, I really wanted that to show and I think it will once shooting starts and I finally see how the colour schemes work against the settings that I have chosen.

Next Steps: 
The next steps would be for me to schedule another table read, complete necessary paper work and risk assessments and continue to source everything else needed for the film.