Costume college: day 2 – Collections Tour (part one)
The limited tour was well worth the trip. We all hopped on a bus to go to Western costume.
One lady was working on a gown and trying it on during the ride there:
I am told it is a common for people to be finishing gowns while they are here. All in anticipation of to wearing a new gown Saturday night at the big Gala event. Boy I can feel the Gala will be a sight to behold. I won’t be able to put the camera down! Me though, I didn’t make a new gown.
Back to the trip at hand though. Upon our arrival I started to realize just how big the facility is. Just check out these racks of clothing:
We all trundled upstairs to start the tour up in the Library:
Being surrounded by many costuming related books, many that I had never seen before was rather exciting. I wandered away from the group and started shooting book bindings with some weird idea I’d zoom in and research what books I was missing out on. Good thought perhaps but really there were too many shelves to even know where to begin so I took a few shots and moved on or I’d be left behind. I was really wanting to peek at ISBN numbers on some!
Large boards with research for different movies:
The researcher who started the tour was lovely and showed us books of research for different movies as well as discussed the process they go through when a movie or play is in the beginning stages… when everyone is dreamy eyed, full of hope and not thinking about budgets yet! From there everything gets pulled back to reality and gets adjusted. But that initial research and all the potential decisions, to me, seems quite overwhelming – to costume and entire movie??? I wouldn’t know where to start.
*drools* Books and costumes … that sounds like heaven. Looks like you’re having lots of fun!
Bookfinder .com will help you find books w/o the ISBN – you just need author or title. I use it for music stuff all the time (and makeup/wig books for Denise).
Costuming a show isn’t that difficult. You start by reading the script/synopsis to get a feel for the main characters, then you talk to the director to understand their vision for period & style, then you start pulling swtches and sketching ideas for each character throught the show.
Then reality sets in, as they mentioned. It’s also a good idea to begin working on relationships within existing theater groups, since (very often) shows are simply “picked” from existing stock at various theaters. It’s cheaper than making new costumes.
If you are really interested in costuming a show, let me know,as Denise can help you with that – Livermore Opera is doing the Cav/Pag double bill this October (that’s an easy one to start on). But there will be others in the spring Denise could probably swing a visit to the SF Opera costume facility if you haven’t already been there.
(Also, I don’t know how your relationship with Nathalie R. is, but she could probably get you in on the opera workshop at SJSU).
I went on a similar tour to Western Costume several years ago my first year at Costume College. What a great place to get lost in. Did you get to see their pair of ruby slippers or the Marilyn Monroe dress of yards and yards of chiffon (I think) fabric?