Introduction to Costume Design

Catalog description

Introduction to costume design process through character analysis and the use of color, line, and texture. THEA 260 Introduction to Costume Design (3) (BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. THEA 260 provides the student the opportunity to experience the costume design process from the reading of the script to the creation of a fully rendered costume design. The work of a costume designer begins with the ability to read the play script from both the perspective of the audience and that of the human beings depicted in the imaginary premise. The student is given a specific methodology for reading a play and determining the plot, the dramatic action, and the theme or significance of the action of the play. Next, the student is exposed to research methods and techniques that illuminate historical periods and genres and allow the designer to fully appreciate the lives of human being living in different times and locations. Beginning projects are derived from contemporary dramatic material that requires relatively little examination into the social and historical period. Subsequent projects, however, move farther away from contemporary realism and require extensive research to grasp the essence of the period. The next section of the course is devoted to an examination of how this research and analysis is used by the costume designer to make artistic choices. Students are introduced to a specific technique for analyzing a character and determining what kind of clothing would be appropriate for the individual based on the student's analysis of their personality, social status, and function in the play. The final project involves the creation of a costume design for the entire play. The student is guided through the process of improving rendering skills, creating a finished representation of each garment worn in the play, and enhancing their ability to communicate these choices to a director and actors.