Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1997 - 45

observe on) a film, you don't realize what a different. complicated process it is and how many additional demands there are
on the design. \01' are you aware of many of the design subtleties
that are shaped by seeing the world through the camera's eye.
I recently worked on a feature film starringjiU Clayburgh
and Leslie Ann Warren with the working title of Going All Tbe
IV~)'. The film had four weeks of prep and fire weeks of shooting. We shot in a different location. all ol'er Indianapolis. almost every day. It lI'as a low budget film with roughly $35.000
for the cosnlme budget.
Working on tlus film was for me the perfect cap to the sL\
months I had spent on sabbatical in Los Angeles researclung
costuming in the film industry. While there, I had interviewed a
rariety of designers and cosnlmers, heard many tales of working in the industry (some rather clUlling) , and got a chance to
work on an episodic television series for Showtime and an episode of Jl~)'steries of tbe Une.\plained. I did obselyations of
television productions, mm~es of tile week and prep on aTim BlII'
ton film. I also got a chance to go into COSnlOle shops, lIIuonmeetings, rental houses, prop houses and special effects studios.
Films are by nanlre lughly complex. Location work involves huge numbers of production personnel: actors, directors, producers, designers and their crews. extras, location
management, transportation crews, catering, stunt coordinators. animal trainers (wranglers), etc. As a consequence,
communication is botll complicated and vitally important.

More on-site
pressure: "Don't
hold up the
camera:'
Shooting out of
sequence
problems
Longer work days;
sometimes 14
hours on set

Shorter rehearsal
time, no dress
rehearsals
Different costume
role definitions
and terminology

Fewer formal
training
alternatives

The process of casting. contracting and rehearsing a film
production is vel)' different from what we are used to in theatre. Prep periods can be very short. It is COIllmon for eren
complicated period films to have only about four weeks to
prep before shooting begins. Telelision shmrs are even tighter
Irith only two or three prep days. To make matters lI"Orse. sClipt
changes happen dllling tile prep peliod and up until tile acnlal
filming of tile scene. By compaIison, tile tinle giren to prepaIing
tile cosmmes for most theatre productions is IIL\Ulious. Take for
e.\anlple tile prepaI-ation peliod for a Shakespem'e festil·a1. In my
expelience at botll tile 'tah and Colomdo Shakespem'e festirals
Ire aI'e conu-acted as designers in tile falI, hold planning meetings
in januaI)' aIld March, and constl1lct nud-May to tile end ofjune.
All tlus plaIuling is for about 50 to 60 cosmmes. For Going All tbe
IVq)' we had four weeks to prep literally hundreds of I950s cosmmes, mnging from 39 ChaIlges for tile leading man to several
days of shooting scenes lI~tll 50 or more extras.
Key acting roles are frequently cast vel:)' late in the planning process; extras are most often seen for the first time the
day of the shoot, or a maximum of a week ahead on a period
film. So even though you may have four weeks to prep the costumes for a film, you may not get importaIll casting decisions
until a week before shooting, or even during the shoot. Casting
changes and poor advance information can happen to all costumers; the difference in working in the film aIld television industries is that vel)' late casting is the norlll. The standard

Fewer formal
training
alternatives (conl'd)

Fewer design
assist
opportunities
More difficult
access to work
* fewer advertising
sources
* tighter union
regulations, difficult entry
* more mobile work
sources

Deemphasis on
portfolio in entry
level job
interviews
Portfolio
emphasis on film
and television
stylistic range

TD&T

All

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1997