Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1975 - 25

Costume Designers

A t the high school level students interested in costume
design should keep a loose-leaf scrapbook or portfolio of
costume sketches. Swatches should be included if possible. Photographs of costumes actually produced should
also be included. These may be either production photographs or individual pictures posed by the actors.
A t the completion of the bachelor's degree a student
designer should present a portfolio of designs including
at least the following:
(a) A series of individual sketches indicating familiarity with historical periods and the principal lines of
costume for those periods.
(b) A series of color renderings, swatches, showing
costumes for a small cast play or for one scene of a
large cast or multiple scene production. These plates
should be complete in every detail and be so drawn as
to indicate the cut, trim, fastenings, accessories, etc.,
that may be required.
(c) At least six detail drawings of such items as
hats, wigs, jewelry, helmets, etc., with indications of
construction technique.
(d) Samples of patterns drawn to scale; and properly
labeled to indicate the part of the garment, style and
period.
A t the completion of the Master's degree the costumer
should be able to present a portfolio of complete costume
designs for at least ten productions, one of which should
be for a play by Shakespeare and one of which should
be a musical or opera.
(a) Costume plates rendered in water color or other
appropriate media on board or paper no smaller than
10 x 15 inches and no larger than 15 x 20 inches. Plates
should be swatched, and should clearly show all trim,
fasteners, and the like.
It should be noted that these renderings should be of
such quality as to show not only the line and color, but
texture as well. The figures shown should be properly proportioned and posed to show the costume to the best advantage. Additional smaller views (such as rear views)
should be included wherever necessary. Each plate should
be labeled to indicate the character's name and the scene
in which the costume is to be worn, as well as the name of
the play.
(b) A costume plot, broken down by French scenes
and with a careful description of each costume, should
be provided for at least one production.
(c) Scaled patterns, appropriately marked, for representative costumes in one or more of the productions,
with emphasis on the more elaborate or unusual garments. A minimum of six patterns should be prepared
at a scale of one inch to the foot.
(d) Detailed drawings for one of the productions of
accessories such as jewelry, hats, wigs, shoes, etc., as
may be required for the information of the wardrobe
technicians.
(e) Slides or photographs of constructed garments
and accessory details.
Combination Portfolios
Since most employment opportunities for young

USITT

designers are in "one man" and "two man" shops, the
possibility of presenting a portfolio of design work in
either two or three of the foregoing fields should be
considered. In such a case, the designer might well present designs for fewer productions and present work in
additional fields. In combination portfolios the designs
included should be coordinated, at least in part. Certainly, at least one production should be completely
presented, with renderings and drawings of the setting,
complete light plot and costume designs; all properly
coordinated according to style of presentation and displaya unified concept of design.

Such combination portfolios might well be prepared
in conjunction with class-work; the teaching artists in
each area coordinating the necessary assignments to
produce a fully completed design at the end of the course
of study.
As a general rule, the guidelines given in the design
sections above should prove adequate to indicate the
content of a portfolio of this type.
Type of Presentation
Since portfolios themselves are usually quite bulky
and difficult, if not impossible, to mail under Postal
Service regulations, other methods of presentation should
be considered.
(a) Slides: 35 mm slides of portfolio drawings, renderings, costume plates, etc., should be clearly numbered in
sequential order. The slide sequence should include title
slides giving the name of the play. Such information as
play title, character name and scene, etc., should be
clearly lettered on the bottom of the drawing so that
it is legible when the slide is projected. An acceptable
alternative would be a numbered, typed index accompanying the slides. When designs have been used for an
actual production, the rendering, costume plates, etc.,
should be followed by slides of the actual production
so that an easy comparison can be made between the
design on paper and the design in production.
(b) Presentation Book: A photographic presentation
book can also be used to present color photographs of
actual productions. Although such books are bulkier
than a slide presentation, it is possible to fold and include sample drawings and light plots in them; the very
. items that often do not photograph well.
All items in such a book should be attractively mounted and appropriately labeled. Where possible, renderings
should be mounted next to actual production photographs.
In the case of actual productions, the inclusion of a
floor plan and section of the theatre used would be most
useful in evaluating the designs.
School Records. The photographic copies used by
schools might be in either slide forms or carefully maintained color prints. Of the two, slides are probably the
preferable form, from the point of view of both convience and cost.
Such records should contain the best examples of
student work, whether produced or not. In cases where
the students designs are actually produced, photographs

THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

WINTER,1975

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1975