Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2010 - 57

suited darker red dress, which looks like it was designed
around the actor's own body shape.
Changes to the digital image can be coupled with changes
to the proportions of our actual actor while we are in the fitting room, as any teenager who has stuffed their bra will know.
We can corset or girdle to diminish the waist, add padding to
modify the bust or hips, use high heels with shoe lifts to gain
height and change the actors' natural proportions. Knowing in advance that the actor's own proportions will need to
be "cheated" gives the cutter an advantage. Patternmaking or
draping will be based on the actor's new padded or girdled
dimensions rather than their actual body measurements. The
cutter will know in advance to make the pattern larger in areas
that will be padded or extended, smaller in areas that will be
bound, and longer to compensate for heel lifts.
Armed with the ability to preview a costume illustration as it
will look on a given actor, we will banish the sinking feeling that the
costume didn't turn out exactly as we had pictured it. The picture
will be there for all to see, and as long as we have skilled cutters
and sewers, the finished costume will look just like the sketch!
If your curiosity is sufficiently whetted, we will proceed
to answer the question, "How is this done?" We have written
a guide, "Changing Proportions," which is available free of
charge on our Web site. The program that we use is Photoshop.
The process of changing proportions is a bit more advanced
than the actor outlines presented in the previous article, but the
steps are well explained with plenty of visuals accompanying
the instructions. My students pointed out an added benefit that
all of the digital skills are highly transferable, and will come in
handy on a multitude of projects dealing with images. We have
also developed a short video which demonstrates the process
for the visual learners among us.
The images on the opposite page are from the "Changing Proportions" guide. We have broken down the technique
into segments, for easier mastery. We explain creative ways
to use the scaling frame (ctrl + t), which anyone who has
inadvertently squashed or stretched a digital image already
knows about.
We break our image into manageable chunks (for example sleeves, bodice, and skirt). Using the basic scaling frame on
each area individually, we widen, narrow or rotate the image to
correspond to our actor's outline.
Once we have transformed the image as much as possible
using the scaling frame, we fill in any cracks that may have resulted from enlarging or moving the image. The Clone Stamp
Tool is used to copy areas of similar color and texture, applying them like matching band-aids to fill in the cracked areas.
The second phase of the process that we use to transform
proportions is in the Liquify workspace. Do not be daunted by
the sound of it; this is one of the coolest techniques, and not
as complicated as it sounds. Tools in this workspace (which is
accessed through the Filter menu) have awesome names like
Forward Warp Tool, and Freeze Mask Tool. And, yes, you
will feel like a super hero when you use them.

Game Design Needs Women
by Sawssan Kaddoura
The definition of game design is still a subject of debate in the industry. At the beginning, the game designer and the programmer were one and the same. As the
gaming industry became more complex, some companies separated the two tasks: the
game designer was responsible for the concept, story, message, characters, gameplay,
mechanics of play, and basically conceiving the entire game experience; programmers
wrote the code. But, as programmers like to always remind us "ideas are a dime
a dozen!" so essentially if it's not technically possible to program, it doesn't matter
how great our concepts are, they're useless. This makes the gaming industry one of
the most team-oriented industries. This new division of tasks allowed educational
programs in game design to be created. The program at the Université de Montréal
does not force the designer to have programming knowledge first; it allows students
from all professional backgrounds to enter the industry. Graphic design, film studies, industrial design, communication, programming, marketing and psychology are
some of the versatile backgrounds found in this year's cohort. This diversity is helping
the industry embrace new ideas and find innovative ways to work with this medium.

CommoN PoiNt
After the game designer decides the story and the kind of experience we want to
realize, the most important part of making a game is figuring out its mechanics and
gameplay. "Balancing" is a key word when making a game. As designers, we have to
work on a complex system of rules, details, and interactions, and "organize" them
in a way to create the most fluid and interesting gameplay for the user.
Although the two fields of game design and costume design are very different, there
are some common points. With Catherine, I had to figure out the simplest way to arrive at a
certain result using a digital tool (Photoshop). I had to take a complex process and find a
way to simplify it and make it easy for costume designers, who may not have prior knowledge
of this digital tool, to achieve the desired result.

geNder aNd video game
Often when I say I'm studying game design, people are surprised simply because
I'm a woman. It is no secret that the stereotypical gamer is male. Culturally, boys are
more often oriented to video games. This is reflected in the industry which is still
highly male dominated and where designers have men's interests in mind when creating games. In our class of nineteen students, only four are girls, and out of the six
teachers, only one is a woman. Fortunately, this trend is changing-more girls are
getting introduced and interested to video games, and even the industry is starting
to think about them as a potential market. As men's interests are often stereotyped
as wanting to "shoot stuff," women's interests are portrayed as being limited to
fashion, makeup, and parties.
There is still a long way before men and women are equally present and interestingly
represented. This is why new designers who come from different fields and interests help give
the fresh take this industry needs. No matter what background you come from, if you want
to design games, you need to play them. It's important to start presenting video games as a
possible hobby for girls. This will help them become familiar with a whole medium that they
may want to get involved in professionally.

Sawssan Kaddoura has been working with Catherine on this project as technical and digital advisor. She has just completed an advanced degree in Game
Design at the Université de Montréal.

S U M M E R

2010

theatre

design

technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2010