Moving Images, Understanding Media

Chapter 8 The Production Process 313

Th e makeup and wardrobe departments are organized in a similar

fashion to the other aspects of production. Th e costume designer will meet

early on with the director, cinematographer, production designer, and other

department heads to devise plans for the movie. As with the preparations

within those other departments, many considerations must be taken

into account as conceptions are devised for the project. For the costume

department, a great deal of the work is completed during pre-production,

where the costume designer and wardrobe supervisor work from a script

breakdown to plan all of the clothing changes of the actors through each

scene of the movie. Costume designers are in charge of creating patterns

for all original clothing in the production, of supervising the fabrication

of those garments, and of selecting clothes that will be purchased or

rented. Th ey consult with the director and production designer to devise

appropriate costuming for characters in keeping with overall production

design. Wardrobe supervisors work under the costume designer to manage

the costume department, so they work on the set to oversee dressing of the

actors, schedules, maintenance of clothing, budget issues, and costuming

personnel.

Th e key makeup artist and key hairdresser meet with the director and

other department heads when production planning warrants their attention,

and their primary work during pre-production generally involves test

shooting with actors. Some personnel in these departments work closely with

specifi c actors, and they may be attached to projects as a result of contractual

demands. Naturally, the primary work of makeup and hairdressing occurs

during principal photography. In the case of special eff ects makeup, experts

may be hired to alter physical appearance enormously, as with aging eff ects

or faces made up to resemble monsters or aliens.

Figure 8-31 Lara Jade

applies make-up to Nash

Edgerton for Lucky. (Photo by

Spencer Susser, Courtesy Blue-

Tongue Films)

VIEWFINDER

“Some actors have really

tapped into the energy of

dressing up.”

–Tim Burton–

Director whose motion pictures

include Edward Scissorhands

(1990), Ed Wood (1994),

Sweeney Todd (2007), and Alice

in Wonderland (2010)

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