Costume Designer
Costume design is an exciting area of work in the film, television, live theatre and production industries. Costume designers undertake and coordinate the design, manufacture and purchase of costumes for television, film and stage productions. They:
- talk with directors about the types of costumes to be worn in a production
- estimate costs involved in supplying costumes and accessories such as hats, shoes and jewellery
- coordinate the taking of actors' measurements, and garment, wig, hat and shoe fittings
- buy or hire costumes, or arrange to have them made
- prepare material and labour budgets for supplying costumes for each production
- arrange costume fittings and alterations during production
- supervise the making, alteration and repair of costumes
- ensure costumes are properly stored and cared for.
CUF50507 Diploma of Costume for Performance
This qualification reflects the role of individuals who possess a sound theoretical knowledge base and use a range of specialised, technical or managerial competencies to plan, carry out and evaluate the work of self and/or team in the area of costume and wardrobe services for the film, television and entertainment industries. They may coordinate the operation of a costume department or business or operate on a freelance basis.
What you can expect in a training program
While each course or on-the-job training program may differ in emphasis, you can expect to learn about working effectively in a costume studio, collaborating in a creative process, coordinating costume manufacture and ensuring a safe workplace. A typical training program for a Diploma of Costume for Performance that specialised in costume design, would include:
Pre-production
- Analysing performance outlines/scripts
- Interpreting costume production schedules and specifications
- Organising and monitoring bump in/bump out
- Developing and implementing costume designs
- Developing and managing a budget
Production
- Operating an off site wardrobe department
- Leading a team
- Constructing specialised costumes, accessories and costume jewellery
- Cutting and draping complex period costumes
- Making period and character costumes
- Managing project procurement
- Analysing individual fit and making pattern alterations
For information on the structure of qualifications, go to the National Training Information Service at www.ntis.gov.au. Select ‘Search’ and type CUF07 in the ‘Search for’ field and tick ‘Training Packages’ in the 'search in’ field. Select Volume 1 for an overview of all qualifications.
What other options do I have?
Costume designers normally have many years of industry experience behind them. Typically they start work as costume assistants and move on to being costume makers. To maximize their employment opportunities, costume designers need to be flexible enough to work in the film, television, live production, theatre and events industries.
Where can I do training?
You’ll find TAFE and other colleges on the national database of Registered Training Organisations - here’s how it works:
- At www.ntis.gov.au select ‘Search’.
- Type the course code (CUF50507) into the ‘Search for’
field.
- Tick ‘RTOs by scope’ in the ‘Search in’ field and select the appropriate state or territory.
Further information
For more information, visit the websites below, talk to the careers teacher at your school, go to Open Days at TAFE colleges and universities and visit their websites.
Useful websites
For industry information, search the Australian Government’s Culture and Recreation Portal at www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au. There you will find links to thousands of websites across all areas of the arts, entertainment, media and publishing industries.
For career and employment information visit the following sites:
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