Professional Studies : February 2014

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Poison Ivy Costume Project

For a separate project I have decided to create a Poison Ivy Costume. Poison Ivy is a villain from the Batman DC comic's and films. I have begun research on the comics and the types of recreations that exist, so when beginning my drawings I can take elements from the images I have looked at. below I have included the images I have used when creating my research. I have also included a few film clips including the Uma Thurman adaptation of the character, I have also included some videos of how other people have adapted their costumes. from this research I have made a decision to make a leotard based costume with boot covers and gloves, I will add a red wig and fake ivy leaves and vines as further development. I wanted to keep the features of the original comic book characters dress as well as looking at the darker elements that DC are currently bringing to the franchise.

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Lizzy Gardiner

LIZZY GARDINER
COSTUME DESIGN

"Lizzy was born in a small outback town and remained there until she was sent to boarding school for six years for crimes never discussed. After that she went onto live in Italy and studied fashion and costume design for three years at the Acadamia di Italiana. She returned to Australia and began working in film. At the ripe old age of 25 she won the British Academy of Film and Television Award (BAFTA), the Australian Film Industry Award (AFI) and the Academy Award (Oscar) for her costumes on Stephan Elliott’s Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. For the Academy Award ceremony, Lizzy designed and wore a dress made completely out of American Express Gold Cards, which has been exhibited across the globe and has become an iconic piece of Oscar history. Lizzy’s other feature film credits include: John Woo’s Mission Impossible II, Mark Steven Johnson’s Ghost Rider, Rob Cohen’s Stealth, John Dahl’s The Great Raid, the Wachowski Brothers’ Bound, Stephan Elliott’s Welcome to Woop–Woop and, more recently, Carter Smith’s The Ruins. Her work on Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Musical has garnered the Helpmann Award for Costume Design and the Green Room Award for Best Costumes."

Tim Chappel

TIM CHAPPEL
COSTUME DESIGN

"Tim won an Academy Award (Oscar), British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award and Australian Film Institute Award (AFI) for his costume design for the feature film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. He revisited this work in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the Musical, which has been performed in Sydney, Melbourne, New Zealand, Canada, London, USA, Italy and Brazil. The Australian version of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the Musical won the 2007 Helpmann Award for Costume Design and the 2008 Green Room Award for Best Costume, while the international productions have won him the 2010 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Costume, the 2011 Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical, the 2011 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Costume Design for a Play or Musical, the 2011 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design, as well as the 2010 BroadwayWorld.com Toronto Award for Best Original Costume Design. After the success of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Tim spent many years designing for feature films, TV and music video clips in the USA. Feature film credits include: Today You Die, Love Wrecked, Miss Congeniality, Into the Sun, Red Riding Hood, Mojave Moon and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers amongst others. For TV his credits include: VIP, High Society and Kathy and Mo, as well as a number of music video clips for popular artists such as Missy Elliott, Cher and Matchbox 20. Since returning to Australia, Tim designed for the encore presentation of The Sapphires produced by Black Swan Theatre Company and Company B, consulted for a children’s TV series, and lectured costume design at the Australian Film Television and Radio School. Tim designed costumes for PJ Hogan’s latest film Mental earning him a Best Costume Design nomination for the ACCTA Awards. He also designed for the TV series I Will Survive for Channel 10 and FremantleMedia Australia, which aired in 2012. Tim’s designs can be seen on Australia’s celebrities including Christine Anu for her Rewind show (2012), Casey Donovan for The Deadlys (2012) and Trevor Ashley for Diamonds Are for Trevor as part of the Mardi Gras Festival (2012)."

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Earlier this year I visited a performance of Pricilla Queen of the Desert at the Sunderland Empire. The show was a pure spectacle with brilliant performances from the cast. I loved every minute of it and recommended to many friends and family. the main thing that drew my attention in the show was the flamboyant and technical costumes, and after the show I was very interested in finding more about the designer and their construction. I have included below a selection of the creative team involved in the production of the show. I have also added some videos displaying the show and its costumes.

CREATIVE TEAM

BOOK - STEPHAN ELLIOT
BOOK & PRODUCER - ALLAN SCOTT
DIRECTOR - SIMON PHILLIPS
CO-CHOREOGRAPHER - ROSS COLEMAN
CO-CHOREOGRAPHER - ANDREW HALLSWORTH
MUSICAL SUPERVISION, DIRECTION, ARRANGEMENTS & ORCHESTRATIONS - STEPHEN ‘SPUD ’ MURPHY
BUS CONCEPT & PRODUCTION DESIGN - BRIAN THOMSON
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - DEAN BRYANT
COSTUME DESIGN - TIM CHAPPEL
COSTUME DESIGN - LIZZY GARDINER
ORIGINAL LIGHTING DESIGN - NICK SCHLIEPER
ORIGINAL SOUND DESIGN - MICHAEL WATERS
MAKE-UP DESIGNER - CASSIE HANLON
MUSIC ARRANGER - CHARLIE HULL
SCRIPT CONSULTANT - PHILLIP SCOTT
TOUR LIGHTING DESIGNER - MICHAEL ODAM
TOUR SOUND DESIGNER - MATT GROUNDS
ASSOCIATE SET DESIGNER - JUSTIN NARDELLA
CASTING DIRECTOR - DEBBIE O’BRIEN
PROPS SUPERVISOR - LIZZIE FRANKL
PRODUCTION MANAGER - SIMON GOODING
RESIDENT DIRECTOR - JASON CAPEWELL
MUSICAL DIRECTOR - RICHARD WEEDEN
ASSISTANT MUSICAL DIRECTOR - TOM GEARING
ORCHESTRAL MANAGEMENT - STEPHEN HILL
PRODUCER - NULLARBOR PRODUCTIONS
PRODUCER - DAVID IAN PRODUCTIONS
PRODUCER - THE AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP LTD

Laura Ashley 1960-70's Dress Interpretation Project

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

Colleen Atwood

Colleen Atwood ( Born September 25, 1948) is an American costume designer that works mainly with film and sometimes TV. She often works alongside Tim Burton and with him she has produced some of her most successful and recognizable work such as; Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland and Planet of the Apes.

The awards she has won include; Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Saturn Award for Best Costume, Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Fantasy Film, Satellite Award for Best Costume Design, BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design, Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Costume Design, Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Costume Design,BFCA Critics' Choice Award for Best Costume Design, Costume Designers Guild Award for Best Costume Design - Period or Fantasy Film, Costume Designers Guild Award for Best Costume Design - Period Film, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Costumes - Variety, Music Program or Special, Costume Designers Guild Award for Spotlight Award - Film, Costume Designers Guild Award for Career Achievement in Film Award

"Costumes are the first impression that you have of the character before they open their mouth-it really does establish who they are.

As a designer, you have to solve a lot of problems. Even though people are wearing clothes that are supposed to look beautiful, they'll have to do all kinds of things.

(on devising the wardrobe for 'Snow White and the Huntsman') Every costume had a feeling of not quite what it seems. In a way, these dresses were like torture devices for Ravenna. I love that because I feel like Ravenna was, in a way, more tortuous toward herself than to the people she was killing." - Colleen Atwood.

Below i have researched into most of her work and have found imagery of the costume designs that she has created.