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Work in costume
by Daniel Angel of www.wardrobesupplies.co.uk
August 2006

Daniel Angel joined Angels in 1994, becoming the sixth generation to work within the family company. He trained as a costumier in the Men's Department gaining comprehensive experience in aspects ranging from 17th Century dress to contemporary design, and has worked on a variety of productions for theatre, TV and film - favourite projects to date have included TV series Bramwell, Diva Opera, and multiple Oscar-winning movie, The English Patient.
In 2002, Daniel Angel took over responsibility for the control and movement of stock within Angels, and in 2006, he became responsible for the co-ordination of the new Wardrobe Supplies service.

If you are considering a career in costume there are 3 distinct career paths within the TV, theatre and film industries.

* Design
* Wardrobe
* Making

In order to understand the career opportunities available it is important to demonstrate the considerable differences between a Costume Designer / Costume Design Assistant and a Wardrobe Supervisor / Wardrobe Assistant. To add to the confusion, there are also considerable differences between costume in theatre and costume in film/tv!

Who does what?

The Wardrobe/Costume department has various elements (see below). It is responsible for providing both made and hired costumes to the production.

The department is headed by the Costume Designer who is responsible for the 'look' of the production as well as staffing and managing a team of people which may include a costume design assistant, costume/wardrobe supervisor, costume/wardrobe assistants and skilled technicians such as cutters, makers, finishers, dyers and milliners. The size of department and number of job roles vary depending on the size and type of production. However, on major feature films, the Wardrobe Supervisor is often a head of department in their own right and is solely responsible for the wardrobe team. The costume designer will design original costumes, oversee the purchase, hire and adaptation of ready-made outfits, and work with a team of technicians and craftspeople who will translate their sketches into wearable garments and look after the costumes once at the theatre or on set. In the Theatre, the Costume Designer may also design the Set.

THEATRE

Theatre Wardrobe Supervisor
Is employed by the production company (on a set contract) but usually selected by the Costume Designer. They act as the Costume Designer's assistant and are their 'eyes and ears'. They translate the designer's 2D drawings into 3D, sample the fabrics, choose and contact makers and control the budget. They help the designer make stock selections and organise and attend fittings, taking photographs and making notes. They make sure that everything is accessorised properly. With the Designer they have to keep the artists happy and attend tech rehearsals and production meetings. It's important that they know what is going to be happening on stage that allowances can be made where necessary - for example if there is a fight scene there may be 'blood' flying about which will need to be cleaned at the end of each performance. On some productions they may also be responsible for wigs.

Once the show is up and running, they will hand over to the Wardrobe Mistress. On long running shows they may have to organise cast changes following the same procedure as above but this time without the Designer.

Wardrobe Master/Mistress
Is usually employed by the production company/theatre. They are responsible for the costumes in the show at all times as well as the supervision of the rest of the team. They are responsible for maintaining costumes to the standard of the first night. They must have a good knowledge of repairing, sewing and cleaning techniques. They need to know where to buy fabrics and all the relevant items required to run a wardrobe. They need to be able to put the wardrobe team together and have excellent people/communication skills. Hours are long and late - you work six days a week with matinees.

Wardrobe Assistants
Will assist the Wardrobe Master/Mistress with ironing and costume maintenance and will cover for them on large shows in their absence. This is a full time role - again hours are long and late - you work six days a week with matinees.

Dressers
The Dressers look after the actors and their costumes before, during and after each performance. They are also responsible for the maintenance, laundering and repair of costumes. Need to be familiar with and good at quick changes and be proactive. A calm and efficient manner is essential as well as being amenable and able to get on with people. This is a part time job - eg show-times only. Occasionally they could get called in to do laundry

A Costume Maker will either be employed by the Wardrobe supervisor direct on a freelance basis or by a supply house like Angels.

FILM/TV

Film/TV Wardrobe Supervisor is employed by the Costume Designer. They are responsible for setting up the wardrobe department. They organise the schedule of the prep time, fittings with actors, liaising with the production office, doing costume breakdowns, finding makers for the manufacture of costumes and where a production is large, setting up and looking after the budget. They employ the wardrobe staff and set up the department.

A Wardrobe Master/Mistress has the same duties as the Wardrobe Assistant but has the added responsibility of making sure that the set runs smoothly and is the direct link between the set/director/producers and the supervisor. He/she is always there to answer any questions and solve problems and to report such things to the supervisor.

A Wardrobe Assistant works to the Supervisor's instructions. During the prep time they help set up the wardrobe department, do basic shopping, set up the continuity bible and become familiar with the script. Once filming/production starts they are responsible for looking after the actor's costumes, making sure they wear the right costume for the right scene, maintaining and cleaning the costume - on film and tv they will keep continuity notes up to date and generally run the set. At times they will also have to work with the supervisor doing crowd fittings, setting up for crowd days and dressing the crowd.

Wardrobe assistants are usually employed on a freelance basis so hours and conditions vary. On films, hours are likely to be long and irregular. Depending on the nature and location of the production, wardrobe assistants may work in studios or theatre or out on location.

A Costume Maker will either be employed by the Costume Designer direct on a freelance basis or by a supply house like Angels.

What qualifications do I need?

To undertake any career in costume or wardrobe you need to have a good personality and great people skills. The job will entail meeting many new people so a friendly and calm manner is important. You need good communication skills, be able to work as part of a team and have the enthusiasm and energy to cope with long working days.

As with most things, it's wise to stay on at school or college to do A levels which will lead you into higher education should you choose that route. In any case, you have to be at least 16 to work in any capacity in the theatre and at least 18 in some TV/Film environments.

Whilst you are at school and/or college, get involved with local amateur dramatic groups - willing volunteers are always needed in the wardrobe department! Your school or college will probably have a drama department - again - volunteer to help out with the costumes. Also, start to look at work placements - these are a brilliant way of getting a 'taste' of life in your chosen profession and also look good on your CV when applying for courses. An interest in theatre/film/TV/fashion/textiles etc is also vital or perhaps you have an interest in history and/or art.

To be a costume designer, the traditional route is through a degree in costume design which can be combined with theatre sets and or making dependant on what you ultimately want to do.

In theatre, the costume designer is often responsible for set design as well - in film and tv this is not the case. Choose your course wisely - make sure that the elements that you want to cover are included. Also, people often think that by doing a fashion degree this will also be ok for costume but be careful because they are completely different subjects.

Most universities will require 5 GCSE passes one of which should be English plus 2 A Levels at least one of which should be in an art or design subject or a foundation diploma in Art & Design or an appropriate BTEC or equivalent. You may also need to produce a portfolio of some description.

To be a costume maker, again, the best way is through a degree course (see above). There are also specialist making courses that don't lead to a degree - for example the wonderful 2 year diploma course at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. To apply you will need to meet the same criteria as shown above.

To be a wardrobe assistant traditionally you would need to be a graduate of a costume degree course. However, although a degree or other course in fashion or costume gives a solid base of historical and technical knowledge, this is not all that is required. Just as important are initiative, flexibility and above all enthusiasm.

At Angels wardrobe staff are known as costumiers but really their role runs parallel with that of a wardrobe assistant. At Angels we run an intensive training programme for all new staff which means that a degree background is not essential. In addition, with Skillset, we have been piloting an 18 month 'Wardrobe Assistant Training Scheme' - the only qualification for which is a passion for costume/clothes/history etc.

The schemes that we run prepare people for a career at Angels or eventually as a Wardrobe Assistant with the prospects of going on to become a Wardrobe Master/Mistress and then Supervisor. Most members of staff stay at least 4 years before pursuing a career in the outside world.

The schemes aim to:

* Improve and or introduce historical costume knowledge
* Introduce the basic techniques and methods of costuming
* Show how a costume department works and runs
* Provide regular review and assessment and support
* Provide the skills that are necessary to work in Film TV and Theatre

Courses - Where shall I go?

As with all courses, when deciding where to apply, look at things like the size of intake; the level of personal tuition; the projects that you will be undertaking; the balance of hands-on practical, art-based and theoretical projects; staff-student ratio; involvement with actual performance etc. For example, if you decide to follow the wardrobe route, it may not be necessary to do a degree at all.

What then?

Once you have your qualifications you need to find work. Throughout your course/training you should have started to build up your contacts list and now is the time to start using it! As a wardrobe assistant, this is likely to mean taking work on 'dallies' in the first instance which is where you will assist a wardrobe department on a daily basis when perhaps they have big crowd days. Once you start to get regular work you will continue to build on your contacts and your own reputation which will hopefully lead to more work! Experience is key.

To sum up

A wide variety of opportunities are available under the costume umbrella. Whichever branch you choose, it's a competitive business but you'll often find that well trained staff are rarely out of work. Bear in mind however that costume is usually first on set and the last to leave! It's not a job for the fainthearted but for someone with a passion for clothes and a love of film/theatre/tv etc, there's not much to beat it!

A few courses to look at:

The Angels Wardrobe Training Scheme
Currently running as a pilot - watch our website for news on future courses: www.angels.uk.com

BA (Hons) Costume Design
The Arts Institute Bournemouth
Central School of Speech & Drama
Edinburgh College of Art
Wimbledon School of Art

BA (Hons) Costume Construction
Central School of Speech & Drama
Rose Bruford College

BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation/Production
London College of Fashion
Rose Bruford
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
University of Leeds (Bretton Hall)
Wimbledon School of Art

Diploma (2yrs) - Costume Making for Theatre, Film & TV
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Post Graduate Diploma - Theatre Design
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

This is just a selection of courses available; there are also a range of TEC National Certificate/Diploma courses in Performing Arts which include costume related units. HNC's/HND's are also available.

Work placements at Angels

Angels offers placements of one week or more throughout the company and we are always delighted to hear from enthusiastic students (min AS level) and graduates. If you would like to be considered for the Angels Work Experience Programme, you should write to Shelley Thompson, Angels The Costumiers, 1 Garrick Road, London NW9 6AA enclosing a CV and a covering letter.

Sources of other useful information

Society of British Theatre Designers - http://www.theatredesign.org.uk/

Association of British Theatre Technicians - http://www.abtt.org.uk/

Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematography & Theatre Union (BECTU) - http://www.bectu.org.uk/

Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) - http://www.ucas.ac.uk/

Skillset - the sector skills council for the audio visual industries - http://www.skillset.org/

Angel's The Costumiers - http://www.angels.uk.com/

Angel's Wardrobe Supplies - www.wardrobesupplies.co.uk