I love my role in film, as Costume Designer. It is such a spectacular place to be in as a film maker. It’s a beautiful step in the actors process. They walk in as them selves. We chat, and it starts. Sometimes there is magic in the air, and we both do our best to create this character.
During the covid pandemic, I found a new way to design a movie. I had fun with one actor, we did a zoom meeting and she was very willing to utilize her own wardrobe for some of her characters changes. It was a mini fashion show and it was perfect. When her and I finally met for our actual fitting, we had fun because I had an idea of where she wanted to go with her character.
I love it when I can talk with the Director and even the Writer to get a sense of what they were imagining. I had to much fun standing beside Eden Robinson on the set of Monkey Beach, asking her if this is what she envisioned when writing the Halloween scene in her book, her reply was, a simple nod with teary eyes. And when I saw her in our SPFx day, she was crying tears of joy seeing her writing come to life. I love working with Directors who give me time as a Designer to really get to the same page. Matthew Blecha and I have fun at our “costumed table-reads”. I’ve always wanted to do that and if there is time, we play. The actors love it, sitting at the table in costume. Experimenting.
The best was during the pandemic, I was over in the other side of the costume house, I created a costume room, fully equipped with shoes, belts, spanx, and a large clothing rack of approved clothing. I laid out the change cards and said, Ok let’s play, first change up is your character waking up, come out wearing what you think your character would wear. A huge smile and, Really!? and they come out wearing something I may not have put together. This allowed for the actor to have fun and totally be a part of building their character. And for me it showed me where the actor is seeing their character.
This world of Costume Designing is always changing, ever evolving and fluid. I love it. Never the same change, actors becoming characters and all I have to do is prepare and present a world for the actor to dive into costumes. Its fun. Its beautiful. And I will forever appreciate the work I can do to make a production come to life.
Working onset takes quite the arsenal of pieces of clothing to work in film in the Pacific Northwest. Ask any crew and cast about filming in BC in Fall, Winter, and Spring and they’ll tell you about their kit of onset clothing. I just purchased a pair of neoprene leggings and absolutely love them! I wear over my wool/cashmere blend tights and then some wool/cashmere sock and in the middle of winter, I’ll wear at least two layers of thermal tops — its many many layers, but, after 6 hours working outside in Squamish, I was fine, warm actually. And I will always show off my Duckfeet boots. I love these boots, they’re wide bottom (the duckfeet reference) make you pretty stable on most environments, ice is ok even! And the thick leather outer and shearling inner is perfect, and the width allows for my insole and voilá, amazingly comfortable onset boots.