Download Creating a Costume / Set Design

Costume Design Notes
Anything in RED will be on a test or quiz
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for
Character
the overall appearance of a ______________
or
performer. This usually involves researching,
building
designing and _________________the
actual
items from conception.
Costumes may be for a theater or cinema
performance but may not be limited to such. Four
types of costumes are used in theatrical design,
Historical _________,
fantastic
________,
_________,
and ________.
dance
modern
Historical Costumes
Fantastic/Fantasy Costumes
Dance Costumes
Modern Costumes
Designs are first sketched out and
approved
___________________,
then either draped on a
form or a pattern drafted. Along with the fabricated
portion, the costume may require accessories such
hats
footwear
as _______________,
________________
and head
dresses for the actors to wear, but it may also
masks
include designing ____________________,
makeup
wigs
_____________________,
___________________,
_____________________
or other unusual specialty
underwear
items, such as the full body animal suits for the
characters in the musical Cats.
In its earliest form, costumes consisted of
Prop
masks
theatrical ___________
_______________
from
the time of the ancient Greeks. Costume design
elaborate
evolved as the need for more _____________
and
detailed
____________
characterizations were needed as
the performances became more intricate and
more complex characters began to emerge on
stage. Defining each character
separately
____________________
allows the audience the
ability to follow a storyline.
Early performers were generally
male
______________,
therefore costuming was
needed for gender disguise so as to create the
illusion
___________________
of the opposite sex.
Costuming also helps create other character
age
building imagery such as _____________.
leading
The __________________
characters
will have more detail and design to make
them stand out and relate a sense of
audience
trust to the ________________.
Styles and technique has changed over the
centuries but have maintained basic principles
of clothing design geared to
stereotype
_________________
the characters through
their clothing. The designer meets the
cast
_____________,
measuring each performer
and making certain that the costumes will be
appropriate for each individual.
Set Design Notes
Anything in RED will be on a test or quiz
stage
Scenic design (also known as __________
design,
set
production
___________
design or _______________
design) is
the creation of theatrical scenery. Scenic designers
have traditionally come from a variety of
artistic
_____________
backgrounds, but nowadays,
generally speaking, they are trained
professionals
_______________
often with M.F.A. (Master’s of
Fine Arts) degrees in theatre arts.
The scenic designer is responsible for collaborating with
director
the ____________________and
other members of the
production design team to create an environment for the
production and then communicating the details of this
technical
environment to the _______________
director and
props
___________________
master.
Scenic designers are responsible for creating
Scale models of the scenery, renderings, and
_______________
paint elevations as part of their communication
with other production staff.
Scale Models
Designer Renderings (drawings)
Designer Renderings (drawings)
Paint Elevations
Paint Elevations
Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a
production
setting for a theatrical ______________.
Scenery
may be just about anything, from a single
__________
to an elaborately re-created
chair
street
______________
no matter how large or how
small, whether or not the item was custom-made
or is, in fact, the genuine item, appropriated for
theatrical use.
The history of theatrical scenery is as old as
theatre
the _____________
itself. What we tend to
think of as 'traditional scenery', (twodimensional canvas-covered 'flats' painted to
resemble a three-dimensional surface or
vista), is in fact a relatively recent
innovation
________________
in the history of theatre.
Shakespearean
By the __________________
era, the
occasional painted backdrop or theatrical
prop was in evidence, but the show itself
was written so as not to rely on such items
to convey itself to the audience.
Types of Scenery:
Constructing theatrical scenery is often the most
Time ______________
consuming
________
part of a show, apart
from memorizing lines. This is why many theaters
storing
have a place for ____________
scenery (such as a
multiple
loft) so that it can be used again for ___________
shows
__________.
Since the next show is often
unknown, non-temporary theatres will often
construct certain types of scenery that can be
adapted
easily _____________
to fit a show. These types
include:
scenery flats
_____________,
short for ______________________,
Flats
are flat pieces of theatrical scenery which are painted and
positioned on stage so as to give the appearance of
buildings
backgrounds
________________
or other __________________.
Flats can be soft or hard covered. Soft covered flats
canvas
muslin
(covered with ______________or
______________)
have
changed little from their origin in the Italian Renaissance.
8
Usually flats are built in standard sizes of ______,
10
12
_______,
or _________
feet tall so that walls or
other scenery may easily be constructed, and so
that flats may be stored and reused for subsequent
productions.
Often affixed to battens flown in from the fly tower
loft
or __________
for the scenes in which they are
used, they may also be stored at the sides of the
wings
stage, called _____________,
and braced to the
floor when in use for an entire performance.
fly
system
A _______
___________
is a system of lines,
counterweights, pulleys, and other such tools
within a theatre designed to allow a technical
crew to quickly move set pieces, lights, and
microphones on and off stage by
flying
‘_________’
them in from a large opening above
the stage known as a fly tower, flyspace, or flyloft.
Your Choice: Friday, Jan. 10th
• Costume/Set Design
TEST (Fri. 5/9 – THIS Friday)
• Worth 32 pts
• Mostly essay (8 essays)
• Some fill-in the blank from these
notes
• Will have time in class to study
• CREATE a costume and
set design (Mon. 5/12 – a week
from today)
• Worth 32 pts
• Will have time in class to work
• Templates and Packet available on
Ms. Gestner’s website, here -
Costume and Set Design
Packet
Creating a Costume /
Set Design
 You could
make a scale
model with a
shoe box!
•Pick a character from the Miracle Worker and
design a costume for him/her
•Helen, Annie, Kate, Viney, Martha, Percy, Keller,
James, Aunt Ev
•Pick a scene from the Miracle Worker and
design what the set would look like during that
scene
•Breakfast scene, Garden House, Final scene at
the pump, Meeting Annie at the train station,
etc…
•You will also need to complete written
reasoning for your choices, and why they work
for the character/scene
•Everything must be in color!
•You are not graded on your artistic ability, but
you should be able to communicate your idea
through your drawings. If you cannot do that,
this may not be the best option for you.
Include notes on
your drawings 
Taking the Costume/ Set
Design Test
•Will include fill-in the blanks from the
notes we just took
•The majority of the test will be essay
questions about The Miracle Worker,
Into the Woods and Diary of Anne
Frank
•Questions will be related to choices
made in costumes/sets
•Will need to justify your answers in
detailed paragraph form
Behind the Scenes:
Shrek: Set and Lighting Design
Wicked: Costume Design