Been meaning to, but never actually got down to starting my own blog...
So here goes the first one...Feel free to give me a shout to let me know what you think!
Let's start with the past 3 months. Work Work Work. I Love Love Love what i do!
In October 2021 I did my first big movie for a company i admire and have wanted to work with for a very long time. I was up against some seriously senior Costume Designers, all amazing and a lot more experienced than what I was, but never the less, I landed the job!
So here's some inside scoop:
The day before my meeting with the Director, they asked me to do some mood boards of what i had in mind from the initial treatment i received.
At the time, i was wrapping up on TVC so i didn't have the time to give this my undivided attention, and it was a very big deal to me to land this job.
Being a perfectionist, and without having been briefed by the Director, I worked blindly and photographed some actuals of signature pieces of vintage i love from our collection, and knew would work beautifully with his vision, and mine.
There was no time to do a perfect job, and because of this - i didn't want to do moods of what i had in mind, and then get it wrong before i even had a chance to meet my new boss ;)
So i opted to rather do my own thing. I took a chance.
I chose my two favourite characters from the script, and i did a creative spread of pieces i love, with muted tones to fit the environment - warm and textured so it would pop beautifully on camera... but the biggest part of helping me land this job was what i did to accompany this mood board.
I wrote him a letter.
"Dear John..." Yes, his name is John - and i really wanted to win him over.
I told him about how i work, what i like to do, about my work flow.
"Mood boards for me is rarely something that is perfect from the get go, unless it's a copy paste TVC, because in my opinion it's a creative collaboration.
A process of bouncing ideas back and forth until we are both on the same page, and that what we have in mind works in harmony with what the Production Designer has in mind.
Having not seen any locations or treatments from Art's side, i told him that i do not wish to be judged against other Costume Designers based on just a mood board - but rather about my ethics, ability, creative vision and the manner in which i tackle a job.
I like to start off with a colour palette for each character, then choose a style that works with the character. Who the Director decides to cast is imperative because each body shape is different and something you 'like' might not work for this person.
Once we have the colour palette, the cast member and the style we like and know will work for this specific actor - only 'then' can i combine the two and start building a 'closet' for this person.
I told Dear John that i know i'm the youngest of the optioned Costume Designers, but that i hope he is the kind of person who is willing to take a chance.
Booking me is not at all 'taking a risk' but because we had never worked together, and also because i am the youngest (fun to be called the youngest, even though i am 37 ;) of the bunch - it is taking a chance.
Doing my first movie for Moonlighting Films has been a milestone for me. It's not the biggest film out there by a long shot, but it's been a foot in the door with some very inspiring creatives and producers - and for that i am stoked and thankful.
Here's a few pics of our journey on "The Umbrella Men" by Moonlighting Films.
Super excited to see the film once it launches in a few months' time.