August 25, 2013

Costume Design Korero

Emma Ransley   posted 24 Mar 2013, 11:32 PM

I want to open up this forum, Costume Design Korero, after Costume Designing the production HUI for the Auckland Arts Festival and in response to reading its reviews.

I have read 7 reviews on HUI now and only 2 have mentioned the Costume Design. In the theatre community, I think it is important to share our opinions so we can grow and challenge the parameters of our work, so I welcome any comments toward my work, praise or criticism but it is the lack of aknowledgement really gets to me.

I am left wondering why the Costume Design is not discussed with as much rigour as the Set or Lighting Design?

Is it that there is a lack of language when reviewing/discussing costume design in an analytical way?

I also feel, bold statement follows…, that there is a stigma around Costume being “women’s work” and does it therefore get over looked?

I am also wondering as a relative new comer to Costume Design, does this contributes to the lack of acknowledgement?

(However, saying “new comer” is like nails down a black board for me, as I am no spring chicken in this game, having won a international award for Costume Design. REF www.emmaransley.com)

As a Costume Designer, one of my main priorities is to challenge the idea of costume being a “surface” or a “superficial layer”. I have always been staunch about Costume Design being a respected artistry.

I hope that this forum starts a conversation about Costume Design, it’s value and artist integrity in our industry.

In HUI, the costumes were based around a strong concept of three worlds meeting and dislocating. Below are the notes for the Costume Design, I would like to share this with you.

Wavering between the profit and the loss

In this brief transit where the dreams cross

The dreamcrossed twilight between birth and dying

Excerpt from T. S. Eliot ‘Ash Wednseday’, Selected Poems

T. S. Elliot describes the place where three dreams cross, those of the past, present and the future. The basis of the costume design looks at a place, being our set, where three dreams or worlds cross. Bob and Georgie from the past, Pita and Tina in the present and Tamati and Nazreen represent the future.

Between these three dreams or worlds is a meeting point, what I am describing as a ‘dislocation’. These dislocations happen when a character from a different dream or world enters the set.

We start with an image of the past, a house that we may find familiar and two characters, Bob and Georgie, who seems to be at one with this place. Their costumes have a ‘period’ feel to them, a feeling of the past. Bob and Georgie reflect each other in style and time.

When Pita arrives, dressed in a suit and black shirt, the clean and sharp lines of his costume create a ‘dislocation’ in the world of the past, the present has now entered. Pita’s costume reflects his power and control. Tina mirrors Pita in style and in time. Her clean cut coat and dress, provide her with her outer shell and her “This is me” attitude. It is important to note, that Tina’s costume must maintain integrity. Foundation garments will be used to give Stephen a womanly figure, as we feel that the costume should not be disguising our attempt to transform Stephen into a woman. I see a delicate moment when Tina is in the bathroom, having a wash and has striped down to a slip. This is our moment to show the layers of depth in Tina.

Another ‘dislocation’ happens when Tamati arrives. His costume reflects his job, pride and his physique. In style, he is much more relaxed and contemporary than Pita and Tina. I am keen to show Tamati’s attempt to hide away and let his success shine through. I see him in a hoodie, something that he can hide away in. Narzeen, similar to Tamati, represents the future. Her contemporary style with be based off her being from Melbourne and being hapu. I have a hunch that colour or a graphic nature to Tamati and Nazreen’s costume will provide the ‘dislocation’ between the present and the future.

sam trubridge    posted 25 Mar 2013, 04:10 AM

Emma is way too humble to point out that she is the recipient of one of the most esteemed awards in costume design in the world. The Prague Quadrennial award for Best Costume design is chosen from amongst ALL costumes exhibited in this event that happens once every four years, gathering together designers from around the world. Her work was considered against costumes from Broadway and West End shows, and was found to be stronger, more imaginative, and more indicative of where costume design is going in the future. This work ‘Inhabiting Dress’ exemplifies many of the things that Emma is bringing up in this discussion. I have probably embarrassed Emma, but I do want to ask: how many of you knew about Emma’s achievements? If one of our actors recieved an equivalent award then these forums would have been alive with discussion. Costume design has a vocal quality in theatre, and a massive role in characterising the figures on stage in collaboration with our actors.

nik smythe          posted 25 Mar 2013, 02:03 PM

One potential pitfall of designers doing their jobs well, is that the result of their hard work can fit into the overall production package so seamlessly that it may not be perceived by the audience as a distinct feature. As a rule I examine each element separately to give credit (or criticism) where it’s due. In fact I’ve noted my frustration with a spate of productions over last year or so where set designers weren’t credited in the programme. There are also instances, most commonly with lighting or sound designs, and also costume on occasion, where there is simply nothing in particular to comment on besides adjectives such as ‘appropriate’ or ‘exemplary’, in which case I can be inclined just to leave it. Not to take away from the efforts of said crewmembers, just to avoid redundant comments that add no value to the critique.

Rachel House     posted 25 Mar 2013, 03:43 PM

I’m a bit nervous about being here in theatreview land but I’m coming out of the shaky shadows in support of Emma Ransley. Nicely put and thank you Sam for giving Emma the recognition she deserves. The only other time I’ve complained to a reviewer was to nudge them about the fact that 2 up and coming designers were left out of a review and there was an unfair dismissal of a beautiful performance in the same show. However the latter is unlikely to occur with any great frequency. I feel very proud that an exemplary young designer such as Emma is voicing her opinion. Because of Carla and the festival team- myself, Sean Coyle and Mitch Tawhi Thomas have been in a fortunate position of gestating the overall vision and feel of Hui for the last 2 years- when Emma joined our team along with the actors and other designers- it was an easy fit. The depth of her approach and insight into the world was quite staggering and the results were subtle, recognisable and authentic. I think your comments are insightful Nik- perhaps Emma’s design was overlooked because they didn’t stray from the world or try to take over which can often be the case. However- I’m with Emma- a team is a team and if the production is working it would be great for all elements to be appreciated. I’m not quite sure how to give any insight on how to ensure that this happens. Maybe the reviewers could come to our production meetings? Or rehearsals? What do you reckon Nik? I’m joking- of course.

At the end of the day- we all put our heart and soul into the work and it’s a bit like being smacked over the head when it is so publically ignored. Well done Theatreview, well done Emma and while I’m here- thank you Mary Dixon, I look forward to meeting you. Suffice it to say Mary- it would take a lot more than being ignored to give up the honour and passion of storytelling. Kia kaha Emma. Word up.

John Smythe      posted 25 Mar 2013, 05:52 PM

This is a very useful wake-up call to us all – thank you, Emma, for kicking it off. 

While it may be true that audience members may not consciously appreciate the separate components of good design, performance and other production elements that serve and support the greater purpose of the work, reviewers should certainly make the effort to notice and acknowledge each contribution to the whole.

There may well, however, be rationales and details of process that do not become apparent in performance / production because they were the means to the final end. And if a reviewer became overly preoccupied with one component as separate from the whole it was supposed to be part of, that may well indicate something was out of balance within the time and space of the presentation. 

This is not to say some audience members will not be interested in such information as Emma offers in her costume design notes for HUI. Sometimes well-resourced companies include such background gems in their programmes. But not everyone has the budget for that.

May I suggest, therefore, that where it is felt important and appropriate, such notes be included in the production information sent to Theatreview so that they sit on the record, in the production page, and are available to provoke further comment and discussion. 

Need I add that the reviewer’s primary job is to appraise the work in performance from an audience perspective; to represent the experience available to those who may or may not be drawn to it? And where a review focuses on, for example, the story, characters, relationships and actions they have been compelled to believe in care about by the production, then all who contributed to making it work that way should feel affirmed, whether or not that are individually mentioned.

Emma Ransley   posted 25 Mar 2013, 06:17 PM

Thank you John and Nik for your reply, Rachel and Sam for your support.

Really great to have this discussion out there! I have alot of questions around this topic, so am very happy for the input!

I am not particularly concerned with the lack of acknowledgement for myself (although that is satisifing for anyone and is valued!) but the wider discussion of costume and it’s conceptual strength.

It seems rather odd to me, to speak about Set and Lighting, and yet dismiss costume?

Also I understand the reviewers job to appraise the work in performance from an audience perspective, which isn’t always about mentioning everyone involved.

However, what has been highlighted for me that there is a lack of “language” around the way costume is reviewed/discussed/critiqued…

Harriet Denby    posted 25 Aug 2013, 10:19 PM

This conversation is quite fascinating. I’ve been doing a bit of reading around costume and it’s role this year and what I find is that the connection between costume and character is so strongly interlinked, costume can almost become synonymous with the character. Many general audiences will associate the costume with the performer more than they will with the designer, I understand that particularly grew out of the era when fascination with ‘celebrity’ first took hold. A very crude example might be Penny Rose’s iconic Jack Sparrow, which is generally a credit to the work of Johnny Depp who, bar conversations in fittings, probably had very little to do with the development and intention of the design at all.

In some ways, I sort of think that this is the way costume should be experienced by an audience. A good costume is there to release character, and when the detail of a costume itself almost fails to register but you feel as though you fully understand the character, then I believe that that is the mark of a well designed costume. As a lover of costume and character especially, I always find that I can articulate the design of the costume best when the character’s presence in the costume is strongly held. One of my favourite series at the moment, Breaking Bad, has excellent examples of strewn throughout. Anyway!

Perhaps it is because we all have such a close and fairly ‘for granted’ attitude towards the clothing we wear that it is hard for audience to make the distiction when the clothing is largely contemporary. When I looked at Oscar awards in costume design for the last 20 years, most nominations and almost every award were for period and specialty costume. Just an interesting thing to note.

This is a largely uneducated view, but something that has been perculating in the back of my mind for a while. I would be interested in continuing a pursuit of building language to speak to costume. Emma, I will be watching and participating with great interest.