A Study on Costume Designer in Cinema

영화 의상 디자이너에 관한 연구

  • Lee Hee-Hyun (Dept. of Home Economics Education, Kwandong University) ;
  • Lee Yu-Kyung (Dept. of Model, Kyung moon College)
  • 이희현 (관동대학교 사범대학 가정교육과) ;
  • 이유경 (경문대학 모델과)
  • Published : 2005.12.01

Abstract

The cinema costume designers carry out the creative works in a different way from the commercial fashion designers generating the new trends by season or year for a number of people. Costumes created by the cinema costume designers are for the people acting in the film screens such as heroes, heroines or extras. The cinema costume designers should not miss the overall flow of a cinema. Moreover, the prominent designers have to devise the costumes livening up every scene. Most cinemas with the prudent interests and attention on the costumes are favored by the public and gain the commercial success. In particular, the cinemas emphasize the visual effects such as setting, lighting and computer graphics and require the substantial budgets for preparing the costumes regardless of genres, while all other industrial fields will be the same. Such efforts are to deliver the meaning and aesthetics that the cinemas intend to show through the designs, colors and textures of costumes closed up in each scene. The costumes in cinemas are another linguistic system and have the symbolic form of compound and meaningful communication used by the directors. The costume design is required to produce the costumes that liven up the characteristics of heroes or heroines as well as to fit for the general artistic effects of films. Moreover, it has to express the characters in the films using the costumes suitable for the film genres. Cinema costumes are defined and refined, and the process can be angst-ridden. Each frame of film is a canvas and has its own proscenuium. Every garment worn in a theatrical production is a costume. Before an actor speaks, his wardrobe has already spoken for him. From the most obvious and flamboyant show clothing, to contemporary clothes using subtle design language, costume design plays an integral part in every film production. Costume design is a vital tool for storytelling. Costumes have always had enormous influence on world fashion. Costume designers are passionate storytellers, historians, social commentators, humorists, psychologists, trendsetters and magicians who can conjure glamour and codify icons. Costume designers are project managers who have to juggle ever-decreasing wardrobe budgets and battle the economic realities of film production. Costume designers are artists with pen and paper, form, fabric and the human figure.

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