Discussion topic: Costume, Cinema and Film. How do Costumes inform Character.
Lecturer: Tim Chappel (Costume Designer of film Priscilla, Queen of the Desert & lecturer at AFTRS)
Tim Chappel described costume as the vehicle for transporting the actor into the character of the film. Semiotics mean that each clothing item attains a set of pre-existing connotations, therefore the bricolage of such items are used to create new and provocative meanings. These meanings therefore act as unsaid story tellers.
Tim further noted the difference between costume designers and fashion designers in film. Costume designers see clothing as an extension of the character, the best example I could use would be Marlon Brando's oil stained singlet in A Streetcar Named Desire. In contrast, Fashion Designers often fail at considering the characterisation and personality of the character.
Sarah Gilligan (2011) similarly notes that costume is central to the construction and performance of Bond in the Bond films. Costume consequently permits the ordinary man to transform into the extraordinary. When considering semiotics, a suit would traditionally be associated with power and business. Through the presentation of suits, with weapons (as phallic symbols) and the continual sexualisation of women, the bricolage of these presentations has created a direct connotation between the suit and James Bond.
Tim Chappel further illustrated the importance of costume in constructing characters in terms of the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert. This Australian produced film was released in 1994, and served as a founding platform in catapulting Australian film upon a world stage.
The costuming in this film serves as a spectacle rather than a more commercially viable prospect (as noted in the Brooks Brothers suits in The Great Gatsby). The extravagant and over embellished costumes aim to visually represent the constructive and performative nature of gender. Consequently the purpose of costuming clearly parallels the purpose of the film, that being to challenge the hetero-normative gender essentialism.
Priscilla queen of the Desert therefore acts to dissolve and challenge heteronormative representations of typical Australian Masculinity. As discussed by Rose Lucas (1998), the rough, hairy and physically strong man of early Australian cinema is replaced by the modernised gender fluid man.
Tim further distinguished terms drag and transsexuality. He understood Drag queen as a man who dresses like a caricature of a woman, that is, over embellished and over feminised, while a transexual refers to one who has undergone a sex change operation. The purpose of Drag is for performance or satire, it is a temporary change. Transsexuality is permanent.
Filming with Jason
In addition to Tim's lecture on costuming in film, the class participated in a fashion film workshop with Jason Benedeck. This workshop essentially introduced us to the university film equipment and facilities. That being the Green screen on level 7, and the After Effects (left) and Final Cut software (right) available on the DAB macs.
Jason ran through the types of shots and angles we could use, as well as how we should organise lighting in order to prevent shadows and maximise depth and realness on screen. Jason spoke of lighting in terms of key lighting, fill lighting and back lighting. I think this is a really important technicality which should be not overlooked and definitely will determine the success and professional finish of our film.
Tim Chappel described costume as the vehicle for transporting the actor into the character of the film. Semiotics mean that each clothing item attains a set of pre-existing connotations, therefore the bricolage of such items are used to create new and provocative meanings. These meanings therefore act as unsaid story tellers.
Tim further noted the difference between costume designers and fashion designers in film. Costume designers see clothing as an extension of the character, the best example I could use would be Marlon Brando's oil stained singlet in A Streetcar Named Desire. In contrast, Fashion Designers often fail at considering the characterisation and personality of the character.
Sarah Gilligan (2011) similarly notes that costume is central to the construction and performance of Bond in the Bond films. Costume consequently permits the ordinary man to transform into the extraordinary. When considering semiotics, a suit would traditionally be associated with power and business. Through the presentation of suits, with weapons (as phallic symbols) and the continual sexualisation of women, the bricolage of these presentations has created a direct connotation between the suit and James Bond.
Tim Chappel further illustrated the importance of costume in constructing characters in terms of the film Priscilla Queen of the Desert. This Australian produced film was released in 1994, and served as a founding platform in catapulting Australian film upon a world stage.
The costuming in this film serves as a spectacle rather than a more commercially viable prospect (as noted in the Brooks Brothers suits in The Great Gatsby). The extravagant and over embellished costumes aim to visually represent the constructive and performative nature of gender. Consequently the purpose of costuming clearly parallels the purpose of the film, that being to challenge the hetero-normative gender essentialism.
Priscilla queen of the Desert therefore acts to dissolve and challenge heteronormative representations of typical Australian Masculinity. As discussed by Rose Lucas (1998), the rough, hairy and physically strong man of early Australian cinema is replaced by the modernised gender fluid man.
Tim further distinguished terms drag and transsexuality. He understood Drag queen as a man who dresses like a caricature of a woman, that is, over embellished and over feminised, while a transexual refers to one who has undergone a sex change operation. The purpose of Drag is for performance or satire, it is a temporary change. Transsexuality is permanent.
Filming with Jason
In addition to Tim's lecture on costuming in film, the class participated in a fashion film workshop with Jason Benedeck. This workshop essentially introduced us to the university film equipment and facilities. That being the Green screen on level 7, and the After Effects (left) and Final Cut software (right) available on the DAB macs.
Jason ran through the types of shots and angles we could use, as well as how we should organise lighting in order to prevent shadows and maximise depth and realness on screen. Jason spoke of lighting in terms of key lighting, fill lighting and back lighting. I think this is a really important technicality which should be not overlooked and definitely will determine the success and professional finish of our film.
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