Costume Designers: Job Description, Education, Skills and Duties, Earnings and Outlook
Submitted by: paula
Job Overview For every performance, be it a dance performance, a song number, a play, a musical or a television show, costumes are very important. Costumes will provide the characters a certain personality and strengthen the theme of their performances. This is exactly what the costume designers' roles are. Costume designers suggest design, do the actual design and construct from scratch or from a recycled and previously used costume for the artist in theatres, televisions or any performances on stage.
Education, Knowledge and Trainings Required
If you wish to establish a career in costume design, it is best to take subjects in arts, home economics and theatre arets as early as high school. A high school degree is the minimun requirement that is needed to become one. A college degree is not a requirement at all. However, in this competitive environment, most of the costume designers opt to finihs a bachelor's degree. A degree in any of the liberal arts with a background in theatre arts is a very good option to choose.
Skills and Abilities
Costume designers should have an eye for arts and beauty. They should be able to match what costumes are best for a specific theme of drama, dance, musical or any kind of stage performances. The should be accurate in their measurements and have the technical skill in using several cutting tools and sewing machines. They should be adept in sewing, draping and patterning. As most of the costumes are being recycled, costume designers should be experts in modifying their products so these can be used further in outer performances, either as the main costume, or an accessory to the costume.
Communication skills will enable them to gain business to the clients, retain customers and maintain a warm relationship with the artists.
Duties
As costume designers, they plan, create, as well as maintain apparel and some accessories for different personalities. They take care of how the character in stage, televisions, film, opera and other performing arts production should look in terms of what they wear. To make them look better, they design ansd custom fit each of the characters by creaintg new garments or recycling past outfits or existing costumes. The aspects that they modify include the character's style, the type of fabric to be used as well as the color and the pattern. All these costume plans will be discussed to the director for approval before these can finally be concretely constructed.
Earnings and Job Outlook
Costume designers' income vary depending on the type of project, the location or the employer as well as the years of experience, or whether the professional has an extablished name in the industry already. The salary ranges from 15,000 to 23,000 U.S. dollars annually. Top costume designers have variable income starting from 36,000 U.S. dollars and over. However, the job outlook through the year 2014 is expected to decline as many theatres and televeision companies are cutting down on their expenses for costumes due to the steady economic downturns.
Paula Hiz is a researcher and a human resource specialist who helps newly graduates, job applicants and post graduate professionals be aware of their job opportunities and available trainings for skills and practice upgrading.
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Word Count: 538 Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 Time: 2:50 AM
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