I had a difficult situation with a play I designed last summer. The director didn't have much of a clue what he wanted before the rehearsal process started but he did have one conceptual concept he wanted visualized by the costumes and I agreed it would be a good one, so I designed the show around that. The play only had 2 actors, one male, one female (The Last Five Years) and when rehearsals started, they, especially the woman, started suggesting costume ideas. At that point, the director more or less submitted to their-mainly her--ideas and my ideas kind of flew out the window. It was a shopped show and one weekend the woman even went to a store and bought some things she liked, to bring back and show me. I was getting rather frustrated and disappointed by then but tried to go with the flow and I actually did appreciate their input, since they knew more about their characters than I did through rehearsing their parts. I guess I've been in the business enough by now to know do this, although it would have been impossible if the costumes had been built.
So I sympathize with you and your situation. Fortunately it hasn't happened very often that the actors want to design their own costumes. On one of the other plays I also designed last summer one actress asked for a different color fabric after I had already purchased it, but we had a big enough budget that I could do so. Several years ago I was draping a show that had cast an experienced Broadway actress who was of a "certain age" and the designer had to design 3 different possible outfits for her to approve before his designs were finalized, so I know this happens a lot in our industry. Sometimes the actors are right and have good ideas. Sometimes they are not and you have to do what it takes to please them, as I've found that directors usually bow to the actors, not the designer. Sylvia On Apr 14, 2008, at 12:37 PM, Sharon Collier wrote: > This is why I feel regular production meetings are so important. At the > first meeting, all the designers and the director get together and > discuss > the direction of the show re: design, style, etc. As soon as the show > is > cast, meet again and make any changes (if the leads won't look good in > the > original ideas, change them ASAP) Then meet every week until tech > week. It > keeps the director and producer from getting any surprises and you can > let > folks know if their expectations aren't going to be met because of > budget/time/lack of help, etc. > As to professional standards, if the director/producer changes my > ideas so > radically that I would be embarrassed to have my name on them, I do > the job > as asked (I'm assuming you're getting paid), but ask that I not be > listed in > the program as the designer, after all, if your designs have been > altered, > they aren't a good reflection of your abilities. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On > Behalf Of AVCHASE > Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 7:46 PM > To: h-costume posts > Subject: [h-cost] DESIGNER PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS > > Hi, All. The most recent show on which I worked opened last last > Thursday. > And over all its a good show. But some of the fallout has been very > upsetting to me. > The director invited me to do this show for her, her last show (she's > said > that for for the last three years), and I've done them. Each time some > cast > members have been down right vicious. This time was the worst. > It occurred to me we expected different things as/from a designer. I'd > just > assumed they all understood that I only did these shows to practice my > craft, keep my abilities in shape, and explore my ideas. Maybe her > agenda > was different? > So I sent an email and asked what she had expected when she engaged a > designer. She wrote back to me a very complimentary (damned by > praise-forget > faint) note about my design capabilities; but-said I was overbearing, > didn't > listen to the actress's ideas and was not willing to take suggestions > form > the actresses. The ideas and suggestions were put forth a few days > before > dress and production had gotten me no help for a small musical with 48 > changes in it. Some very small; most changes are full costume though. I > found I was being difficult when I said there just wasn't time. > The worst part is that the changes weakened the visual dramatic impact > but > were more conventional. > Now I want to write a little paper setting forth designer's > professional > standards. It isn't that I don't know what most are but I don't know > if they > are enumerated anywhere. Are they? Please help, both scholars and > practitioners. Audy > > in the high boonies of Central Texas > > ________________________________________ > PeoplePC Online > A better way to Internet > http://www.peoplepc.com > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
