Get Into Costume

Vin Burnham is a costume designer, celebrity stylist, author and speaker. She began her career at the Royal Opera House as a costume maker, before moving into film and TV; heading-up the making of the Bat Suits for the Tim Burton Batman movies, designing Lady Gaga’s ‘Living Dress’ and Aslan the lion in the BBC’s adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia.

• DedicationsForewordAbout the authorMy CareerPioneering Costume TechniquesGiving Back to Costume StudentsPassing on the BatonIntroduction: A Career in Costume - Where to StartSo, How Do You Put It All Together?What to ExpectCostume Career ChoicesCostume Roles OverviewCostume Subjects OverviewCostume Genres OverviewChapter 1: Costume on ScreenPreviewTerms and JargonFilm CostumeTV CostumeTV Costume Drama ExamplesDressing Music PromosTV Commercials: Costume Design, Fashion and Wardrobe StylingDragIndian Cinema CostumeTakeawayChapter 2: Costume on StagePreviewTheatre CostumeOpera CostumeBallet and Dance CostumeMusical Theatre CostumeMusic Industry Costume Burlesque CostumeChildren's ShowsPantomime: Slapstick Costuming Sporting Events: Opening and Closing CeremoniesTakeawayChapter 3: Costume Categories: Contemporary, Period and FantasyPreviewCostume CircuitsContemporary CostumePeriod CostumeFantasy CostumeTakeawayChapter 4: Artisan Designer-MakersPreviewMillineryHeaddressesJewelleryShoemakingMasks, Wings, Ruffs, and Glove MakingWigsDyeing TextilesTextile Design and Vintage PrintsNiche FabricsTakeawayChapter 5: A Career in Costume: What to Do and Where to Find ItPreviewStarting Out: What is the Industry Looking For?Costume and Fashion: What's the Difference?Talent: Where to Find It?Getting in with Formal Training?Getting in without Formal TrainingTaking Action: A Foot in the DoorCostume Dramas - and How to Navigate ThemInside the Costume Shop, Where the Action is - Then What?Getting Asked BackWork Experience Traineeships, Internships and ApprenticeshipsTakeaway Chapter 6: Who Does What: The costuem DesignerPreviewThe Costume Designer: What They DoThe Script, the Storyline, and the CharactersThe Director's Brief, Logistics, Budgets, and SchedulesCastingCharacterTeam BuildingThe Costume Design ConceptMood BoardsCostume Design and DrawingsCostume Designer or Costume Director?Production Design: sets and Costumes Working TogetherTakeawayChapter 7: Who Does What: The Costume TeamPreviewThe Fashion, Wardrobe and Celebrity StylistThe Costume SupervisorThe Wardrobe Manager, TheatreThe Costume MakerThe Costume BuyerThe Costume Illustrator and Concept ArtistCostume and Wardrobe AssistantsThe Textile ArtistDecisions, Decisions!TakeawayChapter 8: The Business of Costume: Budgets, Pay, Schedules and ContinuityPreviewBudget and Money ManagementPutting in the HoursRates of Pay and Negotiating FeesSchedulesTV Commercials SchedulesTheatre SchedulesContinuityRepresentation: Agents and Diary ServicesContracts and ConfidentialityThe Production OfficeSet EtiquetteTakeawayChapter 9: Costume Management: Departments and ProcessesPreviewCostume DepartmentsCostume RentalGreen and Blue ScreenMeasurements: Current, Accurate and CompleteCostume FittingsCostumes for Stunts and Body DoublesWrapReturnsTakeawayChapter 10: The Costume Family: Life membershipPreviewThe Need for New CrewInterviews: Your Best SelfPresenting Yourself OnlineHoning Your Communication SkillsHandling PressureTurning Down WorkThat's a Wrap!ResourcesTakeawayAcknowledgements

Vin has always been an alchemist and a magician. Now she rolls up her sleeves and shows us how the tricks are done, how the illusions are created. In doing so, she has created a new kind of magic, the magic of selflessly sharing this lifetime of knowledge and offering her secrets to new generations.