Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1278299
42 The Costume Designer Summer 2020 When viewed through either of these lenses, disappoint- ingly few shows seem to pass, especially when it comes to feature films. Even worse, many projects seem to fail at the very first criteria of each test: having more than one speaking char- acter of color. Why is it that despite all of the progress made over the years, people of color continue to be so marginalized in film and TV? Take a look at the projects you have worked on over the last few years. How many of them would pass? It is time we acknowledge as a community the role we play in how we represent (or ignore) people of color in the media. It is easy to say that we are not responsible because we ourselves do not write, produce, or direct these scripts, but to be silent is to be complicit with the status quo. We have a voice within our industry and we each need to do our part to speak up for change. It is time we start considering diversity and representation when we decide which projects to take, including whose sto- ries are (and are not) being told, by whom, and in what way. It is time for us to advocate for more diverse casting, both principal and background. It is time we start considering the diversity (or lack thereof) within our own departments and how that affects the stories we tell. It is time we acknowledge that more often than not the sto- ries of women and people of color are not being told by women or people of color in this industry and that that is a problem. We should all be taking some time, during this period of pause, to consider what tangible steps we as individuals and as a department can take in order to be more inclusive going forward. As an example, when you use the word "nude," consider whose skin tone are you referring to? When purchasing under- garments for your actors of color, are you providing something similar to their skin tone? Or are you giving them a choice between peach and black? Designers and ACDs, how often do you include people of color in your research and mood boards? Do you shop from POC-owned brands? Illustrators, how often do you illustrate people of color in your work when it isn't specified? These are just a few examples, but there are many ways we can uplift and support communities of color both on and off screen with what we do. When it comes to our own departments, how diverse was the crew on your last project? When was the last time you worked with an ACD of color? When was the last time you worked with a supervisor of color? For ACDs, when was the last time you worked with a designer of color? Do you think the people of color on your crew feel like they are working in a safe work environment free of harassment or microaggressions? If you answered yes, are you sure? It is time that we start having these conversations. Let's do the work. Many of us are familiar with the Bechdel test, which was created by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel in 1985 as a test for gauging female representation in film and media. The Bechdel test is fairly simple, requiring that: • The movie must have at least two women in it • Who talk to each other • About something other than a man. Seemingly simple guidelines, and yet even today, a shocking proportion of film projects do not meet these criteria. The DuVernay test (named after Black direc- tor Ava DuVernay) was created in 2016 by film critic Manohla Dargis to gauge repre- sentation of people of color in the media in a similar manner. It was intended to help deter- mine which films allow "African Americans and other minorities [to] have fully realized lives rather than serve as scenery in White stories". The criteria for the DuVernay test are as follows: • Are there two named characters of color? • Do they have dialogue? • Are they not romantically involved with one another? • Do they have any dialogue that isn't com- forting or supporting a white character? • Is one of them definitely not a "magic" stock character? For an even simpler test, try the Shukla test, proposed by writer Nikesh Shukla in 2013: • The movie must have two named char- acters of color • Who talk to each other • About something other than race. An Open Letter to the Costume Design Community by Laura Wong