Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/713388
28 The Costume Designer Summer 2016 Costume Design Best Apps for A s film and television productions move faster and further off the grid, Costume Designers are challenged to work more efficiently. Thousands of apps, computer programs, and devices com- bine to offer designers and their crews a useful array of tools to manage departments, gather research, and manage budgets. Though the design process is often still grounded in paint and fabric swatches, designers and illustra- tors are using digital tools to harness the escalating administrative work and make room for creative magic. Here are some of their favorite apps and software suites. SyncOnSet software suite and mobile app Pros: Complete software suite coordinates through prep, shooting and wrap, managing budgets, receipts, scripts, inven- tory, approvals, and notes. SyncOnSet offers free training, a free subscription, and tiered pricing for crews. Used by 2,500 productions. Cons: Time to learn the program and input data. Who Uses It: CD Lyn Paolo and Costume Supervisor Barbara Inglehart for Scandal, "It is especially helpful when we need to check to see how a garment was worn in a given scene. Rather than tracking down a continuity book, we can just look online. Also, when characters are added to a scene, a location changes, a character is deleted, or a new scene is added, with a few simple keystrokes, the information can be updated." Wardy Production Studio software suite and mobile app Pros: Free wardrobe management software suite coordinates script breakdown, budget and receipt management, fitting and continuity photos, and inspiration boards. Prints tags and reports. Cons: The system is new. Who Uses It: CD Jenny Eagan, "Wardy is simple to use and I don't have to rely on five different apps to get the job done. The fact that it's free and that my team can automatically break down shooting scripts in seconds instead of days, then manage continuity photos and our budget in one place is awesome." Keynote Pros: The presentation app is useful for creating photo journals, slideshows, and collages. It uses iCloud to keep presentations up to date, and with a link, shareable. Cons: Need internet to access iCloud Drive folder. May work best across Apple devices. Who Uses It: CD Alix Friedberg Maurer, veteran of Modern Family and True Detective, and CD Cynthia Summers of UnREAL. Costume Designers share their favorite apps, tools, and management suites. BY VALLI HERMAN