Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546058
schedule and casting. Sometimes everything is spaced out evenly and I'm just dealing with a couple characters at a time sequentially, other times we'll get multiple characters that all have to fit and work immediately and the volume of clothing I'm handling increases exponentially. SG: A typical episode is gathering information from the ADs as to who will be in the episode and if they require research or shopping or further discussion. If there will be prosthetics involved that will determine the type of clothing involved, where it will need to be aged or distressed, and if multiples are needed. A typical day will always involve fittings. We will photograph the actor and once the costume is approved, it has to be labeled, washed, distressed, and an inventory written. GS: What I love about The Pitt is that there is no "typical week" in our department. We could start our day dirtying up jeans and work boots for rush calls, move on to fading and over-dying pajamas and house dresses for nursing home residents, and end our day preparing seven matching stabbing wounds on coveralls. The next day, we are aging 30 pairs of sneakers, while we gently over-dye custom- made clown outfits, and then finish them off with matching blood. This show is HUGE, how do you keep track of everything? BI: I keep track of everything by breaking each episode into clear categories: principal and background characters, multiples, aging and dyeing, and medical notes. After concept and costume meetings, Costume Designer Lyn Paolo shares the key information, and I enter it into SyncOnSet or pass it to the crew members who need it. Casting and sizes are shared with our Key Costumers, Buyer, Principal Trailer Costumer, and Returns Costumer. Fittings go on the calendar, the door whiteboard, and the daily printed schedule. Additional Day Costumers are tracked on an episodic calendar. I check the pre-pre each morning and again when the preliminary call sheet comes out. Every area within our department has a system for tracking fittings through alterations, aging and dyeing, laundry, and final looks, and nearly every piece goes through our ager/dyer team. By breaking down the needs of each script into smaller areas of focus, we can keep track of all the information. RC: I live and breathe in Excel. I hate math (or rather, I hate doing math), so if Excel can do that, I am all for it. I take lots of notes; I can remember certain things, but I need to take lots of notes and have lots of "breadcrumbs" so that if I put something down and refocus elsewhere, I can come back to it the next day and pick up where I left off efficiently. There is a lot to track: which credit card statements have been submitted, which ones I need to hold back because they aren't completed yet, which expenses are logged and tracked for our California tax incentive audit, etc. A lot of people would hate it, but it's second nature to me. The Pitt is a large-scale television show dealing with constant emergencies, how do you prepare for such big days of scripted work? BI: Organization, preparation, and additional Costumers are essential. We do as much as possible before filming, including pre-fitting background actors. Because the show takes place over one day, many extra Day Checkers work with us as we move through the season's timeline. Nearly every garment goes through our ager/dyer team so it feels lived-in, and they are on set for background lineups to confirm the right level of distressing and medical continuity. RC: This is one of the ways I am lucky, in that, I am mostly within the realm of other matters. Many of my compatriots are the ones who have that challenge. LC: Like every project, I think you just have to break it down day-by-day and focus on exactly what is needed. Wrap gift drawing of The Pitt Season Two Costume Department by Costumer Christian Svenson MOTIONPICTUREC O S T U M E R S .O R G 25