Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546058
MOTIONPICTUREC O S T U M E R S .O R G 33 COSTUMING UNIFORMS FROM COSTUME HOUSE TO SET By Erin Wenrick t some point in every Costumer's career, they work on a production that heavily features uniforms. Whether it's a period piece that takes place during the Civil War, where soldiers wear uniforms of wool in blues or gray determining the side they're fighting for; or a dystopian future where enforcers wear utilitarian uniforms of their totalitarian governments. A uniform, and how it is worn, tells us a lot about a character from the first moments we see them on screen. Who is this person and where do they belong in the dynamic of the world they inhabit? At what point in time are we meeting them? What do they stand for? Costumers generally pride themselves on being a "jack of all trades" but there are those among us who are passionate about uniforms and attain mastery in this area. When working productions, Costume Designers rely on their Uniform Costumers, the experts that take on the responsibility to research and procure the bulk amounts of uniforms for large casts of principal, stunt, and background actors, and make sure these costumes look perfect when they make it to camera. Many of these Costumers cut their teeth in the costume houses, and Production Costumers can rely on them to answer questions and get costume orders pulled and shipped quickly. Many talented Uniform Costumers have moved out of the costume houses and onto large productions as Set Costumers and Keys, and their military uniform expertise keeps them working project to project even when the industry is slow. The Costumer Quarterly was able to interview two Costumers who have had experience working in both worlds: the costume house and on productions. A Salute to A Salute to U N I F O R M S U N I F O R M S A