ColleenAtwood

Generally I have free reign, I share them with the director very early, so they see them right away. Because of that I have prevented ever having to be in a situation where a costume was not what they wanted.

I'd say that the work you've done in fashion will help in the film industry, and it would be good to try and find young filmmakers and start working with them even if you have another job, to get experience working with a filmmaker.

I think if you're really limited on budget it's important that the costume have a certain simplicity. If you try to do too much without the ability to deliver, it can look worse than just being low key about a costume. And another thing is to keep in mind that a character could have less costumes and repeat them.

I think when you explore a period and the people in it, I think you embrace the fashion of the period. And also, the attitude toward clothing. One of my favorite references historically, is the way Charles Dickens describes his characters in writing. He describes his characters as having shoes that are 10 years old, his father's hat, etc. In doing so, you don't aways wear the fashion of that year. its a layering of all different times.

I think it's really impossible to design a costume without thinking of who is going to wear it regardless of who they are in the cast. Sometimes, I have ideas for characters ahead of time but have to be very flexible where those ideas go when casting is in place.