Dressing the Part: A History of Costume Design for Film

From the earliest silent films, costume designers have been central to creating characters which serve a narrative, this course explores the role of the designer and how they collaborate with directors and actors to create people from the pages of the screenplay. You will also examine the emergence of the Hollywood studio system which established itself from the 1920's onwards and discover how designers worked with actors such as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich to create iconic characters which enhanced their screen images. Important director and designer collaborations will also be discussed including Alfred Hitchcock and Edith Head, who designed eleven films for Hitchcock during her 50 year film career. Discover finally how current how contemporary designers work with motion capture performers and CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) artists to create immersive digital worlds.