This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to interpret an established costume design and to supervise the manufacture of costumes for any production within the cultural industries. As such this unit has a focus on organisational skills and underpinning costume manufacturing knowledge. It does not cover the skills required for the actual production of costumes, which are found in other units.

Nil

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Interpret the design and determine production requirements

1.1. Liaise with relevant personnel and interpret/confirm costume requirements so that design specifications, production and/or script requirements are met

1.2. Read and accurately interpret pre-production paperwork (including costume design and costume plot) to determine resource requirements

1.3. Make any insertions to the costume plots, such as ageing and visual effect requirements, to ensure costumes meet the script or production requirements

1.4. Produce detailed and accurate costume breakdown lists from the documented costume plots

1.5. Review budget allocated for costume manufacture and wardrobe operation and make decisions accordingly

1.6. Develop solutions to identified manufacturing problems and promptly communicate difficulties to relevant personnel

1.7. Seek and receive approval to amend design, if necessary, before proceeding with work

1.8. Develop an operational/project plan and manufacture schedules for making costumes in accordance with the design and production requirements

2. Select and purchase materials

2.1. Check existing stocks of materials or costumes for suitability of use for the production

2.2. Obtain measurements of cast/performers and establish the required meterage of fabrics/materials to minimise wastage

2.3. Source and purchase suitable materials to ensure they can withstand the rigours and demands of the production and meet budgetary requirements

2.4. Ensure that materials are available in sufficient quantities to meet the costume requirements

2.5. Ensure materials comply with OHS guidelines

2.6. Ensure that materials can undergo any necessary special effects requirements such as ageing

3. Supervise costume manufacture

3.1. Oversee relevant personnel to ensure all costume production requirements are met, quality standards are adhered to and work is undertaken within item, budget, time and manufacture constraints

3.2. Ensure that OHS guidelines are met and production schedule is adhered to

3.3. Identify and communicate methods and materials for production to relevant personnel

3.4. Make design specifications available to production staff at an appropriate time and assist in their interpretation

3.5. Coordinate involvement of external manufacturers or hirers involved in the production of specialist costume items to ensure timelines and quality guidelines are met

3.6. Participate in ongoing production meetings or costume parades and ensure that any costume design modifications are agreed, noted and acted upon

3.7. Inform relevant personnel of costume design changes

3.8. Update any required documentation and record and file in accordance with enterprise requirements

Required skills

communication skills sufficient to:

interpret and communicate construction specifications

negotiate with, coordinate and lead a costume team

visualise and interpret creative concepts

literacy skills sufficient to interpret scripts, specifications and instructions

numeracy skills sufficient to interpret measurement charts and manage budgets

planning and organising skills sufficient to:

develop operational plans and production schedules

keep records

technical skills sufficient to:

apply trims

make and grade patterns

perform alterations

sew by machine and hand

Required knowledge

content, features and formats of scripts, specifications and other production documentation

detailed knowledge of the costume construction process

OHS requirements that impact on costume construction

principles and techniques of costume construction, assembly and fitting

supply sources for costume products

typical costs and costing processes for costume manufacture

use and properties of different fabrics and their appearance under lighting and/or on the screen

workflow planning and work organisation methods in the context of a wardrobe department

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

ability to coordinate the costume manufacturing process using effective organisational skills and specialist knowledge to produce costumes which reflect the design brief, are of high quality and are available on time

ability to communicate with a range of individuals and organisations and coordinate costume production teams

ability to interpret creative costume design documentation (including venue requirements, type of production and resource constraints).

This unit of competence applies to a range of industry sectors. The focus of assessment will depend on the industry sector. Assessment must be customised to meet the needs of the particular sector in which performance is being assessed. Assessment should only address those variable circumstances, listed in the range of variables statements, which apply to the chosen context.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

access to a fully-equipped costume manufacturing facility

access to a range of equipment as listed in the Range Statement of this unit

access to materials for costume manufacture

access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required

the use of culturally appropriate processes, and techniques appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of learners and the work being performed.

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are appropriate for this unit:

discussion with members involved in costume manufacture regarding effectiveness of process

evaluation of report produced by the candidate describing organisational processes used to coordinate costume manufacture, including key challenges and responses

evaluation of costumes produced against original design concepts

oral questioning/interview to evaluate processes used in developing and realising creative concept

review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

BSBPUR401A Plan purchasing

BSBWOR402A Promote team effectiveness

CUEFIN02C Manage a budget

CUEOHS01C Implement workplace health, safety and security procedures

CUFCOS401A Make costumes.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Relevant personnel may include:

costume production staff

designer (costume, production)

director (photography, technical)

floor manager

head of department

performer

producer

wardrobe department personnel

wardrobe supervisor/manager

other technical staff

Costumes may include:

accessories

character costumes

contemporary wear

corsetry

costume jewellery

dance wear

female, male, child and animal costumes

millinery

padding

period costumes

pre-production toiles

tailored costumes

undergarments

Production requirements may include:

budget/time constraints

facilities (dressing/fitting rooms, furniture, production space, storage units)

location (studio or production office)

OHS guidelines (e.g. effect of fabrics on skin)

physical demands on costumes

touring requirements

wardrobe equipment, e.g.:

clothing storage and transportation bag

coat hangers

conversion tables

cutting boards and tables

dressmaker's dummies

dyeing facilities

glue guns

hand held cutting machines

hanging racks

industrial/domestic irons, presses and steamers

industrial/domestic sewing machines (portable or fixed)

laundering facilities (washing machines, dryers)

measuring tapes

overlockers

scissors and cutters

spray guns

tools (e.g. wire cutters, hammers, pliers)

Costume manufacture may include:

costume making:

basic styles (pants, shorts, skirts, blouses)

hand made or machine sewn

tailoring

construction techniques (cutting, machining, tailoring)

finishing (fitting fasteners, fitting trims, hemming costumes)

Stocks may include:

cutting blades

fabric

fasteners

haberdashery

pattern paper

solutions

thread

trim

Production may include:

commercials

documentaries

feature films

live or pre-recorded television productions

music video

short films

television productions of any type (e.g. music, drama, comedy, variety, sport)

Documentation may be:

budgets

call sheets

confirmation of receipt and dispatch notes

costume breakdown lists

costume design

costume patterns

costume plots

descriptive costume checklists

fault reports

hire agreements

manufacture schedules

manufacturers' specifications/instructions

measurement charts

memos of instruction

operational/project plan

production schedules

running sheets

scripts

stock documentation

Unit sector

Visual communication - costume

This unit contains employability skills.