Browsing by Subject "Costume technology"
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Item Bio light : replicating sea animal bodies and movement through costume technology(2013-05) MacCorkle, Susan Allison; Glavan, James; Mickey, SusanBio Light: Replicating Sea Animal Bodies and Movement is a project that seeks to answer several questions: How much of the human body can be obscured by a costume while maintaining full range of motion? What materials can be used to best affect when building animal costumes with fluid movements? These questions were answered by building two experimental costumes that required systematic testing of materials. The animals designed and built were a Greater Blue-Ringed Octopus and a Leafy Sea Dragon. The animals are as realistic as possible with highly detailed features and skin textures. The shape of the animals is as true to nature as possible while still giving the operator a wide range of movement. Each animal has a distinctly different anatomy, skin quality and locomotion allowing for a broader assessment of materials and experimentation.Item Bolstered : armor and the stage(2016-05) Womble, Kristin Kara; Glavan, James; Ortel, Sven; Habeck, MichelleBy creating three distinctly different suits of armor, I am exploring how lighting and projected media can be used to transform the surface and emphasize the architecture of costumes. Working with a Costume Designer, together we found inspiration in historical research and modern art, from which she created renderings for me to base my work. I have chosen to work with three distinctly different materials for the creation of these pieces: thermoplastic, leather and fiberglass. I chose these materials primarily because crafts artisans in the theatre most often use them to create armor, and secondarily because I have varying levels of knowledge in the use of each medium. I began the project with a vast knowledge of thermoplastic, a base level of comfort with leather and no experience with fiberglass. I have been able to gain training in thermoplastic and leather through the Costume Technology program here at the University of Texas at Austin; for fiberglass however, I have been charged with finding another source of expertise. Through my family’s long history in the automotive collision repair industry, I have had the opportunity to train under an experienced fiberglass/paint technician, as well as having access to the facilities required to generate the pieces. Using music and choreography, I endeavor to create a performance that showcases how each material interacts with lighting, projections, and the mobility, or lack there of, in the pieces. I am studying the dancers movements, while also gathering impertinent information regarding how each piece reacts under different media treatments.Item Playing with masks : an exploration of craft and performance(2014-05) Kurz, Danielle Haskell; Glavan, JamesCollaboration between the playwright, director, designer and technicians is the backbone of theater. Costume designers, after discussion with the director and the other designers, rely on costume technicians to realize their ideas. The technician’s hands then realize the artistic vision. But what would the technicians try if there were no constraints? I am a technician, a craftsperson who is inspired not just by the play, but also by process, by methods. With every new technique I learn, I imagine the new ways it could be put to use, and the objects I would create if time and resources were not a factor. Imagined objects are seldom created. Once made, these objects exist without a performance, without a purpose. A costume not worn is an unfulfilled destiny. But maybe the pieces I want to make can be given a narrative after the act of construction, or during construction. I’m interested in exploring my ability to be a generative artist. How can my inspiration feed back into the theater community? Can a costume technician’s experimentation have a place in creating new theater? My thesis has two components, exploring my two interests. Those two interests are the creation of objects and the creation of a story. The first component, object creation, was an exploratory study of mask and headdress making techniques. I experimented with new techniques, such as 3-D printing, testing the limitations of new technology. The second component, story creation, was a collaborative process. My collaborator, Brian Oglesby, and I worked concurrently. Brian is a playwright, and as he wrote the play, I made the objects. Our processes mirrored each other. The narrative of the play incorporated the masks and headpieces I made. This project created a theater piece based on the experimentation of a costume technician, and presents a new way for future technicians to think about their work and to have their stories told.Item Tailoring for the visual learner : the vest(2012-05) Berthelette, Renée C.; Glavan, James; Otte, CharlesThe foundation of Tailoring for the Visual Learner is the exploration of new and creative approaches to preserve, promote, and pass on the art of individually handcrafted menswear for theatre and film. This project culminated in the creation of an instructional video guide unlike anything currently available on the market. Using high definition cameras and a team of highly skilled professionals, I produced, wrote, directed and hosted an instructional video that takes the viewer through every step of the creation of a hand tailored vest: from fabric preparation and drafting to the final fitting. Instruction utilizes a modern voice aimed at early career sewing professionals who wish to advance, and seek an alternative to confusing drafting books or incomplete online tutorials that avoid the features of a truly well constructed garment. By combining up close camera work with textual explanations, graphics, and verbal explanations, I have created a new approach to tailoring instruction aimed at visual learners, who make up a large majority of costuming professionals. By taking the viewer through the tailoring process up close and step-by-step, the time-honored tradition of tailoring is now available and affordable to countless artisans who seek to advance and/or teach their craft.