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1. CLASSIFY YOURSELF. Choose a specific discipline, whether
it is costume design, illustration, wardrobe styling, etc.
2. OBTAIN ONE “ON-SCREEN” CREDIT.
This means the production must be “commercially released”.
NO STUDENT FILMS.
3. SHOW PROOF.
You must provide a crew list of a copy from the Annual Index of
Motion Picture Credits.
4. REQUEST AN APPLICATION.
Send a written request to the Costume Designer’s Guild.
5. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION.
You must attach 3 letters of recommendation to your application.
6. RESUME.
Attach a resume to your application.
7. PHOTO.
Include a recent photo of yourself with your application.
8. BIO.
Attach a brief bio of yourself to the application.
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Have you contemplated life after fashion or wardrobe styling? Now may be
the time to think about working on movies, and television shows. Either
way, the Costume Design Guild is your next step.
Aspiring fashion stylist Niki Shadrow sat down with James Casey, the new
director of Local 892, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
(I.A.T.S.E), a.k.a. the Costume Designers Guild, to find out exactly what
she needed to know NOW if one of her future goals included working in film
and TV. She share many interesting facts and tips.
The Guild includes costume designers, assistant costume designer’s,
stylists, commercial costume designers, and costume illustrators who work
on motion pictures, television, commercial and stage productions. The LA
branch has six hundred members, and negotiates contracts with major studios
to protect artists by insuring a minimum wage, health and pension benefits.
To join the Guild, you’ll need time at work on the set and money. The
initial cost can be anywhere from $2,000 to $4000 depending on which discipline
(costume design, stylist, etc.) you choose to classify yourself in. This
is similar to the makeup & hair stylists union, wherein upon acceptance,
you must decide whether you want to be a makeup artist or a hair stylist—you
cannot do both. Additionally, quarterly dues are between $121-$194 per quarter.
There is a complete list of fees for each discipline on our website, at
makeuphairandstyling.com..
For instance, choosing a goal like, “I will be designing the look of
a feature film directed by Steven Spielberg in the summer of 2004”
will enable you to come up with your classification. In this case a Costume
Designer—because only Costume Designers are able to design the look
of the film. If on the other hand your goal were actually drawing the looks
of the costumes, then you would choose to be classified as a costume illustrator.
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The easiest part might be getting the screen credit since it takes only
one “on-screen” commercially released project to be qualified.
Just make sure that every time you work on a film or TV show, that you
ask for a crew list, or get a copy of the Annual Index of Motion Picture
Credits. This documentation will prove to the Guild that you did in fact
serve as the costume designer, stylist, etc. on that film.
All of this information will be included on your application. The Guild
will make sure you have completed all the required criteria. Once the
committee reviews your work history and experience, they will call you
to set up a personal interview.
Although the Guild does not act as an employment agency, they do provide
a support system for their members. As far as personal rights, pension,
and health benefits you are much more protected. In addition to these
benefits it is much easier to find work because most major productions
are “Union Only”, meaning you must be a member of the guild.
Now that you have acquired the basic steps towards becoming a member,
here is how you can apply.
You must write a written request for an application either by mail or
e-mail. Or you can just log onto www.makeuphairandstyling.com
to download the application yourself. You must also provide three letters
of recommendation, a resume, photo of yourself, and a short bio.
Let’s review the basic steps toward becoming a member of the Costume
Designers Guild.
This article is brought to you by Set The Pace Publishing
Group.
We are located in Los Angeles, California and publish
this website as well as The
Hair, Makeup & Styling Career Guide
and Portfolio
Building Workshops for freelance
Makeup, Hair & Fashion Stylists.
Our classes are available in Los Angeles, New Yok, Chicago, Atlanta and
sometimes Washington, DC.
All of our classes are taught by Crystal
Wright.
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