Costume Construction

Course Objectives

This course is developed to bring the student to an understanding and development of  the technical skills necessary to build and create theatrical costumes in a healthy, safe environment and to document that work.  This will include the study of basic hand and machine sewing techniques, health and safety in the costume studio, fitting and alteration techniques, an understanding of fabrics and the basic modification thereof, and the documentation of the work.  This overview will enlighten the novice to the role of the costume technician.  These course objectives fulfill, in part or in full, the Department of Theatre Learning Outcomes.  The successful student will be able to:

5. Identify the costume studio personnel (Employability, Professionalism)
5. Understand the physical organization of the costume studio
5. Recognize and understand the safe use of costume studio materials, tools and equipment (Employability, Safety knowledge and Practice))
5. Identify the grainline of a fabric and modification techniques used in distressing fabric/garments  (Employability)
6. List the steps in the creation of a costume (Employability)
5. Demonstrate a command of a variety of hand and machine stitches (Employability, Theoretical/Conceptual Knowledge and Application)
5. Take accurate body measurements (Employability, Professionalism)
5. Create costume crafts  (Employability)
5. Photograph costume techniques and create a digital record of that work (Employability, Professionalism)

Course Work

The primary emphasis for grading will be the individual projects.  Attentiveness, neatness and a healthy positive attitude can counterbalance beginning skill levels.  Your final grade will reflect your progress and the willingness with which you have embraced the process.

The class projects will strengthen skills and reinforce information covered in assigned readings and lectures.  All projects are due on the assigned date.  No projects will be accepted late.

Ten quizzes will be given during the course.  These will not be announced.  These quizzes may be written, a hands-on activity or a skill that should be mastered or a combination of the two.  An unexcused absence on the day of the quiz will prevent the student from being allowed to make up the quiz.  Make up quizzes will be more difficult than the one given in class.

Many days you will need your sewing kit in class.  I suggest that you bring it to school and lock it up in one of the Dressing Room lockers.  You can also use this locker for storing class supplies as needed.

Some days you will be required to wear specific dress to class i.e. grubby clothes for dyeing and distressing.  Appropriate dress on these days will be counted as a quiz grade.  Failure to dress appropriately will result in a grade of 0 for the quiz. 

Student Responsibilities

You are expected to attend all classes.  Since lectures expand on assignments, missing class means missing important information.  This class is, by its nature, participatory.   Missing class means missing the chance to participate in your own education and the education of others in the class. The college policy allows for five and you die.  You are allowed five fifty minute absences beyond which you will be dropped from the class by the professor.  Attendance is taken at the beginning of the class.  The professor reserves the right to disallow counting a student present who is extremely late.   If you need to miss class due to a religious holiday, please see the professor as far in advance as possible.  If you need to miss class due to university-sponsored events such as field trips and sports, please see the professor as far in advance as possible.  You will be required to complete the assigned work on or before the due date, and you will be required to submit an official form from the university before your absence.  Please note that work, non-emergency medical and dental appointments, hangovers, intramural games, visitors from out of town, fixing your roommate’s computer, fraternity/sorority events, arguments with boyfriends/girlfriends and studying for other classes do NOT constitute excused absences. 

You are expected to do the assignments when they are assigned.  Failure to do so will result in an inability to keep pace.  All graded assignments should be submitted on or before the deadline.  Late assignments will not be accepted.

Dishonest work on homework or on examinations is a serious offense, as is plagiarism.  The university and the professor will not tolerate either one.  If either occurs, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.  The 2002-2003 Student Senate wrote and adopted the MSU Student Honor Creed.  The highlight of the creed is “As an MSU student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else to do so.”  Enough said.

Students with disabilities or who are in need of special arrangements should see the professor as early as possible in the semester.   Please note that in order to qualify for consideration of special accommodations, the student must be registered with the MSU Office of Disability Services, and the professor must receive a memo on file from that office, along with the Special Accommodations Request form.

Social justice is one of MSU’s stated core values, and the professor considers the classroom to be a place where students will be treated with respect as human beings, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age or ability.  It is the professor’s expectation that ALL students be able to consider the classroom a safe environment.  Be civil at all times and focus on understanding the material being discussed.

            Cell phone use in class is prohibited.  If your cell phone goes off during a class you may be asked to leave the classroom and receive an absence for the day.  No texting. Again, you may be asked to leave the classroom.  Please don’t make this an issue, just turn off the phone during our class.  If other commitments are so pressing that they cannot wait until the end of the class session, it may be in the student’s best interests to reconsider the priority placed on being this class.  In any case, the professor reserves the right to ask you to leave immediately or to embarrass you mercilessly if your phone/pager/beeper/ etc. makes noise during class.

            Federal privacy law prohibits the professor from releasing information about students to certain parties outside of the university without the signed consent of the student.  Thus, in almost all cases the professor will not discuss students’ academic progress or other matters with their parents.  Please do not have them call.  Regardless of these important legal considerations, the professor’s general policy is to communicate with the students, not their parents, even when a student has signed a consent form.  College students are adults and are expected to behave accordingly.

            In short:  Be on time.  Be awake.  Be prepared.  Be engaged.  Ask questions.  Study.  Come ready to become a costume technician or stay home!

Grading

Apron Project                                                                                                              25 points

Little Dress Project                                                                                                     75 points       

Fabric Research Project                                                                                               50 points

Measurement Assignment                                                                                            50 points

Sewing Sampler                                                                                                         100 points

Lab Assignment                                                                                                         100 points

Dyeing/Distressing Project                                                                                          75 points

Crafts Project                                                                                                             100 points

Attendance and Participation                                                                                    100 points

Quizzes                                                                                                                      100 points

Test                                                                                                                            100 points

Portfolio                                                                                                                     125 points

                                                                                                            Total points =1000

You are expected to do the assignments when they are assigned.  Failure to do so will result in an inability to keep pace.  All graded assignments should be submitted on or before the deadline.  Late assignments will not be accepted.

You are expected to attend all classes.  Since lectures expand on assignments, missing class means missing important information.  This class is, by its nature, participatory.   Missing class means missing the chance to participate in your own education and the education of others in the class. The college policy allows for five and you die.  You are allowed five fifty minute absences beyond which you will be dropped from the class by the professor.  Attendance is taken at the beginning of the class.  The professor reserves the right to disallow counting a student present who is extremely late.   If you need to miss class due to a religious holiday, please see the professor as far in advance as possible.  If you need to miss class due to university-sponsored events such as field trips and sports, please see the professor as far in advance as possible.  You will be required to complete the assigned work on or before the due date, and you will be required to submit an official form from the university before your absence.  Please note that work, non-emergency medical and dental appointments, hangovers, intramural games, visitors from out of town, fixing your roommate’s computer, fraternity/sorority events, arguments with boyfriends/girlfriends and studying for other classes do NOT constitute excused absences.