Course Syllabus

THEA 2204 Costume Design For Theatre & Film

Course Description

What would Eliza Doolittle, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Annie Hall, or Miranda Priestly be without their costumes? Just as there are great fashion designers, there are great costume designers whose work is celebrated for its contributions to the movies, theater, and dance. In this course, students study the techniques and practices of theatrical costume design and illustration. Topics include analyzing the play script, costume history, textiles, research, costume plot, budget, illustrating costume design and construction of costumes for theatrical performance. This course is repeatable for credit.

Justification

This course is similar to introductory costume design and costume history related courses offered by University of Utah THEA 2140 Costume Design I, Weber State University THEA 2022 Costume Fundamentals, Utah Valley University THEA 2541 Costume History, Southern Utah University THEA 2541 costume lab, Dixie State University Theatre Workshop: Costumes and THEA 2240 Costume Design I, and Salt Lake Community College FASH 2340 Costuming. All of which offer theatre programs. Course fills a lower division core for theatre majors wishing to transfer to a four-year institution. It also responds to the unique need of the Snow College Theatre Department majors and minors to costume design and rendering techniques to support a theatrical production for each year's theatrical season.

Courses to be designated as a Fine Arts (FA) General Education experience are expected to provide students with an understanding of the basic conceptual frameworks, historical and cultural contexts of artistic works, and be instilled with a sensibility of the creative process. Assessment will occur through the student's ability to critically evaluate creative works using the language and methodology appropriate to the disciplines of dance, music, theater, and/or the visual arts.Theatre is the art and craft of play production. It includes the study of dramatic literature and theory, theatre history, acting, set design, lighting design, costume design and film. In addition to the scholarly exploration of these subjects, the theatre program emphasizes the practical application of knowledge gained and skills learned through annual performances before live audiences.Theatre also explores the historical, cultural and social milieu that produced significant works of dramatic literature.

General Education Outcomes

1. A student who completes the GE curriculum has a fundamental knowledge of human cultures and the natural world. Students will be able to articulate the dynamics of the creative process including the development of a lifetime sensibility as it applies to the elements of dance, music, theater, or visual arts as presented onstage. Students will develop a better understanding of how theatre as an art form, (and more specifically costume design) presents an overview of the basic human condition and shows the struggles and successes of human relationships.
2. A student who completes the GE curriculum can read and research effectively within disciplines. Students will complete research for various historical fashion periods and styles in order to identify their respective time periods in relation to the utilization of creating costumes they will choose to develop in the course. Students will receive and provide relevant feedback to either refute or confirm their analysis. Students will develop increased ability to read, retrieve, evaluate and interpret the material they research as determined by both instructor and peer feedback.
3. A student who completes the GE curriculum can draw from multiple disciplines to address complex problems. Students will create design work (renderings, research, sketches, etc) from the foundations of historical research, conceptual research, script analysis, technical drawing skills, collaboration with other artists and scholars, organization, project management, and garment construction. To learn costume design is to draw from multiple disciplines and solve complex problems.
4. A student who completes the GE curriculum can reason analytically, critically, and creatively. Students will be able to articulate analysis of the script, characters, and their final design choices. Students will be able to assess their work through a critical lens and creatively solve problems or questions that come up with their design choices.

General Education Knowledge Area Outcomes

1. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate the creative basics and develop the appreciation of a lifetime of sensibility as it applies to costume design. In addition, they will learn creative collaboration skills through a design team project. They will demonstrate basic creative collaboration skills analysis, such as; preparation, initiative, attitude, dependability, and technique. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate the creative basics and develop the appreciation of a lifetime of sensibility as it applies to costume design. In addition, they will learn creative collaboration skills through a design team project. They will demonstrate basic creative collaboration skills analysis, such as; preparation, initiative, attitude, dependability, and technique.
2. APPRECIATE: Apply artistic concepts and ideas drawn from traditions of artistic creation and theory to better engage with, analyze and understand a creative work. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate an understanding of basic digital illustration software, internet research, access digital and hand copy scripts, and learn how to create a basic digital portfolio. They will demonstrate ability to critically analyze the dynamics of the creative process including the development of a lifetime sensibility as it applies to the disciplines of dance, music, theater, or visual arts.
3. CONNECT: Examine connections between art and society and articulate how the arts are a historical and cultural phenomenon.  Students who successfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate creative artistic design methods and techniques, developing artistic expression through creative design elements and utilizing proper tools and equipment such as light table, watercolor, pencils, fabrics, and collaging. They will show improved understanding of how various methods of costume design help audience members have a greater understanding of a play's message, theme, mood, and time and place. Students will consider how current theatrical design and construction practices fit within the overall historical and cultural framework of theatrical development.
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Course Content

The course provides opportunity for both theoretical and practical experience in the various aspects of costume design for theatre through lecture, hands-on experience and both independent and group project opportunities. Units of study may include but are not limited to: Script Analysis for Costume Design, Elements of Design, Research for Costume Design, Costume and Fashion History, Collaboration within a Design Team, Rendering for Costume Design, Introductory Costume Design Paperwork, Textiles, and Creation of a Costume Design Portfolio.