Overview of the role
Crowd costume supervisors work with the costume designer and costume supervisor on larger productions, to ensure costumes are collated, fitted and lined up for the background cast and supporting artists (SAs). Working to the costume designer’s concepts, they coordinate the work of the department to ensure all crowd costumes are complete and fitted for the required day in the schedule. They also book and organise staff as required, working with the costume supervisor to ensure all is within budget. They also organise the layout of the crowd area and supervise the tasks that need doing to ensure all crowd work is done to schedule and within budget constraints. When the filming day is over, they supervise any cleaning, repairing and moving around or relocation of costumes ready for the next shooting day. Upon film wrap they oversee the return of hired costumes and the logging and packing of purchased and manufactured items, ensuring they carefully log location of assets.
Download the PDF version of this skills checklist here: Crowd Costume Supervisor Skills Checklist.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the scale / budget band / genre of the production.
- Create a crowd costume breakdown that confirms the number of costumes required, the date and time required.
- Identify and confirm how many SAs there are and cross-reference with the first assistant director’s (1st AD) schedule and crowd AD
- Assess the scale and type of production and its overall visual style
- Collect and collate research about the period or genre of the production to share with members of crowd team
- Identify any special effects required and assess the affect they may have upon the crowd costumes
- Determine how the story and timeline will affect the look of each character or costume
- Identify and confirm the number of multiple costumes
- Arrange the receipt of costumes and a suitable storage within the dedicated crowd area
- Identify and report lost or damaged goods
- Return unwanted, unused items ensuring there is no financial loss to the production
- Produce and process complete and legible documents for the receipt and return of items
- Once SA numbers are confirmed, let production and locations know the dressing space, transportation and kit needed
- Review the costume breakdown and identify resources required to store, distribute and maintain crowd costumes
- Identify and assess the space available considering security, confidentially and risk issues to the crowd costumes
- Identify and recruit costume personnel with the required skills within budget
- Ensure the costume personnel are fully trained
- Identify and source the equipment, tools, fabrics and materials required within the budget restraints
- Organise the delivery of resources
- Assemble, position and install equipment within the chosen area considering obstacles, hazards and safety conditions
- Create a safe, functional and secure working environment
- Create and confirm the crowd costume storage
- Collate and prepare costumes for the fitting process
- Carry out the crowd fittings in accordance with fitting room etiquette and procedures
- Communicate with the SAs in a polite, sensitive and professional manner
- Assess requirements and recognise faults and good fit in costumes while fitting
- Take and record accurate measurements of all SAs
- Consider costume rigging for stunts and special effects when fitting
- Confirm and communicate alterations required and the timescale to the person(s) carrying out the alteration work
- Establish a labelling system, ensuring all the team are aware of the meaning of any codes and shorthand
- Identify costumes and confirm specific dressing and costume requirements for the SAs
- Clarify and agree the crowd costume requirements with the production schedule
- Confirm costumes and accessories are correct and in a condition appropriate to production requirements
- Coordinate costumes in line with the production schedule, scene order or call sheet
- Inform the relevant person immediately when costumes are not available or in an unacceptable condition
- Label crowd costumes and organise the storage of them with regard to access to stages or location in a way that will minimise dressing time
- Supervise costume mending, maintenance repairs and general care activities
- Ensure items to assist the dressing, mending and general care of costume are available
- Ensure costumes are stored safely and securely
- Organise the logistics of getting costumes from location to location
- Pack and prepare costumes for safe and secure transfer when required
- Check and confirm the daily production requirements including the running order, call sheets and schedule
- Locate costumes and ensure they are correctly placed for easy access for the performers
- Identify the location, expected weather and appropriate workwear, such as waterproofs, keep-warms, and hot water bottles
- Follow on-set etiquette including rules on the use of mobile phones or other modes of communication
- Ensure there is a convenient area dedicated to costume changes for the specific groups required for the day
- Supervise with dressing of the performers and advise on how to put on and wear costumes
- Monitor the costumes for damage and, if possible, fix costumes discreetly when required
- Carry out last-minute alterations and repairs, and identify garments that require complex repairs or specialist treatment
- Liaise with other departments that may impact on costume, such as hair and make-up, stunts, VFX and SFX
- Verify costume changes required by the schedule or call sheet and determine the time available for performers to change with the ADs
- Minimise dressing time and prevent schedule delays. Negotiate and agree extra time where necessary with the ADs
- Identify and minimise dressing difficulties that could cause discomfort to the performer and delay the production schedule
- Assist background artists with dressing and undressing
- Apply and check costume rigging for special effects during dressing and remove them when undressing the performer
- Advise the performer on the prevention of costume damage
- Adhere to dressing room etiquette and manners
- Develop and maintain a professional working relationship with performers that demonstrates discretion and sensitivity
- Notify the relevant person(s) promptly if items or accessories are missing
- Ensure costumes are secure and protected during breaks in daily production
- Identify production requirements in relation to stuntwear, review health and safety risk assessments and instructions
- Liaise with stunt action coordinators and identify specific stuntwear requirements
- Work with the stunt department to brief the stunt performer on the required stuntwear
- Agree suitable ways of concealing stuntwear and accessories
- Assist the stunt performer to dress and undress
- Ensure stunt performers are comfortable and flexible within their costume and ensure stunt protection and harnesses are safely and correctly fitted by a member of the stunt team
- Verify the number of costume changes required by the performer
- Prepare for costumes changes considering the performance schedule and the time available for performers to change. Negotiate extra changing time where necessary
- Examine costumes and assess condition to see if maintenance is required
- Label and hand over costumes and instructions of work required to the relevant person
- Examine returned altered or repaired items and ensure they meet the required standard and instructions
- Check terms of agreement if using a hire company and service costumes accordingly
- Note and report accidental damage to costumes during servicing
- Seek advice from the relevant person(s) should costumes be damaged during servicing
- Re-label serviced costumes with relevant information
- Store serviced items and ensure that they are readily available to meet production requirements
- Ensure costumes are secure, kept in the required conditions and protected when not in use
- Assess the item and select the appropriate cleaning products and methods
- Identify and assess allergies and sensitivities of performers and the costume team to cleaning products
- Clean costumes following care instructions
- Clean and polish footwear and accessories following care instructions
- Confirm continuity requirements and clean items accordingly
- Identify, assess and remove stains
- Identify stains and odours that cannot be removed via standard methods and make cleaning recommendations
- Identify cleaning issues as they arise and liaise with the appropriate personnel
- Establish a cleaning schedule in line with the production schedule and sequence
- Identify and source the necessary washing and drying facilities required within the budget
- Source and use dry cleaning specialists when appropriate
- Acquire and position the pressing equipment safely
- Ensure equipment settings are correct for the items being pressed
- Select and use different pressing accessories and aids, such as sleeve boards, pads, and spray starch
- Follow COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) regulations when using cleaning and pressing products
- Press washed garments to add to the line up of character outfits for the day according to the call sheet, schedule and continuity
- Set up, communicate and maintain the continuity recording process
- Review the production script, schedule, and costume breakdown to develop a costume continuity plan
- Check performers appearance against the costume continuity breakdown
- Approve performers’ dress at commencement of shooting
- Monitor performers’ dress throughout the production, ensuring the costume at the beginning of a new take appears the same as it was at the end of the previous take
- Pay attention to costume detail throughout the shoot and correct it if required
- Estimate possible scripted and unscripted occurrences which might impact on performers’ costumes
- Confirm required changes to costumes as a result of unscripted events during shooting
- Ensure changes are approved and are made in accordance with the script
- Minimise disruption to the production schedule when dressing or re-dressing performers for continuity
- Follow on-set etiquette when maintaining continuity including rules on the use of mobile phones or other modes of communication
- Brief crowd costume staff on the production, on-set etiquette and the chosen continuity process
- Monitor continuity on set throughout the production, ensure that continuity information is gathered promptly and without intrusion
- When necessary, allocate an appropriate member of crowd costume to represent the crowd costume supervisor, ensuring the 1st AD knows who that person is
- Confirm that continuity details are from reliable sources when not present at a take
- Check and approve completed costume continuity records
- Review the script and identify costume distress requirements
- Confirm the costume continuity requirements
- Brief the costume team on the costume requirements
- Identify and source resources required for costume break down and distress
- Identify allergies and sensitivity levels of performers and the costume team and ensure appropriate products are used
- Use the appropriate processes to break down fabrics, garments, shoes and accessories
- Wear appropriate protective wear to carry out “costume distressing” work
- Identify a safe location to work in and comply with health, safety and environmental legislation, policies and guidelines
- Ensure COSHH regulations are adhered to
- Keep records and store details of completed costume ageing and distressing work
- Agree the required function of the accessory and any rigging requirements
- Identify and maintain appropriate conditions for daily costume storage
- Ensure costumes are protected from damage by using protective coverings and appropriate storage facilities
- Inspect stored costumes regularly for signs of deterioration or missing items and update documents accordingly
- Liaise with the relevant personnel and agree suitable solutions where there is a deficiency in storage areas or security
- Inspect returned costumes, check they are clean and report issues before returning the item to storage
- Label and record stored costumes with relevant information
- When clearance is given, return hired costumes to suppliers following agreed return procedures and using methods which minimise the risk of damage in transit
- Create and maintain records relating to the transit of costumes, delivery and return of costumes
- Recognise, report and investigate problems that have occurred during transit. Note and record agreed action
- Consider how purchased and made crowd costumes will be stored on picture wrap
- Order sufficient packing materials to allow the process to occur efficiently
- Ensure the whereabouts of all listed assets is known
- Supervise the cleaning and packing of all purchased and made costumes which will avoid any damage during the packed duration
- Check the productions pack / wrap procedure and follow accordingly
- Ensure there are enough crowd staff available to complete the pack / wrap in the allocated budgeted time scale
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of crowd costume supervisor.
- Liaise with other departments to discuss continuity and any changes to the design, such as hair and make-up, props, VFX, SFX, or sound
- Script breakdown and communication of costume requirements
- Budget and resource management
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements and communicating the costume department’s requirements clearly to cast, crew and colleagues
- Leadership and management: lead the costume team, uphold ethics and maintain respect when dealing with others. Support and encourage junior members of the team
- Teamworking: collaboration within own and with other departments such as hair and make-up and props, VFX, SFX, ADs and sound
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving issues with supplies and changes so that production remains on schedule
- Resilience and enthusiasm: adapt positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met. Proactive and explores new ideas and non-standard ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the production
- Ethics and integrity: honest and principled in all of their actions and interactions. Respectful and inclusive of others, and meets the ethical requirements of their profession
- Flexibility: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities and working requirements and has the flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing production environment