Costume Design and the role it plays in Filmmaking

Costume Design and the role it plays in Filmmaking

In this episode, Veera Kapur, a renowned and award-winning costume designer, widely regarded as one of the most sought-after professionals in her field, offers valuable insights on the skills and attributes required to excel in costume design. Veera also emphasizes the need to explore diverse opportunities in the industry and avoid limiting oneself to a single field. Her expert advice is sure to be invaluable for anyone seeking to establish a successful career in costume design.

Welcome to the Zista Podcast!

This episode features Veera Kapur, a highly acclaimed costume designer who has been recognized for her exceptional contributions to the film industry, having received the prestigious Filmfare Award for Best Costume Design in 2021 and 2022, for her outstanding work on ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ and ‘Sardar Udham’, respectively.

Her unparalleled talent has also been acknowledged at the FOI Online Awards in 2017, 2021, and 2022. Veera’s impressive portfolio includes not only popular films such as “October,” “Blackmail,” “Pari,” “Hindi Medium,” and “Pink,” but also a wide range of TV series, including “Hush Hush,” “Maharani,” “Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi,” and “Home Shanti.” With her keen eye for detail and artistic creativity, she has established herself as one of the most sought-after costume designers in the industry.

Veera Kapur stresses the importance of being driven, intelligent, and open to learning as key traits for success in costume design. She advises aspiring costume designers to be persistent and learn the ropes on the job, and also highlights the diverse career opportunities available in the field of costume design, ranging from working on films and series to advertisements.

Key takeaways

• Develop your fashion design skills alongside your costume design expertise.
• Make contacts within the fashion industry and intern with designers.
• Create a brand and showcase your designs on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
• Be patient; commit at least a year to a year and a half to internships.
• Focus on learning, build relationships, and make the most of the opportunities that come your way.
• Hard work, perseverance, and a positive attitude are essential to achieving success in costume design.

Q: What is the role of a costume designer in filmmaking?

A costume designer’s role in filmmaking is to create costumes that visually represent the characters and the story being told. They work closely with the director to understand their vision and create costumes that evoke the desired emotions and feelings in the audience. A costume designer’s goal is to establish a character’s look and feel while also adding to the overall aesthetics of the film.

Q: What career opportunities can students explore in the field of costume design?

There are many career opportunities available for costume designers, including working on films, episodic content, advertisements, and content being created on OTT platforms. With the introduction of OTT platforms, there is a lot of work being generated for costume designers.

Q: What does it take to be a costume designer?

Being a costume designer is not just about fashion, it’s very different, especially for films or series. Having a degree in fashion design is an advantage. Basic skills of how to construct a garment is helpful, but being driven, smart, and willing to learn is also important.

Q: What inspired Veera to pursue a career in costume design?

Veera was fascinated with the Bollywood industry growing up and started as an intern working with a company called Red Ice Films where she assisted Mr. Shoojit Sirkar. Veera continued to work with costumes and enjoyed being an integral part of the film-making process. She learned the trade on the job and began with small projects such as advertisements.

Q: Why is it important to intern with designers and film designers?

According to Veera, it is essential to intern with designers and film designers because there is so much to learn about costume design that one can only understand by being on set and learning on the job. It allows one to explore the field and be a sponge, learning and absorbing as much as possible.

Q: How does networking help in costume design?

Networking is essential in costume design as it helps one to be open to incoming opportunities.

It also allows one to connect with people in the industry, get references and recommendations, and build relationships that can lead to potential work opportunities.