<p>I've been a lot of looking around online and these seems like a good place to start. I have a bit of a different situation that most posting on this forum. Long story short, I realized a little too late that I should have originally majored in something different (got a BS in Audio Engineering Tech) , and I'm trying to decide if another go at schooling would be the right decision for me. I've been looking at schools like SCAD and SUNY Purchase that offer costume technology programs, or something similar. Those seem to be exactly what I would enjoy doing, since I've always done costuming/makeup/prop making as a hobby and would love to do this for a living.</p>
<p>However, I would prefer to do filmwork in the long run, and my biggest concern is whether or not going to a theater tech program would be beneficial. Is the coursework / preparation / experiences BFA programs offer be generally translatable to film? I tried looking around, and film/cinema majors don't seem like they have enough of a "hands on" approach. Maybe some graduates or people in the field could offer some advice. </p>
<p>My other worries are:
- cost. I already have a mountain of loans to pay off from my first degree and rather not add more than necessary. A school like SUNY Purchase is looking extremely good because it's reputation, price and closeness to home. (I live in NYC)</p>
<ul>
<li>besides the costuming that I've always done for my own personal use, I have no background experience in theatre/drama. Would this work against me horribly, or do schools tend to prefer a blank slate?</li>
</ul>
<p>I'd really like to know some perspectives on this.</p>
<p>Yes, I have actually. I wasn’t too impressed by their presentation of the program on the website, but since it’s so close by and I can grab a day off work, I’m planning to go see the campus soon and hopefully I can get a better idea of it.</p>
<p>If my daughter’s experience is representative, tech theater students work on films from time to time–as part of the curriculum, outside class, on internships. The whole structure of academic departments makes it seem like film and theater are separate, but that’s not always so in fact. I’ve also met someone from her school who works on movies. She says that a costume is a costume (although you can’t cut corners as easily on film). In fact, costume is one of the easiest areas in which to move from theater to film (as opposed to lighting, for example). </p>
<p>As far as experience goes, your own costumes will give them a good idea of your potential. You can also use sketches and swatches to show your ideas. I think you’ll be an appealing because you’ve got more life experience and you’re more motivated.</p>
<p>Have you thought about a graduate program? That is, an MFA, or other Master’s Degree, or even a Doctorate? Since you already have a Bachelor’s, you are qualified for grad school. And there is no requirement that you go to grad school in the same subject you got your undergrad degree in. Many, many people get their graduate degrees in different subjects than their undergraduate degrees.</p>
<p>I agree with theatermom that a costume is a costume. I am sure the costumes you have made are good enough for theater. (hmm, they were not for theater, film, or television, but for your own personal use. I am guessing some sort of cosplay, or else a historical reenactment society, or both) And costumes for theater are going to be the same as costumes for film and television.</p>
<p>But maybe you should be contacting people who work as costumers in film, that is to say the people who already have your dream job. Find out how they got their start in the industry, and whether you even need a degree.</p>
<p>Calore, I really like RealKEV’s idea of you researching how current movie and tv costume designers got their start and education. Call the Costume Designers Guild at 818 752 2400 and see if they can help you.</p>
<p>I agree about contacting costumers. My guess is that you need contacts to get into the industry. This is one argument for the BFA degree although, of course, that is not the only way to get contacts.</p>
<p>Ask the schools if you would be a better candidate for undergrad or grad studies. BFA programs do not generally include much in the way of liberal arts so your degree may be beside the point.</p>
<p>@TheRealKEVP: I don’t think my work is good enough for applying directly Master’s, mostly because I haven’t learned proper techniques or foundations. My educational background is all the sciences and business, which doesn’t carry over well to a fine arts program, and the rest is just stuff I’ve figured out on my own. Once I get a feel for it, or improve my portfolio, I could probably transfer into a master’s program. It’s something I’ll keep in the back of my mind. </p>
<p>@shacherry: honestly, I would prefer to just work my way up from internships and see where I can go from there (not thrilled about the thought of more years in school) but I’m limited by my financial situation. I can’t exactly leave my job that pays the bills and lets me save up, unless I entered full time at a school, I can defer my loans, which gives me time to improve my skills/internships/etc.</p>
<p>Don’t just “assume” that you are not good enough for a graduate program. What if you are wrong? I would suggest that you actively research graduate programs to find out what their requirements are. You may already have the requirements you need. They may not require any sort of “foundation”–but it sounds like you already have a “foundation” in that you already know how to make costumes!!! Or maybe you will find you almost meet the requirements, and then there is just some simple thing you can do to add the missing requirement. You won’t know until you look into it, and you really shouldn’t “assume”.</p>
<p>The same with finding your dream job as a costumer in film. Don’t just “assume” you know what the requirements would be, and so on. Contact people who already have your dream job, and see what they did. There may be an easy way for you to enter the field that you won’t know about until you ask. If you can start work in the field you want, then you won’t have to worry about those student loans.</p>
<p>KEVP, I agree with the idea of contacting people in the field. But craft is not art. You need to build everything from the ground up. So I guess I agree with calore02’s assumptions because BFA programs in tech theater are highly structured. It’s not a matter of knowing how to make costumes, it’s a matter of knowing how to make costumes using a set of established techniques. One of the reasons that the graduates of a particular school will hire other grads from the same school is that they each know how the other was trained and therefore they can count on a certain level of expertise.</p>
<p>OP, since you are a little older (22 or up?), have a BS degree, and already working to support yourself, you may have to think outside the academic box here. If you truly want to work in costume/wardrobe in films or television, you need to get an internship on a production and begin to see if this work is for you. Since you say you have student loans already and must work at this point, you will likely need to find a less expensive road to your destination. There is no degree required, as I’m sure you know, to get this type of work, and frankly, it doesn’t pay big bucks so you cannot expect to pay back more mountains of loans easily or quickly when you go out, finally, to work in the field.</p>
<p>In fact, such work is mostly freelance and job by job. Until you get established, you will often have to find supplemental income. It takes a huge amount of drive and commitment and willingness to be a little broke while you make your mark.</p>
<p>If you lived in Los Angeles, I’d suggest you keep your day job and take a class at UCLA Extension or the Art Center at Night in Costume Design/Production and start getting your skills sharpened, while you see if you really have the talent and ambition to make it. I feel certain there are similar night classes in NYC and suggest you look into NYU, Fordham, The New School, Pace etc etc to see if they offer Extension or Adult Ed classes in Costume.</p>
</p>