What do you do for costumes?

Same as with settings, I don't write shorts requiring costumes which are impractical. :)

Eg. A dragon, a shiny android, and a samurai in full regalia were kibitzing in the Cabinet Room at Number 10.

Hmm... I can't do that. Not for a short without a rather large budget. ;)
 
Eg. A dragon, a shiny android, and a samurai in full regalia were kibitzing in the Cabinet Room at Number 10.

...and the prime minister says "what is this, some kind of joke?"
;)

Actually, between people I know into cosplay and the Society for Creative Anachronism, I could probably get costumes for that one. Maybe that's the secret if you want to do more wild stuff; know people who are into making costumes for it! But I guess that falls under your advice for writing what you can do.
 
First of all, thrift stores are your friend.

If you need something a little more off-the-wall, try Etsy.

Some Halloween costumes can work in a pinch, just be careful of cheap shiny fabrics.

Colleges with drama departments often have costume closets. Make friends with whoever runs it and see if they can let you borrow things once in awhile.
 
im using a full on mascot for my next short. Look for constume rental places. Rentals look better than cheap 20 bucks costume, and u dont have to worry about storage afterwards.
 
If you write something expensive or hard to get realize you are doing it and start working on it early. I usually try to find a dedicated wardrobe person for free/cheap (your friend who loves going to thrift stores and can sew). Warehouse everything for future use. i now own cop uniforms with duty belts and batons, old school white dress nurses outfits with the hats, scrubs ,etc... etc... If I ever need them again, now I have them.
 
Yeah really depends on what you're doing. For most everything I'll communicate with the actors and tell them "black suit" or "cocktail dress", etc.

If I'm not sure I'll have them bring two or three changes.

Finally, I did buy a lot of camo stuff for generic badguys for some of our action pieces. Since we do a lot it comes in handy.
 
Yeah, at a table read or some other pre-production meeting have them bring the stuff they have that may meet what you're looking for. That way you can get a look at it, pick the exact outfit (which I then have them leave with me instead of taking it home), or know in advance you have to find something for them.
 
Thrift stores tend to solve a lot of woes. In general I've always been really impressed when working with people who have costume design degrees, and actually have some semblance or creativity and ingenuity. They can be amazing on the cheap.
 
Do you have a budget for costumes?

If not, write a script that only reqires street clothes.

If you are doing a science fiction production like me, you have an illustrator design the look of your costumes based on your character descriptions. Then you get measurements of all your actors and look for a costume construction place in China where you save lots of money and give them the costume art and actors' measurements and have them make your costume.
 
For all my no-budget shorts, we typically ask the actors if they have clothes that will work. Surprisingly, we have found actors with decent wardrobes. We are ALWAYS upfront with each actor before casting about the clothing, especially if it will get dirty or bloody.

We used Halloween costumes for 2 of leads on our last finished short (everyone else provided their own stuff), but the scene was at a Halloween party, so it fit. However, my original script called for the lead to be in a bunny costume. But once I saw the cost of these (couldn't rent due to needing to have blood on it), I changed it to something more accessible. Actually, my new costume turned out better and more creepy than the original idea.

For the short I'm doing now, the wardrobe was bought at Wal-Mart. Spent less than US$30 on multiple versions since one was going to get dirty and wet. I don't even ask my cast to provide clothes that I know we are going to stain, tear, or damage in any way.
 
Local theater companies (like ACT in San Francisco) often have a costume shop that offers rentals. This is especially useful for shooting period pieces. We used it often for the 1920s silent I directed.
 
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