SPLIT POST: In response to Richard Lanni and the issue of Hollywood costume designers/coordinators/directors. Original post: RE: prior comments about film people. We have to keep in mind that most of them are sincere in wanting to make their work look good, but most of them are probably not the history geeks we are. They rely on us to be knowledgeable and to have the proper look. I asked about a hat appropriate for 1715, because even I wasnt sure, since Ive usually done earlier periods in reenacting. I appreciate the information you all have provided and am sure the film Co. will as well. This is a documentary, not a Hollywood pirate fantasy, so every bit of historical accuracy is wanted. My Response: most of them are sincere yea, I dont believe that. There are maybe a small, tiny group of a few who get squashed under the weight of budgets and the demands of people above them such as directors, producers, and even finicky actors. But I dont believe for a second that the typical director/coordinator of costumes is sincere about being accurate. Its people who get things done the way the makers of the film or show want it that get paid - and accuracy isnt a factor. Youre right, many arent history enthusiasts, let alone high caliber experts, researchers, historians, etc. So most of these guys do a tiny bit of research, or grab what they can from consultants. They then pick and choose things they like/are allowed to work with from what they found from research (note - limits can came from what their costume warehouses provide or what the director wants). Often times, it ends up being the style or even color scheme the director wants, or even what the actor wants a garment that just looks cool and refuses to wear a simple one that is accurate just because. In the end, the much more important thing for a costume person in Hollywood is to do their job and satisfy the people above them. The only people that ever get accurate costume departments moving are higher up people, like Director Peter Weir, who gave what will probably be Hollywoods best attempt ever at an accurate Age of Sail naval warfare film. Weir was winding down his directing career, had his reputation built up, and so decided to do a film he wanted to do, one with accuracy. The $150 million budget created a decent effort for accuracy. But, the film made back its budget and marketing, at best. Breaking even is not what Hollywood shoots for. Im not so angry with Hollywood, Im more upset with everyday people who go as far as saying Hollywood tries really hard, they wouldnt put out a inaccurate product if they market it as accurate. The word accuracy in Hollywood is meaningless. Its just marketing. Its like putting just the word guaranteed on the front of the box on a store shelf. Hollywood is not in the business of making films accurate, they are making film to make money - and to do that they need look appealing to a broad audience and be the kind of entertaining the masses will pay for. Sure, a film that is a piece of art can get through okay. But do they make the money? A lot of the times they make little or they make modest money. Meanwhile, the action film of the summer directed by Michael Bay makes a billion dollars. What is of fine quality (be it just good film quality or historical accuracy) isnt what will sell the most. Its why more McDonalds hamburgers will be sold (and more money) than excellently cooked sirloin steaks on a daily basis. The odds of getting a costume designer/coordinator/director that is actually sincere about getting it accurate, are very low. Also, Ill point out a couple of David Rickmans posts from his blog directly relating to this issue: davidwrickman.blogspot/2014/07/historical-movie-costumes-and-other.html davidwrickman.blogspot/2014/09/brown-bonnets-over-border.html
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 16:41:22 +0000
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