Calling Card: Costume Design

 Research

Before finalizing the costume design choices for our characters, we decided to conduct research on the importance of costume design in film because we felt that we didn't know enough. Through this research I learned that costume design was a very important part of mise-en-scene and that it plays an important role in developing characters and in storytelling.

The costume of a character can reveal the personality, status, and even the time period the characters are in to the viewer. They can also establish a character's identity through the color scheme of the costume, for example, antagonists in mystery and thriller movies typically wear darker clothing to symbolize danger and secrecy, while protagonists usually wear brighter colors to symbolize hope and bravery. After realizing this, we approached the costume design of our characters more thoughtfully. Instead of just choosing what we thought looked cool, we focused on how their clothing would help add meaning to the story.

Costume Design for the Antagonist

For the costume design of the antagonist, we wanted him to wear mostly black clothing. The color black represents things like mystery, death, fear, power, and evil which is exactly how we want the audience to view our antagonist. We were planning on having him wear a black hoodie and long black pants like in the images below. We are still deliberating on whether the antagonist will have a mask. If we choose to have one, it will make him feel less human and more intimidating to the audience. If we choose not to have one, we will still not show his face and obscure his face.

Costume Design for the Protagonists

For the costume design of the protagonists, we wanted them to wear basic clothes like suits but that were a bit disheveled. This gives off the effect that the protagonists are very professional but that they are still very much obsessed with the case to the point of working nonstop. With the mise-en-scene of the disheveled clothes and messy room, the viewers will be able to infer that the protagonists have been prioritizing the case over their own wellbeing. An example will be shown below.