This guide is meant to help student and independent filmmakers begin to think about the many details that a period film requires. Coupled with my own personal experience making a period film for my senior capstone, and with the research of several professional directors, production designers, and costume designers, this guide allows for filmmakers to prepare properly and minimize any mistakes they might make. It is a study of period film research, its implementation, and production insights.

For my Barrett Creative Project I set out to make an Elizabethan inspired women’s costume and write about my process. Images of the completed costume and process photos are included in the appendix. I researched the differences between my modern day costume construction techniques and those of dressmakers from the original period of the 16th century. An important distinction that I must make is that I set out to create a costume rather than a historical reproduction of a garment. This allows me to have both creative freedom and an ability to take advantage of the technology to which I have access. I will begin by reviewing the steps I took to construct the costume itself. The task began long before I ever sat down to stitch pieces together. Pollatsek writes, “Popular culture tends to show two versions of making clothing: mass - production drudged in sweatshops, or virtually instantaneous bursts of creative magic . . . (making costumes for the stage), most people do not see the planning and time that the transformation of fabric into wearable art entails. Creating costumes actually requires a combination of art, craft, and engineering” (1). I found her statement to ring true, as the completion of this project incorporated not just sewing but historical research, pattern-making, costume design, and project management. The final product of this project is a costume that very closely resembles the initial rendering. Due to the onset of Covid-19, in order to adhere to social distancing practices, I was unable to photograph the finished project on my model. The alterations marked in our final fitting were completed and the costume is made to her latest measurements.