Going Hollywood, How Brittany Cormack Thrives as a Costume Designer Amid the Madness of Show Biz
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Release Date: 12/13/2016
The Big 100! A Live Meetup Event with guests Rashan Casseus & Gabby Wallace
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
That went quickly! Listen in to our live event where we commemorate 100 episodes of The Busy Creator Podcast and remark on the journey. This event was a crossover with the New York City Podcast Meetup, recorded at Small City Co-working space in Brooklyn.
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There and Back Again, Craig Ward Discusses Joining A Large Agency After Years of Successful Solo Practice
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Craig Ward (@MrCraigWard) is a designer, art director, typographic artist, and author currently living in Brooklyn, NY. A UK native, he came to New York in 2009 shortly after being selected as an ADC Young Gun.
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Going Hollywood, How Brittany Cormack Thrives as a Costume Designer Amid the Madness of Show Biz
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Brittany Cormack is a costume designer for film and television. Following her training in fashion and dance, Brittany arrived in Los Angeles without a clue how to work in the movie business, but has since found her groove. She works primarily on independent films, commercials, and music videos, but every day is an adventure.
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Practical Typographic Advice and Building an Education Business Alongside a Design Firm with Michael Stinson
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Michael Stinson (@MWStinson) is a veteran designer, educator, and business owner. In addition to his work as a professor of graphic design, he also runs Ramp Creative, a branding studio in Los Angeles, as well as Type Ed, a dedicated typographic education business which helps creative pros return to form in the fields of typesetting and layout.
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Becoming a Multi-Faceted Creative, and The Movie-Making Process with Filmmaker & Podcaster David Power
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
David Power is a multi-purpose creative pro based in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to New York, he’s worked in music recording & production, written several business books, penned screenplays, and helped write and perform in comedy films. His latest project is a podcast documentary of how a feature film is made.
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Business Lessons for Creative Entrepreneurs & How to Launch an Online Community with Designer, Writer, and Podcaster Kathleen Shannon
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Kathleen Shannon (@AndKathleen) is a graphic designer, brand strategist, and co-founder of Being Boss, a podcast and community for creative entrepreneurs. Kathleen began as a staff art director, but learned entrepreneurial habits working on her side projects and blogging. She's now seeking to become a media mogul and serve the creative community.
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B-SIDE: Planning A Modern WordPress Website, with guest Avery Swartz
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Avery Swartz (@AverySwartz) joins Prescott to discuss the possibilities for the next version of BusyCreator.com. Together, the two discuss the capabilities of WordPress, best practices which Prescott is adopting (and should start), and the shortcomings of WordPress themes and plugins.
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Methods and Mindsets for Successful Web Design Projects with Agency Boss Ben Seigel
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Ben Seigel (@versastudiollc) is a web designer and developer, and head of Versa Studio. In addition to managing projects and writing the necessary code for client sites, Ben has examined and written about the underlaying value of design, how small businesses and design agencies can work together toward successful ends.
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Exploring Business Issues Faced by Creative Pros with Author & Professor Douglas Davis
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Douglas Davis (@DouglasQDavis) is a graphic designer, professor, consultant, and author of the new book Creative Strategy and the Business of Design. The book, which follows his recent talks and workshops, explores business issues that face creative professionals, especially those which may not even seem apparent.
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Balancing a Design Practice and Co-Working Space in New York City, with Jessi Arrington & Creighton Mershon
The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox
Jessi Arrington (@JessiArrington) and Creighton Mershon (@Cr8tonMershon) are the founders of Workshop, a Brooklyn-based creative agency, as well as the proprietors of Small City, a new co-working space and home to dozens of independent creative pros.
info_outlineBrittany Cormack is a costume designer for film and television. Following her training in fashion and dance, Brittany arrived in Los Angeles without a clue how to work in the movie business, but has since found her groove. She works primarily on independent films, commercials, and music videos, but every day is an adventure.
Work has taken her from frozen mountains to coastal swamps, and everywhere in between. In this conversation, we discover how movie sets work, what happens when everyone is freelance, and where to build habits even during crazy periods.
Catch up with Brittany on her IMDB page or Portfolio.
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Show Notes & Links
- Gilmore Girls are back
- Brittany and Prescott went to college together, danced together
- Brittany is a costume designer for film & television
- The difference between costume and fashion is that fashion is meant to sell; costume helps build a character
"Costume is the head-to-toe of a person" —Brittany Cormack
- Costume should be part of the conception, not merely production
- Upstairs-downstairs, the term for important vs. non-important people
- Above-the-line/Below-the-line, terms in film (also advertising) to describe the most visible and important duties
"Each set and each project has an energy of its own." —Brittany Cormack
"Every first day of shooting is like the first day of school." —Brittany Cormack
- Caste System, even on a movie set
- On the set of Planet of The Apes, people will sit together based on their costumes
- Grips
- The Gig Economy
"You have to be a little half-crazy to work in this industry." —Brittany Cormack
- Grey’s Anatomy, currently in season 13
- Contracts for short films or commercials are usually under 2 months
"If you’re ever looking for work, just plan a vacation." —freelancers’ adage
- The Hollywood Model, where a team is built for purpose, then disbanded
- Sandy Powell, costumer designer on Cinderella
"In LA or New York, you can get anything if you have the money." —Brittany Cormack
- Standard days of filming are 10-14 hours
"I only want to tell stories that I feel matter." —Brittany Cormack
- Aristotelian Logic (Logos, Ethos, Pathos)
- Lexiconical Gap in English for “happiness” in the context of a career (in Danish we have arbejdsglaede)
- People Magazine Investigates
- Long Island Serial Killer, 2011
"If you want to be a true collaborator, you’ve gotta be willing to be a team player." —Brittany Cormack
- Scandal (a Union show)
- Non-Union people can’t touch the clothes
- Greensmen, Set Decorators, Painters — keep away from one another’s jobs!
"If there’s a hat, you’re gonna wear it!" —Brittany Cormack
- “Taking Meetings“, a common practice in Hollywood
- "You’re only as good as your last job." —Hollywood adage
- Brittany uses Instagram strictly for work (no cats, no food!)
- Brittany Cormack’s portfolio
- Brittany Cormack on IMDB
- Brittany Cormack on Facebook
- Brittany Cormack on Instagram
Tools
- Paper & Pencil
Techniques
- Build a backstory for all your characters beyond what’s on the page
- Keep track of everyone who owes you money
- Call your “guy” when you’re in trouble
- Stay around people, be inspired by them (as well as books)
Habits
- Keep a positive, collaborative attitude above all
- Use a billing software tool to track your invoices
- Document your work on social media to stay current
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