Academy to Present Costume Design Seminar
Academy to Present Costume Design Seminar

Beverly Hills, CA — A four-part seminar examining the art of costume design will be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences beginning Tuesday, September 14, at 7 p.m. in the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theater at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study in Hollywood. The series will continue for three additional Tuesday evenings – September 21, 28 and October 5.

Each session of "Character Comes First: Costume Design in the 21st Century" will offer a detailed look at the costume design process from the perspective of motion picture costume designers. The evenings will be moderated by Deborah Nadoolman Landis Ph.D., president of the Costume Designers Guild, who received an Oscar® nomination for her work on Coming to America and whose other credits include Raiders of the Lost Ark" and The Blues Brothers.

In addition to viewing film clips, the audience will participate in open discussion with some of film's most accomplished costume designers. Panelists will discuss their approaches to designing costumes for particular motion picture genres.

Following is the schedule of topics and participants (subject to change):

September 14: Period Costumes, featuring Judianna Makovsky, who received Academy Award® nominations for costume design for Pleasantville, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Seabiscuit; Carol Ramsey, whose credits include Mr. & Mrs. Bridge and Tuck Everlasting; and Rita Ryack, who was nominated for an Oscar in the costume design category for her work on Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas and whose other credits include Casino and Apollo 13.

September 21: Comedy or Fantasy Costumes, featuring Deena Appel, who worked on all three Austin Powers films as well as Stuck On You; and Daniel Orlandi, who served as costume designer for Down with Love and Meet the Parents.

September 28: Contemporary Costumes, featuring Academy Governor Jeffrey Kurland, who received an Academy Award nomination for his work on Bullets over Broadway and whose other credits include Erin Brockovich and Ocean's Eleven (2001); Mark Bridges, who was the costume designer for 8 Mile and Punch-Drunk Love; and Susie DeSanto, whose credits include White Oleander and What Lies Beneath.

October 5: Science Fiction or Horror Costumes, featuring Ellen Mirojnick, who served as costume designer for The Chronicles of Riddick and Starship Troopers;" and Kym Barrett, whose credits include the Matrix trilogy and Gothika.

A sampling of the costume sketches recently donated to the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library from the Costume Designers Guild will be on display in the lobby of the Dunn Theater. Each genre discussed in the seminar, along with some of the panelists' work, will be represented with sketches from this collection.

The seminar is being held in conjunction with the Academy's gallery exhibition "Fifty Designers/Fifty Costumes: Concept to Character," which will be on display in the Grand Lobby and Fourth Floor Galleries of the Academy's Beverly Hills building from September 10 through December 5. For more information about the exhibition please visit the Academy website at www.oscars.org or call 310-247-3600.

Registration for the seminar series is $40 for the general public and $30 for Academy members and students with valid identification. Space is limited. Interested parties may register in advance at the Academy during regular business hours or by mail. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For additional information call 310-247-3000, ext. 111.

The Linwood Dunn Theater is located at the Academy's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study at 1313 N. Vine Street in Hollywood. Parking is available behind the building through the entrance on Homewood Avenue.