Our Bachelor of Fine Arts (Costume) students have had firsthand experience of the industry that awaits them after successfully taking secondments across dance, film and TV.
Photo: Costume students Marnie Perkins (L) and Natalie Beeson (R) modelling their 1880s creations recently
Our Bachelor of Fine Arts (Costume) students have had firsthand experience of the industry that awaits them after successfully taking secondments across dance, film and TV.
With the guidance of Head of Costume, Annette Ribbons, student Marnie Perkins secured a place working on Australian-produced Netflix series, Tidelands, which is about to begin filming in Queensland.
‘It was really exciting to be a part of the first Australian-produced Netflix series, as Netflix has become such an important platform for film and television viewing,’ commented Marnie.
‘I’m about to do two more weeks with them, some of that will be the shoot where I will be assisting the standby and learning about continuity which will be a great experience.
‘Continuity’ is when shots are filmed out of sequence and we have to ensure edited footage is believable as a continuum. Photos are taken constantly to map continuity throughout the shoot. This also helps the audience track time passing or a character’s development,’ she added.
Fellow student Evie Samoliov worked on Judy and Punch, a debut feature film from actress turned writer/director Mirrah Foulkes, while student Natalie Beeson worked with Bangarra Dance Company in Sydney and then on their Bennelong show in Adelaide.
‘They’re an indigenous dance company and the Artistic Director Stephen Page is amazing with what he does � really cool contemporary dance, telling stories that are really important and need to be told,’ said Natalie. ‘I’ve always had an interest in dance because I was a dancer and figure skater myself.’
NIDA’s extensive connections with TV, film and theatre professionals across the breadth of roles play a vital part in helping to secure secondments for students.
All three costume students have been working on shows that have NIDA alumni working on them. NIDA graduate Tess Schofield (Design, 1986) is working as Designer on Tidelands and asked specifically for a NIDA BFA (Costume) student to intern on the new Netflix show. The Judy and Punch film is being designed by NIDA graduate Edie Kurzer (Design, 1978) and Monica Smith (Costume, 2011) is Head of Wardrobe at Bangarra.
During their secondments, students put what they’ve learned at NIDA to good measure, with pre-production technical work, including costume construction, breaking down, art finishing, alterations and sourcing materials. But, more than that, the secondments opened up an understanding of the professional world to these students, offering an opportunity to work in areas outside of theatre, enhancing their experience and prospects.
‘One of the best things about the secondment was seeing how the workroom runs, the group dynamic and how each person’s role works alongside each other. Due to the long nature format of television storytelling, there are obviously many different costume considerations and requirements compared to that of film. It was great to get a thorough understanding of this firsthand,’ said Marnie.
‘It was a good opportunity to explore film and see what the difference is and meet people who are actually working in film as opposed to theatre and opera,’ added Evie. ‘The process is different to theatre because time is a bigger factor. It’s more fast-paced.’
‘It was really fast-paced on Tidelands,’ added Marnie. ‘The scripts would be coming in regularly, a new draft each week for the episodes, and the whole team had to be on top of reading them and knowing why some of the characters were wearing what they were wearing.’
The training at NIDA is a key factor in helping the students hit the ground running on their secondment.
‘NIDA has helped a lot with being able to just step into those kinds of roles,’ said Natalie. ‘I was learning a lot without knowing and it’s not until you step into the professional world that you realise just how much you’ve learned.’
The secondments also provide students with the opportunity to network and develop their own connections with the professional industry.
‘Networking is essential and for me that’s why Bangarra was such a good stepping stone, because they’re such a small company,’ said Natalie. ‘It’s like working with a family. Everyone’s very professional and everyone’s passionate about what they do and they all know each other.’
For more information about BFA (Costume), please visit nida.edu.au/courses/undergraduate/costume
