FIDM Alumna Mona May Visits LA Campus
FIDM Alumna, costume designer Mona May, visited the downtown LA campus last week for an informative and inspiring hour-long chat with FIDM Students and Faculty. Students from majors ranging from Visual Communications to Merchandise Product Development and Fashion Design came to pick the brain of the master Costume Designer of movies like Clueless, Enchanted, Stuart Little 2, and The Wedding Singer. Mona, who is at work on a TV pilot, generously answered students’ questions:
Q How did you get started in the movie industry?
A I had studied fashion in Europe and New York. I came to FIDM in the 90s because I wanted to do sportswear. While going to fashion school here, I naturally met students from the film schools like UCLA and USC. When they asked me to design costumes for their student films, it sounded like fun, so I just jumped in.
Q What is the main difference between fashion design and costume design?
A In costume design you are not designing for the trends. You are designing for character. You have to think, “What makes this character different? What is their transformation?” Drew Barrymore’s character in Never Been Kissed was so much fun to dress for that reason.
Q Where do you go for ideas?
A You have to be innovative. Since your job starts about 8 months before the movie shoots, you have to be ahead of trends. I look at the runway shows and magazines like Collezioni that are looking to the future. You cannot look at what is in the stores right now or the clothes will be out-of-date by the time the movie is released.
Q How can students prepare for interviews?
A I am still auditioning after nearly 20 years in the industry. I like to bring big presentation boards filled with visual ideas to show the director I really care. Don’t be afraid to have a strong point-of-view as a designer. Remember that you’re competing with other designers so you have to stand out.
That said, I dress professionally and arty for the meeting. I want to make an impact with my ideas.
Q Can you tell us about your process?
A As a designer, you collaborate with lots of people, but the director is the most important. I begin the conversation by discussing the script. You are not the artist who sits at home and paints so you have to meet and talk everything out. Over time, you build trust with a director, but you have to be like a combination artist/lawyer. You are always convincing him that your ideas are right.
On Stuart Little 2, I was designing for a 4-inch computer animated no-neck mouse as well as a 6-feet tall live action actor, Geena Davis, so the collaborations were complex. For instance, computer programs were designed to actually make patterns for all the tiny mice clothes, so I was a virtual tailor working with a large staff of animators.
Enchanted was even more complex. There were 3 formats we were designing for: live action, classic animation, and CGI.
Q How do you deal with the stress of Hollywood?
A If you love what you do, it’s fun! Being a costume designer involves lots of problem solving. My advice to new designers is: get there early, stay late, and be happy at work. Go cry at home, if you have a bad day.
Q Is there a philosophy that guides your work?
A I think of each scene in a movie or TV show as a painting. All the characters, their clothes, and their surroundings should go together and make a pleasing picture on screen.
Film & TV Costume Design is one of 20 majors offered at FIDM.
