Clothing you always wanted to show in your film?

[Max Field]

Bit of a fun thread.

Not sure if anyone else leans on this a lot, but when brainstorming for an idea I have a lot of fun thinking of what the talent will dress in. Is there a specific shirt/hat/pair of shoes you (or have always wanted to) shot your actors in? Whether it's something funny for the people who were behind it or something that's always represented who you were or what you loved.

 

For me, it's always been high top Nikes or Jordans and the silly message shirts put out by Nike Air:

 

[Bill DiPietra]

Bit of a fun thread.

Not sure if anyone else leans on this a lot, but when brainstorming for an idea I have a lot of fun thinking of what the talent will dress in. Is there a specific shirt/hat/pair of shoes you (or have always wanted to) shot your actors in? Whether it's something funny for the people who were behind it or something that's always represented who you were or what you loved.

 

For me, it's always been high top Nikes or Jordans and the silly message shirts put out by Nike Air:

 

 

No offense, but that kind of unmotivated storytelling is an element of what's slowly destroyed quality film-making over the years. As for costumes, I prefer subtle hues & tone (or something even more pointed) which may be more sub-textual. I've always felt that the costume should fit the character just as well as the character fits into the story. I was never a fan of throwing something into a film - costume or otherwise - unless it fit into the story.

[Max Field]

I feel intentionally adding something from your own culture/up-bringing, which could be clothing, makes a director's style much more fleshed out in the long run. Spike Lee is a great example of this, in multiple films (She's Gotta Have It or DtRT) Lee has some form of antagonist as a Boston Celtics fan or wearing a Larry Bird T-shirt. At first it seems silly to use your platform to denounce a professional sports club, but looking into it further it tells the story of where he came from and the emotions that surrounded in Brooklyn.

 

As for a background character who's on the screen for 5 seconds, I can't really see how doing something fun (within reason) to their costume design can significantly devalue the efforts of a filmmaker.

[Phil Rhodes]

I'm absolutely fascinated by costume design and like to get involved with it whenever I can, which is naturally very rarely. Particularly, this sort of stuff.

I suspect that wasn't what you really meant.

[Bill DiPietra]

One of my favorites would be The Age of Innocence (1993).