Research into Costumes and Props

PERIOD DRAMA:


These kinds of films always set the scene through authentic period costumes, which sometimes reflect the mood or personality of a character. Usually colours can make the main character stand out, for whatever reason.

• Pride and Prejudice

All the costumes in this film are period costumes which set the scene for the early 19th Century. The bright mix of colours in the females' costumes suggest a clash of personalities, while the style of the dresses still idealise the fashion of the era. The bright red uniform of the militia suggests that this was set at the time of a war, while the red suggests danger because Mr Wickham is in fact the 'bad character' in the film. The blue tailcoat, striped waistcoat and smart trousers of the second male character suggest wealth and status to represent his hierarchy to the audience.

• The Young Victoria

Similar to Pride and Prejudice, the costumes in this film set the time in which the film is set - in this case, during the reign of Queen Victoria. However, these costumes are more grand because it is a story of royalty. The use of different colours in the Queen's costumes represent different periods and highlights/bad moments in her life. The first dress represents the time when she was pregnant, so the colour reflects her happiness. The purple and green dress represent the period when Victoria had just become Queen, so perhaps the colours could be used to suggest her at her peak. The two dresses on the right are worn in the film when Victoria has rowed with Albert (who consequently gets shot when she is wearing this dress) and the black one on the right is the gown she wears when she is in mourning for her Uncle, the King. Again, the influence of the militia is heavy in this film with the red uniform.

• Becoming Jane

 The female costumes in this film are such that the main character, Jane stands out in red. This could suggest her rebellious personality and her vigor and determination in life. In the image on the right, Jane wears a blue dress, while all the other females are wearing pink, red and turquoise dresses. Like in The Young Victoria, costumes in this film are used to represent the mood and mindset of the characters. In this scene, Jane is fed up and does not want to visit a rich, snobbish lady who owns extensive property, and trails behind the party. The male costumes in this film once again represent the fashion of the era in which it is set. The middle photo is of Jane's father, and a clergyman. His hat which is different to the man's on the left, could be a sign of his position in society as a clergyman.

GENERAL DRAMA:

In these kinds of films, costumes are ordinary and simple, because the characters are either meant to come across as realistic, or if the film is based on a true story, the characters are in fact portraying real people, and therefore need ordinary clothing. Most of the time in general dramas, we can identify 'good characters' through light coloured clothing, and 'bad characters' through dark coloured clothing. This is because appearance can be manipulated easily to portray someone in a particular light which communicates a character's intentions to the audience quickly and easily.
 

• Forrest Gump

All costumes in this film are ordinary clothes which link to the realistic settings and situations. The main character tends to wear a light coloured shirt and a suit, which make the audience almost feel sorry for him because he looks lonely and smart. The lemon yellow dress worn by the female character is a dress which is associated with the 1940s/1950s in which the film is set.

• One Day

The costumes in this film as simple. They have to be realistic costumes that represent characters who could be real people, so dresses, skirts, shirts, backpacks, suits and coats are all clothing which we would expect to find on people out on the street every day.

PROPS

http://www.ehow.com/about_6566170_importance-movie-props.html

Props can be important for the iconography of a film. For example, westerns tend to have cowboys and indians, guns, deserts, cacti...etc. Props make the scene more realistic and complete the setting. Below are some examples of iconic film props.

http://pinterest.com/martintaylor/iconic-movie-props/

Some props - like these from the Star Wars series, become an element of the film which makes it recognisable globally. Most people are aware what a stormtrooper is, and what a lightsaber looks like. 

In our film, the mobile phone will be our main prop, because it is the item which is stolen and returned. This is a typical prop which is now used in most films, since technology has developed. Now it is something which everyone has, and therefore is something that the audience can relate to, which therefore adds to the realistic element of the drama genre.