Angels Costumes Behind The Seams – Details, episodes & analysis

This week’s episode is the final one we are releasing this year and Jonathan, Jeremy and Richard discuss what has happened over this strangest of times and how costume has changed this year.  We answer some of the questions we have been sent in and look at what’s to come in 2021.  

We hope you have enjoyed the podcasts this year - we certainly have been enjoying them and learning more about the interviewees and this great industry of ours and we look forward to introducing our more episodes next year.

Phil (Goldy) Goldsworthy’s CV reads like a list of the epic films made by UK crew of the last 20 years. Beginning your film work on Fifth Element is a pretty good start for any one and as you will hear, Phil has been involved in most of the large crowd productions (although not apparently Gladiator) since then.

What is not so well known is that prior to his involvement with Fifth Element he had co won Young Engineer of Great Britain – and we have the footage to prove it from back in the day when mullets were a hairstyle of choice.

A thoroughly conscientious and diligent wardrobe man,  Phil has been at the very sharp end of a huge number of films and his passion for the industry shines through this interview.

Ian like several of our interviewees did not study costume at University, instead he gained his degree in Fashion Design, Marketing and Manufacturing at the University of Huddersfield before he went onto set up his own fashion label.

Ian has worked throughout the industry in several roles including Assistant Designer and Costume Supervisor forging great relationships along the way that have stood him in good stead as his career has evolved.  Ian is passionate about what he does and believes very strongly in aiming high to achieve the goals he sets for each production.  Key to all of this is also how he feels about the teams he works with and how important it is not just for him but for the team themselves that they are all there to support each other and provide the best results for each production.

Ian has designed for Internationally acclaimed TV Series including Humans (AMC, Channel 4), The Man in an Orange Shirt (Hulu Channel 4) and Giri Haji (Netflix) as well as on BAFTA winning productions including Marvellous and Murdered by My Boyfriend.  His latest project It’s a Sin was written by Russel T Davies for HBO and Channel 4 and comes out later this year.

http://www.ianfulcher.co.uk/

Annie Symons is a British costume designer who brings a unique artistic approach to the many films and TV productions she’s been associated with over the past 40 years. Her perspective has been embraced by many innovative directors including Derek Jarman, John Maybury, Steven Poliakoff and Terence Davies. Her award-winning work includes ‘Worried About The Boy' (BAFTA), The Crimson Petal And The White (RTS) and Great Expectations (Emmy).

Jonathan and Annie chat about their close and longstanding association, and explore how Angels has supported Annie’s vision over the years.

Annie studied Fine Art at Hornsey, following which her formative experiences included the costume departments of local theatre companies and summer seasons with the National Youth Theatre. She later cut her teeth on many short films, commercials and music videos - the perfect starting-point from which to develop her craft.

Today, Annie feels that motherhood and the embrace of technological advancements within the industry are two factors that have defined her long, rewarding and satisfying career.

https://www.anniesymonscostumedesign.com

Richard’s interview explores his coming into costume with a History degree at Bermans and Nathan’s, and how his love of history, art, music and European cinema has been invaluable in working with different briefs. A firm believer that a broad range of interests and references inform creative decisions, he has been able to offer whoever he works with a thorough grasp of period costume and the worlds that they come from.

As an Assistant Designer, he has also developed the vital relationships needed within the different disciplines of the department to ensure that the creative vision of the Designer reaches the screen.

After doing a foundation course Nat trained at Central Saint Martins in performance design.  After graduating he worked for six years at Angels, but went freelance in 2005. Since then he has worked internationally with many talented people on projects ranging from the smallest short film to the biggest of US blockbusters. 

Nat believes very passionately that the details matter in costume and that even the smallest one can have a huge impact on the final look, he loves to get lost in his research and exploring and learning about the period of time he is working in.  He has a great knowledge and interest in Youth Culture and has been fortunate to work on productions that have taken advantage of this passion such as This is England and Pirates.

Nat has designed for productions including Babylon, In Darkness, Ashes to Ashes and the soon to be released Creation Stories and Pirates, his commitment and enthusiasm to costume and the craft is very apparent and it comes across in all his projects.

She has now successfully progressed to designing her own productions, working with directors including Joe Wright on an episode of the cult TV phenomenon ‘Dark Mirror’; Steve McQueen on the upcoming TV drama ‘Small Axe’; and her current collaboration with the actress Emily Mortimer on her directorial debut ‘The Pursuit of Love’.

Her chat with Jonathan focuses on her journey from Trinity College Dublin to the costume design training at RADA, exploring how these formative experiences helped her locate synergy between artistic integrity and the complex skills required to navigate the entire filmmaking process.

Sinéad is also a passionate and outspoken advocate for sustainability within the industry. She shares her views on our collective responsibility to ensure we use the safest and least-wasteful methods possible to protect our environment. She’s also published the Costume Directory - a compendium of suppliers who prioritise sustainability, environmental responsibility and fair trade. Sinéad is an ambassador for ‘Albert Sustainable’, an organisation governed by an industry consortium supporting everyone working in the film and TV industries to create positive environmental change for a sustainable future.

Sinéad's Website: https://www.sineadkidao.com/

Link to Costume Directory: https://bit.ly/3iiYEx6

We Are Albert: https://wearealbert.org/

Suttirat knew from an early age that she was heading for an artistic career. The opportunities afforded by outstanding academic institutions including Stanford and Yale enabled her to realise a unique artistic process of storytelling through visual presentation. She explains how her endeavour is to root everything in close observation of both environment and character, creating a heightened visceral experience for her audiences. The substance of a project always informs the style. This is exemplified by her detailed references to the longstanding collaboration she enjoys with the iconic director Danny Boyle. Their work has taken them on amazing journeys, from the beaches of Thailand to the heat of Mumbai, the Arizona desert to the 2012 opening ceremony of the London Olympics. It is her embrace of the technical challenges for each of these adventures that highlights the unique synergy, depth and complexity of Suttirat’s artistry..

Daniel started as a junior costumier in 1994, under the guidance of senior members of staff, and quickly learned how to effectively utilise the stock. Immersing himself in every aspect of the costuming process has impressed on Daniel the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Early on, he understood how to balance the vision of designers with the constraints of deadlines and budgets.

Today, having absorbed and refined these skills, Daniel is proud to fill the role of Head of Costume, successfully managing a diverse group of individuals who are as passionate and committed as he is to the creative spirit which lies at the very heart of Angels.

Art, architecture and storytelling are among Rob's passions, and given his meticulous attention to detail, he particularly thrives on seeking out fresh design techniques to lend aliveness and vitality to his process. His repeat collaborators include Trevor Nunn, Gregory Doran, David McVicar and Josie Rourke, working at renowned venues such as the NT, the Donmar, the Metropolitan Opera, and the RSC, where he serves as an Associate Artist.

Rob and Jonathan chat fondly about their recent shared experience on Trevor Nunn’s production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' at the Menier/Playhouse Theatre. Rob’s beautifully-executed and poignant set designs were the perfect platform for Jonathan’s costumes and Tim Lutkin’s lighting, which together enhanced the vanished world of early 20th. century Jewish Russia that Rob had set out to conjure. The synchronicity and collaborative nature of this journey clearly made for a special experience for the team, cast and audience.

angelsbehindtheseams.com