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Krisin Burke, Costume Designer
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Kristin Burke-Costume Designer
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| Design scetch for the movie "The Cooler" |
Focus on Filmmakers has always served to highlight those under appreciated
roles within the world of filmmaking. This week's feature is no exception, with a look into the world of film costume design.
Kristin Burke (Costume Designer) was born March 20, in Orange, CA. Educated at
Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, she majored in both Radio/Television/Film and French Studies. Ms. Burke was
trained in the art of costume design at Northwestern by Virgil C. Johnson, an acclaimed designer for opera and the theater.
While at Northwestern, Ms. Burke garnered awards at the Seattle Short Film Festival, the Nimes Festival in France, and the
Dallas Film Festival for her experimental short films.
She has designed costumes for more than thirty-five feature
films, including The Cooler, The Slaughter Rule and the upcoming Star Maps. She has also designed costumes for music
videos, commercials, and two television series. She is also an internationally-exhibited artist, specializing in collage and
mail art, and had her first solo exhibition in Los Angeles in September, 2001.
Burke has also co-authored a book, Costuming
for Film: the Art and the Craft, due out in Spring 2004 from Silman James Press. It is a college-level textbook on the ins
and outs of designing costumes for films. This book is also intended to reach industry professionals looking to broaden their
understanding about the role of costumes in the collaborative medium of film.
Filmmography- Costume Designer
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| Design Scetch for the character Bernie in The Cooler |
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| Scetch of design for Jon Favreau's character in the Big Empty |
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| Scetch design for Darryl Hannah's Character in The Big Empty |
Answer This?
Q & A with Kristin Burke
Film Addiction: As a costume designer, at what
stage in a movie production do
you come in?
Kristin Burke:USUALLY (AT MINIMUM) FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS AWAY FROM SHOOTING, USUALLY SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS.
Are most of your designs from scratch (for a lack of words) or do you also used found objects?
SOME DESIGNS ARE FROM SCRATCH, INCLUDING THE CHEERLEADING UNIFORMS FROM BRING IT ON AGAIN.
OTHERS, LIKE FROM THE COOLER ARE AMALGAMATIONS OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS: I DESIGNED, DYED AND MADE BILL MACY'S
NECKTIES, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT HIS SUITS WERE PURCHASED, AND THEN ALTERED AND DISTRESSED.
Do you design any period piece costumes?
YES, AND IT IS A BLAST! I HAVE DONE SEVERAL THAT YOU CAN RENT ON DVD, INCLUDING "RACE TO SPACE",
"THE TRIAL OF OLD DRUM", AND I DESIGNED COSTUMES FOR THE UPCOMING NEW LINE FILM "THE NOTEBOOK" WHEN THEY WENT INTO
RESHOOTS AND ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY.
Do you try to bring current trends into your designs for a film? If
so, what trends do you follow in design?
SEPARATE "TREND" FROM "CHARACTER". IF A CHARACTER IS "TRENDY", THEN I WILL DRESS THEM ACCORDINGLY. HOWEVER,
"TRENDS" CAN BE YOUR WORST ENEMY WHEN PEOPLE CAN NOT MAKE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN FASHION AND CHARACTER. IT
IS A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE. WE NEED FASHION TO HELP US ARTICULATE CHARACTER, BUT IT CAN GET IN THE WAY IF THE
ACTOR/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR IS NOT CLEAR ABOUT THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN "TREND/FASHION" AND "CHARACTER".
Typically, how many do you have on staff for a typical film such as
The Cooler for example?
ON "THE COOLER" WE HAD A TOTAL STAFF OF FOUR. ME, A SUPERVISOR, AND TWO COSTUMERS.
THAT IS CONSIDERED A SMALLISH CREW, BUT EVERY FILM HAS DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS. WE WERE NEVER SERIOUSLY
UNDER STAFFED ON "THE COOLER" BECAUSE A STAFF OF FOUR PEOPLE (WORKING THEIR ASSES OFF) WAS ENOUGH FOR US.
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| Design for Rachael Leigh Cook's character in The Big Empty |
What types of designs do you like creating the most: Sci-fi, everyday clothing, etc.?
MY SORT OF NICHE HAS TURNED OUT TO BE VINTAGE- AMERICANA, AND MID-CENTURY (1940S - 1960S) PERIOD
WORK. I HAVE DONE SCI-FI, TURN OF THE CENTURY, AND HIPPY FASHION... BUT I PREFER THE VINTAGE AMERICANA AND MID-CENTURY.
IT SUITS ME BEST.
To date, who are some of the individuals in the industry you have enjoyed
working with the most?
TEN FAVORITES, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER: JON FAVREAU, RACHAEL LEIGH COOK, WAYNE KRAMER (DIRECTOR),
SEAN MCNAMARA (DIRECTOR), RYAN GOSLING, DAVID MORSE, ALEX & ANDREW SMITH (DIRECTORS), AMY ADAMS, HEIDI HIGGINBOTHAM
(WARDROBE SUPERVISOR), ALEC BALDWIN & BILL MACY.
You have a book coming out, can you tell me a little more about that project?
I CO-AUTHORED THIS BOOK WITH HOLLY COLE, FROM OHIO UNIVERSITY. IT'S CALLED "COSTUMING FOR
FILM: THE ART AND THE CRAFT", FROM SILMAN-JAMES PRESS. IT SHOULD BE OUT SOMETIME THIS YEAR. IT'S A BOOK
THAT THOROUGHLY DETAILS HOW TO DO COSTUMES FOR FILM, INCLUDING HOW TO DO BREAKDOWNS AND BUDGETS, HOW TO
THINK ABOUT COLOR, HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE, HOW TO THINK ON YOUR FEET, WHAT SHOULD GO INTO YOUR KIT, SET-BAG,
ETC. THE FINAL DRAFT I RECEIVED LAST JUNE WAS 750 PAGES LONG. I AM HOPING THAT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE INDUSTRY
READ THIS BOOK, SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A COSTUME DESIGNER DOES. I HOPE
IT WILL BE HELPFUL.
*Question precursor:On Kristen Burke's website she has a message that she will kick your ass if you steal
her copyrighted pictures.
If I swipe some of the Slaughter Rule pics from your site, can I designate
someone besides myself for the ass kickin?
I WILL KICK YOUR ASS ALL THE WAY TO BAKERSFIELD.
SERIOUSLY, JAYSON. AND JUST TRY GETTING A RIDE BACK TO LA FROM BAKERSFIELD WITH A BRUISED ASS!
-Jayson Floyd
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