IN FOCUS
True Blood S2 ep 4
Sookie Goes to Dallas
THE PROCESS: SKETCH TO SCREEN TRUE BLOOD 2009 Designer: Audrey Fisher Illustrator: Phillip Boutte Materials, final sketch: Boutte starts with a pencil sketch on transfer paper, then draws subsequent pages of the costume on top—like a paper doll. He then scans the image into the computer and paints the final image in Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter X. Any designer will tell you that there’s nothing more brutal than the schedule of episodic television. It seems there’s never a moment to breathe; so how does a designer make the time to illustrate their design before it’s actually on the cutting table? In this scene from HBO’s True Blood, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is taking her first big city trip with her vampire boyfriend Bill. Since she’s an old-fashioned girl, she gets dressed up to travel, because her Gran would have taught her that was ladylike and correct. Sookie has a sunny disposition, so Audrey Fisher dressed her to look like a pretty package, with a Doris Day meets Kim Novak vibe. Fisher: “Of course, an illustration is the best way to communicate the look and feel of the costume to producers, directors, actors and the costume department, but because of TB’s intense schedule, I rarely have the time to produce a full-scale illustration.We build many of Anna’s costumes in house, and I always make quick but definitive renderings so I can discuss costume details with my gifted cutter/fitter Olga Ishkhanova. “I was happy to have the chance to ask Phillip to illustrate this costume after meeting him at the CDG Holiday Party last year. I felt we had a great connection, and I love his drawing style. I’m delighted with the results of our collaboration!” Boutte: “Audrey and I worked on this sketch via email and over the phone to get the look she wanted. I started with Audrey’s research materials, and then sent her the illustration in stages so she could give me notes and feedback. It was great to experience how she’s able to make the macabre characters on True Blood so cool.”
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The Costume Designer Summer 2009
Summer 2009 The Costume Designer
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