The Wardrobe Chronicles are back with our first in-person course. Following our hugely popular "Intro to Costume Breakdown" webinar last year, Roxy has returned with a one-day practical course in distressing, aging, dying, blood, mud and more. This is an introductory rate as it is our first time running an event post-Covid so please join us at this reduced rate whilst tickets last.

The Basics

Where: Iver SL0 9QS (2.4 miles from Pinewood studios with parking, bus and train links, see below in the How to Get to Us section)

When: Choose from the 7^th, 8^th and 9^th of September 2022

What Time: 8am to 6pm (the first hour will be used to get settled, make a brew and meet your fellow course members so please don’t worry if you can’t make it at exactly 8am)

Duration of course: 1 day, please choose which ever date works best for you

How much: £100

Class Size: maximum 15 people per session

Will there be refreshment provided: Yes there will, we will provide lunch, tea and coffee, and maybe even some biscuits.

What is Costume Breakdown?

If you have worked with costumes before, you will know that old and distressed costumes don’t happen naturally. Every food stain, sweat mark, cut, rip and bullet wound is carefully created by a breakdown artist to make the costume look realistic and fit with the character. You wouldn’t expect a person who had been stabbed not to be covered in blood, or for a person sleeping in a tent to have a perfectly ironed shirt. Breaking down costumes is key to making them look realistic and fit with the story of the piece, whether that is making something look stained or distressing a piece of clothing to make it look old and worn. Breakdown artists work in studios and on set to help the story of a costume come to life, and work with a large amount of equipment such as, dyes, fake blood, sand paper and more to create complicated backstories for characters and their clothes.

Who is this course for?

Whether you are a total beginner or want to brush up on your skills, our course is for you. We will be teaching a range of techniques, showing you how to use different equipment and making sure you stay safe while working. The course will mainly be focussing on working on set and for film but the skills are transferable to theatre as well. We are keeping class sizes small so there will be plenty of time to ask your tutor questions throughout the day

What will this course teach?

• • Basic + tech dyeing
  • Aging and distressing
  • On set breakdown
  • Mud, blood and stains
  • Airbrush techniques
  • Kit list needs

Meet your instructor

The course is led by Roxanne Warren, a breakdown artist with over 4 years industry experience. Her recent credits include The Third Day (HBO) and The Rising (Sky), as well as upcoming productions Half Bad (Netflix) and The Gallows Pole (BBC). She taught a one hour webinar for The Wardrobe Chronicles last year that was very well received, with many people in that class asking for a follow up in-person class when it would be possible. Roxy is an excellent breakdown artist and tutor who is very knowledgeable on all things Breakdown whilst still being able to explain how to make techniques work and why they do.

What do I need to bring?

Please wear clothes that can get messy and closed toe shoes/boots, as this is a practical course. All equipment will be provided, but please bring an item to dye and an item to breakdown (both of these can be any item of clothing or a piece of fabric, feel free to email us if you want to know if your chosen items are appropriate) Lunch will be provided but feel free to bring snacks and a drink to keep you going.

How to get here

The course will be held at Shredding Green farm in Iver, just outside London.

Map reference is here: https://goo.gl/maps/8HQJjqG8qfMCNWsi7

Full address: Shredding Green Farm, Iver, SL0 9QS

By car: There is parking available on site, please enter through the metal gates, these should open automatically but if there are any problems, please phone 07716856843 and we will come and let you in (some one will be there to guide you and show you where to park)

By bus: There is a bus stop outside the studio that is serviced by the 3 and 583 bus, please check on city mapper or similar to plan your bus journey.

By train: The closest train station is Langley station, from here it is 26 minute walk or a short taxi away

Get in touch

If you have any questions or anything is unclear please email us: thewardrobechronicles@gmail.com or reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram. You can find out more information about The Wardrobe Chronicles and what we do here:

WWW.THEWARDROBECHRONICLES.COM