Elements and Performance Criteria

Costumes may include:
female, male and child costumes
dance wear
tailored costumes
character costumes
period costumes
hard and soft sculpture costumes
contemporary wear
millinery
accessories

Production or other documentation may include:
costume plots
costume breakdown lists
continuity reports, checklists
measurement charts
manufacturer specifications/instructions
hire agreements
confirmation of receipt and dispatch notes
memos of instruction
descriptive costume checklists
costume design
scripts
production schedules
call/running sheets

Design, performance and production requirements may relate to:
special fitting requirements/security of fitting
timing and speed
continuity
special handling
particular performer issues

Types of production may include:
feature films
documentaries
short films
commercials
filmed events or performances
music video
television productions of any type, eg music, drama, comedy, variety, sport
live or pre-recorded television productions
stage performances
live events/entertainment/performance

Relevant personnel may include:
other wardrobe department personnel
designers, eg costume, production
directors
producers
other technical and specialist staff

Underpinning skills and knowledge

Assessment must include evidence of the following knowledge and skills:

the format and meaning of production documentation used by dressers
etiquette and protocols in relation to the dressing of performers
occupational health and safety legislation and regulations that affect the dresser, including hygiene and use of equipment
properties of different types of costumes and how they should be handled
properties of different fabrics, and how they should be handled
effective communication techniques particularly in relation to communicating with performers during dressing
literacy skills sufficient to read and interpret production documentation, costume labels and costume care instructions

Linkages to other units

This unit has linkages to a range of other costume units and combined assessment and/or training with those units may be appropriate, eg:

CUFCOS04B Modify, repair and maintain costumes

Critical aspects of evidence

The following evidence is critical to the judgement of competence in this unit:

ability to accurately interpret dressing requirements and to dress performers to meet those requirements within workplace realistic timeframes and without damage to costumes
application of organisational skills to facilitate efficient preparation for the dressing process

Method and context of assessment

The assessment context must provide for:

dressing of performers during a production on more than one occasion
working with different types of costumes

Assessment may incorporate a range of methods to assess performance and the application of essential underpinning knowledge, and might include:

direct observation of the candidate dressing performers and making relevant preparations
oral questioning/interviewing to assess knowledge of issues to be considered when dressing performers, including care requirements for particular types of costumes
review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands and the needs of particular groups (eg people with disabilities, and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling).

Resource requirements

Assessment of this unit requires access to:

costumes
production documentation which specifies dressing/costume requirements
performers to be dressed

Communicating ideas and information
Explaining fitting requirements to performers (1)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Reading production documentation (1)

Planning and organising activities
Organising costumes and accessories (2)

Working with others and in teams
Working as part of a wardrobe team (2)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Calculating numbers of items required (1)

Solving problems
Handling a situation where costume does not fit (1)

Using technology
Using different fastening mechanisms (1)