DESIGN PORTFOLIO CLAUDIA LAVELLE JOHNS PERFORMANCE COSTUME EDINBURGH COLLEGE OF ART 3rd YEAR
CONTENTS
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DESIGN PROJECTS
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ARSENIC AND LACE VICTORIAN PROSTITUTES NOT THE END OF THE WORLD BUFFER (EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL 2014/ TRAVERSE THEATRE) SYMPOSIUM TARTUFFE ALIEN POST MODERN MILLINERY PETER GRIMES
ABOUT ME... EDUCATION Claudia Lavelle Johns 11/07/94 145/6 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh EH10 4EB 07584994607 claudavelle@hotmail.co.uk
EXPERIENCES
2012 Currently at Edinburgh University, College of Art, 2016 Studying for a BA Honors degree in Performance Costume – 3rd year 2010 Cleveland College of art and design (BETC National 2012 diploma D*D*D*). A level in Textiles - B 1997 Red House Independent School (10 GCSE’s Grade A*-C) 2010
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Claudia Lavelle Johns Edinburgh College of Art Studying: BA (Hons) in Performance Costume.
INTERPERSONAL SKILL COMMUNICATION SKILLS COSTUME DESIGN/MAKING PATTERN CUTTING MILLINERY SCALE SET MODEL DESIGN/MAKING CERAMICS TEXTILES IN-DESIGN ILLUSTRATOR PHOTOSHOP EXCEL LASER CUTTING SOFTWARE PUPPETRY
2014 HIDDEN DOORS FESTIVAL EDINBURGH – CREATED A PUPPET INSPIRED BY THE VAULTS EDINBURGH WHICH WAS THEN CHOREOGRAPHED GRAPHED TO PERFORM IN THE FESTIVAL. 2014 COSTUME DESIGNER FOR A GRADUATE FILM CALLED SUMMER RAIN. WORKING WITH STACY JANSEN (ECA PERFORMANCE COSTUME GRADUATE) ALLOWING ME TO GAIN LOTS OF EXPERIENCE AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTENSITY OF THE INDUSTRY. 2014 AUDITION SUPPORT VOLUNTEER FOR THE GLASGOW XX COMMONWEALTH GAMES. DURING MY TIME IN THIS SUPPORT ROLE I MEASURED THE AUDITIONEES FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE COSTUMES. AS A RESULT OF THE VOLUNTARY WORK I WAS SELECTED TO PARTAKE IN THE COSTUME DEPARTMENT FOR THE OPENING CEREMONIES;INVOLVING ORGANISING, FITTING AND ALTERING THE COSTUMES.
REFERENCE Becky Minto Theatre designer 49 Dundee Road, perth, PH2 7AN becky.minto@talktalk.net 07773939416
2014 COSTUME AND SET DESIGNER OF BUFFER, CURRENTLY SHOWING AT EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL. I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION FOR THE SHOW. THE PRODUCTION WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE TRAVERSE THEATRE EDINBURGH WHERE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT TO THE ORIGINAL SET WAS CARRIED OUT IN ORDER TO ADAPT TO THE NEW STAGE REQUIREMENTS. 2014 VOLUNTEERED FOR IMAGINATE FESTIVAL ENABLING ME GAIN EXPERIENCE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN AND AUDIENCES OF DIFFERENT AGES, WHICH IS SOMETHING I CAN APPLY WITHIN MY OWN WORK.
SEEKING EXPERIENCE SKILLS I am looking to seek challenging work experience opportunities to develop my skill set and compliment my career path
2014 INTERNED AT LONDON FASHION WEEK FOR DESIGNER NINA NAUSTDAL COMPLETING ASSIGNED JOBS. THIS INCLUDED MAKING ALTERATIONS, HAND SEWING, PATTERN CUTTING AND DRESSING THE MODELS DURING THE SHOW.
Becky-Hope Palmer Traverse Director becky.hopepalmer@gmail.com 07806556950
2013
ASSISTED COSTUME DESIGNERS IN MAKING MERMAID AERIALIST COSTUMES FOR THE 100TH YEAR CELEBRATION GALA DINNER AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND FOR EDINBURGH ZOO. I WAS IN CHARGE OF DESIGNING AND MAKING THE HEAD WEAR FOR THE PERFORMERS.
2013
INTERNED FOR COSTUME DESIGNER AND 4TH YEAR BECCA MCLEOD COMPLETING ASSIGNED JOBS, ASSISTING IN THE FINISHING PROCESSES OF THE COSTUMES AND COORDINATED THE MODELS FOR THE DEGREE SHOW.
2009
NORTH TEES HOSPITAL RADIO (VOLUNTARY WORK); WORKING IN THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE CHARITY MANAGER WOULD ALLOCATE ME TASKS WHICH INVOLVED ME WORKING BOTH ON AND OFF THE RADIO.
DESIGN PROJECTS
ARSENIC AND LACE A MIXED MEDIA NECK PIECE INSPIRED BY THE THEME; ARSENIC AND LACE. THIS ALLOWED RESEARCH INTO A WIDE VARIETY OF ARTISTS AND TEXTURES, THIS WAS DEVELOPED INTO THE SURFACE DESIGN SHOWN IN THE FAR RIGHT IMAGE. THE MAIN STRUCTURE OF THE PIECE WAS MADE FROM CLAY WHICH WAS MANIPULATED AND IMPRINTED TO CREATE AN EXTRAORDINARY SHAPE, THEN GLAZED FOR AN ANTIQUE EFFECT. ON TOP OF THIS, TECHNIQUES SUCH AS RESIN AND METAL WORK WAS CARRIED OUT AGAIN EMPHASISING THE DISTRESSED AND POISONOUS LOOK.
NECK PIECE CREATION AT CCAD
VICTORIAN PROSTITUTES FINAL MAJOR PROJECT AT CLEVELAND COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN. THE INSPIRATION CAME FROM THE INTEREST OF SURVIVAL IN HISTORY WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON PROSTITUTES. IT WAS INTERESTING HOW THESE LADIES ATTEMPTED TO PRESENT AND DISGUISE THEMSELVES IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO THE UPPER CLASS LADIES OF THE TIME. THEREFORE THE FABRIC IS DISTRESSED WITH RAW EDGES RIPS AND TEARS. HOWEVER, ALL OF THE INTRICATE DETAIL IS HAND SEWN BEADS AND JEWELS THAT ARE MADE UP FROM DE-CONSTRUCTED JEWELLERY. 
FMP COSTUME DESIGNED AND MADE BY MYSELF
NOT THE END OF THE WORLD
ILLUSTRATIONS
TRANSFORMATIONS
COSTUME CONCEPTION AND CONSTRUCTION BY INTERPRETING THE SCRIPT IT WAS DECIDED TO EMPHASISE THE DETERIORATING CONDITIONS ON BOARD THE ARK AND THE EFFECT THAT THIS HAD ON THE CHARACTERS. VISUALLY REFLECTING THE PAIN AND THE STENCH CAUSED BY STARVATION, MURDER, THE BITTER COLD AND WET ENVIRONMENT THAT THE CHARACTERS WERE ENVELOPED IN. THE IDEA IS THAT THE CHARACTERS WOULD STEP ONTO THE ARK WITH HEAVIER WEIGHT FABRIC PANELS, AS THE CONDITIONS WORSENED, THE PANELS WOULD BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A SLIGHTLY MORE SHEER FABRIC UNTIL IT BECAME TRANSPARENT; EMPHASISING THE BITTER ENVIRONMENT. THE GREY-SCALE COLOUR PALLET WAS DECIDED TO REINFORCE THE COLD HARSH CONDITIONS.
TEXTILES ‘SHEM SLITS THE CALF’S THROAT. THE CALF CORPSE SLIDES ABOUT IN ITS OWN BLOOD, ITS MOTHER BELLOWING’ THIS REFERENCES WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE PRINT WORK SEEN ON EACH COSTUME. SUBLIMATION PRINTING WAS USED TO CREATE THIS ‘DIP-DYED’ STAIN WITH A DESIGN CREATED ON PHOTOSHOP USING INK AND WATERCOLOURS.
SUBLIMATION PRINTED DRESS
DETAIL THE SHRUG FABRIC WAS HAND WEAVED TECHNIQUE FOR A RESOURCEFUL APPEARANCE. THERE WAS ALSO A COLLABORATION WITH WOODWORKER MARTIN COLES TO CREATE THE UNIQUE DRIFTWOOD RINGS STRUCTURING THE WAISTLINE OF THE DRESS. THE DRIFTWOOD ACCESSORIES EMPHASISE THE CHARACTERS SETTING AND NARRATIVE WITHIN THE PLAY.
SUMMER RAIN SHORT FILM ART DEPARTMENT AND COSTUME DESIGN ‘SUMMER RAIN’ IS A STORY ABOUT HUMAN CONNECTIONS, ABOUT DISCOVERING BEAUTY AND FINDING THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME A BAD SITUATION. IT CAPTURES A MOMENT IN THE LIFE OF A YOUNG MAN TRAPPED IN A LOOP OF OBSESSIONS AND ROUTINES THAT HELP HIM PROTECT HIMSELF FROM GETTING HURT. SHOT CAREFULLY, WITH THE USE OF TEXTURES, DEEP METAPHORS AND A STRONG WORK OF CRAFT AND DESIGN, THE FILM FOLLOWS THE BRIEF ENCOUNTER BETWEEN LEON AND ADA. THE CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT LAY IN THE LIMITED BUDGET. THE MAIN CHARACTER’S SPACE WAS CREATED FROM SCRATCH IN A TV STUDIO, THEREFORE THE TEAM WERE ON HAND FOR REQUIRED DIY AFTER WHICH SPECIFIC PROPS WERE GATHERED TO COVER EACH AND EVERY DETAIL IN ORDER TO MAKE LEON’S WORLD BELIEVABLE. THERE ARE METAPHORS AND VISUAL EFFECTS THAT TAKE PLACE DURING THE FILM THAT WERE MADE ON SET AND NOT IN POST-PRODUCTION, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE IS A MOMENT WHERE JASMINE STARTS RAINING OVER ADA. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE COSTUMES NEEDED TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THE PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE ART DEPARTMENT. THE LIGHTING, THE COLOURS, THE TEXTURES AND FABRICS ALL NEED TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER, AGAIN TO MAKE THEIR WORLD BELIEVABLE.
ON SET IN TV STUDIO
‘Designer Claudia Lavelle Johns’ excellent set...’ ALL EDINBURGH THEATRE.COM August 5, 2014 | By Hugh Simpson
BUFFER SET DESIGN 2014 WE TYPE, WE MAIL, WE TEXT, WE SKYPE, WE FRIEND BUT IN A WORLD THAT IS MORE CONNECTED THAN EVER, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE STRIP AWAY TECHNOLOGY AND REMOVE THE BUFFER BETWEEN OURSELVES AND REALITY? DO WE THRIVE AND MOVE FORWARD… OR ARE OUR LIVES JUST LEFT BUFFERING, DESPERATELY IN NEED OF A BROADBAND CONNECTION. THIS PROJECT PUSHES THE DESIGN TO BE AS RESOURCEFUL AS POSSIBLE AS THE BUDGET WAS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT. THIS PRODUCTION IS FULL OF SYMBOLISM CENTRING AROUND THE TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD WE LIVE IN, CREATING A LITERAL WEB OF CONNECTIONS. THIS SKELETAL NETWORK WAS USED AS A METAPHOR FOR SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALSO THE INTERFACE BETWEEN REALITY AND THE DIGITAL WORLD HIGHLIGHTING THIS CONTRAST.
LIGHTING DESIGN ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THIS EVER GROWING AND PULSING NETWORK.
SYMPOSIUM- SPACE
THE CHALLENGE WAS TO UTILISE A SPACE THAT IN MOST CASES WOULD BE CONSIDERED UGLY AND DULL AND TRANSFORM IT INTO AN AREA THAT WOULD CREATE INTRIGUE FOR PASSERS BY. THE KEY WORD WAS TEXTILES AND INSPIRATION WAS TAKEN FROM WEBS AND OTHER OBJECTS FOUND WITHIN THE GRIM CAR PARK AREA. RESEARCH WAS GATHERED LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ARTISTS SUCH AS NeSpoon AND INSTALLATIONS FOUND AT GLASTONBURY. THIS WAS DEVELOPED AND RESULTED IN AN INTRICATE INSTALLATION MADE FROM THREAD AND EMBROIDERY HOOPS. THIS WAS A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT AS PEOPLE HEARD ABOUT THE INSTALLATION AND CAME INTO THE CAR PARK TO INVESTIGATE THE RUMOURS.
TARTUFFE 16 DESIGNS WERE REQUIRED; 8 FOR A CONTEMPORARY VERSION AND 8 FOR A HISTORICAL VERSION. THE PROJECT WAS FULL OF SYMBOLISM AND EACH DECISION ON SHAPE, COLOUR AND TECHNIQUES USED WITHIN THE COSTUMES REFLECTED THE CHARACTERS NARRATIVE AND PERSONALITY WITHIN THE PLAY.
THE DIOR CATWALK OF HOTHOUSE FLOWERS 2014 INSPIRED THE COLOUR PALATE FOR BOTH CONTEMPORARY AND HISTORICAL VERSIONS. THIS BEING GREY/ SILVER, BLUE, PURPLE AND PINK, FOLLOWED BY BLACK FOR TARTUFFE. HOWEVER, DORINE THE MAID IS A MIXTURE OF ALL THE CHARACTERS COLOURS AS SHE FUNDAMENTALLY TOOK ON ALL OF THE CHARACTERS PROBLEMS AND WAS THE ONLY CHARACTER CAPABLE OF PUTTING A PLAN TOGETHER TO GET RID OF TARTUFFE.
CONTEMPORARY
HISTORICAL
ALIEN NEOPOLI FLUMP THIS PROJECT WAS DEVELOPED FROM WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING A CHILDREN’S BOOK BASED ON ALIENS. THE BOOK WAS INSPIRED BY SWEETS AND GOODIES; SOMETHING THAT CHILDREN CAN FAMILIARIZE AND RELATE TO. THIS THEME RESULTED IN THE SCRUMPTIOUS COLOUR PALETTE AND EXCITING TEXTILE SAMPLES YOU CAN SEE IN ORDER TO DEVELOP 4 DESIGNS LEADING TO THE PRODUCTION OF NEOPOLI FLUMP. THE BLOBS REPRESENT HIS TEARS AS THOUGH HIS SUGARY SURFACE IS MELTING OFF. THE TEXTILES WERE ACHIEVED USING FELTING NEEDLES, FOILING, HAND SEWING AND EMBELLISHMENT TO CREATE A YUMMY SURFACE.
ALIEN CREATED FROM BOOK
MEET THE CHARACTERS...
NEOPOLI FLUP
GUBBINS
PLUMPKIN
MAPLE POP
POST-MODERN MILLINERY POST-MODERN HEAD PIECE DESIGNS INSPIRED BY ARCHITECTURE IN BOTH EDINBURGH AND WORLDWIDE. PARTICULARLY WITH DUBAI TOWERS. INTERESTINGLY A COMMON THEME WITHIN MANY POST-MODERN ARCHITECTS WAS TO REFLECT THE BUILDINGS SURROUNDINGS. THIS WAS TAKEN IN A LITERAL SENSE AND DEVELOPED INTO THE IDEA OF USING REFLECTIVE MATERIALS. THE HEADPIECE WAS DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS FEATURE AND REFLECT ITS SURROUNDINGS IN ANY ENVIRONMENT ALLOWING IT TO BE A PIECE THAT COULD HAVE THE POST-MODERN ESSENCE BUT ALSO A QUIRKY CONTEMPORARY DESIGN.
PETER GRIMES SET DESIGN ANALYSING THE SCRIPT HIGHLIGHTED ELEMENTS OF THE OPERA THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO REFLECT WITHIN THE SET AND COSTUMES THAT WERE DESIGNED. THIS WAS DEVELOPED INTO MAKING A SCALED MODEL SET FOR THE PRODUCTION. CLAUSTROPHOBIA WAS AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE PLAY THEREFORE THIS FEELING WAS USED WITHIN THE DESIGN WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN THE ANGLING OF THE SET, INSPIRED BY RUODI BARTH’S ‘THE MAKROPULOS CASE’ SET. THE COLOUR SCHEME PORTRAYED THIS FEELING USING DULL BLUES AND DARK MOULDY WOODS FOR A WEATHER WORN LOOK (TEXTURE WAS ACHIEVED USING ENGRAVED WALL FILLER). THE INTERIOR/EXTERIOR ASPECT OF THE DESIGN AGAIN EMPHASISED THE CLOSED INESCAPABLE FEELING WITHIN THE PLAY. IT DIDN’T MATTER WHETHER YOU WERE INSIDE OR OUT; YOU WERE TRAPPED IN THIS SPACE AND ENVIRONMENT. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SEA WAS CAPTURED BY HAVING THE SHADOWS OF THE FISHING VESSELS STREAMING THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF ‘THE BOAR’. THESE CREATED THE MOVEMENT AND THE CONSTANT PRESENCE OF THE SEA ALONGSIDE THE SWELL OF THE MUSIC.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH... Mobile
+44 (0)7584994607
claudavelle@hotmail.co.uk
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