Tracey Ewen Powell, who designs costumes for Casualty, talks with Ray Holman, who designs costumes for Doctor Who.
They discuss why running a costume team for a continuing drama is different from the same job in a high-end TV drama. They also talk about the similarities and explain the process of putting together a style and look for a specific show.
Tracey says that working in Casualty is a great steppingstone into costume design in other shows. “Maybe we have a bit more time and we can be a bit more structured in training because there are 52 weeks of the year,” she says. “Anybody that comes to us, we manage to give them an all-round training.”
They offer advice to those wanting to progress their careers in costume design and those who want to get in.
About the speakers
Tracey Ewen Powell has been a series costume designer for 20 years, working on BAFTA-winning shows such The Bill and Casualty. She has also worked on BBC shows such as All Creatures Great and Small, Lenny Henry and Fortunes of War.
Ray Holman is an award-winning costume designer who has worked on Fleabag, The Split and Broadchurch as well as Doctor Who.
About the event
This is a recording of an online event that took place on 22 July 2020. It was funded by ScreenSkills HETV Skills Fund to support freelancers in developing their skills in the HETV industry during the Covid-19 crisis.
Careers information
To find out more about getting into costume design, look at ScreenSkills film and TV drama costume designer profile.