Overview of the role
The costume supervisor works closely with the costume designer to create a comprehensive budget, including staffing costs, based on the designer’s vision, the script, and the production schedule. They assist with recruiting and organising the costume department, ensuring adequate workspace and resources for efficient operation. Working to the designer’s vision, the supervisor coordinates the department’s workflow, determining which costumes and accessories need to be made, hired, or purchased, and assigning staff accordingly. They supervise all departmental tasks to ensure that work is completed on schedule, within budget, and to the required standard, while managing crew performance, rates, and contracts.
When working with young cast members, the supervisor ensures compliance with child performance regulations, including fitting schedules, safeguarding protocols, and communication with parents, guardians, and chaperones.
During and after filming, they oversee the maintenance, cleaning, and repair of costumes, and at the end of production, supervise the packing, listing, and storage of both principal and crowd costumes.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the size of the team and the scale and budget of the production.
- Create a costume breakdown with the costume designer specifying number of costumes, timing, and budget impact.
- Present and negotiate the costume labour budget to the production manager or line producer.
- Cross-reference speaking parts and supporting artists with the 1st AD or PC’s schedule.
- Assess production scale, type, and visual style for impact on budget.
- Produce a comprehensive digital budget for the PM and financial controller; confirm code allocations with accounts for tracking.
- Collect and collate period or genre research from the design team to inform the department.
- Assess creative and technical requirements to realise the designer’s vision.
- Schedule the production of costumes to meet filming deadlines and communicate completion dates to both in-house and external costume makers.
- Identify special effects with the SFX team, assess impact on costumes, and plan collaborative solutions.
- Consider story and timeline influences on each character’s look.
- Estimate costume production costs and timescales.
- Identify specialist suppliers and agree delivery dates to align with the production schedule.
- Provide suppliers with accurate specifications, request samples, and schedule purchase or hire times to meet deadlines.
- Agree terms, conditions, and documentation for supply and return of costumes, materials, and accessories.
- Record all items in the costume bible for continuity and picture-wrap handover.
- Arrange receipt and suitable storage of costumes; check items against orders and report discrepancies, lost, or damaged goods.
- Manage returns with clearly marked storage to minimise production loss.
- Produce and process complete, legible documentation for receipt and return of items.
- Analyse and resolve issues relating to costume resources, availability, quantity, or quality.
- Ensure items, logos, graphics, or printed designs receive necessary clearance; maintain a log of approved materials and their origin or inspiration.
- Assess available space, considering security, safeguarding, confidentiality, and risk factors.
- Recruit costume personnel with the necessary skills, working within budget constraints.
- Consult with the costume designer and line producer/PM to agree staff terms and conditions.
- Identify and source required equipment, materials, and tools within budget.
- Assemble and install equipment in the workspace, addressing obstacles, hazards, and safety to create a secure working environment.
- Determine running and maintenance costs for the department, ensuring sufficient budget for wardrobe supplies.
- Establish and confirm all necessary costume storage for daily production operations.
- Implement adequate security and safeguarding measures and ensure required insurance policies are in place.
- Oversee preparation of costumes for fittings, ensuring sufficient space for principals and crowd.
- Check in during fittings to confirm all participants have what they need.
- Ensure a chaperone is present when a child is being fitted and follow all guidelines on working with children and safeguarding.
- Conduct fittings, with or without the costume designer following fitting room etiquette and procedures.
- Communicate politely, sensitively, and professionally with performers including in a manner appropriate to young actors and performers.
- Assess garment make, fit, and finish with the CD identifying faults and estimating additional fabric or material requirements.
- Take and record accurate measurements, keeping digital copies for other departments.
- Consider costume rigging, special effects, and make-up requirements during fittings.
- Confirm and communicate alterations and timelines to relevant personnel.
- Establish a clear labelling system and ensure the team understands codes or shorthand.
- Organise logistics for moving costumes between locations, fittings, dressing areas, and any necessary kit.
- Oversee the preparation of costumes for production.
- Clarify and confirm costume requirements and the production schedule with all relevant personnel.
- Coordinate costumes according to the production schedule, scene order, or call sheet.
- Liaise with production immediately if costumes are unavailable or in an unacceptable condition.
- Supervise labelling of costumes and access arrangements to minimise dressing time, activity, and confusion.
- Oversee repair and maintenance of all costumes, ensuring they are in good condition for shooting.
- Ensure all tools and items needed for dressing, mending, and general costume care are available.
- Ensure costumes are stored safely and securely and advise performers of any irregularities.
- Check and confirm production requirements, including running order, call sheets, and schedule.
- Locate costumes and ensure they are correctly placed for easy performer access.
- Assess location, expected weather, and provide appropriate workwear (e.g., waterproofs, keep-warms, hot water bottles).
- Ensure a dedicated and convenient area for costume changes for all groups, with private, supervised areas for child cast.
- Assist performers with dressing and advise on how to wear costumes correctly, using child-friendly procedures where required.
- Ensure chaperones or parents/guardians are present during fittings and costume changes for minors.
- Schedule costume changes for children in line with child working hours regulations.
- Monitor costumes for damage and carry out minor repairs discreetly when needed.
- Perform or delegate last-minute alterations or repairs; identify garments requiring complex or specialist treatment.
- Check costumes for safety hazards, particularly for children (e.g., loose accessories or restrictive clothing).
- Liaise with other departments affecting costumes, such as assistant directors, stunts, sound, hair, and make-up, and coordinate with production or safeguarding officers for child performers when necessary.
- Liaise with stunt/action coordinators to identify specific stuntwear requirements verifying the number of costume changes required by each performer.
- Work with the stunt department to brief performers on required stuntwear.
- Agree on suitable methods for concealing stuntwear and accessories.
- Ensure a member of the costume team is present during the application of rigging or SFX parts to advise on concealment and functionality.
- Confirm costumes are the correct size for doubles and fit over stuntwear. Verify that stuntwear and costumes are safe, comfortable, and appropriately sized for children.
- Check that costumes replicate the original in detail and amend if necessary.
- Plan costume changes in line with the performance schedule, negotiating extra changing time if necessary. For child performers ensure chaperones are present during costume or stuntwear changes, schedule changes in line with child working hours
- Assist performers with dressing and undressing, ensuring comfort and flexibility within costume and following all working with children and safeguarding guidelines.
- Ensure stuntwear is safe, properly fitted, and does not restrict movement.
- Ensure costumes are stored correctly and protected during production breaks. Report missing or damaged items immediately.
- Ensure maintenance and servicing of costumes are carried out according to costume service requirements.
- Ensure cleaning and pressing of costumes are completed in line with the production schedule.
- Oversee distressing, ageing, dyeing, printing, embellishment or customisation of costumes, carried out by skilled team members or specialist outworkers according to the brief.
- Ensure costume storage and security meet insurance requirements.
- Allocate specialist tasks to skilled team members for larger productions with complex workshops.
- Adhere to COSHH regulations and health and safety procedures, ensuring proper use of PPE.
- Produce departmental risk assessments and ensure all staff acknowledge they have read them.
- Set up, communicate, and maintain the costume continuity recording process.
- Review the script, production schedule, design brief, and costume breakdown to develop a continuity plan, accounting for script changes as they occur.
- Schedule performer dressing times at the start of each shooting day, ensuring child performers’ timings comply with child working hours.
- Confirm required costume changes resulting from unscripted events during filming.
- Brief staff on production, on-set etiquette, and continuity procedures, including use of continuity software.
- Ensure standbys monitor continuity on set and that information is gathered promptly, discreetly, and without causing distress to child performers.
- Verify continuity details are accurate and from reliable sources when not present at a take.
- Log all costume assets, including child-specific items, and maintain a comprehensive list, informing production of their location.
- Check and approve completed costume continuity records for handover to production at wrap.
- Communicate any continuity changes affecting child performers clearly to chaperones, parents/guardians, and relevant department staff.
- Verify that duplicates or backup costumes for child performers are available to minimise delays and extended working time.
Skills
Check out the role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of costume supervisor in children's TV.
- Team management: oversee the department and manage day-to-day requirements of crew, liaising with other relevant departments as needed.
- Collaboration: work closely with ADs, hair and make-up, sound, stunts, props, VFX, and SFX to coordinate costume and continuity.
- Industry experience: conduct script breakdowns and communicate costume requirements clearly.
- Compliance expertise: thorough knowledge of all relevant legislation on working with children including licensing and safeguarding, developing compliant schedules and ensuring the team is full briefed.
- Communication: the ability to put contributors and cast at ease particularly when working with under-18s including very young children and their families.
- Communication: interpret requirements and convey the costume department’s needs clearly to cast, crew, and colleagues.
- Teamwork: collaborate within the costume department and with other departments such as hair and make-up and props.
- Problem-solving: plan contingencies and resolve supply or schedule issues to keep production on track.
- Leadership and management: lead the costume team, maintain professional ethics, support junior team members, and foster a respectful working environment.
- Financial management: manage budgets and resources effectively.
- Resilience and enthusiasm: adapt positively to changing priorities, meet deadlines, and proactively explore innovative solutions to enhance production outcomes.
- Ethics and integrity: act honestly, inclusively, and in line with professional ethical standards.
- Flexibility: listen, learn, and adjust to changing priorities while maintaining high standards in a dynamic production environment.