Meet Rianna Charles, a costume standby who has worked on everything from Coronation Street and Call the Midwife to the latest Fantastic Beasts film. Part of our Making the Magic collection.
My name is Rianna Charles and I'm principal costume standby.
The best thing about my job is getting to just be on amazing location and set and, you know, I've seen some amazing places – buildings, architecture. Also working abroad and then working with actors that you see on screen and then you get to just know them on a more personal level and that's also very nice. Incredible – I never, ever thought that would be me!
The first thing I worked on was Emmerdale and that was a one-year trainee scheme. So when I had my interview they asked me if I had ever watched it and I honestly said that I don't and that I don't like the theme tune and they hired me anyway, so, I don't know, I think it's just being honest. I think I probably got the job because I didn't have, I wasn't starstruck over the artists and they just thought, you know what, let's give her a go, give her a try and I'm so thankful they took me on. From there, I went onto TV series – DCI Banks, Unforgotten – and then I kind of just moved into the field that way.
Fantastic Beasts is my first big film and I'm really excited and I'm really up for the challenge. It's very different to TV, so, yeah, it's going to be good.
I didn't actually have an interview for this job, it's all come through word of mouth and, a lot of the time in the industry, it's getting the contacts, somebody finds that you're good and then they recommend you and then you just get to go from job to job that way.So when I was at school, I had no idea that there was ever a role in costume. Originally, I was doing science A-levels and then I found myself doing an Art A-level, which is where I realised that I had a passion for sewing and I wanted to pursue costume or something along those lines, but the maths side of Chemistry is actually very useful in costume-making – there are a lot of numbers involved, a lot of maths when you're pattern cutting costumes. So, in fact, it was quite useful to have that background. Then I went to uni and I did a Costume degree and the rest is history!
There was a time where a director had asked me for an orange pair of glasses, sunglasses. I was on set on the top of a tower block with no source of sunglasses and I pretty much had to make a pair out of a Lucozade label and he loved them, it was great, but that's the thing – the job is very kind of think on your feet, it's a lot of problem solving, it's not as glamorous as a lot of people think it is. You have to work and manage other people, other people's personalities so, yeah, there's a lot more involved, but I think the art is attention to detail, thinking on your feet and problem solving and good communication skills.
You're the last person actors talk to before they go on set. You need to be calm, smiley and judge whether they want to talk or to stay in the zone.
What does your role involve?
As a costume standby, it's my job to make sure there's continuity for all the costumes across scenes in films and on TV shows. Scenes are often shot out of order so it's my job to make sure that, when they're edited into chronological order, there aren't noticeable changes in characters' costumes within scenes.
On a typical day, we spend some time in the morning prepping the costumes (steaming and pressing them) and then help dress the actors. We'll go through the scripts for the day to see what the filming order is and then head onto set with our artists (the actors). We often travel with them to and from set if they've got any scenes they aren't in and help with any costume changes. At the end of the day, we'll help them out of their costumes and wash and prepare them for the next day. We stay with our artists throughout filming so we need to be very attentive to their needs and build good relationships with them.
How did you get your job?
I found it difficult to find anything when I left school to help me on my path into film. However, researching further into roles, I found relevant events to go to and started attending seminars and meetings to get contacts. My big break into the industry was doing a full year training at ITV as a standby trainee. It was my first paid job in TV and I made various contacts with supervisors who were freelance. From there, I've got new opportunities by word of mouth and people recommending me.
There are lots of different roles in costume – designers, buyers, makers, alterations teams – the list goes on! It's not just roles in designing and making, there are lots of different aspects to it, like my role in continuity.
What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
It's been difficult when I've been out of work for a few weeks and worried. I overcame this by trying not to doubt myself, keeping busy and continuing to send CVs out. I also kept personal projects going – I have a small clientele that I carry out alterations for.
The long hours can also be difficult. I've tried to tackle that by managing my time, doing things other than work but understanding that my body needs to rest and scheduling in down time.
Being on the frontline on set, you can sometimes get shouted at in the heat of the moment. I've learnt not to take this personally and remind myself it's a result of the intense environment. It doesn’t make it right for people to get angry but we must all try and work as a team and understand that there’s a common goal.
What's your career highlight?
Working on Call The Midwife for two full series. I built such a rapport with the cast and crew. Going to work was exciting, despite the pressures. It was lovely for me to work on something that I have passion for, especially the script and the influence it has. I learnt so much about history, midwifery and medicine.
Rianna's top tips
- Research and be proactive – email and call/text supervisors and line producers
- Try to get work experience, even on short feature films
- Do short courses (eg sewing courses, film courses) to keep up to date on skills that you need
- Learn how to drive
- Resend your CV!
- Be available, and keep up to date with checking emails and messages.
Rianna's recent projects
| Project | TV/film |
|---|---|
| Fantastic Beasts 3 | Film |
| Cheaters | TV |
| Twist | Film |
| Call the Midwife | TV |
| The Witches | Film |
| Dunkirk: World on Fire | TV |
| Peaky Blinders | TV |
| Been So Long | Film |
| Informer | TV |
| Yardie | Film |
| Unforgotten 2 | TV |
| DCI Banks | TV |
| Emmerdale and Coronation Street | TV |
Want to know more?
- Find out more on the My First Job in Film website about roles in the costume department and how to become a costume trainee
- Check out Warner Bros. Creative Talent for scholarships, apprenticeships, work and training placements, mentoring and masterclass opportunities.
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