Costuming Program for Film, TV Offered in Long Beach.

Local and national economic indicators confirm that one of the two leading areas for employment and business expansion is the entertainment industry. With each new year, each new technology, and each new independent production company, the opportunities within this industry seem to expand geometrically.

This expansion, however, tends to leave holes difficult to fill by an untrained workforce. Meeting such needs is the priority for those in the business of continuing education and professional development, and none with greater innovation than University College and Extension Services (UCES) at California State University, Long Beach.

UCES's newest program development area, Entertainment Studies, is the first in the nation to offer a Professional Designation in Costuming for Film and Television. This premiere 30 course, professional development (non-credit) program is designed, delivered, and administered by professionals in the costume and wardrobe industry.

Costume and fashion design are both industry and art form, each with a proud tradition of formal and informal education. Until now there has never been a comprehensive course of study that addresses the unique needs, tools, and skill sets necessary to succeed in the field of costuming for film and television. This ground-breaking program provides a comprehensive overview of the myriad elements in costuming and wardrobe management for film, television, and interactive media. The program also provides the environment and resources for those in the field of costuming to upgrade their skills, hone their craft, and master the profession.

The full program consists of a series of core and elective courses and short format workshops and seminars. Completion of the core courses and elective courses results in the awarding of the designation. Classes are held during the evening and on weekends to accommodate the schedules of students, novices, and working professionals, and the venues for the full program are as varied as the curriculum. Class meetings are held in classrooms and state-of-the-art computer labs at CSULB, in Los Angeles, Orange County, and surrounding areas. Field excursions include such venues as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Some modules will be available via one's home or office PC on-line.

The founding faculty for the program are Marcy Gossett and Angee Beckett. Gossett is the former manager of wardrobe, make-up, and hair for ABC Television Entertainment Division in Hollywood, whose credits include a half dozen Academy Award telecasts. Beckett is a Guild costume designer and continuity consultant for feature films, movies of the week, and television series. Gossett and Beckett are joined by other industry experts, master teachers, and luminaries in the field of costuming and wardrobe management including Emmy and Academy Award winners and nominees.

On August 28, 1999, the first six students received the Professional Designation in Costuming for Film and Television at program's graduation. The ceremony entitled, a "Panel of Design", was a working brunch at which the graduates received an invaluable one-on-one critique of their portfolios from professionals in the field of costuming. These same costume designers and key supervisors have taken time from their incredible production schedules to "give back" to the community. As they have helped guide these future costumers and designers, they have also helped their various unions and guilds support the training of those who may well represent them in the future.