Michael Wilkinson has quietly become one of my favorite costume designers working today. You know his work—he's the person behind the iconic looks in 300, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and American Hustle (for which he earned an Oscar nomination).But it was his work on Disney+’s Star Wars series Andor that really made me a fan of his approach to grounded storytelling through costume.Andor could have easily leaned into flashy Star Wars aesthetics, but Wilkinson took a different route. Everything in the world of the series feels real, even quotidian sometimes. But it’s also a spy thriller, so Wilkinson needed Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) to be able to hide in his clothes and still be compelling, have "some swagger," and be someone viewers are drawn to.The result is intricate costume design for hundreds of characters and a dozen cultures that feels lived-in, practical, and completely rooted in character psychology rather than just looking cool.We had the opportunity to speak with Wilkinson about Andor Season 2, and he shared some practical wisdom that any aspiring costume designer (or, honestly, anyone in film and TV) can learn from.Read the script, file away first impressions, then talk to the director before designingWilkinson took on a huge task, and years of existing history and visuals, when he entered the Star Wars universe for Andor Season 1. But what are his first steps when he joins a project? "The first thing I like to do is to let go of preconceptions,”...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday