Q&A: Costume Assistant Anna Seltzer

(photo via Anna)

I recently had the opportunity to interview an upcoming Costume Designer, Anna Seltzer. She helped assist with the Box Office Marvel Film, Thor, that recently came out this Summer of 2011. We discussed about her future aspirations and working on one of her biggest movies to date. Check out the interview below. Also, I would love to give a big thanks to Anna for this opportunity! :]

P.S, you can follow Anna on Twitter: @annaseltzer

- xo Sarai C.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you first get interested in costume design?

I really just fell into a costume department head first and haven't
looked back. I have no background in fashion, I actually studied film
at UC Santa Barbara and came out with an intertest in camera and
animation. My first big film in costumes was Thor, and being in the
creative environment of a super hero film was pretty incredible. The
making process is very involved and the costumes extremely detailed
and beautiful. Just working in the department as an assistant led
friends to ask me to design their own projects. Never being able to
turn down a challenge, I keep saying yes...and here I am, a part time
non-union costume designer part time costume assistant. I'm hoping to
get my hours as a costumer and get into 705 sooner than later, though!

2. For those who don't know, what does a costume assistant do? Are there any tasks you do to help out the key Costume Designer?

A costume assistant, like any production assistant, fills in the
blanks for the rest of the department and helps the office run
smoothly. We assist the costumers and the designer with any and all
tasks you can think of... from research and vendor pick-ups to
changing the lightbulbs and lunch pick-ups. Typically we're here to
lend a hand to anyone that needs one while learning as much about the
process as possible.

3. You have worked on this years Summer Box Office movie, Thor. How was that like?

Thor was my first job on a major motion picture, my first gig in a
Costume department, as well as my longest job to date. I was on that
project for over a year in production, and took part in the additional
photography while I was on Avengers...so it was quite the learning
experience in terms of both process and scale. The costumes we turned
out were beautiful, I made many good friends on the crew, and I can
say it was pretty unforgettable for just about a million reasons. 

4. What's the biggest challenge of your job?

The biggest challenge of being assistant might be the limitations of
the job, the biggest challenge of designing certainly depends on the
project, but I'd say budget tends to always be a rough patch. There's
a big difference between what you want to spend and what you can
spend.

5. Who are some of your style icons and inspirations?

I have an eclectic taste myself, a lot of my personal wardrobe comes
from an almost obsessive compulsion to thrift... I look to the streets
of Los Angeles past and present for inspiration. There's a great
fashion co-op in Echo Park that only sells Los Angeles based
collections- really unique pieces, I'm a big fan. I love McQueen,
Chalayan, and Victor & Rolf for their innovative and dramatic runway
shows.

6. Which characters were the most memorable for you that you have helped dress?

Oh, they're all pretty memorable in their own ways, some for the
character created, some for the challenges encountered, some for their
visual and emotional effect. I completed a short recently with
something close to 25 refugees that had to be from all corners of the
world, and in pretty bad condition. We had a great time aging, dying,
and distressing racks of vintage pieces pulled from thrift stores.

7. Are you working on any upcoming movies or projects?

I am! I have a few shorts I designed in the editing process now:
"Prodigal" directed by Ben Grayson, "Noon" directed by Kasra Farahani,
and "A Pale Shadow" directed by Sean Meehan. I have a supervising gig
on a feature called "Love in the Time of Monsters" coming up next
year, it's a comedy horror and I'm really looking forward to it. I am
also currently assisting the department of another big movie... and
that's about as candid as I can be :)

8. Any advice for those who would like to become costume designers in the movie industry?

Work hard and make friends, you never know where your next job is coming from.
Xx