This was a fun fantasy project to work on. Especially in foggy Alabama in the spring, with all the redbud trees blooming.
The pre-production time was extremely limited on this one; but as we were very much going for fantasy and trying not look historical, there weren't many pieces that needed building. About 80 percent of the costume pieces used were from my own collection in the end, plus some from a Colorado event set in the Renaissance, and others from a local AL theatre company.
The Hunter's costume was new for this project, and came out great. Very Robin Hood in style, with vivid natural colors as much as possible. The sleeves on the main pale brown shirt were massive, really adding to the look.
Getting everyone ready at an outbuilding in a park area was a little rough on the organizing, but worked well for keeping everyone in the same place for holding, Wardrobe, and H&M.
The Princess and the Peasant Girl were ready early, and looked fantastic in costumes from my personal collection. While we weren't going for historical looks at all, I did lean into what I tend to call Historical-Fantasy, where I'm avoiding super modern feeling fabrics and colors, and certainly anything that looks like plastic or parachute-type fabric, which helps add to the realism without fitting into any time period.
The colors happily compliment the scenery beautifully as well.
We went with a German kertle-style gown on the Princess; though simple and not over-embellished, it had the feel of the Middle Ages, but with her hair down in a more contemporary fantasy take. It also had to be at least somewhat comfortable, since she'd be spending most of the shooting day tied to a tree...
The Peasant Girl got her hands and face dirty beforehand, and natural color muslin in her chemise further helped separate her from the Princess. Plus, it complimented her chicken, so...
In the short timeframe of the shoot, I was unable to find good boots that fit the Hunter... In the end, leather scraps bound around the ankles disguised the dark shoes he wore very well, for the little they were seen.
The quiver was a quick make, to go with the fantasy expectation. Made out of a piece of PVC pipe, wrapped in faux leather and bunch-stitched with thick, dark cord to make it feel more rustic and textured.
Except for the weight of the quiver, which was no joke, it came out well for the needed prop. The arrows were literally sticks dyed dark, with notches cut in the top, and feathers glued on for fletching. I had a natural wood bow and a decent dagger available that completed the ensemble.
The enormous sleeves, though! Ha ha!
My goodness, a moment where the Princess
isn't tied to the tree? What is this nonsense?!
The Prince appearing on scene is the moment the Princess knows she is saved, so bolder colors and fabrics with a sheen made him pop against the background, without slipping into a "halloween costume" look.
Much of this one was assembled from the local theatre company, with the crown, belt, and cloak coming from my collection. The weight and size of the cloak really gave the actor something to work with to add drama to his entrance.
With the Peasants, we only had about 2 hours the day before for a quick "fitting", which left little time to make any adjustments for the next morning. But we did alright, getting around some different fit issues for each.
If there had been any more time, I would have liked to do more with layers and accessories on these three.
When it came to the Fairy Godmother, we knew ahead of time that we didn't want some fluffy, diaphanous frilly thing, nor did we want the animated Cinderella hooded robe look. I opted to rent a gown from the Glen Eyrie Castle Madrigal Banquets here in Colorado, and accessorize to make it more of a fantasy style; a wide-sleeved chemise underneath, a kerchief in the neckline, jewelry, and a shimmery cape-train instead of wings.
Her colors really stood out and added richness to her moments. And so fit the way the actress played the character.
Unfortunately, the iridescent cape-train wasn't seen hardly at all in the finished film. But it looked lovely, nonetheless! The Fairy Godmother's currant red next to the Princess's deep blue were so rich, but not distracting.
Tree Bound can be watched on the YouTube channel for Sheepshed Entertainment, HERE -----> Tree Bound
And check out the Awards tag on the left of this page or search Tree Bound in the 'Search This Blog' feature, as the costume design for this project received an award in November of 2018.
Overall, though the turnaround was fast, and there are things I wish I could have added to or taken time on, it was a fun project and a lovely way of using lots of pieces and costumes and accessories that don't get much time "out in the wild".
