Who's best and most cost friendly for commissioning these?

Chris92

Well-Known Member
Hello, RPF! For my second thread, I have decided to ask about costume commissions. Now, in my present situation, I am in a horrible position to be into costume making. I HATE wearing cheap costumes, and carrying around cheap props. I'm one of those people that just has to have things as accurately as possible. I don't know why, I just am. I currently have no job, which means I don't make any money. I'm looking REALLY hard though! So, for now, the purpose of this thread will serve as this: To ask the costuming and prop making community who are the best people to get costume/prop commissions from, who will do quality work at a fair price?

I don't have all that many costume desires, but I do have a few. The costumes and props I would like to collect are as follows:

Captain America

  • First Avenger Uniform
  • Avengers Uniform
  • Winter Soldier Uniform
  • First Avenger/Avengers shield
  • Winter Soldier shield

Arrow
  • CW Arrow suit

So, who do you all recommend? Any advice would be most welcome! Keep in mind, that I will not actually be able to commission anything until I get an income (unless someone wants to hire me or let me work with them! xD ).
 
Quality comes with a price. If you don't want a "cheap" costume or prop, you either make it yourself or pay a premium. You mentioned "at a fair price", but I think you meant "at a low price". A fair price would be proper compensation for the work you receive.
 
For a second I thought I was reading something I would have written. Cheap looking props are just horrible ( Unless it's a novelty build like Boximus Prime ) and I, like you, have no job. But if you have a set of skills that could be applied to propsmithing, I would say try to turn that into some money. If you can afford to take the risk that is.
 
Quality comes with a price. If you don't want a "cheap" costume or prop, you either make it yourself or pay a premium. You mentioned "at a fair price", but I think you meant "at a low price". A fair price would be proper compensation for the work you receive.

Hmmm...I see what you mean...I think I meant both fair and low somehow, haha....I don't want to undercut anyone, but it hurts to realize that if I want quality (which I sorely do), I'll be shelling out hundreds upon hundreds of dollars for some pieces/items...
 
Quality comes with a price. If you don't want a "cheap" costume or prop, you either make it yourself or pay a premium. You mentioned "at a fair price", but I think you meant "at a low price". A fair price would be proper compensation for the work you receive.

Thanks for that. This is the proper definition of "fair price."

They say you have three identifiers with custom commissions. Fast, Good, and cheap. You can pick two. If it's fast and good, it won't be cheap. etc. etc.

I can tell you this. I do costume commissions on my own and I do them part-time with God Save the Queen Fashions. The two separate entities have turned out the best reproductions of a couple of Cap costumes at around $2500 a pop. We have since both come to the conclusion that we were severely undercharging for the labor and are now quoting similar costumes at twice that. This may not seem a fair price to someone that thinks we whip these out in a single afternoon. Consider this: the film companies invest upwards of $10k-$20k for each of these costumes. There are hundreds of hours of sewing labor, research, sub-contracting, painting, dyeing, distressing, craft and leatherwork, scuplting, and basically pulling miracles out of your ass to make these things a reality.

It's time to come to realize that you're getting a hell of a deal at $3 Grand...
 
Thanks for that. This is the proper definition of "fair price."

They say you have three identifiers with custom commissions. Fast, Good, and cheap. You can pick two. If it's fast and good, it won't be cheap. etc. etc.

There are hundreds of hours of sewing labor, research, sub-contracting, painting, dyeing, distressing, craft and leatherwork, scuplting, and basically pulling miracles out of your ass to make these things a reality

Thanks for this! I work a lot in tv, industrial and media and I want to have "Fast, Good, Cheap: Pick Two" tattooed on my forehead.

Your comments about time are, I think the most important topics in this debate. These are not, "cut-n-sew" projects. When you're taking about things like Cap, there can be hundreds of individual pieces that all have to be patterened specifically to the client. That means, each time the costume is made for a different person (unless that person is a carbon copy of the last one to order it), everything has to be done all over again. Rescaled, redrawn, remeasured for fabric amounts. It also usually means at least two mockups and fittings before any fabric is actually cut.

Then there's the supplies. To get the right look, these fabrics are not cheap and you can't just run to JoAnns and pick them up by the cut yard. They come from special suppliers across the country (sometimes internationally) and that means - let's all say it together - shipping! Lots and lots of shipping. And then there's specialty printing, laser cutting and (God forbid) 3d printing. Then factor in the consumables that most shops have on hand, but get used up for projects and have to be replenished: sandpaper, dremel bits, batteries, paint, glue, sealant, chalk, muslin, sharpies, printer ink, pattern paper, the list goes on... When you talk about hundreds of dollars, for the costumes you listed, the supplies alone are in the hundreds of dollars.

All of that said, I always try to accommodate a budget as best I can. I, unlike some commission houses, will take orders for only certain components of a costume. I'll also attempt to consult with the client on design aspects that can be modified to reduce the cost by lessening the amount of detail on the costume or reinvisioning the concept while remaining true to the character. Some might take a "purity" stance against that. But, my job is not to just recreate someone else's work, it's to make a product that the client loves wearing while not cheating myself.
 
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