Thrilling Career for Costume Design Grad
FIDM Grad Giovanna Melton ‘77 is the Costume Designer for the People’s Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Comedy," NBC’s My Name Is Earl. Her right-hand person on this, their third show together, is Wardrobe Supervisor and fellow FIDM alum Nancy Au-Capper ’95.
Giovanna’s come a long way from her first job as an Assistant Costumer for the low-budget horror flick Macabre (aka The Hand) where she was paid $250 a week. Lack of structure was what terrified her then, but now it’s what she loves most about her job. “Every show presents new stories and characters,” Giovanna explains.
That was also true for her work on the television show Providence, which opened with a dream sequence each week. Over the ninety-plus episodes she designed everything from an Edwardian garden party to a Depression-era soup line. “It was a career highlight for me to win an Emmy for that show,” says Giovanna.
In a typical work week that starts early on Monday with a six a.m. check-in and ends at around eight-thirty at night on Friday, the skill Giovanna employs most often on the job might surprise you: psychology and patience."Most designers are faced with limited budgets and a demanding cast. This can be a challenging juggling act. Those two skills have really helped me navigate through many situations. Fortunately I have a wonderful cast on My Name is Earl who are passionate about their trailer park characters. That gives me lots of inspiration when creating outfits," reveals the busy Costume Designer. “Keeping problematic actors happy on a limited budget is on par with pampering a spoiled child with a dollar. Not easy.” Preeminent is the understanding that a design is not only for the character, but the actor who wears it must feel good in it too. Check out Giovanna’s work on NBC’s My Name Is Earl, Thursday nights at 9/8c.
