Speaks at FIDM's Entertainment Industry Panel Event

SPECIAL ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY PANEL SPEAKS TO FIDM STUDENTS (Part 1 of 3 - Costume Design)

Lights, cameras...advice! For anyone hoping to break into the entertainment industry, good advice from insiders is worth the price of a big-budget movie. FIDM students had the chance to listen to three industry insiders dish out experiences, advice, and encouragement. The panelists represented three aspects of the entertainment world: costumes, sets, and graphics. They agreed on the three most important words of advice for success in the industry: contacts, determination, and more contacts. After the talented guests shared their wisdom, FIDM students had a chance to ask questions and talk to the panelists in person.

IDA MULDROW, ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER:

With her soft Southern cadence and bubbling personality, Ida Muldrow captivated the audience with her personal success story. Ida has worked her magic as assistant costume designer on major films like Universal Soldier, Universal Soldier: The Return, Negotiator, and most recently, Big Momma's House starring Martin Lawrence. Even as a little girl, Ida was drawing designs on walls with crayons and lipstick and sewing her own Barbie doll clothes. She was designing before she even knew what the word meant! When it came time for Ida to decide on a college major, she was at a loss. She loved the arts, especially drawing, sewing, and music; but had no idea how to form a career out of those three. Her brother came to the rescue with support, inspiration, and an answer. Fashion design! The future suddenly became crystal clear to her. At that time, the closest she could get to fashion design was to double major in home economics and art. She received her BA and the educational foundation she needed to go forward with her dreams.

Ida then moved to Texas with hopes of perfecting her craft. She earned her MA in fashion design, and received valuable experience working as an assistant to a couture designer in Dallas. For extra money she worked in retail on the side and still found the time to work on her own designs. Ida's next career stop was Atlanta where she taught at several colleges throughout the city. With her passion for design still burning, she made a life-changing decision to pack up and move to California. She arrived in Los Angeles with her dreams intact, ready to study costume design.

Ida took all her education and experience and forged ahead into the film industry. She's been building up her impressive list of film credits ever since. Her responsibilities as assistant costume designer are varied. She helps the costume designer develop the overall look of the film by doing illustrated sketches that become the visual source for everyone to work from. Ida showed the audience her series of illustrations for the costumes from Big Momma's House, and said her ideas were inspired by her own grandmother's clothes. The audience's favorite was a colorful sketch she had of actress Halle Berry's outfit in the 1997 comedy B*A*P*S. Ida also plays a key role in the creation of the actual costumes. Based on her sketches, she does fabric shopping and swatching. She is the designer's organizational wizard, as she does research, keeps records, and makes sure all the characters, including all the movie extras, are costumed. Ida loves her work and it shows!