Motion Picture Costumers Local 705
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Instagram: @palmacosta
Website: www.almaacosta.com
Where did you grow up? I grew up in Houston, TX, in one of the most ethnically diverse communities known as Alief. My dad emigrated from Mexico City as a young adult. My mom emigrated as a young child from Pereira, Colombia. What are your responsibilities or roles in your department? As a Stitcher within the Costume Custom Made department, I work with the Table-Person and Patternmaker to build the costumes. The Patternmaker creates paper patterns that get cut out in fabric by the Table-Person. The projects then get handed off to me, where I stitch the pieces together using various sewing machines and finishing techniques to create whole garments. I pretty much build puzzles every day!
Are there any films that inspired you to start working in film and television? I’ve always been drawn to the dark side, so naturally I became obsessed with Colleen Atwood’s costume design in all of Tim Burton’s movies. I loved how she intertwined fashion in a dark world to the character’s whimsical personality. As a teen I would replicate her designs in the dresses I made. Naturally, learning to create costumes on my own led me to pursue a career in Theatre which later opened the doors for film. I've recently had the opportunity to work with Colleen Atwood and her team, which is a dream I never imagined I could achieve.
How did you begin working in the industry? I got my BFA in Costume Technology from The Theatre School at DePaul University. While at school I assisted costume designers on indie films and student shorts. Upon graduation I got a job as a Costume PA for the Chicago Fire/Med/PD/Justice series on NBC. In 2018 I moved to LA and after working in theatre, opera, bridal, fashion, and some more film PAing, I landed a job at a signatory union costume house, Bill Hargate Costumes. What has been your favorite project to work on? My favorite project will be a Warner Brothers film, in theaters. October 2024. What I can tell you is my second favorite project. For Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. III, I got to travel and work out of Georgia, where most of the Marvel films are shot. As a Latina, I was most excited when my assigned costume to stitch was for Zoe Saldana’s Gamora. I had to make 8 multiples of her Ravager’s costume.
What advice would you give someone starting out in this industry
What worked for me was not focusing on getting into the union. Instead, I focused on honing my skills and techniques. I wanted to be prepared and knowledgeable on all forms of garment making. Being nice brought many opportunities my way, people love to work with nice people. If you’re thinking of a career in costume technology for film, the best thing to do is to work in as many shops & workrooms as possible. Gather all the knowledge and expand your circle of peers. When opportunity comes, always take it. Each job will lead to the next.
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