Clothes on TV

For many types of show, talent wear their own clothing. They feel at ease in it, and have probably chosen it with thought. So one needs to be sensitive to their feelings and taste, before suggesting that any item is unsuitable for the camera. That is particularly true when you want them to wear an item from wardrobe stock instead (e.g. a tinted shirt, or a different necktie). Experienced performers often bring along alternative items of clothing for selection on camera.

Problem clothing

Line

Loose-fitting floppy clothing produces an unflattering shapeless, baggy look.

Color

•Muted plain colors are generally very successful.

•Bright, bold saturated colors are best avoided. Strong hues look dynamic in long shots, but appear overwhelming and somewhat crude in closer shots. Their color can reflect onto the face and neck.

•Some color mixtures can appear to change on switching between cameras (e.g. mauves, purples).

•When using chroma-key any blue in the clothing can produce bizarre breakthrough effects.

•Clothing tones and colors should preferably contrast with their background.

•Avoid high tonal contrasts. Light-toned materials easily ‘burn out’/‘block off’ on screen. Conversely, very dark materials reproduce as a black mass.

•While someone is wearing a coat/jacket, the limited amount of white shirt showing may be quite acceptable. But when the jacket is removed, the larger area revealed simply overexposes to blank white.

•Dark clothing makes a light complexion look lighter. In light clothing, skin tones appear darker.

•Very low necklines can result in a topless look in close shots.

•Stiff clothing materials can cause crackles and rustles when a personal microphone is worn.

Surface finish

•Shiny, lustrous clothing catches the light, and reproduces with large burned-out areas of plain white. Even quite dark materials with a gloss finish can prove unsatisfactory for this reason. Highly reflective fabrics, such as starched shirts and satins, invariably block off.

•Velvet and velours are so light absorbent that modeling is poor.

Detail

•Strongly contrasted or elaborate patterns can be overwhelming, especially in closer shots.

•Avoid close herringbone or checkered patterns, or close fine stripes. They can produce a vibrating ‘moiré’ effect. Close patterns can look very distracting when sharply focused. When defocused or in longer shots, they degrade to an overall tone.

•Jewelry and decorative accessories easily look excessive on the small screen. They can produce distracting flashes, cast shadows onto the face, or make a noise. Reflective jewelry worn around the neck can reflect bright spots of light under the chin.

Costume problems

1. Avoid costume tones merging with the background. 2. Beware detailed or fussy patterns in both costume and background. 3.Close stripes and checks in costume, flicker (strobe) at certain distances. 4. Low necklines appear topless in close shots.