Learning through the lens of COSTUMES

Posted on October 27, 2020 By Hilltown Families

Halloween is a holiday that invites us to tell stories through costumes, allowing us to engage in fantasy and role-playing for at least a single night. Traditional costumes for Halloween include ghosts, zombies, iconic monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, werewolves, etc.), and harvest icons (scarecrows, pumpkins, corn, etc.). Still, costumes, in general, can span the genres of history, reality, and culture. With interest in costumes being one many families consider this time of year, today’s self-directed learning module offers lessons in puppetry, indigenous cultures, history, film studies, costume design, storytelling, fashion design, and much more! With this list of curated videos, costumes are our catalyst for learning today.

“Watch how the actor (Ray Mercer) becomes the steep and slender Giraffe—the towering puppet that sets the stage as the sun rises during Circle of Life.”

In film, “costumes help to teach us more about a character, to better establish a setting, and to tell the story; this video essay aims to expand on the role of a costume designer and how they do what they do.”

“She dressed Hollywood’s biggest stars for over five decades, but her costumes never went out of style. Find out how Edith Head became the most celebrated costume designer in film history.”