CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH
WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN US“Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.”
– Mason Cooley
There’s no doubt Costumers love what we do. We are fueled by creativity, passion, and a desire to help bring characters to life. A career in motion picture costuming offers challenge and excitement, a living wage, and creative fulfilment. Whether you crave the energy of working on set or the thrill of seeing the costume you built transform an actor on screen, the Motion Picture Costumers IATSE Local 705 is the place for you. It’s much more than a job – it’s a creative career.
WHERE DO WE COME FROM?
Some of our members find their passion for costuming film and television early in life. You don’t need a college degree to be one of us. While many in our field have Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees in costuming, some pick up skills and knowledge while on the job.
Many members come to film and television through working as Costumers in the theatre. While the format is quite different, the skills are the same, and if you’re a theatrical Costumer who wants to transition, your skills and training are highly desired.
Increasingly, the world of cosplay has been the starting point for our Costumers. Gluing foam in your backyard, crunching those last-minute details on a sewing machine in your hotel room, and dying fabric over the kitchen stove, many cosplayers realize they want to do this for a living. It’s the same thrill, but with a bigger paycheck.
WHY JOIN MPC 705?
Costumers are highly skilled creatives, responsible for usually a third or more of what you see on screen. We are part of a union so that we can work together to make sure our contracts are followed and our work is protected. We stand together so that no one is left behind.
Costumes have been historically dismissed as “women’s work” through much of the film and television industry, an afterthought that someone’s girlfriend or wife can do because they “like shopping” or “know how to sew.” All this makes us easy prey for producers who want us to work for free, off the clock, or at rates they wouldn’t dream of paying the more male dominated crafts such as camera or grip/electrics.
Back to the earliest days of labor unions, it has been garment workers, and primarily women’s garment workers who have pushed back first and hardest for workers’ rights. MPC 705 continues that proud tradition, making sure our Costumers are paid properly and treated with respect.
In the unstable world of the entertainment industry, we provide stability. Working under a union contract means you have someone to help when they try to short your paycheck, ask you to work “off the clock,” or fail to keep you safe in the workplace. Our contracts set guaranteed wages and sustain pension and health care benefits that carry over from job to job.