Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

set designertocostume designer

A set designer already meets 78% of what the costume designer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From set designer
78%
Overlap1
To costume designer
52 Skills carried over
8 Required, not held
37.6 Difficulty2
Career overlap Very strong match

78%

Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

37.6/ 100

1 Share of the costume designer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the set designer profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A costume designer role treats 36 of its required skills as things a set designer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • adapt existing designs to changed circumstances
  • adapt to artists' creative demands
  • analyse a script
  • analyse music score
  • analyse the artistic concept based on stage actions
  • analyse the scenography

What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 52 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A costume designer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a set designer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held develop the look of a production communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held conduct costume research information skills
  • already held research new ideas information skills
  • already held verify feasibility information skills
  • already held analyse the artistic concept based on stage actions information skills
  • already held propose improvements to artistic production communication, collaboration and creativity

All 52 carried skills, including the 36 the costume designer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 19 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 5 required, 5 supplementary
  • required, not held define costume materials required
  • required, not held design wearing apparel required
  • required, not held develop an artistic framework required
  • required, not held draw up costume sketches required
  • required, not held select costumes required
  • optional, not held adapt costumes optional
  • optional, not held develop drama production process optional
  • optional, not held organise costume fittings optional
  • optional, not held work with the director of photography optional
  • optional, not held work with the lighting crew optional
02 management skills 2 required
  • required, not held define costume fabrication methods required
  • required, not held supervise costume workers required
03 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held keep up to date on costume design required
  • optional, not held draw up artists' measurements optional
04 arts and humanities 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held lighting techniques optional
  • optional, not held photography optional
05 handling and moving 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held draw up costume patterns optional
06 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held CAD software optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a costume designer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 52 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held adapt existing designs to changed circumstances skill
  • already held adapt to artists' creative demands skill
  • already held analyse a script skill
  • already held analyse music score skill
  • already held analyse the artistic concept based on stage actions skill
  • already held analyse the scenography skill
  • already held coach staff for running the performance skill
  • already held communicate during show skill
  • already held conduct costume research skill
  • already held contextualise artistic work skill
  • already held define artistic approach skill
  • already held develop design concept skill
  • already held develop design ideas cooperatively skill
  • already held gather reference materials for artwork skill
  • already held keep up with trends skill
  • already held meet deadlines skill
  • already held monitor developments in technology used for design skill
  • already held monitor sociological trends skill
  • already held perform quality control of design during a run skill
  • already held present artistic design proposals skill
  • already held prevent fire in a performance environment skill
  • already held propose improvements to artistic production skill
  • already held research new ideas skill
  • already held safeguard artistic quality of performance skill
  • already held translate artistic concepts to technical designs skill
  • already held understand artistic concepts skill
  • already held update design results during rehearsals skill
  • already held use communication equipment skill
  • already held use specialised design software skill
  • already held use technical documentation skill
  • already held verify feasibility skill
  • already held work ergonomically skill
  • already held work safely with chemicals skill
  • already held work safely with machines skill
  • already held work safely with mobile electrical systems under supervision skill
  • already held work with respect for own safety skill
  • already held analyse the need for technical resources skill
  • already held attend rehearsals skill
  • already held calculate design costs skill
  • already held copyright legislation knowledge
  • already held develop professional network skill
  • already held develop the look of a production skill
  • already held document your own practice skill
  • already held draw up artistic production skill
  • already held keep personal administration skill
  • already held labour legislation knowledge
  • already held lead a team skill
  • already held manage personal professional development skill
  • already held organise resources for artistic production skill
  • already held prospect new customers skill
  • already held provide technical documentation skill
  • already held use personal protection equipment skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 working with computers 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held use CAD software optional
11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held adapt costumes optional
  • optional, not held develop drama production process optional
  • optional, not held draw up costume patterns optional
  • optional, not held organise costume fittings optional
  • optional, not held work with the director of photography optional
  • optional, not held CAD software optional
  • optional, not held draw up artists' measurements optional
  • optional, not held lighting techniques optional
  • optional, not held photography optional
  • optional, not held use CAD software optional
  • optional, not held work with the lighting crew optional
26 held skills the costume designer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role adapt artistic plan to location skill
  • not needed by the target role adapt props skill
  • not needed by the target role assemble the rehearsal set skill
  • not needed by the target role build props skill
  • not needed by the target role create set models skill
  • not needed by the target role define prop building methods skill
  • not needed by the target role define prop materials skill
  • not needed by the target role define set building methods skill
  • not needed by the target role define set materials skill
  • not needed by the target role define set painting methods skill
  • not needed by the target role design props skill
  • not needed by the target role draw prop sketches skill
  • not needed by the target role draw stage layouts skill
  • not needed by the target role draw up stage layouts digitally skill
  • not needed by the target role ensure visual quality of the set skill
  • not needed by the target role follow safety procedures when working at heights skill
  • not needed by the target role make set construction drawings skill
  • not needed by the target role mark the stage area skill
  • not needed by the target role model sets skill
  • not needed by the target role paint sets skill
  • not needed by the target role prevent technical problems with scenic elements skill
  • not needed by the target role prevent technical problems with stage equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role purchase props skill
  • not needed by the target role set up equipment in a timely manner skill
  • not needed by the target role sketch set images skill
  • not needed by the target role update budget skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held CAD software optional
  • optional, not held lighting techniques optional
  • optional, not held photography optional
Index

Other moves recorded from set designer

Full index of moves from set designer

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.