costume designertoset designer
A costume designer already meets 74% of what the set designer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
74%
43.9/ 100
1 Share of the set designer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the costume 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 this move works
A set designer role treats 36 of its required skills as things a costume 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 · What you already bring
Of the 52 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A set designer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a costume designer background worth leading with.
- 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 set designer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you would need to learn
The 26 missing skills fall into 5 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.
- required, not held define set materials required
- required, not held sketch set images required
- required, not held define prop materials required
- required, not held design props required
- required, not held draw prop sketches required
- required, not held draw stage layouts required
- optional, not held adapt artistic plan to location optional
- optional, not held adapt props optional
- optional, not held build props optional
- optional, not held draw up stage layouts digitally optional
- optional, not held ensure visual quality of the set optional
- optional, not held make set construction drawings optional
- optional, not held mark the stage area optional
- optional, not held prevent technical problems with scenic elements optional
- optional, not held prevent technical problems with stage equipment optional
- optional, not held purchase props optional
- required, not held create set models required
- required, not held model sets required
- optional, not held set up equipment in a timely manner optional
- optional, not held define prop building methods optional
- optional, not held define set building methods optional
- optional, not held define set painting methods optional
- optional, not held update budget optional
- optional, not held assemble the rehearsal set optional
- optional, not held paint sets optional
- optional, not held follow safety procedures when working at heights optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a set designer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 define set materials skill · occupation specific
- 02 sketch set images skill · occupation specific
- 03 create set models skill · sector specific
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 52 skills that carry over
- 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 attend rehearsals 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 develop the look of a production 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 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 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 calculate design costs skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held develop professional network 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 translate artistic concepts to technical designs skill
- already held use personal protection equipment skill
- already held work safely with machines skill
18 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held adapt artistic plan to location optional
- optional, not held adapt props optional
- optional, not held assemble the rehearsal set optional
- optional, not held build props optional
- optional, not held define prop building methods optional
- optional, not held define set building methods optional
- optional, not held define set painting methods optional
- optional, not held draw up stage layouts digitally optional
- optional, not held ensure visual quality of the set optional
- optional, not held make set construction drawings optional
- optional, not held mark the stage area optional
- optional, not held paint sets optional
- optional, not held prevent technical problems with scenic elements optional
- optional, not held prevent technical problems with stage equipment optional
- optional, not held purchase props optional
- optional, not held set up equipment in a timely manner optional
- optional, not held update budget optional
- optional, not held follow safety procedures when working at heights optional
19 held skills the set designer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role CAD software knowledge
- not needed by the target role adapt costumes skill
- not needed by the target role define costume fabrication methods skill
- not needed by the target role define costume materials skill
- not needed by the target role design wearing apparel skill
- not needed by the target role develop an artistic framework skill
- not needed by the target role develop drama production process skill
- not needed by the target role draw up artists' measurements skill
- not needed by the target role draw up costume patterns skill
- not needed by the target role draw up costume sketches skill
- not needed by the target role keep up to date on costume design skill
- not needed by the target role lighting techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role organise costume fittings skill
- not needed by the target role photography knowledge
- not needed by the target role select costumes skill
- not needed by the target role supervise costume workers skill
- not needed by the target role use CAD software skill
- not needed by the target role work with the director of photography skill
- not needed by the target role work with the lighting crew skill
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.