Design and Production students spent the afternoon with film costumer Taryn Walsh.

Taryn Walsh has worked as an onset wardrobe and as a wardrobe supervisor with nearly 40 years of experience. She has worked in the costume department for film, television, and music videos. Some of her jobs have been on such projects as That 70’s Show, Nell, Fatherhood, Grown Ups, The Man Without a Face, Detroit, American Hustle, Little Women and The Holdovers.

Taryn has lived in NYC, LA, and is now a member of the local Boston union, IATSE 481.

She spent her day at the Academy talking about her journey from college (she was pre-med) to following her passion into film.

Her presentation helped define the differences between the costume, set and prop roles in theater, and how they translate to positions in film. They showed us the tools of the trade and talked about the kinds of programs that are used to track costumes on set. She talked about the paths you would take to get a career in the production area of film, and answered a lot of questions about areas other than costumes. Of course, she shared fun stories of the celebrities she worked with and had lots of time for questions.

We finished her visit with a hands-on exercise in tracking costumes, props, and sets.