The final costume design shifts to advanced cryogenic suits, modified into military gear which are derived from a utopian, equal gendered ‘past society for Lessa and Flars final battle as Weyr Riders.
The first costume design is Lessa’s traditional Chinese/Celtic influenced childhood dress, it communicates her social status as a princess within a top-ranking family on Pern.
The second design is Lessa’s Drudge disguise costume. It depicts her character being at the lowest point and level in the feudal system on Pern. In comparison Flars costume as a high ranking Dragonrider.
The line drawings exhibit the stages of change that some of the costumes undertake, efficiently showing the transformation in action during an emotional moment.
Master of Design (Weta)
This project focuses on the costume journey of the main protagonist Lessa, with her transformation from suppression to equality in contrast to her male counterpart F’lar. Set within a film adaption of the young adult Science Fiction/Fantasy novel Dragonriders of Pern: Dragonflight (1968) by author Anne McCaffrey. This Master of Design research project questions inadequate portrayals of the ‘Other in mainstream cinema, by shifting from unhealthy stereotypical costuming to develop a positive visual language for female characters. The early costumes are based within a neo-medieval European/Chinese hybrid society, where only the worthy can form a telepathic ‘bond with Dragons to fight against a deadly common foe Thread’. The final design shifts to advanced cryogenic suits, modified into military gear which are derived from a utopian, equal gendered ‘past society for Lessa and Flars final battle as Weyr Riders.
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