Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliana Hoffpauir
Hi Juliana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Born and raised in Austin, I grew up loving the stage, and dreamed of working in the movies after I worked as an extra in Lonesome Dove. I studied theatre and film in college, started a theatre company in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, moved back to Austin after 9/11, and worked as a PA on some commercials. It wasn’t until I moved to Louisiana that my film career finally took off. As a costumer, I learned from some of the greatest Costume Designers including Ruth Carter (Black Panther, Roots), Betsy Heimann (Reservoir Dogs, Almost Famous), Francine Jamison-Tanchuck (Emancipation, One Night in Miami) and Mary Zophres (most Cohen Bros movies). Working with actors to help them develop their characters through costumes is my dream job, and hits on all the things I feel I am good at! I worked my way up from an assistant to Costume Designer with a lot of hard work, long hours, and the support of many crew members in Austin and New Orleans.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The film industry is a fickle business. Weathering its storms and droughts may be half the challenge!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a Costume Designer for Film and TV, I work with a whole crew of creative people in order to tell a story. It all starts with reading a script and envisioning the characters and what they would wear. Then, I meet with the director and we have a conversation about the script and what the costumes may look like. Then I meet with the Production Designer and the Director of Photography to get onto the same page as how the project will look and feel. I then start to create mood boards with my costume ideas. Once the actors are cast, I meet with them and we share our ideas. Then we have fittings, and then share those with the director. All I can really say about that is it is a process! Depending on the size and budget of the project, I have a team in the costume department which usually includes a supervisor who helps run the logistics, tailor/seamstress, costumers who help on set with continuity and helping the actors feel comfortable, background costumers who help fit all of the extras, a buyer, an ager/dyer, a production assistant. Sometimes you can have a crew of 12 and sometimes you can have a crew of two!
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I learned from Covid that sometimes it is good to slow down, and that we are all in this together
Contact Info:
- Website: https://julianahoffpauir.com
- Instagram: julianahoffpauir
Image Credits
Photo of me and actor Glen Powell in costume on the set of Hit Man
