Hunger Games - How are costumes used to enhance the story?

Brainstorm:
What is happening - Picture 1
- reaping scene - 2 tributes selected to compete in the Hunger Games.
- Best dressed.

Describe Costumes
- Light colours, neutral tones, old fashioned, simple.
- Boys - shirts shirts, pants or shorts.
- Both wear formal / Sunday best.
- Girls - hair tidy, dresses or skirts.
- Colour - cold, clean, faded - washed and worn a lot.
- Older clothes mended.

Effect on viewer
- Think they poor - because clothes are outdated - Peacekeepers / Effie in new clean outfits.
- Think it is a bad living - emotionless, all the colour has been drained.

Director Purpose
- Show the comparison / juxtaposition of the district and the capital.
- Shows theme 'Rich vs Poor' because district doesn't have access to resources like new clothing.

Other Techniques
- Make-up - style = status, Effies eye lashes are long and pink and her face is white. The district has no make-up-no access or need for it.

What is happening - Picture 2
- In the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta just getting off the train, have never been there before.

Describe Costumes
- Bright, colourful, neon, extravagant, vibrant, oversized.
- Look expensive and more fancy than casual.
- Over the top - excessive, more than needed to be practical.
- Head pieces to match, wigs.
- Both genders over the top outfits / wigs / make-up.

Effect on viewer
- Think they are rich / greed - have more than us.
- Fashion is shocking / scary to viewer - in your face.
- Show us how shocked / different things are for Katniss and Peeta.

Director Purpose
- Again shows us theme 'Rich vs Poor' - the people in capitol live in extreme luxury compared to the poverty of district 12.
- People in the Capitol have everything.

Other Techniques
- Make-up - over the top - caked on so we know they have lots. Men / Women wear it.
- Setting - concrete, metal, glass, clean, crisp, futuristic, technologically advance.

What is happening - Picture 3
- In the arena of the Hunger Games.

Describe Costumes
- Practical - suitable for fighting.
- Jackets, boots, shirts, long pants.
- Colours that will match surrounding - help them hide.
- Tells us about the arena climate.
- Not going far as not much.

Effect on viewer
- Feels like they are dressed for war / hunting - all dressed same uniform.
- All look same - every has the same advantage.
- Makes us less emotionally attached to individuals.

Director Purpose
- Rich vs Poor - every one is finally equal so personal skills become important.
- Struggle for power - tributes are under the power of the Capitol, they have no freedom / free will at this point.

In the reaping scene, costume is used effectively to show the theme 'Rich vs Poor'. (e)For example, the potential tributes are dressed in formal shirts, skirts and trousers. Their clothes are well-worn, weathered and dull. (x)This make us understand the people in District 12 because their best clothes are old and faded compared to the Capitol representative Effie Trinket. (x)This is done t show juxtaposition between the extreme wealth of the Capitol and the poverty of those in District 12. (x)This worked well with the use of make-up as shown by Effie. She has lots of make-up on including long pink eyelashes, an extremely white foundation and pink and gold lips. This tells the viewer that she is wealthy because she can  afford extravagant make-up when those in the district can barely afford clothes. This aspect can be compared to the scene where the tributes arrive off the train in the Capitol. Here we see luxury and excess wealth in the costumes of the Capitol citizens compared to rags worn by Peeta and Katniss.