Star Wars is a franchise that has defined the sci-fi genre for generations to come, with every aspect of the galaxy far, far away being quite unique and visually appealing for fans old and new. George Lucas took the visual aspect of the franchise one step further with the breathtaking character designs, art, set decor, and costumes for the prequel trilogy.
During an interview, costume designer Trisha Biggar broke down her experience of working in the Star Wars universe. At the time, Biggar also revealed how the chaotic schedule of Attack of the Clones resulted in costume supervisor Ivo Coveney having to cut his skin to free himself from Natalie Portman’s costume, among other challenges faced by the costume department.
Star Wars Costume Supervisor Ivo Coveney Had to Cut Himself While Working On Natalie Portman’s Wardrobe
Costume designer Trisha Biggar worked on all three installments of George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels trilogy. During an interview with the official Star Wars website, Biggar spoke about the challenges of working on the prequels.
Biggar revealed that the costume department had to work on the Attack of the Clones with a short turnaround time. Lucas’ creative choice led to a hectic production schedule, which impacted the crew members, including costume supervisor Ivo Coveney.
During the filming of one scene, Coveney used super glue to fix an accent onto one of Padmé’s belts. However, Coveney ended up gluing his hand to the costume, moments before Natalie Portman was needed on set.
He was very good at being very delicate.
Biggar made the above statement about Coveney using a sharp knife to cut his hand and freeing it from the costume. She noted that while Coveney lost some of his skin during the accident, he was able to avoid bleeding. Nonetheless, the accident and Coveney’s resulting actions are an example of just how hectic the schedule for the Attack of the Clones crew was.
Star Wars Costume Designer Trisha Biggar Recalls the Nightmarish Production Schedule For Attack of the Clones.
During the same interview, Biggar also explained why the crew was working at a breakneck pace when Attack of the Clones was in production. Biggar stated that near the start of production, George Lucas wanted to film as chronologically as possible so that the actors could naturally react to the emotional content of the film.
Everything that was being prepped before suddenly went to the end of the schedule and everything that we hadn’t started came to the front.
Biggar made the above statement highlighting the challenges faced by the costume department after Lucas decided to turn the film’s production schedule on its head. As a result, the costume department also had to be doubled in size.
Moreover, the crew had to work very swiftly, without almost any time off. Biggar revealed that her crew worked for almost fourteen hours a day, seven days a week for the majority of the production. Therefore, it is easy to understand why Biggar called Attack of the Clones the most challenging film to work on in the prequel trilogy.
Attack of the Clones and other Star Wars films are streaming on Disney+.
