Costumer

Swaybox Studios is hiring a Costumer to join their puppet costume department in New Orleans, LA. This role sits within the costume fabrication department, where the primary output is building, maintaining, and supporting puppet costumes through the full arc of a film production. It suits a skilled garment constructor with hands-on set experience who understands that puppet costuming has as much to do with mechanics and performance as it does with aesthetics.

About the Role

Swaybox Studios is currently in production on a project developed in collaboration with DC Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, and Matt Reeves’ 6th and Idaho, placing this Costumer at the center of a high-profile feature film production. Day to day, you will be working across the shop and on set, moving between pattern drafting, garment assembly, and live repairs as the production demands. You will work closely with puppeteers, mechanical teams, and the Costume Lead to make sure every piece functions as well as it looks on camera.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft and develop patterns for puppet costumes using flat patterning and basic draping techniques suited to the scale and movement requirements of each character.
• Sew, alter, and assemble costume components so that each piece holds up to the physical demands of puppet performance while matching the production’s visual design.
• Build internal supports, armatures, and understructures that give costumes the durability and functionality required for repeated takes in a film production environment.
• Perform on-set repairs, quick changes, and emergency alterations as continuity and shooting schedules require.
• Maintain detailed construction notes and documentation to ensure accurate costume replication across the production schedule.
• Organize and track the costume inventory throughout production, supporting quality control from the first fitting through final wrap.

What You Bring

• 3 to 5 years of experience in costume fabrication, with film, television, or theater production credits preferred.
• Strong proficiency in both hand sewing and machine sewing, with solid alteration and construction skills across a range of fabrics.
• Experience working within a structured production workflow where documentation and replication standards are strictly maintained.
• Comfort working long hours on a film production schedule, including on-set support as needed.
• Ability to take detailed direction from a Costume Lead and translate fitting notes into precise physical adjustments.

Why This Role

This is a rare opportunity to work on a studio-backed feature film production that sits at the intersection of puppet performance and theatrical costume craft, a combination that very few productions at this scale attempt. The project carries serious creative weight given the partners involved, and the work itself will be genuinely visible on screen.

Apply today to join Swaybox Studios as a Costumer on one of the more unusual and technically demanding productions currently in production.