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Arbitrated Section

No. 24 (2026): Economía Creativa (noviembre - abril)

Neo-crafts in the Contemporary Film Industry: the Costume Design of Captain Marvel as a Case Study

DOI
https://doi.org/10.46840/ec.2026.24.797
Submitted
June 10, 2026
Published
2025-09-18

Abstract

Costume making in major film productions features a duality between the integration of new technologies and the persistence of artisanal techniques. This article analyses the praxis of the textile artisan in contemporary industry through a case study, focusing on the author's professional practice of designing and executing prints for Carol Danvers's uniforms in The Marvels (2023). Through technical data sheets, comparative observation, and document analysis, the study explores, on one hand, how transmedia storytelling conditions the creation and symbolism of costumes; on the other hand, it addresses the material and technical study of printing under the framework of neo-crafts, contrasting various manual and digital printing methodologies in the workshop. Based on this case study, the article argues for high-density screen printing as a highly complex technique essential to achieving futuristic fabrics and resolving material challenges that digital post-production cannot address. The study concludes that the survival of the craft does not lie in competing with the digital environment but in creating technical synergies that revalue artisanal praxis in contemporary cinema.

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