Entertainment : Vinton native Sarah Springer helped design \'Dark Knight Rises\' costumes

Sarah Springer, with her mom, Jeannie, helped design costumes for 'Dark Knight Rises.'

The producers of the latest Batman movie wanted to make the cat burglar suit unique from other superhero costumes in other movies.

So they asked a Vinton native for help.

Sarah Springer, a 2006 Vinton-Shellsburg alum, says the Batman gig was her first real movie job, and for her a big break toward a career in movie costume design.

“It got me into the Guild,” she says, referring to the Costumers Guild 892. That led her to other work in other movies, including the Al Pacino film, “Stand Up Guy.”

But the Batman movie was much more fun, says Sarah, who visited the Vinton Palace Theatre Friday for the local premier of the movie.

“I told Marcy to let me know when it opened so I could come,” she said.

The work on Batman involved a variety of unique costumes that relied both on computers and manual design techniques. Sarah said she and three others worked on the cat burglar suit for actress Anne Hathaway. Sarah met many of the actors and worked with them as she was an assistant to one of the main designers.

Secrecy

The designers worked in secret, in rooms with the windows covered said Sarah.

“Christopher Nolan (director) wanted his last Batman movie to be a secret,” she said. “For the first month, we did not know what movie we were working on.”

Display

Sarah also brought some souvenirs from the movie, including a jersey from the football scene, a couple of the original comic books on which the movie was based, and the official cast T-shirt which is based on a photo of the Occupy Wall Street movement. (The filming of the movie’s New York scenes took place during that protest.) Those items are on display in a case in the lobby, near the concession stand.

A life of interest in fashion

Sarah’s mom Jeannie was there with her at the Palace, and Sarah says her mom deserves the credit for her interest in fashion design. She learned to sew at a very young age, and now her sister and friends often ask her to help them shop for clothes.

Click HERE to see a story about the Batman movie on the Costume Designers Guild.