La Bricoleuse (
labricoleuse) wrote2007-10-21 11:12 am
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Ask LaBricoleuse: Presenting your portfolio
It's that time of year when i talk about portfolios.
If you're planning to apply for a graduate program or an undergraduate or arts-focus high school program which requires a portfolio, you should be getting it together, refining it, considering how you're going to present it. If you're in a program already, you may be looking at an upcoming portfolio review. (We've already had our fall review, and a prospective student visited the program the other day which reminded me to make this post.) If you plan to work summer stock, you'll probably be applying for jobs in a couple of months--perhaps sending in a portfolio with your applications--and it might be a good idea to get a jump on it now. Even if you are a professional working in your field in a position you feel settled in, don't let your portfolio slide; sometimes life throws a curve!
I've discussed assembling a portfolio in a previous post, and if you are looking at putting one together for the first time or completely revamping yours, you may also want to check out a relatively new book, Assembling a Design-Tech Portfolio for Theatre, Film, and TV by Rafael Jaen. Jaen is the Costume Director at Emerson College and heads up the portfolio critiques and workshops at the USITT conference every year. He has seen portfolios by the truckloads and boatloads, both electronic and hard-copy formats, and has a wealth of information to impart in his book. It includes layout examples of pages from real portfolios, ideas on what to include and how best to present different elements (research, drafts, renderings, swatches, etc.), and information on various digitized options.
Once you've got your portfolio assembled, however, you're only halfway there. Unless you're an extremely confident, skilled, extemporaneous public speaker (and most of us aren't), you should then begin to consider and plan your presentation. This advice is purely my own opinion, based on my experiences both presenting my own portfolio and evaluating the portfolios of students, prospective students, and colleagues. Take it with whatever degree of import you choose.
In presenting my own portfolio, there are four main Do/Don'ts i like to keep in mind. When others present them, i notice how they handle these issues (or don't handle them).
1. Put your best foot forward! Don't apologize for the contents of your portfolio. If there's something in your portfolio that you need to make excuses for, take it out. As an evaluator of portfolios, i want to see your best work; showing me something that is not your best work is frankly a waste of my time and yours, too. Your portfolio is not a scrapbook. I don't know how many times i have seen portfolios where the presenter shows something of the sort with a qualifier like, "I know this isn't that great but i had to keep it in here, this show was just so much fun to work on!" Don't chuck the pictures in the trash if you like to reminisce, but perhaps begin a career-related scrapbook for the pictures of projects that will, over the course of your career, pass out of your up-to-date portfolio.
Sometimes you have a borderline photo--the pros depicted outweigh the cons and the project is particularly impressive, perhaps. A beautiful period gown with an off-kilter hem, for example. Go ahead and include it, but when you offer your explanation of the flaw, offer it confidently ("Photo call was the first time we saw it on the set, so the next day we evened that hem out for opening night," instead of something like, "Wow, it really looks horrible, doesn't it? Ha ha. Um. But i fixed it the very next day.")
2. Be positive and exercise professional discretion--don't throw shade. By this i mean, don't make critical comments about other elements of the creative team on a given show or project. If your director sucked, if the lighting was pathetic, don't offer up those opinions. The arts and entertainment industry is a very, very small world; that "sucky" director might have gone to undergrad with your interviewer, the "pathetic" lighting designer might be a frequent collaborant with the head of the department at the school to which you're applying. If the director or designer in question has a poor professional reputation, that's probably not a secret to your interviewers; dishing about it doesn't say a lot for your own professional behavior though.
You can allude to setbacks beyond your control without sacrificing your professionalism. "The director requested after the first night of tech that we put this motif on this dress so i had to paint it after the dress was already completely made." Or, "These gowns are the pastel colors you see in the swatches, it's the lighting that makes them look grey in the production photos." A portfolio presentation is not the place to make catty comments or share gossip. You would think this goes without saying, but in fact many people attempt to combat nervousness and anxiety with humor and unthinkingly resort to exactly this type of comment, hoping to draw a laugh or some sympathy/empathy. Instead, practice your presentation until you feel confident.
3. Demonstrate respect for your field. Don't refer to your work in juvenile terms. When you present your portfolio, choose language that illustrates your understanding of methods and media. Avoid comments along the lines of, "To make these wings, I got to play with thermoplastic and power tools." Professional costuming is a serious career that requires a vast array of skills, knowledge, and artistry. Many people in the field have secondary degrees and/or other specialized training. We are not piddling with fingerpaints on a playground, and for Pete's sake, i definitely don't want to share a workspace with someone who views power tools as toys.
It's bad enough when someone outside the field dismisses what costumers do with statements like, "Oh, but they're just picking out outfits," or "Who needs to study to be a costume designer? Everyone wears clothes." It's worse when someone in another area of theatrical production dismisses the difference between a custom-made costume draped to the actor's measurements and a dress made from a commercial pattern or bought off-the-rack. We don't need to undermine ourselves by contributing to that sort of flippancy. I'm not saying that one shouldn't have a great time with one's career--i love my work and think it's endlessly fun and fascinating--but in an interview and portfolio review, i prefer professionalism over pep-rallying. Your enthusiasm and zeal will come through ("For these masks, i had the opportunity to work with thermoplastic...") and your audience will hear in your voice that you thought it was a great time.
4. Relax! Don't rush. Most reviewers/interviewers will have questions about your work. Make sure they have time to get a word in edgewise! Don't bull through your portfolio in one big breathless run-on sentence like a costume flip-book ("And on this project I did this and on this show i did this and on this costume we had to do this and here i did that and and and and..."). Stop at the end of your description for each page or frame or layout, just a beat, enough to take a breath, and then move on. If your interviewer has a question, s/he'll ask it in that pause and if not, it's okay, it keeps the whole thing running at what seems like a more calm, confident pace.
If you aren't a natural speaker or if you get anxious or nervous in presentations, you will need to practice this. Present your portfolio to your friends, to your family, to your pets, to the couch cushions. Seriously, i'm not joking here. My betta fish knows my portfolio by heart now. (He's heard some class lectures, too.) If you have friends and acquaintances in portfolio-based fields--fine arts, architecture, fashion, graphic design, etc.--throw a portfolio party. Have everybody bring a snack or drink and their portfolio, then go around the room presenting to one another and nosh while you offer constructive criticism. You'd be surprised how valuable it can be to go through the presentation process in a no-pressure situation like this, and even if you aren't all in the same field, sometimes the most valuable input can come from someone who's not that familiar with what it is that you do.
None of these things are deal-breakers--if you have a portfolio full of outstanding work, it's highly unlikely you will lose a job or graduate assistantship just because you talked about "playing with Sculpy" in your presentation. They're just suggestions to keep in mind, to choose to employ or discard as the situation demands. Whatever your need for creating and presenting a portfolio, good luck! It gets easier the more you work on it, present it, refine it, streamline it, so make some time, buckle down, and don't sweat it.
If you're planning to apply for a graduate program or an undergraduate or arts-focus high school program which requires a portfolio, you should be getting it together, refining it, considering how you're going to present it. If you're in a program already, you may be looking at an upcoming portfolio review. (We've already had our fall review, and a prospective student visited the program the other day which reminded me to make this post.) If you plan to work summer stock, you'll probably be applying for jobs in a couple of months--perhaps sending in a portfolio with your applications--and it might be a good idea to get a jump on it now. Even if you are a professional working in your field in a position you feel settled in, don't let your portfolio slide; sometimes life throws a curve!
I've discussed assembling a portfolio in a previous post, and if you are looking at putting one together for the first time or completely revamping yours, you may also want to check out a relatively new book, Assembling a Design-Tech Portfolio for Theatre, Film, and TV by Rafael Jaen. Jaen is the Costume Director at Emerson College and heads up the portfolio critiques and workshops at the USITT conference every year. He has seen portfolios by the truckloads and boatloads, both electronic and hard-copy formats, and has a wealth of information to impart in his book. It includes layout examples of pages from real portfolios, ideas on what to include and how best to present different elements (research, drafts, renderings, swatches, etc.), and information on various digitized options.
Once you've got your portfolio assembled, however, you're only halfway there. Unless you're an extremely confident, skilled, extemporaneous public speaker (and most of us aren't), you should then begin to consider and plan your presentation. This advice is purely my own opinion, based on my experiences both presenting my own portfolio and evaluating the portfolios of students, prospective students, and colleagues. Take it with whatever degree of import you choose.
In presenting my own portfolio, there are four main Do/Don'ts i like to keep in mind. When others present them, i notice how they handle these issues (or don't handle them).
1. Put your best foot forward! Don't apologize for the contents of your portfolio. If there's something in your portfolio that you need to make excuses for, take it out. As an evaluator of portfolios, i want to see your best work; showing me something that is not your best work is frankly a waste of my time and yours, too. Your portfolio is not a scrapbook. I don't know how many times i have seen portfolios where the presenter shows something of the sort with a qualifier like, "I know this isn't that great but i had to keep it in here, this show was just so much fun to work on!" Don't chuck the pictures in the trash if you like to reminisce, but perhaps begin a career-related scrapbook for the pictures of projects that will, over the course of your career, pass out of your up-to-date portfolio.
Sometimes you have a borderline photo--the pros depicted outweigh the cons and the project is particularly impressive, perhaps. A beautiful period gown with an off-kilter hem, for example. Go ahead and include it, but when you offer your explanation of the flaw, offer it confidently ("Photo call was the first time we saw it on the set, so the next day we evened that hem out for opening night," instead of something like, "Wow, it really looks horrible, doesn't it? Ha ha. Um. But i fixed it the very next day.")
2. Be positive and exercise professional discretion--don't throw shade. By this i mean, don't make critical comments about other elements of the creative team on a given show or project. If your director sucked, if the lighting was pathetic, don't offer up those opinions. The arts and entertainment industry is a very, very small world; that "sucky" director might have gone to undergrad with your interviewer, the "pathetic" lighting designer might be a frequent collaborant with the head of the department at the school to which you're applying. If the director or designer in question has a poor professional reputation, that's probably not a secret to your interviewers; dishing about it doesn't say a lot for your own professional behavior though.
You can allude to setbacks beyond your control without sacrificing your professionalism. "The director requested after the first night of tech that we put this motif on this dress so i had to paint it after the dress was already completely made." Or, "These gowns are the pastel colors you see in the swatches, it's the lighting that makes them look grey in the production photos." A portfolio presentation is not the place to make catty comments or share gossip. You would think this goes without saying, but in fact many people attempt to combat nervousness and anxiety with humor and unthinkingly resort to exactly this type of comment, hoping to draw a laugh or some sympathy/empathy. Instead, practice your presentation until you feel confident.
3. Demonstrate respect for your field. Don't refer to your work in juvenile terms. When you present your portfolio, choose language that illustrates your understanding of methods and media. Avoid comments along the lines of, "To make these wings, I got to play with thermoplastic and power tools." Professional costuming is a serious career that requires a vast array of skills, knowledge, and artistry. Many people in the field have secondary degrees and/or other specialized training. We are not piddling with fingerpaints on a playground, and for Pete's sake, i definitely don't want to share a workspace with someone who views power tools as toys.
It's bad enough when someone outside the field dismisses what costumers do with statements like, "Oh, but they're just picking out outfits," or "Who needs to study to be a costume designer? Everyone wears clothes." It's worse when someone in another area of theatrical production dismisses the difference between a custom-made costume draped to the actor's measurements and a dress made from a commercial pattern or bought off-the-rack. We don't need to undermine ourselves by contributing to that sort of flippancy. I'm not saying that one shouldn't have a great time with one's career--i love my work and think it's endlessly fun and fascinating--but in an interview and portfolio review, i prefer professionalism over pep-rallying. Your enthusiasm and zeal will come through ("For these masks, i had the opportunity to work with thermoplastic...") and your audience will hear in your voice that you thought it was a great time.
4. Relax! Don't rush. Most reviewers/interviewers will have questions about your work. Make sure they have time to get a word in edgewise! Don't bull through your portfolio in one big breathless run-on sentence like a costume flip-book ("And on this project I did this and on this show i did this and on this costume we had to do this and here i did that and and and and..."). Stop at the end of your description for each page or frame or layout, just a beat, enough to take a breath, and then move on. If your interviewer has a question, s/he'll ask it in that pause and if not, it's okay, it keeps the whole thing running at what seems like a more calm, confident pace.
If you aren't a natural speaker or if you get anxious or nervous in presentations, you will need to practice this. Present your portfolio to your friends, to your family, to your pets, to the couch cushions. Seriously, i'm not joking here. My betta fish knows my portfolio by heart now. (He's heard some class lectures, too.) If you have friends and acquaintances in portfolio-based fields--fine arts, architecture, fashion, graphic design, etc.--throw a portfolio party. Have everybody bring a snack or drink and their portfolio, then go around the room presenting to one another and nosh while you offer constructive criticism. You'd be surprised how valuable it can be to go through the presentation process in a no-pressure situation like this, and even if you aren't all in the same field, sometimes the most valuable input can come from someone who's not that familiar with what it is that you do.
None of these things are deal-breakers--if you have a portfolio full of outstanding work, it's highly unlikely you will lose a job or graduate assistantship just because you talked about "playing with Sculpy" in your presentation. They're just suggestions to keep in mind, to choose to employ or discard as the situation demands. Whatever your need for creating and presenting a portfolio, good luck! It gets easier the more you work on it, present it, refine it, streamline it, so make some time, buckle down, and don't sweat it.
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I think a lot of folks fall into that kind of situation--many jobs you wind up with because they need someone RIGHT NOW and you knew someone who knew someone--networking. I know i got jobs for years that way, and when i finally wound up in a situation where i needed a portfolio i panicked and had to do a BUNCH of work fast. Boy how I wished i'd started earlier and kept up with it along the way.
...and i've never seen one from another wig/makeup person either. so of course it's a bit confusing.
Online i bet you can find some to peruse and develop a list of likes/dislikes about. Carbonmade has tagging capabilities so you can see people who've tagged their portfolios with "makeup" here:
http://www.carbonmade.com/portfolios/?tag=makeup
And Qfolio.com has a makeup artist's site as one of their "spotlights" on their homepage right now, Wendy Boscon:
http://www.weylynn.com/
If you want to check out some hard-copy portfolios, one great way to do that is to hit one of the conferences, USITT or your regional one (here it'd be South East Theatre Conference, depends on your geographical location). They always have panels and review sessions where you can see a lot of portfolios of others in your field.
With wigs/makeup, it's not exactly the same field but you could also maybe get some good overviews of structure and layout by checking out bridal shows, where makeup folks who cater to that market show their portfolios. Tattoo conventions are another place where people show portfolios (again, not your exact field but might be helpful). You can compare things like the kinds of photos that are included, what you like about the way models are presented and work is shown, etc.
Good luck putting yours together! Sometimes i think it might be an advantage of sorts to be starting with a clean slate--so many folks who've been in the field for a couple decades are just dumbfounded by the idea of digitizing some or all of their portfolio, or cling to outmoded ways of presentation. You've got a tabula rasa! :)
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Nice article!
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That said, do you have any tips for a n00b instructor? I've lectured before, but never actually *taught* the nuts and bolts of fashion/costume design. ;)
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How big are your class sizes? And what is the breakdown of what you have to teach? Meaning, does one class cover both fashion and costume design or are there separate programs? Levels like Basic/Intermediate/Advanced, etc? Have you picked your textbooks yet?
On the fashion end of things, Fairchild Books is one source for textbooks that sends free evaluation copies to instructors if you are considering one or more of their books for your course(s). Their site is here:
http://www.fairchildbooks.com/department.cms?departmentId=1
Costume-wise, i'm sure you have your favorites among the old standby texts, but there's a new one out that you might want to check out if you are covering film/tv at all:
http://www.amazon.com/Costuming-Film-Craft-Holly-Cole/dp/1879505800
We just got a review copy of it and it's really excellent, invaluably so. I have a post in the works reviewing several new textbooks out there of which this is one of them so keep an eye peeled for that for more in-depth thoughts on it.
I don't teach design courses but a couple of my colleagues do; i can see if they'd let me fwd their syllabi. And, if you are on the USITT costume info list, it might be worth posting asking if anyone else is willing to share syllabi or course plans.
And of course, if you are teaching any production courses in the crafts artisanship side of things (Millinery and Dyeing seem to be the most common), i would gladly send you my syllabi as well!
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If you are just starting the process of grad-schoolage, you might want to check out a couple other posts of mine that may also be useful:
Preparing to apply to an MFA program (http://labricoleuse.livejournal.com/12168.html)
Getting into an MFA program (http://labricoleuse.livejournal.com/18702.html)
Good luck with the process, and if you run into any questions, feel free to ask! I'll gladly help out if i can!
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