USITT has worked up some guidelines for portfolios... I don't agree with everything in them, but...
http://www.usitt.org/bookstore/downloads/L45 LtgPortfolioGuide-20050609.pdf
In the other portfolio threads, there's some debate about whether it should be organized by quality or chronology... My opinion is that without question it should be organized (and filtered by) quality. Your portfolio isn't a historical record of your design work, it's a piece of promotional material - advertising. The commercials say '4 out of 5 doctors agree....' not 'the last doctor we asked said it might kill you.'
You want the first few pages to be a 'Wow!' moment for them. I reorganize the portfolio depending on the job I'm applying for too.... for musical
theatre I put the musical work up front,
etc...
I organize my portfolio in an 11X17 artist's portfolio
book - it looks finished but is easy to reorganize and add to whenever I want. The first three pages are:
1. My Name,
address, website and email
2. My degrees
3. My resume
All three of these are placed over a full 11X17 collage of my most striking photos and all three are printed on glossy photo paper. The first two pages are simply white text in large fonts over the photos. The resume is an 8X11 box set into the 11X17
page, so the images create a 1.5X3
border around the resume.
After this
introduction, I have a section for each show I want to highlight. Each show's section starts with the title, date,
venue, director and other designers in white text on top of a photo collage from the show, followed by a one
page statement about concept, context, and challenges. Then in a few pages, I tell the story of the production. I have one
page that collages my research for the show, one that includes my preliminary work (sketches and scenic analysis collaged on top of a scan of my
hand drawn tissue paper rough
plot). The third
page of each show section is my
magic sheet for the show. After that comes three or four pages full of production photos, each labeled in white text with the scene, character and actions. Behind the photos I put an 11X17 reduction of the CL section and
Plot. The last
page in each show section is again an 8X11
page framed with a
border of photos to fit the 11X17
book, and it includes credits for the photos, as well as expanded show credits like the ME, PM,
etc. As well as a
clear (slightly larger font) statement that full scale drafting, paperwork, and additional working documents are available upon request.
The reason for all the names in the portfolio (designers, PM, ME,
etc) is to give credit where it's due, but more importantly... it's name dropping.
Theatre is a small world and the chances that they know someone that I know are pretty decent... and this gives you extra credibility. Even if they hate the person I've more than once been asked "Oh you worked with _______? How did you survive that?!?" or "You know, they fired me when I was in grad school!" The trick in these situations is to reply diplomatically, without arguing. "Oh, we got along alright. I had to just accept the way they do things there... or it wouldn't have been fun!" (I admit that I can see how a fight with that person could happen, without taking a side...)
If I were interviewing for schools again, I would include lightwright and full scale drafting examples in the main portfolio instead of saying they were available, because instructors want to know if students can draft and use lightwright.
Also if you don't have a lot of design work, show what kind of work you HAVE done... if you were the ME, show the circuiting diagrams and patch sheets...
etc. There is, in my opinion, NOTHING wrong with doing additional documentation after the show closes... as long as it's true to what was on
stage. So redraft things... don't put old plots in your portfolio and say "I've learned and can do better now.." Do it better and get it in there. If the show didn't have proper paperwork, do it now.
I also have a section that goes at the back, unless I'm applying for a job where I think those skills are more important, that shows other things I can do - graphic design, 3d modelling, database programming, scenic designs from college, architectural lighting work, documentation of video work... proof that I'm a well rounded and educated theatrical artist.
I hope that helps a little!
Art Whaley
www.artwhaley.com