Portfolios

[jonhirsh]

Hey all, its been a while since I have posted anything. I have been working, and studying recently in the directing field. But as of recent I had to update my portfolio, so I thought I would post it here for some feedback.

Here is the link:

Director | Producer | Designer | Book Preview

Thanks
Jon Hirsh.

 

[LXPlot]

Very nice. Although I'm not sure that's the correct use of Blurb.com...

Now I'm not saying it's a bad idea, as it obviously turned out well, I'm just saying it's not precisely what they intended. Unless you buy hard copies.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

A year ago I made a portfolio with blurb and I gotta say the finished product you get is well worth it!

 

[Footer]

What is this portfolio for? Are you looking at interviews for a company... grad schools... corporate... just to have? I gave up on the paper portfolio 3-4 years ago. Instead, I do quick printouts on a show by show basis that I build in photoshop and print at Kinkos. It works pretty well. Plus, I can leave them with the place I am interviewing and my portfolio is always up to date. Besides that, my website is what has gotten me most of the jobs I have gotten in the last 4 years. Might be something to think about before you drop a hundred bucks on something that is going to be outdated in 6 months and you can't edit like a traditional portfolio.

In my view the traditional portfolio is dead unless you are in academia. Its too hard to update them, too hard to travel with, and there are much better ways to do it now.

So, with that, I think your pictures look good artistically. However, they are not what the audience saw. They are what the photographer saw while standing onstage. Some of them are from the audiences perspective, but not all are. Captioning might also not be a bad idea. Also, the pictures could either take up more space or have more on one page. I kind of like having an entire show in one "view" on the page. That way, it acts as a prop while I am talking and it leads to conversation. Otherwise, you just end up flipping pages over and over again.

Otherwise though, it looks good.

 

[cpf]

In addition, I'd suggest some framing or something on the photos, right now they're a bit odd looking (some parts blend to black, some don't, some kind of, etc).

 

[erichart]

In my view the traditional portfolio is dead unless you are in academia.

I think that's not the case in the world of props. At the Public Theater, we ask all our potential interns and freelancers to bring in a portfolio to see what kind of work they've done in the past. And back when I was freelancing in New York City, I was still showing my portfolio to theatres and exhibition fabrication companies. All the summer companies with large stagecraft teams, like Santa Fe Opera and Glimmerglass, look at portfolios when interviewing. And everyone still has one, even students as young as college freshmen.

Of course, it's vital to have a digital component; if you are introducing yourself by email, or if you meet someone in a situation where you do not have your portfolio, you need a link to give them where they can view their work on their own time. But the paper portfolio is still alive and kicking. I can't imagine 3-4 people crowding around the 13" monitor in the corner of our props office, or having to crack open a laptop in the middle of a noisy, dusty wood shop.

 

[jonhirsh]

Thanks for all the comments!

This was a portfolio for a showcase event, so its more about the presentation for one event rather then one to be updated on the regular.