Understanding: Portfolios

[NateTheRiddler]

Good morning, CB!

I have a conundrum that needs solving. Here’s the situation:

1) For those that don’t know, I’m currently studying my field (lighting, general electrical) in depth on my own time. I am currently studying for a non-theatrical degree since I’m close to completing it and it makes the most fiscal sense. I have one year left in this field of study.
2) I am currently employed in two locations: in event technology at my school, doing very small corporate-style productions, and at my PAC as the ALD, interjecting my 5¢ whenever I can.
3) I am currently strapped for time, only having about 2-3 hours available per day free.

My current issue is in regards to expanding my portfolio and putting my lighting knowledge to use. I can’t put myself in for any show runs at my PAC because my schooling is far too demanding to let me have the days off I need for design, tech week, rehearsals, and the run. In addition, my school’s event technology department is... *cough* leaving much to be desired.

So how do I enhance my portfolio? Right now, I spend a lot of time building stages and designs on MA3D in conjunction with MA2onPC, since it’s the only way I know to show off what I know. I often make videos of my WIP demonstrations and have them available for those who ask; unfortunately, MA3D isn’t real life so I find that my portfolio and lighting knowledge usually comes into question regardless.

Ideas? Or am I SoL?

Example of portfolio for context (work in progress, not finished)

 

[Amiers]

Take pictures of your work? How else does a portfolio get built?

While your example is nice. It show absolutely nothing besides you can previs.

All the pictures on your phone is stuff you have worked on. You can make into a clip If you have an iPhone.

Hit the arrow on the second header and let the phone do the work.

 

[RonHebbard]

Good morning, CB!

I have a conundrum that needs solving. Here’s the situation:

1) For those that don’t know, I’m currently studying my field (lighting, general electrical) in depth on my own time. I am currently studying for a non-theatrical degree since I’m close to completing it and it makes the most fiscal sense. I have one year left in this field of study.
2) I am currently employed in two locations: in event technology at my school, doing very small corporate-style productions, and at my PAC as the ALD, interjecting my 5¢ whenever I can.
3) I am currently strapped for time, only having about 2-3 hours available per day free.

My current issue is in regards to expanding my portfolio and putting my lighting knowledge to use. I can’t put myself in for any show runs at my PAC because my schooling is far too demanding to let me have the days off I need for design, tech week, rehearsals, and the run. In addition, my school’s event technology department is... *cough* leaving much to be desired.

So how do I enhance my portfolio? Right now, I spend a lot of time building stages and designs on MA3D in conjunction with MA2onPC, since it’s the only way I know to show off what I know. I often make videos of my WIP demonstrations and have them available for those who ask; unfortunately, MA3D isn’t real life so I find that my portfolio and lighting knowledge usually comes into question regardless.

Ideas? Or am I SoL?

Example of portfolio for context (work in progress, not finished)

@NateTheRiddler first a series of queries to ask yourself followed by a few thoughts from a geezer:
Ask yourself where do you want to be in five years, ten years, twenty five years, fifty years?
Ask yourself if you intend to marry, father a family, have grandchildren, have great grandchildren and a social life??
If you were to become a state or provincially licensed electrical installation and maintenance apprentice, you could become unionized (IBEW) or non, work more or less predictable hours, have many / most holidays off, attend weddings, earn a descent living, have a satisfying career and life to look back upon.
If you were to stay in theatre, devote yourself, work hard, enjoy yourself but fully commit to your career; let me elaborate on a few items you may not have considered. You may find yourself invited to friends and relative's weddings months in advance only to realize you'll be seated on your duff in a dark booth operating the seasonal opening performance of a major production.
OR You may find yourself telling your cancer surgeon you can't take a day off work for skin cancer surgery only to need to get your surgeon on a three-way long distance conference call with your Production Manager since your surgeon is incredulous that your PM won't give you 12 hours off for surgery at your surgeon's convenience.
I won't bore and regal you further (unless you request) but be sure you're fully exploring where you're heading BEFORE you gallop willingly down the path as things possibly won't work out quite as you foresee. My cancer surgeon was CERTAIN I was pulling his leg and was totally incredulous when my PM assured him there was no way he could give me 12 contiguous hours off at any time within the next month. [For a bonus kick, the Production Manager himself gave two weeks notice and resigned only days after our repertory season opened that year; this would've been 1978 or possibly 1979. I can't recall all of the precise details but at the time Canada's Stratford Shakespearean Festival was operating three venues spread across the city, Robin Phillips was still the Artistic Director, I was recording, editing, rehearsing and operating four productions scheduled to open in rep' one after the other during our seasonal opening week in the main Festival thrust space; Roger Gaskell was recording, editing, rehearsing and operating four more productions to open in the Avon proscenium venue. In addition I was recording, editing and updating two additional productions to be operated by a yet to be hired IA technician for performance in the Tom Patterson venue in the river and Roger was likewise building the other two productions scheduled for the Tom Patterson, then known as 'The Third Stage.'] Sometime during the spring my dentist suggested a blemish on my face should be seen by my MD. At this point I was flitting between a rented apartment in Stratford and my parents' home in Hamilton; both my dentist and doctor were in Hamilton along with my barber. I was burning both ends of my candle and making overnight jaunts home in either my 1970 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate wagon or whichever German built Mercury Capri sports car I was driving at the time. A year or two later in the fall of 1978 I paid cash for one of the first 1979 Mazda RX7 rotary sports cars to arrive in Canada. Life was good, so was the money, I bought my RX7, Roger Gaskell bought his and an IA associate in Toronto's IA local 58 was close to replacing his wooden framed Morgan with a third RX7. Then our live's changed: My RX was totalled in a multi-vehicle collision on the QEW highway between Hamilton and Burlington; Roger Gaskell was killed instantly when he totalled his RX7 in 1983 during an overnight commute between London and Stratford, Ontario. This was when Toronto's St. Lawrence Centre's David Ross's wife put her foot down and decreed Dave would be keeping his Morgan and abandoning his plans for an RX7.
With apologies for boringly droning on.
Bottom LIne: Be CERTAIN you know what you want and what you're getting into. @Amiers Would you care to add a few comments and experiences??
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[Amiers]

It doesn’t need to be fancy to get your point across that you can do the job.

Most of the time you just need to be able to talk in complete and coherent sentences, look the part, and of course know what you are doing.

If you make it to interviews and they ask for examples slide your phone over with the video and wish for the best.

Last Years montage/portfolio

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[NateTheRiddler]

Take pictures of your work? How else does a portfolio get built?

While your example is nice. It show absolutely nothing besides you can previs.

Issues:
1) Didn’t own a camera or smartphone for the first 4 years. Was stupid enough not to take pictures until 2 years ago.
2) See what I said above: I’m only getting corporate gigs at my school using 3 or 4 lights. Not exactly demonstrating my competence. Ideally I’d be doing more theatrical work but outside of dropping out of my time-consumptive degree, that's not reasonably happening.
3) Fortunately I do have a few rough photos of my gigs. Unfortunately, they're cheap phone quality photos taken from far away from the stage (I rarely get to leave FOH to take pictures of my own gigs, they're very hands-on). Do you think that even poor-quality, grainy photos are worth showing? I'm always worried that crap camera quality will reduce the professionalism of my product... :/
Example 1:

Example 2:

EDIT: Looks like photo uploading is not working on Mac/Chrome. RIP. I'll have to change this later.

So let's say "noted," and I'll keep trying for the future. I was trying to think of things I can do to make up for the lack of pictures/video in the meantime.

Most of the time you just need to be able to talk in complete and coherent sentences, look the part, and of course know what you are doing.

At the risk of sounding argumentative, I've found that 90% of those interviewing me wanted videos on YouTube or a professional website, neither of which I have. I have great writing skills and (I think) decent competence in the business. Sadly, my portfolio bruises me more than any other issue at the moment. Either that, or they want to know how many theatrical shows I've completely staffed; that's a big fat 0 right now considering, again, I'm in school full-time.

@RonHebbard You've taken considerable time and effort to write that to me, and I appreciate it. I'll honor it with a similar amount of time and effort, so give me a minute to grab a coffee and "watch this space" for more in a little while.

 

[NateTheRiddler]

Long reply to @RonHebbard 's post, please pardon the TL;DR wall of text:

Ask yourself where do you want to be in five years, ten years, twenty five years, fifty years?

Honesty here always gets me in trouble. But let me be speak freely and pray Fate smiles on it. 5 years: LD for small gigs at WDW Entertainment. 10 years: Walt Disney Imagineer. 25 years: Head of Walt Disney Imagineering or something similar. Dreaming big, right? 50 years: alive. Hopefully. Let's say teaching in a local PAC, ideally retired.
EDIT: I'm also open to other opportunities. Inb4 quick to jump on my narrow choice of "desired career", this takes other more personal issues into consideration. Other opportunities would also have to take those issues into consideration.

Ask yourself if you intend to marry, father a family, have grandchildren, have great grandchildren and a social life??

Already married, that ship has sailed. No touring life for me. Family would be nice; social life, well, I have a mental issue preventing that to a degree, so I care less about it than most.

If you were to become a state or provincially licensed electrical installation and maintenance apprentice, you could become unionized (IBEW) or non, work more or less predictable hours, have many / most holidays off, attend weddings, earn a descent living, have a satisfying career and life to look back upon.

Noted.

If you were to stay in theatre, devote yourself, work hard, enjoy yourself but fully commit to your career; let me elaborate on a few items you may not have considered. You may find yourself invited to friends and relative's weddings months in advance only to realize you'll be seated on your duff in a dark booth operating the seasonal opening performance of a major production.
OR You may find yourself telling your cancer surgeon you can't take a day off work for skin cancer surgery only to need to get your surgeon on a three-way long distance conference call with your Production Manager since your surgeon is incredulous that your PM won't give you 12 hours off for surgery at your surgeon's convenience.

This doesn't change, regardless of career chosen. These are the rough patches of adulthood, and by calling myself an adult I signed up for it... no matter how unwillingly. I don't expect this gets any easier outside of theatre. My current field, aviation, is pretty harsh in that regard, so I'd say I was aware of my choice to pursue theatre as my actual career.

I won't bore and regal you further (unless you request) but be sure you're fully exploring where you're heading BEFORE you gallop willingly down the path as things possibly won't work out quite as you foresee.

I'm in an interesting conundrum because of choices I made in my early college years. I could be cynical and regretful about it, or I could look to make the most of where I'm already headed. Things aren't working out, so I'm trying to make them so. Believe me when I say my other choices are much less desirable. This is the lesser of all available evils, as far as my research tells me; well, without throwing my wife and I under a very large bus.

With apologies for boringly droning on.

I'm sorry to hear about your fight with cancer as well as the death of a friend. My situation pales in comparison. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers regardless, and wish you the better of a situation. Don't apologize; we are how we react to our situation; I've learned that the hard way.

Bottom LIne: Be CERTAIN you know what you want and what you're getting into.

I've spent four years agonizing over my life choices. My doctor said that I'd better figure it out and quick or I'd have ulcers and heart troubles before my 30th birthday. Me establishing contact on ControlBooth is me trying to get my life in order before I lose the chance to do so. Asking for advice comes with that territory. I'm looking to maximize results, minimize conflict (I'm not naive enough to say "eliminate"), and keep the wife fed and happy.

 

[Amiers]

You worry to much.

Also if you are good you can make those 3 lights look amazing. I do corporate shows regularly and have plenty of time to take pictures.

This business takes time to get into. You won’t be jumping in the deep end right away. Might get thrown and say figure it out but not walking causally in and saying I’m here let’s do this.

The answer to your question is pretty simple. Just take pictures and videos. Nothing else will build your portfolio to the best it’s gonna be.

 

[NateTheRiddler]

Also if you are good you can make those 3 lights look amazing. I do corporate shows regularly and have plenty of time to take pictures.

Agreed. About "time to take pictures," sure, my tiny corporate stuff gives me plenty of down-time. My grander designs in the theatre do NOT grant me that time, and those are the gigs that show a fuller set of my capabilities. See my issue? But as I mentioned, fully noted, will bring camera religiously to my gigs.

This business takes time to get into.

If I said I'd been doing this for 11 years now, would you say "Cool" or "Bullshit"? Because I have. Problem is, I never had professional guidance or mentorship and made tons of mistakes along the way, including not taking "proof" pictures of my work. I was naive enough to think people would just take me for my word; I know better now. The truth is, I understand that I've basically reset myself to 0 experience level thanks to that lack of proof. Thus why I'm getting even more hardcore into my lighting studies; gotta catch my head knowledge up to my experience so I can deliver better packages in shorter amounts of time. I'm lucky that my current TD vouches for my quality of production on the gigs I've done but don't have pictures of!


Also yes, @Amiers, I worry way too much. My screwups haunt me to this day. Time to learn from them and move on, eh?

 

[RonHebbard]

Long reply to @RonHebbard 's post, please pardon the TL;DR wall of text:

Honesty here always gets me in trouble. But let me be speak freely and pray Fate smiles on it. 5 years: LD for small gigs at WDW Entertainment. 10 years: Walt Disney Imagineer. 25 years: Head of Walt Disney Imagineering or something similar. Dreaming big, right? 50 years: alive. Hopefully. Let's say teaching in a local PAC, ideally retired.
EDIT: I'm also open to other opportunities. Inb4 quick to jump on my narrow choice of "desired career", this takes other more personal issues into consideration. Other opportunities would also have to take those issues into consideration.


Already married, that ship has sailed. No touring life for me. Family would be nice; social life, well, I have a mental issue preventing that to a degree, so I care less about it than most.


Noted.


This doesn't change, regardless of career chosen. These are the rough patches of adulthood, and by calling myself an adult I signed up for it... no matter how unwillingly. I don't expect this gets any easier outside of theatre. My current field, aviation, is pretty harsh in that regard, so I'd say I was aware of my choice to pursue theatre as my actual career.


I'm in an interesting conundrum because of choices I made in my early college years. I could be cynical and regretful about it, or I could look to make the most of where I'm already headed. Things aren't working out, so I'm trying to make them so. Believe me when I say my other choices are much less desirable. This is the lesser of all available evils, as far as my research tells me; well, without throwing my wife and I under a very large bus.


I'm sorry to hear about your fight with cancer as well as the death of a friend. My situation pales in comparison. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers regardless, and wish you the better of a situation. Don't apologize; we are how we react to our situation; I've learned that the hard way.


I've spent four years agonizing over my life choices. My doctor said that I'd better figure it out and quick or I'd have ulcers and heart troubles before my 30th birthday. Me establishing contact on ControlBooth is me trying to get my life in order before I lose the chance to do so. Asking for advice comes with that territory. I'm looking to maximize results, minimize conflict (I'm not naive enough to say "eliminate"), and keep the wife fed and happy.

@NateTheRiddler True but in most licensed trades you you could easily schedule time off for surgery with little to no notice.
'nough said; My brush with kin cancer was brief, painfree and uneventful. My mini-stroke in 2015 ruined my vision literally overnight causing bureaucrats to pull my driving license and place me in a seniors' home where I'm charged long distance everytime I call my wife in her home in a neighboring city and spend my remaining time haunting Dave's Control Booth forum optimistically passing along a few decades of my commercial broadcast installation and maintenance experiece along with four plus decades in so called "pro show biz". I'll crawl back in my hole and quit beating you up. With sincerest best wishes to you and yours. PS. Keeping the wife fed and happy is REALLY important. I don't bother with Christmas much beyond my immediate family but every February 14th for the past three years I've totally surprised a great many elderly female residents by quietly handing each of them a small hermetically sealed package of Russell Stover (Brand) low sugar chocolates for diabetics; one package per person, all identical, safe for consumption by any lady still breathing. My alarm is calling me for my mandated second seating dinner. Bye bye, gotta fly! (No time to proof read.)
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[josh88]

Seems like a good time, I'll take a look for old "starting out" portfolio when I was still in college. I had some experience but not enough so I stretched a little showing prop work and other stuff that looking back, probably nobody cared about. It was a hot mess, and I shake my head at some of the choices I made, but got me work and showcased a bunch of my "other" skills haha.

Woof, there it is, its a weird hybrid of what I sort of had as a physical portfolio at the time. Also, don't do a cover like this. Just don't.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1uqh25aHOb3mQONETUJBRro82E5_H9sHE

10 years later, here's where I've ended up
https://jasmithtech.com