Website Opinions Please?
- Thread startertechno89
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I SUPER agree with this point! I read a photo blog which had an entry a while ago (sorry couldn't find it) that said the same thing. Only show your very best shots and for the photos cut it down to one page of your best shots. Thing of it like a score. If you show ten shots that are all 10's you look like a ten. If you show a couple of tens and some 5's and a two your avg ends up being only a 5 or 6, so keep it high!
Hello,
A few things. Firstly, you have mentioned that you were board op and designer, but I don't see anywhere whether you did any hanging, focusing, wiring, etc. This might be correct, but if it isn't I don't want you to mislead anyone. Secondly, you have a lot of production photos, a few of which make your design look bad. In the category of portfolios, any picture that makes your design look bad should not be displayed. Another point: at your level of theatre, most likely places will be looking for people with a wide range of expertise. Some people may disagree with me, but I've always found that putting a few sentences in about what you know how to do is good. The best portfolio of a lighting techniciain I've ever seen listed a few consoles and CADs that he was excellent with.
Best of luck.
A few things. Firstly, you have mentioned that you were board op and designer, but I don't see anywhere whether you did any hanging, focusing, wiring, etc. This might be correct, but if it isn't I don't want you to mislead anyone. Secondly, you have a lot of production photos, a few of which make your design look bad. In the category of portfolios, any picture that makes your design look bad should not be displayed. Another point: at your level of theatre, most likely places will be looking for people with a wide range of expertise. Some people may disagree with me, but I've always found that putting a few sentences in about what you know how to do is good. The best portfolio of a lighting techniciain I've ever seen listed a few consoles and CADs that he was excellent with.
Best of luck.
That sort if thing doesn't really belong in a portfolio. It does belong on a resume. Since no one is going to see your portfolio without seeing your resume at pretty much the same time, it doesn't make sense to put it in the portfolio too. It is also important to differentiate between lighting technicians and lighting designers. Designers have portfolios and resumes, in general technicians don't have a portfolio since they wouldn't really have any of their own designs to put in it. Technicians just have a resumes (and references, etc).
Hey man, no apologies needed.
Some general advice about portfolios and resumes for you younger folks:
While your English teacher will insist there is only one way to create a resume and portfolio, I hate to see people get crazy about resume/portfolio format. There are a LOT of different approaches out there. I've served on several hiring committees over the years and you rarely see two resumes or portfolios that are exactly the same. The important thing is that is a good representation of your best work while being brief and to the point. Personally, I look at portfolios as a tool I use in an interview to sell myself. It's not just a bunch of pretty pictures. It's something I use to reference and give visuals to my talking points while in the interview. How that manifests itself depends a lot on you and your work. For example: Let's say they ask a question about how I approach safety in the theater. I say, "Safety is a always a top priority. Let me give you an example from my portfolio. See these platforms in these pictures. I was very concerned about safety because..." It brings what I have to say to life and highlights my best work. I can't just follow a formula for the perfect portfolio for that. I carefully choose the right things to go in the portfolio and tweak both the portfolio and resume for the particular job interview.
Secondly portfolios are not just for designers. Did you build a cool prop? Were you the carpenter on a really cool set? Did you hang lights for a crazy design? Did you sew a really cool costume? Did you do a wildly complex set change on a show? I always take pictures of my work no matter how weird the task. You never know what sort of job you may apply for in the future.
Third, resumes depend a lot on how much really legitimate stuff you have to put on them. If you are a young person it's hard to put together an impressive list of gigs. The temptation is to list every talent show and assembly you worked on since 6th grade. But that isn't going to help. Embrace the fact that you are young and working hard, it will be obvious to anyone who sees your resume or interviews you, so don't try to hide from it or trick them into thinking you are something you are not. That'll only come back to hurt you. Honesty list where you have worked, what jobs you have done, and how many years you have done them. If all your work is at school then say, " Three years head student technician at Washington High School. Duties include:..." If this is you, putting a list of proficiencies on your resume is far more important than listing every school production or job you have done. We've all been high school technicians we know what it's like and what the jobs are. Tell me what you have learned how to do. If you have 20 years of work and a couple degrees, they assume you know how to run half a dozen consoles. If you are 16 they will assume you know how to use the one console at your school, what is it.
Be it resume, website, or Portfolio, don't just make up stuff or exaggerate your qualifications to make yourself sound impressive! Anything you make up will be obvious to a person with some experience in the industry, you'll only look like an arrogant fool if you start bragging about stuff that isn't true. Theater is a very small community. Assume that the people you are interviewing with are old buddies with every other theater in town. Making up stuff is a great way to get your resume laughed at and never get called for an interview. It's also a great way to potentially insult the people you are trying to get a job from.
Finally, always refer to yourself as a STUDENT technical director or a STUDENT designer for work you do at school. I know a lot of Designers and T.D.'s who take it as a personal insult if a student refers them self a T.D. While you may have called it the T.D. position at school, there is always an adult who is actually responsible for the facility. Plus the job you did as a Student T.D. has very little to do with the job a typical professional T.D. does. There have been lengthy discussions about this in the past. A little respect for your elders goes a long way in this industry.
While your English teacher will insist there is only one way to create a resume and portfolio, I hate to see people get crazy about resume/portfolio format. There are a LOT of different approaches out there. I've served on several hiring committees over the years and you rarely see two resumes or portfolios that are exactly the same. The important thing is that is a good representation of your best work while being brief and to the point. Personally, I look at portfolios as a tool I use in an interview to sell myself. It's not just a bunch of pretty pictures. It's something I use to reference and give visuals to my talking points while in the interview. How that manifests itself depends a lot on you and your work. For example: Let's say they ask a question about how I approach safety in the theater. I say, "Safety is a always a top priority. Let me give you an example from my portfolio. See these platforms in these pictures. I was very concerned about safety because..." It brings what I have to say to life and highlights my best work. I can't just follow a formula for the perfect portfolio for that. I carefully choose the right things to go in the portfolio and tweak both the portfolio and resume for the particular job interview.
Secondly portfolios are not just for designers. Did you build a cool prop? Were you the carpenter on a really cool set? Did you hang lights for a crazy design? Did you sew a really cool costume? Did you do a wildly complex set change on a show? I always take pictures of my work no matter how weird the task. You never know what sort of job you may apply for in the future.
Third, resumes depend a lot on how much really legitimate stuff you have to put on them. If you are a young person it's hard to put together an impressive list of gigs. The temptation is to list every talent show and assembly you worked on since 6th grade. But that isn't going to help. Embrace the fact that you are young and working hard, it will be obvious to anyone who sees your resume or interviews you, so don't try to hide from it or trick them into thinking you are something you are not. That'll only come back to hurt you. Honesty list where you have worked, what jobs you have done, and how many years you have done them. If all your work is at school then say, " Three years head student technician at Washington High School. Duties include:..." If this is you, putting a list of proficiencies on your resume is far more important than listing every school production or job you have done. We've all been high school technicians we know what it's like and what the jobs are. Tell me what you have learned how to do. If you have 20 years of work and a couple degrees, they assume you know how to run half a dozen consoles. If you are 16 they will assume you know how to use the one console at your school, what is it.
Be it resume, website, or Portfolio, don't just make up stuff or exaggerate your qualifications to make yourself sound impressive! Anything you make up will be obvious to a person with some experience in the industry, you'll only look like an arrogant fool if you start bragging about stuff that isn't true. Theater is a very small community. Assume that the people you are interviewing with are old buddies with every other theater in town. Making up stuff is a great way to get your resume laughed at and never get called for an interview. It's also a great way to potentially insult the people you are trying to get a job from.
Finally, always refer to yourself as a STUDENT technical director or a STUDENT designer for work you do at school. I know a lot of Designers and T.D.'s who take it as a personal insult if a student refers them self a T.D. While you may have called it the T.D. position at school, there is always an adult who is actually responsible for the facility. Plus the job you did as a Student T.D. has very little to do with the job a typical professional T.D. does. There have been lengthy discussions about this in the past. A little respect for your elders goes a long way in this industry.
Thanks Gafftaper for taking the time to type out that response. I definitely do not list assemblies and silly things at school like that. I also at this point try not to list middle school anything. At my high school I am the LD. We have an adult that supervises the tech group and while he does know about lighting he is not as well versed in it as I am, he is more of the A/V side of productions. I am going to try to start to take more pictures of things that I do around the theatre instead of just shows, just for the heck of it maybe hanging lights or talking to a director about a plot.
Thanks,
Thanks,
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