Designer's/Technician's Portfolio Presentations

What to Prepare:

Collect samples of your work as an artist, based on the area of design or technical theatre for which you are interviewing. Place the samples in a binder, portfolio or in a digital presentation such as Google slides or PowerPoint and assembled in a logical order. For a scene designer, you might include sketches, renderings, models, photos. A lighting designer would include light plots, cue sheets, photos. A costume designer could include sketches, renderings with swatches, photos of completed costumes.  Master carpenters might include photos and working drawings of set pieces. Stage Managers could bring their prompt book. However, any kind of artwork or visual design you have completed is worth showing to us. Maybe you have created paintings or sculpture for art class, a display in your school's lobby, or cosplay pieces that you built...anything that shows your "eye" as a visual artist and your sense of craftsmanship is of interest to us. You are not expected to have a full portfolio of theatrical work as a high school senior. 

What to Wear:

Remember, the presentation is like a job interview, so dress appropriately.  You want to present yourself in a professional manner - but also remember that this is an interview for a working artist. You can take the opportunity to express yourself in your attire - and it is not necessary to be dressed in "business wear".

What to Say:

Bring your materials to the table, introduce yourself and your area of specialty, and make sure everyone can clearly see your work. Describe what you will be presenting in general terms, then highlight what is in your portfolio with an explanation of what each segment represents: “This is a photo of the costume I put together for Juliet in Act IV of Romeo and Juliet”. Share the information that would be most useful for those viewing your work to get to know your particular talents and skills.

Sometimes, a story about a challenge and how you dealt with it is interesting. Be prepared for questions. Less is more. It is not necessary to describe every single page of the book, but to find the pages that best represent you. Know the budgets you worked within. Know the titles of the shows, the names of the directors and designers with whom you worked.

Be sure to include a resume. Make eye contact with those interviewing you. Establish who you are as a person. Remember that we are looking to admit you-the human being as well as you-the talent, and if you are to spend several semesters with us, we want to assess whether Kean will be a good fit for you.

You will also be asked to complete a writing and drawing assignment.

Conclusion:

Gather your belongings, say a warm thank you and goodbye, and exit the room.

Establish who you are as a person. Remember that we are looking to hire or admit you-the human being as well as you-the talent, and if you are to spend several semesters with us, we want to assess whether Kean will be a good fit for you.