Show Case

Rafael Jaen has a vast experience in portfolio development and has been presenting workshops on this subject matter for the last 10 years -his audiences have included high-school students, undergraduate students, teachers and professionals in the field. He was originally an architecture student in the Universidad Central de Venezuela (his country of origin), there he began his interest in theater and portfolios in 1978 while working with small theater groups. Eventually, he entered his design work in a competition and won a scholarship to study Theatrical Design in the USA. He applied to New York University and was accepted after a successful portfolio review--even though he didn't speak English yet! While in school, Mr. Jaen worked as a designer and assistant designer for different companies. His mentors (Broadway Designers/ Technicians) showed him the importance of marketing and showcasing the designer's work in a comprehensive portfolio and with resumes and business cards. After graduation in the 80's Mr. Jaen worked as Design Associate and Costume Designer for different costume houses and companies in the USA and other countries. He also ran a successful Fashion business dedicated to haute couture--bridal and tailoring. For it, he developed different portfolio-books showcasing design styles with cut sheets and fabric swatches. In the 90's he began a fruitful collaboration with Emerson College, developing a very successful costume program. Eventually, because of his impressive portfolio, he was offered a position as Emerson Stage's Resident Costume Designer. He started to teach at Emerson College and became the Costume Area Head. While at Emerson he developed a series of portfolio workshops to assist undergraduate students apply to graduate school. He has expanded on these workshops and has been presenting them in various conferences (all over the country) including the USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo. Mr. Jaen has degrees in Theater Design

Introduction






Preface






Contents






Part I: What Is a Design-Tech Portfolio?





Chapter 1: What is Portfolio?












The Winning Design-Tech Portfolio



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Chapter 2: Traditional Portfolio Development Techniques





Planning and Creation



Models, Styles, Dimensions and Handling



Specifications



Presentation Cases and Folios



New Trends



Inside the Case Supplies and Materials



Specialty Layout Materials and Supplies



Where to Find Specialty Materials and Supplies



Basic Strategy to Get the Right Materials



Showcase: Notes About Printers



Workbook: What carrying and display materials would I like to use to put together a portfolio?




Chapter 3: The Effective Showcase





General Considerations



Organizing the Body of Work: Beginning, Middle and End



Presenting Visual Content: Page Layout Options



Inserts: Adding Conversation Pieces



Best Artwork, News/Media Reviews and Photographs to Feature



Back Pocket: Research and Organizational Paper Work



The Designer and Technician's Archives



Marketing and Networking: Identifying Portfolio Requirements by Venue



Organizations that Offer Portfolio Reviews



Workbook: List projects that you would like to feature in the beginning, middle and end of my portfolio.




Chapter 4: Types of Portfolios





Basics and Specifics by Concentration



Avoiding A Portfolio Imbroglio



The Basics



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Specialized Technicians, Crafts and Allied Fields



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By the Book, CD, or Website: The 21st Century Multi-Media Portfolio



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Portfolio Photos



Workbook: What is my portfolio concentration? What work do I need to include in my portfolio? What works do I need to collect in order to plan my layouts?




Chapter 5: Portfolio Development Techniques Do's and Don'ts












Good Practices Check List



Five Observations on What Isn't Good Practice When Presenting a Portfolio










Part II: What is an Electronic Portfolio?





Chapter 6: The Effective Digital Portfolio












Theatre Designers and Computers



What Is a Digital Portfolio, What Is It For?



Workbook: What are some of the considerations that I need to look at prior to developing a digital portfolio; how would I use it?












Chapter 7: Digital Portfolio Developing Techniques





Graphic Design Principles and Branding



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Software Applications and CD Showcases



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PowerPoint and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)



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Photo Editing Software



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Websites and Web Archives



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Other Considerations: Choosing a Server



Multimedia Sharing and Social Media



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More about Websites: The Allied Field Show Case



About Interactive Portfolios



Final Words: Things to Know When Designing Websites



Recommended Resources for Those Starting Out



Workbook: Digital Portfolio Planning. What are my goals; do I want a web page, a CD and/or a slide presentation? What works will I feature and how many pages each?




Chapter 8: Digital Portfolio Do's and Don'ts





CDs, Slide Presentations and Websites Do's



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CDs, Slide Presentations and Websites Don'ts



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Part III: Presenting and Marketing the Portfolio





Chapter 9: Portfolio Presentation Techniques





First Impressions



The Professional and Appropriate Appearance for Portfolio Presentation



Foundations of Presenting



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Post-Interview Maintenance



Self-Evaluation



Networking: What's Next?




Chapter 10: Portfolio Presentation Techniques Do's and Don'ts



Chapter 11: Design/Tech Resumes, CV, Business Cards, and Stationery





A Winning Resume: Introductory Words of Wisdom



The Design-Tech Resume: Specific Expectations



A Blue Print for an Effective Resume Presentation



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The Bio and The Curriculum Vitae



Other Marketing Tools: Business Cards and Brochures



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Workbook: Resume Planning. What information would I like to include in my Resume and how will I format it?




Chapter 12: Design/Tech Resumes, CV, Business Cards, and Stationery Do's and Don'ts




Part IV: Portfolio Maintenance and Next Steps





Chapter 13: Establishing Goals, Reviewing, Choosing and Updating Work





How I set Up My Portfolio and Why





Teaching Points




Words of Wisdom





Teaching Points




Putting Models in Your Portfolio



Workbook: What teaching points can I apply in developing and maintaining my portfolio?




Chapter 14: Self Assessment





The Basics of a Self Evaluation



The Comprehensive Self-Evaluation



Workbook: The Self-Assessment Questionnaire




Chapter 15: Planning the Next Job





Why Planning? What Planning?



Putting it Together



The Big Picture: Your Design-Tech Career Concept



The Small Steps: Your Blue Print for Short Term Goals



Workbook: What are some of my obtainable goals, ideas and brainstorms?




Chapter 16: Words of Wisdom: Do's and Don'ts Highlight Summary




Part V: Contributors





Chapter 17, Contributors Bios