<p>Hey folks. I'm looking for colleges (high school junior) for film and maybe computer engineering, and I've recently started realizing that I need to consolidate a portfolio. I've made and or edited over 20 personal projects including short films, news reports, commercials, animation, and of course school projects. I know I'm going to want to include that, as well as the hours I've spent working with The Okemos Channel (guessing over a hundred from the past few years. Uggh, time to get out some calendars- I wish I had kept track of this from the start).</p>
<p>My question is this: What else should I put on there? I've done stuff with photography, web design, building computers, and programming. How substantial should something be to make it in and how much info should I have about each thing? A portfolio with too many things on it may come across as being made for the sake of having a big list (I really can't think of a better way to say that although I know there definitely is one).</p>
<p>Also, stuff like Boy Scouts and Student Council- would that be a part of my 'portfolio' or is that kind of stuff a separate pack of kudos on the admissions form?</p>
Stick with films/animations/etc… no photography/web-design/etc.
Use a good DVD authoring package and present a professional looking production. Also have great, professional graphics on the DVD label and on the DVD case you send it in. Make it look like a purchased movie.
Have a good lead-in collage with great music and lead in to YOU on camera. Your lead-in piece will demonstrate your editing/compositing skills, and can show off any skill you have with graphic effects.
On camera, talk very briefly about your film “career” and introduce snippets of films and animations (not the whole film).<br>
Most importantly, talk about your love for the technical post-production stuff and show snippets that illustrate your editing/vfx skills. This will put you ahead of the “director-wanna-bes.”
Don’t be afraid to put in early stuff, even if not so great - esp if you did it as a kid… It shows a long-term commitment, and can demonstrate your growth.
Save your best snippet for last.
Add the full films to the DVD, but only as add-on items: Top menu: “Portfolio” and “Full Films.” Then under the Full Films menu, have a menu item for each film.</p>
<p>THAT portfolio will be a hit.</p>
<p>(My son did a portfolio with that structure. The school loved it so much that they used it as an example of what a film portfolio should be. They especially liked that it showed HIM talking about his films and that it showed a progression and commitment from when he was young. By the way, he graduated in 2009 and is now a visual effects artist for the film industry. He already has two feature films as Visual Effects Supervisor)</p>
<p>Most people forget that the portfolio itself is another film that you had created, edited, and produced, and it must make a fantastic impression.</p>
<p>Digmedia’s advice is always wonderful, but for USC, which until last year did not let students submit an actual, visual portfolio element with Production applications, there was a required portfolio list of all of the student’s creative activities and projects. And for that printed, descriptive portfolio list, they wanted to know about all creative accomplishments whether or not they had any connection to film whatsoever. So if you encounter the requirement for a list like that (as opposed to a reel), be sure to check the instructions very carefully, because if the object of the list is everything creative a la USC, you will want to put in a broader range of activities, including things like poetry, dances that were choreographed of performed, shows with your garage band, canvases painted, websites designed etc.</p>
<p>I honestly just submitted a four minute edit from my last film…re-worked from the original project final in FCP. Then again, I did work on the film for two years solid, so really, its all I had! haha</p>
<p>It was accepted in person though, so it worked.</p>
<p>My point : Your portfolio should be whatever you are as an artist. If it feels right, its right. If it feels like someone you wouldnt do normally, start reaching for the metaphorical delete button.</p>
<p>Ive trashed entire days worth of work once they were finished, just because I knew a fresh start was the only way to go. Something very liberating about working on something for a prolonged period of time, then bailing on it all. Sort of works out all the mistakes the first time around, so you know what just isnt working</p>
<p>Having a lot of friends who have gotten into Production programs, here’s some advice: EVERY part of your application is important. I know that a lot of people tend to worry about their visual portfolio which is indeed very important, but that’s not ALL there is to a portfolio. Your letter is just as important because it can explain your work, motivations behind it, and give the committee a view of where you are headed. It sounds like you’re doing all the right things, and you want to mention them. Read the guidelines very careful, as other people have said, and try to show diversity within the portfolio while having a certain narrative flow to things (aka try and make everything fit together, but have each piece have its own unique flare). My CEGEP has a program specifically dedicated to putting together a university portfolio, so I know what I’m talking about. I’ve gotten into every school that I’ve applied to thus far, and those were the main things I’ve kept in mind ^^</p>
<p>Nester and frankenteen, even more great advice! Thanks! It’s always nice to hear from someone who knows what they’re talking about rather than just “I’ve heard it works this way.”</p>
<p>I’ve been thinking of putting up a PHPmotion installation on my website because right now I don’t really have one single place someone could go to see all I’ve done. I wouldn’t be doing it FOR college apps, but it certainly serves a similar purpose.</p>
<p>(My son did a portfolio with that structure. The school loved it so much that they used it as an example of what a film portfolio should be. They especially liked that it showed HIM talking about his films and that it showed a progression and commitment from when he was young. By the way, he graduated in 2009 and is now a visual effects artist for the film industry. He already has two feature films as Visual Effects Supervisor)</p>
<p>I am glad your son found great success, and perhaps this is good advice, but I have a differing opinion.</p>
<p>I for one, put absolutely nothing of “myself” in my portfolio, save for the fact that it was my concept and my overall method of how I use my cameras. If you knew me or my work you would know I created it, but if you had viewed it as someone with no familiarity to what I do, you would never know it was “me”.</p>
<p>I guess that’s how I like my portfolio (in reality, my reel)…I am selling a style and a method, not a personality. Maybe the personality part helps for school admissions, but I went with my usual “let the work do the talking” and it was accepted for merit scholarship consideration.</p>
<p>Who knows though…I just could never see myself pointing the camera as “me” and taking that route. Thats not my work, its just filler in my opinion</p>