<p>I wanted to know what people had in their portfolio and the quality, etc. of their work. If you got accepted into the cinematic arts school and preferably into production, what kind of work did you have in your portfolio (movies, art, etc.)?</p>
<p>The portfolio was really more of a CV than a portfolio. They wouldn't view films - they merely wanted a long history of all the "creative" things you've done throughout your life.</p>
<p>valentino, as long as you're talking about undergrad production, USC makes a point out of leveling the playing field by not viewing films. I think the MFA program might be different. The advice I've heard is to put any sort of creative project (poetry, photography, jewelry making, whatever) on your portfolio list. Applicants with pretty minimal film background can get in, and some who have been making films for years will be rejected.</p>
<p>Unless your artistic endeavor garnered an award or has the name of a reputable program attached, they can't tell exactly the quality from the list, so put down whatever you feel defines you creatively -- basically anything that you've done. I even put a research paper analyzing a nation's films and they were interested in that when I interviewed.</p>
<p>Sell yourself. Treat your brief item descriptions like log lines, like you're pitching to them.</p>
<p>rainmama hit some good ones. Performing arts are great, self-recordings of music, singing, poetry readings, anything's game. Coming up with something they don't usually see that defines you creatively (a macrame expert? origami? calligraphy?) is pretty creative in and of itself :)</p>