Advice on Portfolios
Mar. 20th, 2010 06:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tealinLast night I was making notes on some drawings in a friend's portfolio and it got me thinking about the whole animation job hunt game, which (praise be to mighty Om) I haven't had to play for a couple years. I realised my experience with it might be useful to people just starting out, especially as I was officemate with the assistant HR person (i.e. the one who actually dealt with portfolios) for a while at the TV studio where I worked. So, for the benefit (or at least momentary distraction) of humanity, here are my
This is mostly advice for TV studios, which is where I've done most of my applying (and work). Feature studios are a bit more freestyle, especially if you're going after a more artsy-fartsy job in visual development, but still follow the same rough guidelines.
ART
Reviewers can generally tell within the first two pages if you can draw, so make sure you put your best face forward and don't 'save the best for last.' By the time they get to the end of your portfolio they will probably have made up their minds. That said, it's also a good idea to put a nice little kick at the end, 'dessert' if you will, as that will colour their take-away impression of your work. Just make sure it's not your best stuff, which belongs at the front. Maybe something entertaining but not necessarily technically impressive or related to the job at hand ...
If you have a cover image, it had better be a damn good drawing, because it is your first impression, and the book will be judged by its cover (or at the very least, the cover will establish a predisposition to your work).
Try to categorize artwork by genre, i.e. life drawing/sketchbook, character design, layout, illustrations, etc.
Life drawing is never not important, but don't choke your portfolio full of it. One or two pages of gestures, one or two of longer poses, and maybe one or two nicely finished studies are plenty. Enough to prove you understand anatomy and gesture. Life drawing shows you are observant, have good hand/eye coordination, and that you are dedicated enough to your craft that you seek to improve it through serious study, but they don't need to see how well you can render shiny muscles because chances are you will not be drawing fully-rendered naked people for a TV show.
Try to find a good balance in the composition of your page: let your star drawings show off a bit and give them room to breathe, but don't leave your pages so wide open that they look anaemic. On the other hand, don't crowd them full of tiny sketches, either, as the eye will not know where to go and the good stuff may get lost.
If you know what job/project you're applying for, tailor your portfolio in that direction.
- If it's a TV character design/storyboard revision type job, lots of poses and variety of character types are good.
- If it's a layout type job, location designs and scene compositions are what they want to see.
- If you know the style of the show you're going for, demonstrate that you can draw that style, or something close
If you are just submitting a general portfolio to a studio you want to work for, without a specific job opening or project in mind:
- Demonstrate that you can draw in a number of styles
- Play to your strengths (if you prefer drawing backgrounds, for example, don't have the first five pages be character design) but include enough other stuff to show you are versatile and willing to branch out. An applicant who can stick around and do whatever job comes up is much more attractive than one who they'll have to replace in a few months.
STRATEGY
If there is not a specified application date, try to deliver your portfolio as early in the week as you can. If it comes in on a Friday (especially late in the day) it's more likely to get forgotten over the weekend; if it gets there on a Monday it'll sit there on the receptionist's desk reminding him/her to do something about it until it gets where it needs to go, and will more likely get to the person who needs to see it when they are actually in, if not actually handed to them in person. (Of course, if you're mailing it in, you have no control over this...)
People might tell you to make your portfolio 'stand out,' but try to do this via the artwork rather than some sort of funky decoration. Portfolios will all eventually end up in the Portfolio File, i.e. your common or garden filing cabinet, from which future job openings will be filled, and which is designed for regulation-sized pieces of paper. If your portfolio is oddly shaped you may be at a disadvantage: if it is too large for the drawer it is easier to chuck it than make it fit, and if it is too small it may hide below the other portfolios and be missed in a quick rifle-though. Letter or legal-sized paper is usually the norm for TV studios, while in feature (where they like to give your work closer scrutiny), tabloid (11x17) is much more common. (This may be different in LA, where people apply to both TV and feature studios on a regular basis.)
Nice presentation of your work is not to be sniffed at, but if it looks like you're trying too hard, the person handling the portfolios (who deals with this sort of stuff every day) will probably roll their eyes. This is a fine and very subjective line, but good to keep in mind.
Check with the studio before you apply whether they actually accept paper portfolios – I know a few that don't. Ask them what type of media they prefer, especially if you're sending in a reel.
- Some of the larger/richer studios may have an online application/portfolio submission thingy, which is great, but if they accept paper, it may be advisable to send in a hard copy as well, because computers have been known to (not to put too fine a point on it) cock things up. Mention in your cover letter that this is a hard copy of something you've already submitted digitally, and it's just backup in case something goes wrong with the file. This shows forward thinking!
If you have a reel, and send it in on a data CD or DVD, include several different file formats – you don't want the studio to pass on your work simply because they didn't have a program that could open your file.
- It may also be advisable to include digital copies of your paper portfolio, in case the disc and portfolio get separated. A decently high resolution is good, but make sure the files aren't too large to open quickly and navigate through. You don't need all the bells and whistles of a PSD, for example, and a high-res jpeg is just as good as a tiff for digital viewing, at a fraction of the size. If they're trying to show your work at a recruitment meeting and the computer is chugging on your files, you will only annoy people.
BE NICE TO THE RECEPTIONIST. You and your portfolio have to get through them. They have to put up with a lot of crap every day, so if you're friendly, accommodating, and cheerful, they are more likely to remember you and associate you with good things when passing on your work. If it's a small studio, chances are the HR person taking portfolios will get their first impression of you from the receptionist. People skills are their trade and they will probably read you like a book.
There! I hope that's helpful. If anyone has anything to add, please feel free to comment and I will add it to the list.
This is mostly advice for TV studios, which is where I've done most of my applying (and work). Feature studios are a bit more freestyle, especially if you're going after a more artsy-fartsy job in visual development, but still follow the same rough guidelines.
ART
Reviewers can generally tell within the first two pages if you can draw, so make sure you put your best face forward and don't 'save the best for last.' By the time they get to the end of your portfolio they will probably have made up their minds. That said, it's also a good idea to put a nice little kick at the end, 'dessert' if you will, as that will colour their take-away impression of your work. Just make sure it's not your best stuff, which belongs at the front. Maybe something entertaining but not necessarily technically impressive or related to the job at hand ...
If you have a cover image, it had better be a damn good drawing, because it is your first impression, and the book will be judged by its cover (or at the very least, the cover will establish a predisposition to your work).
Try to categorize artwork by genre, i.e. life drawing/sketchbook, character design, layout, illustrations, etc.
Life drawing is never not important, but don't choke your portfolio full of it. One or two pages of gestures, one or two of longer poses, and maybe one or two nicely finished studies are plenty. Enough to prove you understand anatomy and gesture. Life drawing shows you are observant, have good hand/eye coordination, and that you are dedicated enough to your craft that you seek to improve it through serious study, but they don't need to see how well you can render shiny muscles because chances are you will not be drawing fully-rendered naked people for a TV show.
Try to find a good balance in the composition of your page: let your star drawings show off a bit and give them room to breathe, but don't leave your pages so wide open that they look anaemic. On the other hand, don't crowd them full of tiny sketches, either, as the eye will not know where to go and the good stuff may get lost.
If you know what job/project you're applying for, tailor your portfolio in that direction.
- If it's a TV character design/storyboard revision type job, lots of poses and variety of character types are good.
- If it's a layout type job, location designs and scene compositions are what they want to see.
- If you know the style of the show you're going for, demonstrate that you can draw that style, or something close
If you are just submitting a general portfolio to a studio you want to work for, without a specific job opening or project in mind:
- Demonstrate that you can draw in a number of styles
- Play to your strengths (if you prefer drawing backgrounds, for example, don't have the first five pages be character design) but include enough other stuff to show you are versatile and willing to branch out. An applicant who can stick around and do whatever job comes up is much more attractive than one who they'll have to replace in a few months.
STRATEGY
If there is not a specified application date, try to deliver your portfolio as early in the week as you can. If it comes in on a Friday (especially late in the day) it's more likely to get forgotten over the weekend; if it gets there on a Monday it'll sit there on the receptionist's desk reminding him/her to do something about it until it gets where it needs to go, and will more likely get to the person who needs to see it when they are actually in, if not actually handed to them in person. (Of course, if you're mailing it in, you have no control over this...)
People might tell you to make your portfolio 'stand out,' but try to do this via the artwork rather than some sort of funky decoration. Portfolios will all eventually end up in the Portfolio File, i.e. your common or garden filing cabinet, from which future job openings will be filled, and which is designed for regulation-sized pieces of paper. If your portfolio is oddly shaped you may be at a disadvantage: if it is too large for the drawer it is easier to chuck it than make it fit, and if it is too small it may hide below the other portfolios and be missed in a quick rifle-though. Letter or legal-sized paper is usually the norm for TV studios, while in feature (where they like to give your work closer scrutiny), tabloid (11x17) is much more common. (This may be different in LA, where people apply to both TV and feature studios on a regular basis.)
Nice presentation of your work is not to be sniffed at, but if it looks like you're trying too hard, the person handling the portfolios (who deals with this sort of stuff every day) will probably roll their eyes. This is a fine and very subjective line, but good to keep in mind.
Check with the studio before you apply whether they actually accept paper portfolios – I know a few that don't. Ask them what type of media they prefer, especially if you're sending in a reel.
- Some of the larger/richer studios may have an online application/portfolio submission thingy, which is great, but if they accept paper, it may be advisable to send in a hard copy as well, because computers have been known to (not to put too fine a point on it) cock things up. Mention in your cover letter that this is a hard copy of something you've already submitted digitally, and it's just backup in case something goes wrong with the file. This shows forward thinking!
If you have a reel, and send it in on a data CD or DVD, include several different file formats – you don't want the studio to pass on your work simply because they didn't have a program that could open your file.
- It may also be advisable to include digital copies of your paper portfolio, in case the disc and portfolio get separated. A decently high resolution is good, but make sure the files aren't too large to open quickly and navigate through. You don't need all the bells and whistles of a PSD, for example, and a high-res jpeg is just as good as a tiff for digital viewing, at a fraction of the size. If they're trying to show your work at a recruitment meeting and the computer is chugging on your files, you will only annoy people.
BE NICE TO THE RECEPTIONIST. You and your portfolio have to get through them. They have to put up with a lot of crap every day, so if you're friendly, accommodating, and cheerful, they are more likely to remember you and associate you with good things when passing on your work. If it's a small studio, chances are the HR person taking portfolios will get their first impression of you from the receptionist. People skills are their trade and they will probably read you like a book.
There! I hope that's helpful. If anyone has anything to add, please feel free to comment and I will add it to the list.
