Portfolio Requirements

Applicants for the Costume Design & Technology BFA program are pre-screened. Faculty offers or declines interviews based on the submitted application and required materials. This portfolio has two (2) required sections:

Portfolio Recording 

• 2-3 minute video responding to the following prompt is required:
  
  Imagine you are responsible for creating a large number of costumes for a production.  The team you manage worked very hard to accomplish these looks. At the first tech-dress rehearsal, the director decides to cut these costumes. 

• 1. How do you respond to the director's new vision?
  2. How do you explain this decision to your team?

Portfolio of Work

• Renderings or costume sketches, photographs or slides of produced costumes, millinery, accessories, demonstrations of patterning, tailoring skills, figure-drawing, work in acrylic, ink, watercolors, etc.

Applicants may contact Costume Design & Technology Program Co-Directors Bill Brewer or Brent M. Bruin with questions about what to include in a portfolio.

The portfolio for the Lighting BFA program has two (2) required sections:

5 Images/1 Document:

• The portfolio is the first item faculty review. It serves as an "introduction."
• Exactly 5 (five) images of things created or built by the applicant or something they find inspiring.
• Below each image, include a brief paragraph (2 to 3 sentences) explaining why the image was chosen.
• Each image and its description should have its own page.
• All images should be combined into a single file.

Portfolio:

• Examples of original artwork, technical work, photography, lighting designs, visual art, writings, electronic projects, coding projects, etc. 

Applicants for the Scene Design BFA program are pre-screened. Faculty offers or declines interviews based on the submitted application and required materials.

Sketchbooks and preliminary sketches (Faculty is interested in your process), renderings, models or photographs of models, drawings, photographs of realized designs and their related materials-drafting, paint elevations, prop drawings and other non-theatrical artwork demonstrating your visual expression and the exploration of ideas. Artwork can include painting, drawing, illustration, sculpture and fine crafts.

Sketchbooks, drawings, paintings, production shots of original work, renderings, sculpture, designs, paint elevations, drafting, examples of soft good skills and other non-theatrical artwork.

Drafting plates, technical drawings, production photographs, and close-up photographs of construction detail (in progress or finished work) showing the quality of your personal craftsmanship. All close-up construction detail photos should be under worklights, if possible. Photographs may be of sets, props, or other types of fabrication projects in and outside of school. May also include documentation supporting project planning, budgeting, and organizational skills. Examples of this can include material break downs for purchasing, schedules for completing the fabrication, or labor assignments.

Portfolios may include but are not limited to: system design draftings, photos, audio examples used in productions, any documentation supporting script analysis and sound design for productions. Examples of any creative work.

Not all applicants have formal training in Sound Design. This is perfectly fine. Faculty ask that you demonstrate the desire for serious discourse and a passion for artistic engagement. 

Applicants for the Stage Management BFA program are pre-screened. Faculty offers or declines interviews based on the submitted application and required materials.

Portfolios should include best examples of original work and exclude items not created by the applicant (e.g., light plots, scenic technical drawings, sound cues, etc.).

The portfolio for the Stage Management BFA program is required to included examples of each of the following:

• 1- to 2-page essay responding to the following prompt: Discuss your greatest success and greatest failure as a leader and what you learned from each of these experiences.
• Up to five (5) pages of organizational and communication paperwork you created to manage a show, event or project. May include examples from non-theatrical projects or events. This includes, but is not limited to performance/rehearsal reports, prop plots/lists/tracking, schedules/calendars, costume paperwork, run sheets, scene change paperwork, etc.
• Up to three (3) pages of blocking and calling/cueing paperwork, scripts, or other paperwork used to run a show, project or event.
• Up to 3 examples that express who you are outside of theatre. Ideas of what to include: art projects, writing samples, class projects, hobbies, sports, impactful life experiences, or anything else that offers insight.

Sketchbooks, drafting, prop drawings. Examples of painting, scene painting, renderings or designs, woodworking skills or construction, metalworking, mold making, sculpture, soft good skills (sewing or upholstery). Items built by the applicant: furniture, masks, puppets, costumes, craft pieces and examples of craftsmanship.

Applicants for the Wig & Makeup Design BFA program are pre-screened. Faculty offers or declines interviews based on the submitted application and required materials. Your portfolio may include:

• Images of realized makeups and hair styling, on yourself or models. Wig work, including own-hair, and styled, altered, or constructed wigs/hairpieces.
• Prosthetic/FX work, including 2D, 3D, moulage, sculpting, mold-making, and any realized looks/characters.
• Any design work, including sketches, renderings, and realized production images.
• Any examples of creativity and craftsmanship, such as drawing, painting, costuming, props, and ceramics.