Probably....scratch that...definitely the photographer our students have been most desirous to show their work to is Paul Elledge. Ask and ye shall receive. Specifically ye shall receive on Tuesday, October 10th from 2-5pm as part of Show Off when Paul and his producer Leasha Overturf visit to review photo work samples and give their opinion of your strengths and weaknesses.
If you've yet to participate in Show Off, portfolio advising or portfolio production you will probably need to register with our office before signing up to meet Paul and Leasha. Once you're registered, call 312.344.7280 to get on the schedule.
An astute student just pointed out to me that the name Reel Exchange implies that anyone and everyone can just bring a reel and trade with others; like a swap meet or a potluck dinner. Ok, that's not what happens, so here's our justification. The exchange is one of opinions, if not reels themselves.
We take great care to get professionals who speak from several points of view. Film festivals don't want to see the same work as a Director's Rep. Feature editors and commercial editors prep their reels differently. The list goes on. We pull these diverse voices together - not to promote confusion - but to offer a variety of perspectives. A variety we believe you'll encounter in your professional life after Columbia. Cool? Cool.
So back to the event itself. We know only a handful of Columbia students have a working reel and the Exchange is our flagship effort to get those balls rolling. The brave few film and tv students who have submitted their work, will get it screened in front of an impressive panel of film, tv and animation professionals. We didn't promise screeners the guests would take it easy on them, and we didn't have to. Showing work and taking criticism is a part of breaking through and breaking in. These students get it. You will too. Start here.
Directors/Producers of Advanced Projects: Next monday the film department will host a special Meet & Greet with composers from the newly formed MFA in Composing for Screen program. Students producing advanced projects (Special Studies I & II, Directing III, Doc II & III, Independent Projects, Grad) are invited to attend. This is a great opportunity to make some musical alliances.
When: Monday, September 25th @ 6pm
Where: Room 504, 1104 S. Wabash
Students should be prepared to talk a little about their films. They'll have a set-up to screen any rough cuts, assemblies, etc - if needed.
Please RSVP to the Advanced Production Center at production@colum.edu or contact with any questions.
Each year we, the Portfolio Center, face a battle that is at once new and familiar: getting you to show off. One of our cornerstone beliefs is that advanced students in the arts and media should spend a good deal of time showing work to professionals in their field and collecting feedback on how it can be improved. One program in particular, Show Off, is our go-to when it comes to getting senior, graduate and recent grads' work in front of experts in their field. Following is a brief explanation of what Show Off is, and how you can use it to your benefit.
First, Show Off is ongoing. It runs throughout the year, hitting a crescendo in the middle of the Spring semester. It could happen on a Monday afternoon as easily as a Thursday evening, October through May. We book visits based on the availability of our guests, many of whom travel to Chicago and take time out of otherwise hectic schedules to be here.
It is not a recruiting program, although a number of students find work, internships and exhibition opportunities through it every year. Most of the guests who come are indeed looking to scout talent, but at the same time, the focus of each advising session is on helping you understand how to move your portfolio presentation along to the next level. Some guests are tough, some supportive, but they're all coming to help.
So, how does it work? Simply. Once you register you'll get email updates whenever we book guests in your field. When we book someone you want to meet with, call us at 312.344.7280 and we'll get you scheduled for a specific time. Then its you, the guest and twenty minutes to show off what you can do. These are tightly scheduled meetings, so showing up late (or not showing up) is not cool.
We have about 120 Show Off sessions each year, but when you break it down, each area gets somewhere between 3-10 chances (we get more guests from specific fields like advertising, design and photography) to have their work reviewed. About 250 students participate and most take part in multiple reviews.
Don't wait until the late Spring to get started. It's not uncommon for Spring schedules to fill up quickly.
Your pal,
The Portfolio Center
I'm the PC staff member that is probably newest to blogging. Call me slow to grab onto the technology. But I have to admit, this thing is really cool! Everytime we've got a new event, portfolio advisor, article, portfolio example, or even some new tidbit of information that we think is important for you to know about, someone here at the Portfolio Center blogs about it.
But the neatest part is that you don't have to keep coming back to the blog page to get the latest. Just subscribe to the blog! And I'm talking to all the faculty, too, not just the students!
On our main page, there's an RSS icon 
that you could just click on and then subscribe to ALL the blog feeds OR, if you just want to know what's relevant to you, click on the blog subscribe icon from your major/industry home page, then subscribe!
A "feeds" link will then show up on your browser's toolbar, and all you have to do is LOOK - all the new blogs will be there. Waiting. Patiently. Silently screaming . . . COME TO THE PORTFOLIO CENTER . . . we've got events for you! advisors, portfolios, ice cream . . .
No wait, that was across the hall, the Multicultural Affairs folks were the ones giving out the ice cream (well, you never know what student affairs has got going on around here, so it's a definite benefit).
Wow, who would've thought that spending hours a day drawing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would eventually lead to project designs that enable children with physical disabilities to be able to swim with more freedom? I suppose it's no surprise to product design majors, but the question always is: now how do I turn what I love doing into a job (you know, the kind that pays your rent and bills, buys your food, and - if you're really lucky - leaves you with enough left over for a few luxuries).
Donald Lehman is a perfect example of how crucial it can be to leave college with more than a degree in hand! Now an industrial designer for Ignite, USA, Donald was filling up his portfolio long before his graduation from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2004, which is all the more reason why you need to make an appointment with him!
So check out his bio and make an appointment!
Lori Mukoyama, a Creative Director at Chute Gerdeman and a new portfolio advisor for interior design students, comes to Columbia College with 11 years of brand development and design experience. She's also been in charge of creative team projects and has some well-known companies lining the inside of her portfolio.
Lori's specialty is environmental brand development. I have to admit, I had to look that one up . . . I thought it actually had to do with nature, trees, birds (shows you what I don't know!).
But apparently, Lori's disciplined and creative approach to interior design, in which she successfully aligns three-dimensional spaces with brand positioning, has provided her clients with exceptional results. Check out the list of her "brand name" clients that just continues to grow!
Students can make an appointment with Lori Mukoyama on Mondays or Wednesdays at or just after 5pm.
Friend and vet'ran (contraction intended) creative recruiter for Draft FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding is merging with Draft in the near future) will visit the Portfolio Center Tuesday, September 26th for Where the Bar is, for a frank discussion about ad portfolios and why so few get past the recruiter's desk.
This event is relevant...dare we say necessary, for any student serious about the pursuit of creative ad work. Bring samples. You may not get to show them, but then again maybe you will.
If you're a current student at Columbia College Chicago, you're invited. If you're in Larry Minsky's Ad Portfolio class, we'll definitely see you there.
It wasn't long ago alums Jaime Groth and Kevin Willard were in the Portfolio Center showing their work to everyone in a three-mile radius, looking for feedback, looking for some sign they had the make-up to make it in the ad game. They did.
If you're considering a career as a copywriter, stop by the Portfolio Center on Monday, Sept. 25th at 4pm for a Q&A with Kevin (a copywriter with Zipatoni) and Jaime, (a freelance writer most recently with Euro RSCG) and a show & tell session with the work they used to get work.
This program is presented by the Portfolio Center, in conjunction with Larry Minsky's Copy II class and is open to all current students of Columbia College Chicago
Some of you may have already met Erin at last year's Performarket. Her list of accomplishments, since she graduated from Columbia College in 2000, is incredibly impressive. But what was particularly interesting to me is that Erin, a "twentysomething chanteuse," has attracted quite a fascinating collection of descriptive words and phrases from various reviewers.
Check it out:
"sultry jazz diva," "mercurial," "swinging," "seasoned," "hungry," "lure[s] listeners," "spunky," and the list goes on (and on and on).
Bottom line: She's a hot (and often sold out) ticket on the jazz scene, she's already performed in several countries in Europe, she's a shrewd business woman, and she's here, by appointment, at the Portfolio Center on Mon., Tue. & Wed.'s from noon to 3pm to advise YOU in your musical and performance endeavors.
Now, check out the full scoop, facts & all, on Erin's career & bio .
GO, GO to this event on Friday, October 27 from 10AM-3PM if you want to meet with representatives from several of the nation's leading arts & media graduate programs. Both the eager prospective applicant and the undecided knowledge seeker are sure to benefit from attending. You'll have the unique opportunity to meet admissions counselors, program coordinators and MFA directors and receive one-on-one feedback about packaging your application materials; including your portfolio or reel. You should attend. But please-- walk, don't run! We don't want you to hurt yourself before getting accepted.
Check out the Go-Go Graduate School page for details and a list of attending schools.
A call has just been put out for the 2nd Annual Columbia College Chicago Holiday Card Competition! I know, it's hard to imagine walking in a winter wonderland with the sleigh bells ringing just about now, but can you visualize a $500 stipend and some great new work to add to your portfolio?! The winners' cards will also be mailed to all the big wigs at the college and around the country (trustees, alumni, gallery owners, collectors . . . ah, the list just goes on and on). You never know whose eye you might catch! Hey, seriously, it happens here in our center all the time.
This year, the college is encouraging collaboration to get some really fabulous holiday card entries - graphic students hooking up with copywriters, photographers working with poets, etc. The submission dates are between September 8th (which means NOW) and October 6th (RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!). Winners will be announced mid-October.
So check out the official website for all the details. And at the very least, even if you don't win, you'll add a great piece to your portfolio!
While still a student at Columbia Erin McDougald embarked upon a professional singing career that has sent her around the world and seen her become a mainstay in the Chicago Jazz scene. While she hasn't looked back, she's continues to give back. Most recently by sitting down with us to talk about the the materials singers and musicians can use to find work. (mp3)
When you're a creative recruiter at a place like Artisan you see not only hundreds of portfolios in a given year, you see the best and worst of what people are showing. Given her eyes have seen both extremes we asked portfolio advisor Sharon Potsch to share her advice for building a portfolio that will open doors (mp3), not fill trash cans.
That's the name of an event sponsored by Discmakers on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 from 6:30 pm 'til 9:30 pm at Embassy Suites O'Hare.
It's an evening with Michael Laskow, CEO of A&R company TAXI, and Tony van Veen, Executive Vice President of Disc Makers, discussing what it takes to be successful as an artist in today's world.
They'll cover topics such as:
What you should NEVER Say When An A&R Person Calls You
What Makes An Artist Or Band Instantly Signable
How Good Your Demos Really Have To Be
How To Write The Perfect Bio
How To Dramatically Improve Your Songwriting Overnight
How To Record Better Demos For little or NO Money
How To Make Big $$$ Getting Your Songs In Movies And TV Shows
Need more convincing?
They'll also discuss proven marketing methods to help you promote your music to its max, like:
How to Double Your Mailing List With Practically No Effort
How to Perform at Locations You've Never Thought Of
How to Dramatically Increase Your CD Sales
How to Create Your Unique Selling Proposition
How to Create a Band Name that will Increase Your Sales Radio Airplay: Myth or Reality for Independent Artists?
How to Get Distribution and Not Get Burned
Oh, I should mention that this event is absolutely FREE!
Animation reels. Bring. Directing and producing reels. Bring. TV production. Bring. Cinematography, Videography. Bring, Bring. Editing. Bring. Motion Graphics. Bring.
The Portfolio Center is looking for a few good reels to screen at the 2nd annual Reel Exchange. The exchange will bring a number of prominent animators, filmmakers, editors, shooters and tv professionals to Columbia to look at students' work samples and share their advice for preparing and presenting a body of work in their field.
Reel Exchange happens on Friday, October 6th. We need your reels by September 29th. To be considered we need a DVD copy of your reel (not random work samples). Be sure to include your contact info with the DVD. This is for grad students and seniors, but if you think you're an advanced junior, drop it off and we'll see. Recent graduates are welcome to submit their work, but only alums who have been out less than a year will be considered. Priority consideration is given to those who will be in attendance.
If your reel is selected, we will notify you by October 2nd. If your reel is not selected, you're welcome to bring it to the event. Some of the guests will be accepting reels in consideration of internship (and possibly freelance) opportunities.
Questions? 312.344.7280 or portfoliocenter@colum.edu..com
Our friends at the Chicago Fashion Foundation sent word of a program they're hosting on September 28th at 6pm. It's called Fashion Above & Beyond Design: Putting Your Fashion Career into Focus and it will feature Chicago fashion luminaries Beth Wilson, editor with Women's Wear Daily; Korey Karnes, editor-in-chief of CS Magazine; Lindsey Gladstone, editor with Daily Candy; Laura Stuefen, a senior buyer with Macy's Chicago; Lisa Merritt, a buyer with Mark Shale; Abby Dunn, PR & Marketing Director of Active Endeavors; Rachel Perrin, a renowned make-up artist and David Anthony, a prominent international fashion photographer (and former Show Off guest). The focus is on marketing your designs, your business and you.
It's free, but please RSVP to rsvp@chicagofashionfoundation.com
Poet and Saint Ann's Review Board member Jendi Reiter (not necessarily the greatest example of a portfolio website, but hey...) critiques poems and short stories from Winning Writers' newsletter subscribers. Critiques include not just an opinion of your work, but suggestions for where to shop your work and what contests to enter.
The website also includes a nice list of website for poets and writers to use as a resource when pursuing their publishing ambitions. Good good stuff.
