How to Make a Lighting Design Portfolio

A portfolio is required to get lighting design jobs. The portfolio will represent your work to potential employers. The quality of the portfolio will demonstrate the quality of the work you are capable of, which may be as important as the interview itself.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choose the work to represent in your portfolio carefully. There work in your portfolio should not only be your best work, but should vary to show your range of talents as a lighting designer.

2. Represent all styles of lighting. This is the most important thing to consider when putting together a portfolio. Represent plays with realistic lighting, with dream-like lighting or dance recitals with highly stylized lighting.

3. Include photographs of your work. The photos need to be large, color and good quality. Make sure the photos have actors in them. The most important job of a lighting designer is to make the actors visible. If a design doesn't work well with actors, it doesn't work at all.

4. Add renderings and sketches in the portfolio next to the photos. This will show potential employers how the designs translate into reality. Sketches for lighting design are on black paper. Show scene changes and transitions in lighting.

5. Have light plots on hand to show the director. Do not display them in the portfolio, but a technically-minded employer may want to see them.