Portfolio and Professional Practice
Editing and presenting a professional portfolio, finding clients and representation, pricing and licensing work, funding and networks, and planning a sustainable creative career.
VIS-410 Year 4 3 credits 12 lessons · 5 h 38 min
Offered by HSM University · Visual Media Foundations
This is the Canadian version of this course. See the American version.
What you'll learn
- Define the purpose and audience of a portfolio and identify what commercial clients, galleries, juries and employers each look for
- Edit hundreds of candidate images into a consistent portfolio using staged culls, weighted criteria and outside critique
- Sequence and pair images intentionally and produce print, book, PDF and tablet formats that meet professional specifications
- Plan and maintain a fast, accessible portfolio website with honest search practices, image metadata and appropriate copyright protection
- Use social media and newsletters strategically, measure results that lead to work and follow Canadian and US commercial email law
- Research markets and approach clients, reps, stock agencies, editors and galleries through targeted, tracked outreach
- Price commissions, licences and limited editions, interpret gallery and consignment terms and compare exhibition rights in Canada and the United States
- Write competitive grant and residency applications with realistic budgets and timelines using Canadian and US funding sources
- Evaluate competitions, festivals and portfolio reviews by cost, expected value, jurors and rights terms
- Choose and use professional associations and networks, and describe copyright enforcement options in both countries
- Build an income model, cash buffer, tax reserve, insurance, wellbeing and archive plan for a sustainable creative career
- Produce a professional portfolio package and a measurable one-year practice plan with quarterly reviews
Course content
12 lessons · 5 h 38 min total · final exam
- 1 What a portfolio is for 28 min · quiz
- 2 Editing a portfolio 29 min · quiz
- 3 Sequencing and presentation formats 28 min · quiz
- 4 Websites and online portfolios 27 min · quiz
- 5 Social media and newsletters as professional tools 29 min · quiz
- 6 Finding clients, agents, reps and galleries 27 min · quiz
- 7 Pricing, licensing and contracts for creative work 29 min · quiz
- 8 Grants, residencies and public funding 27 min · quiz
- 9 Competitions, festivals and portfolio reviews 26 min · quiz
- 10 Professional networks and associations 26 min · quiz
- 11 Sustaining a creative career 32 min · quiz
- 12 Capstone: a professional portfolio package and one-year practice plan 30 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Editing and presenting a professional portfolio, finding clients and representation, pricing and licensing work, funding and networks, and planning a sustainable creative career.
Part of the Film & Photography stream, typically taken in year 4.