Portfolio and Interview Guide Completing your application for the Faculty of Creative Industries www.southwales.ac.uk
Completing your application for the Faculty of Creative Industries Introduction If you are reading this brochure, you have probably already chosen a creative course that you would like to study at the University of South Wales, but may have some queries about the entry criteria for your preferred programme. Applicants to the majority of our courses are required to take part in an interview, or present a portfolio, and this brochure is designed to help you with this stage of your application. As an international student we do not expect you to visit us in person for your interview instead we can interview you via Skype or telephone. The interview process is different depending on the course for which you have applied. Some courses require you to take part in auditions, prepare a portfolio or complete a short test. Once again, as an international student, we understand that it may not be practical for you to visit us in person, or physically show us examples of your work, so we can help you to do this electronically. Equally, if you would like to complete the interview process in person, you are more than welcome to visit your chosen campus, and we would be very happy to help arrange this. 2 University of South Wales
What will the tutor be expecting at interview? Our tutors use the interview process to decide if you are suitable to take part in your chosen course. Our tutors look for genuine interest and enthusiasm in their subject at interview, but their exact requirements can be very different depending on which subject you have chosen to study. This is why this brochure is divided into different subject areas that explain exactly what tutors from each course will expect from you at interview. While it may seem a daunting process, the interview is a good opportunity for you to present yourself in the best possible way. It is not always possible to say everything you want to in a paper application, particularly for practical creative courses. Taking part in an interview and preparing a portfolio can provide you with an opportunity to shine. The interview also gives you a chance to ask extra questions and to make sure that your chosen course is right for you. And please don t worry; we are here every step of the way to help you. Completing and Submitting your Portfolio As this guide demonstrates, you are required to submit a portfolio to support your application for many of our creative courses. This is because such courses often require students to have strong artistic or design abilities. Your portfolio can be submitted electronically by uploading it to a file sharing website such as Dropbox. Alternatively, you can provide us with a link to our own website if you have one. If you choose to upload your work to a secure website, please remember to provide us with any passwords we may need to access your work. The portfolio should be tailored towards the course for which you have chosen to apply and should be a carefully constructed selection of your work, preferably produced during your most recent course of study or gained through additional courses or work experience. This guide will assist you by explaining how to tailor and adapt your portfolio to suit your chosen academic course, and highlight the types of relevant examples that we will expect from you. www.southwales.ac.uk 03455 76 77 78 +44 (0)1443 654 450 3
Completing your application for the Faculty of Creative Industries School of Art and Design Foundation Diploma in Art and Design BA (Hons) Art Practice You will be required to submit a portfolio to support your application whether you are applying for the three-year BA Art Practice course or the one-year Foundation Art and Design course. We would be delighted to offer places to students who have strong artistic and design abilities. Your portfolio should contain a representative selection of your work, preferably produced during your most recent course of study. You should include examples of: observational drawing evidence of design and thought processes photographs of any 2D or 3D work that you have produced All work should be well organised and presented. Your portfolio can be submitted electronically by uploading it to a file sharing website such as Dropbox. Alternatively, you can provide us with a link to our own website if you have one. After you have submitted your portfolio, we will contact you to arrange an interview to discuss the content of the portfolio, and explore your interests in the subject. This can take place over Skype or telephone if you are unable to attend our campus in person. During the interview you should be prepared to discuss your work and the artists who have influenced you. If you have examples of formal written work relating to art and design it is useful to have these available to discuss during the interview. BA (Hons) Photography BA (Hons) Photojournalism BA (Hons) Documentary Photography You will be asked to submit a portfolio and take part in an interview as part of your application to these courses. This is to provide some evidence of your ability and interest in the field of photography. You may also be asked to provide examples of behind the scenes work, such as research material or a workbook, to show how your creative ideas were researched and developed. These items can either be uploaded electronically to a photo sharing website such as Flickr or a file sharing website such as Dropbox which supports large images. Alternatively, you can provide us with a link to our own website if you have one. If you choose to upload your work to a secure website, please remember to provide us with any passwords we may need to access your work. After the Tutor has examined your portfolio, we will contact you to arrange a short interview by either Skype or telephone. During the interview you will be asked to discuss the images in your portfolio, and to talk about your interest in the subject. If you have any examples of formal writing from your previous studies, it might be helpful to keep these examples nearby during your interview, and inform the tutor, so that you can discuss them. 4 University of South Wales
BA (Hons) Fashion Design You will be asked to take part in an interview and submit a portfolio of your work before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. Your portfolio is your chance to demonstrate your skill and artistic flair in the area of design. In submitting your portfolio for this course, you should aim to demonstrate the following to the tutor: The ability to gather quality research with breadth and depth, and the development of this research through a variety of media (2D, 3D) An understanding of the importance of fabric and materials in the design process The ability to communicate your ideas visually, in whatever sense is true to you as an individual, and with a high level of aesthetic consideration Evidence of practical work either photographed in-situ or being worn by a model, to provide context Your creative and cultural tastes and inspirations. This should include work you have produced in your own time (outside of your current/previous course) Evidence of the ability to write critically through a short essay Your portfolio can be submitted electronically by uploading it to a file sharing website such as Dropbox. Alternatively, you can provide us with a link to our own website if you have one. If you choose to upload your work to a secure website, please remember to provide us with any passwords we may need to access your work. Your interview can take place via Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. The purpose of the interview is to demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm and knowledge of the industries related to your chosen course. Our fashion tutors will be looking for students who can actively contribute to the course. They expect applicants to have an original approach to their work and a natural enthusiasm for fashion. Above all your portfolio and interview should communicate your personality, ideas and thoughts about fashion both visually and verbally. BA (Hons) Fashion Promotion In submitting your portfolio for this course, you should aim to demonstrate the following to the tutor: An understanding of, and interest in, the international and UK-based fashion industry and fashion brands; Your ability to visually communicate with audiences/potential consumers, including social media platforms; The level of your digital/hand visualisation skills; Use of quality research with breadth and depth; Your personal tastes and interests across the industry, including alternative fashion narratives; The ability to communicate in writing. If you do not already have a suitable piece of writing that relates to fashion, you could consider, for example, writing a Blog piece on a fashion topic of your choice. It is important that the written work is well laid out with appropriate images to illustrate the topic being discussed. Tutors do not need to see garments or textiles, so don t worry about posting them to the UK. If you do have garments, we would prefer that you undertake a project that shows how you would promote the product to a buyer. This could include one of the following: a fashion shoot; an advertisement; a short film clip; packaging designs; or brand and logo development. The most important point to remember is that Tutors want to see that you think creatively and can communicate your ideas and thoughts about fashion in 3 ways visually, verbally and in writing. Tutors are looking for students that will actively contribute to the course and have an original approach to their work, so try to communicate that through your portfolio. After submitting your portfolio, you will then have the chance to expand on this, and further demonstrate your skills through an interview, which can be arranged via Skype or telephone, if you are unable to visit our campus in person. www.southwales.ac.uk 03455 76 77 78 +44 (0)1443 654 450 5
Completing your application for the Faculty of Creative Industries School of Art and Design BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing and Retail Design If you have or are undertaking either a Design-related A-level or qualification, please follow the portfolio preparation guidelines provided above for Fashion Promotion. If you do not have a portfolio, consider one of the following suggestions as an alternative: A) Brand Analysis: Research a fashion retailer of your choice and communicate your findings visually, verbally and in writing; Examples of visual communication: photographs from store visits, screen shots of online stores, examples of advertising and other marketing material, clear images of typical products; Written communication: Annotation of images, bullet points highlighting key findings, blog entry discussing the brand s collections/stock, SWOT analysis; Verbal communication: be prepared to discuss your findings in your interview. B) Conducting a SWOT analysis: Strengths what do you think the brand is best at, what are they known for and what do they do well? Weaknesses What don t they do well, what could they do better? Strengths and weaknesses can be controlled by the company; Opportunities within the fashion market where can you see opportunities for the brand? This could relate to physical stores, online retailing, product ranges, collaborations etc. Threats identify main competitors and consider external factors that could cause problems in the future; Opportunities and threats cannot be controlled by the company, but they must react to them in an appropriate way. C) Retail Design Research: Investigate the latest trends in retail design using websites such as thecoolhunter.net, coolhunting.com, and wallpaper.com. Please bring your research to discuss at the interview. BA (Hons) Interior Design Tutors would like to receive a portfolio to support the application, and expect to see good evidence of art and design skills. These may be from a background in graphics, fine art, textiles or another related art discipline. The work you present should show an ability and interest in general art practice. All good Interior Design work comes from creativity and flair borne from artistic endeavour. We teach the fundamental skills of Interior Design, orthographic drawing and CAD. We do not expect technical drawing work in your portfolio submission, but it does help if you have some experience and knowledge of technical conventions. Within your portfolio you are trying to express an interest in 3D Space and Object; you are trying to express a passion for the interior environment. One suggestion would be to create something on Sketch up Free to include in your portfolio, or develop a series of freehand interior sketches. Interviews can be conducted via Skype, if necessary, and are approximately 20 minutes long. BA (Hons) Graphic Communication You will be required to submit a portfolio in order to demonstrate your strong artistic and design abilities. This portfolio can be submitted electronically by uploading it to a file sharing website such as Dropbox. Alternatively, you can provide us with a link to our own website if you have one. If you choose to upload your work to a secure website, please remember to provide us with any passwords we may need to access your work. Your portfolio should be a carefully constructed selection of your work, preferably produced during your most recent course of study. You should include examples of: observational drawing and artistic ability typography projects evidence of design and thought processes, which could be demonstrated through sketchbooks or scrapbooks technical drawings (if appropriate) photographs of any 3D work that you have produced Your portfolio can also include any personal work or projects that you feel are relevant to the course for which you are applying, regardless of whether or not they are related to your current studies. After you have submitted your portfolio, we will contact you to arrange an interview to discuss the content of the portfolio, and explore your interests further. This can take place over Skype or telephone if you are unable to attend our campus in person. 6 University of South Wales
BA (Hons) Advertising Design BA (Hons) Illustration You will be required to submit a portfolio in order to demonstrate your strong artistic and design abilities. The course leader is looking for evidence for your passion for the subject. We are not prescriptive about the content of the portfolio, but would like to see evidence such as drawing and illustration techniques, and see the original ideas that you can demonstrate. This portfolio can be submitted electronically by uploading it to a file sharing website such as Dropbox. Alternatively, you can provide us with a link to our own website if you have one. If you choose to upload your work to a secure website, please remember to provide us with any passwords we may need to access your work. After you have submitted your portfolio, we will contact you to arrange an interview to discuss its content and explore your interests further. This can take place over Skype or telephone, if you are unable to attend our campus in person. You should be prepared to discuss your work and the designers, and/or artists who have influenced you during the interview. BA (Hons) Television and Film Set Design You will be required to submit a portfolio to support your application, to demonstrate your strong artistic and design abilities. Your portfolio could demonstrate examples of the following: observational drawing evidence of design and thought processes technical drawings (manual and computer-aided design) photographs of any 3D work that you have produced, which are relevant to this subject area Your portfolio can be submitted electronically by uploading it to a file sharing website such as Dropbox. Alternatively, you can provide us with a link to our own website if you have one. After you have submitted your portfolio, we will contact you to arrange an interview to discuss the content of the portfolio, and explore your interests further. This can take place over Skype or telephone, if you prefer, and will last for approximately 30 minutes. www.southwales.ac.uk 03455 76 77 78 +44 (0)1443 654 450 7
Completing your application for the Faculty of Creative Industries School of Media BA (Hons) Computer Animation BA (Hons) Game Art BA (Hons) Computer Games Design BA (Hons) Animation (2D and Stop Motion) BA (Hons) Visual Effects and Motion Graphics You are expected to provide a portfolio for all the above courses, to support your application. Your portfolio can include any personal work or projects that you feel are relevant to the courses above, regardless of whether or not they are related to your current studies. You may wish to demonstrate examples of: observational drawing evidence of design and thought processes technical drawings (if appropriate) photographs of any 3D work that you have produced You may also wish to include examples of 2D or 3D CG work. After you have submitted your portfolio, we will contact you to arrange an interview to discuss the content of the portfolio, and explore your interests further. This can take place over Skype or telephone if you are unable to attend our campus in person. You should be prepared to discuss your work and the designers, animators and/or artists who have influenced you during the interview. BA (Hons) Computer Games Enterprise Your portfolio can include any personal work or projects that you feel are relevant to this course, regardless of whether or not they are related to your current studies. You may wish to provide some examples of this work to boost your application. This could include examples of: Game making in any format; Proposals for games level/world designs (including high concept); Mod making; Research/design/development in the areas of game mechanics/ features; Written samples of personal game character development and game play worlds and mechanisms; A short written outline of your personal interests, game play interests and motivation for pursuing a career in the games industry as a games designer. Even if you only have experience of the above as part of a group project then please let us know, and give details of your personal contribution to the project. This portfolio can be submitted electronically by sending us a link to a file sharing website such as Dropbox, or by sending us a link to your website, if you have one. After you have submitted your portfolio, we will contact you to arrange an interview to discuss the content of the portfolio, and explore your interests further. This can take place over Skype or telephone if you are unable to attend our campus in person. You should be prepared to discuss your work and the industry professionals, individuals or companies, who have influenced you during the interview. 8 University of South Wales
BA (Hons) Film BA (Hons) Documentary Film and Television We would like you to submit examples of your work for us to see (via Youtube, Vimeo, Flickr or any other means) to support your application for the above courses. This may include any films that you have already made (or participated in) or any other relevant material, for example, scripts, photos, or artwork. You may then be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. This can take place by Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. During your interview you will be asked to talk about your portfolio work, and your reasons for wishing to study on the above courses, in particular. The interview may last for approximately 30 minutes. BA (Hons) Journalism As a journalist, the ability to communicate effectively with other people is very important. As a result, you will be required to undertake an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. The interview will take no longer than 20 minutes and can be carried out either by Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. During the interview, we may discuss the possibility of sending us some additional examples of media work, such as written work, audio or video, to further support your application. Our journalism tutors are looking for students with the right combination of determination,enthusiasm, ability and a natural curiosity about the world around them. You should also be aware that if English is not your first language, the IELTS score requirement for this course is higher than the usual University requirement, due to the need for stronger and clearer communication skills. We require evidence of a minimum of IELTS 7.0, with a minimum sub-score of 5.5 in each category. BA (Hons) Radio BA (Hons) Media Production BA (Hons) Media, Culture and Journalism BA (Hons) Film Studies You will be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. The purpose of the interview is for the tutor to assess your passion, enthusiasm and suitability for the course. The interview will take no longer than 20 minutes and can be carried out either by Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. During the interview, we may discuss the possibility of sending us some additional examples of media work, such as written work, audio or video, to further support your application. BSc (Hons) Media Technology You will be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. This can take place by Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. The purpose of the interview is to demonstrate your interest, enthusiasm and knowledge of the industries related to your chosen course. Following the Skype or telephone interviews, you may be asked to submit examples of your past work, which could include evidence of your media skills, including audio or video. You can do this by e- mailing us a link to a sample of your film work on a video sharing website such as YouTube or Vimeo, or a link to your website if you have one, as requested by the tutor during your interview. It might be helpful to keep these examples of your work nearby during your interview, so that you can discuss them with the course tutor. www.southwales.ac.uk 03455 76 77 78 +44 (0)1443 654 450 9
Completing your application for the Faculty of Creative Industries School of Drama and Music BA (Hons) Theatre and Drama BA (Hons) Performance and Media BA (Hons) Performing Arts You will be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. This can take place by Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. The interview will last for between 20 and 30 minutes, and will take the form of a guided discussion, rather than a formal interview. You should prepare some thoughts about what interests you about your chosen course and the subject in general. Please ensure that you have read the online brochure and looked at the course and module details, so that you have a good idea of what is being offered and can discuss the course content. You should also be prepared to discuss a performance that you have seen recently which particularly fascinated or captivated you. For the BA (Hons) Performance & Media, and BA (Hons) Performing Arts course, this might be any film, play, live performance or web based production, whilst applicants for the BA (Hons) Theatre & Drama course should be able to discuss a recent theatre performance that you have seen. BA (Hons) Scriptwriting You will be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. This can take place by Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. Applicants are asked to provide an example of their own creative writing (which can be in any form, including scriptwriting, prose, poetry) in advance of the interview. You may wish to keep these examples nearby during the interview, as they may be used as a basis for discussion with the course leader. BA (Hons) Dance You will be asked to audition before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer, as the Course Leader would like to analyse your technique and performance skills. For students who are based overseas, this evidence could be provided by submitting evidence of a live performance in which you have starred, which you feel demonstrates your abilities, via a DVD, or providing a link to a website or file sharing site. Solo work can also be demonstrated via Skype / video conference, where the course leader may ask you to perform to the camera. BA (Hons) Popular Music BA (Hons) Creative Sound and Music As a creative musician, the ability to communicate your ideas, both in performance and in conversation, is essential and these courses have been designed to enable you to develop your career across a range of music and sound related employment opportunities. Thus, our aim is to find out about your current ideas and skills. The fundamental components for the above courses are composition and performance, so we expect candidates to have some idea or plan for how their music can work in front of an audience, although at this stage we understand that this may be only in the early stages for some candidates, hence the emphasis on gauging your ideas as well as your skills. During an audition we require candidates to play an original piece of music unaccompanied by a backing track, so if you re a singer, guitarist, bassist, pianist, drummer, violinist, saxophonist etc, then you will need to put together a 3-4 minute composition that can be performed by yourself. If you are a singer-songwriter, then we d like to hear one of your songs. If you make electronic music we would like to see you perform this in some way, either by using performance hardware (such as a Novation Launchpad or Push controller), by performing a live mix of one of your tracks using a laptop, or making use of other hardware such as turntables, CDJs, homemade electronics etc. If you are unable to attend in person, the interview can take place via Skype or telephone, and you can either send us a video recording of your audition piece via an online sharing site such as WeTransfer or Dropbox, or send us a link to a YouTube / Vimeo clip. If you ve made music for other media (such as soundtracks, games, adverts etc) and this is an area that you d like to continue to work on, then we d like to see some examples of your previous work, but please also come prepared to talk about how you see this developing in the future with regard to the opportunities offered by the growing interactive media market of smart phones and tablets. In addition, here are some other points for you to consider as you prepare for your interview: Why do you want to study Creative Sound and Music or Popular Music at USW in particular? How will this degree help you develop your career plans? What would you like to be doing in 5 years time? What experience do you have of making and playing music outside of education? (eg, public performance, promotion of events, volunteer work, commercial work etc) 10 University of South Wales
What are your main musical inspirations/role models/reference points? What are you listening to at the moment? What are you reading at the moment? What was the last gig that you went to and what did you like/not like about it? The combined interview and audition usually lasts for approximately 20-30 minutes. BA (Hons) Music Business BSc (Hons) Music Technology BSc (Hons) Sound Technology You do not have to take part in an audition for these courses. However, you will be asked to take part in an interview before we can fully consider your application or make you an offer. This can take place by Skype or telephone if you are unable to visit our campus. The purpose of the interview is for the tutor to assess your passion, enthusiasm and suitability for the course. It is also a chance for you to ask questions, and to ensure that you are applying for the best course to meet your own career ambitions and interests. Here are some other points for you to consider as you prepare for your interview: Why do you want to study Music or Sound Technology, or Music Business at the University of South Wales in particular? How will this degree help you develop your career plans? What would you like to be doing in 5 years time? What experience do you have of making and playing music outside of education? (eg, public performance, promotion of events, volunteer work, commercial work etc) What are your main musical inspirations/role models/reference points? What are you listening to at the moment? What are you reading at the moment? What was the last gig that you went to and what did you like/not like about it? BMus (Hons) Contemporary Music Performance This course has been designed to enable you to improve your performance skills across a range of musical styles and, as such, during the audition, you will be required to demonstrate an effective level of musical ability. You should do this by playing a prepared piece of music of your own choosing that reflects your performance skills and musical tastes, either vocally or with a musical instrument. As part of this audition, you will also be asked to sit an aural test, and a harmony and theory test which, again, can be undertaken via Skype if you cannot physically attend our campus. These short tests require you to demonstrate your understanding of basic musical features and musical theory concepts, as these will be essential in order for you to be able to successfully pass the course. The audition/interview process for Contemporary Music Performance usually lasts approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. The interview will last for approximately 20 minutes. www.southwales.ac.uk 03455 76 77 78 +44 (0)1443 654 450 11
Enquiries and Admissions Call: 03455 76 77 78 (UK) Call: +44 (0)1443 654 450 (Overseas) Visit: www.southwales.ac.uk The University of South Wales works with educational agents all over the world, appointing local advisers near you, who can provide additional advice. For a full list of these agents, please visit our International Office s website, and choose your country of origin: www.southwales.ac.uk/international/visits If you have any questions, I would be delighted to help you. Please contact Rhian Curtis, International Recruitment and Development Manager on: rhian.curtis@southwales.ac.uk Design: USW Print & Design 01443 482 677 The University of South Wales is a registered charity. Registration No. 1140312.