Show Case

Rafael Jaen has a vast experience in portfolio development and has been presenting workshops on this subject matter for the last 10 years -his audiences have included high-school students, undergraduate students, teachers and professionals in the field. He was originally an architecture student in the Universidad Central de Venezuela (his country of origin), there he began his interest in theater and portfolios in 1978 while working with small theater groups. Eventually, he entered his design work in a competition and won a scholarship to study Theatrical Design in the USA. He applied to New York University and was accepted after a successful portfolio review--even though he didn't speak English yet! While in school, Mr. Jaen worked as a designer and assistant designer for different companies. His mentors (Broadway Designers/ Technicians) showed him the importance of marketing and showcasing the designer's work in a comprehensive portfolio and with resumes and business cards. After graduation in the 80's Mr. Jaen worked as Design Associate and Costume Designer for different costume houses and companies in the USA and other countries. He also ran a successful Fashion business dedicated to haute couture--bridal and tailoring. For it, he developed different portfolio-books showcasing design styles with cut sheets and fabric swatches. In the 90's he began a fruitful collaboration with Emerson College, developing a very successful costume program. Eventually, because of his impressive portfolio, he was offered a position as Emerson Stage's Resident Costume Designer. He started to teach at Emerson College and became the Costume Area Head. While at Emerson he developed a series of portfolio workshops to assist undergraduate students apply to graduate school. He has expanded on these workshops and has been presenting them in various conferences (all over the country) including the USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo. Mr. Jaen has degrees in Theater Design

• Part 1 What is a Design-Tech Portfolio?; Chapter 1 What is a Design-Tech Portfolio?; Chapter 2 Traditional Portfolio Development Techniques; Chapter 3 The Effective Showcase; Chapter 4 Types of Portfolios; Chapter 5 Portfolio Development Techniques Do’s and Don’ts; Part 2 What is an Electronic Portfolio?; Chapter 6 The Effective Digital Portfolio; Chapter 7 Digital Portfolio Developing Techniques; Chapter 8 Digital Portfolio Do’s and Don’ts; Part 3 Presenting and Marketing the Portfolio; Chapter 9 Portfolio Presentation Techniques; Chapter 10 Portfolio Presentation Techniques Do’s and Don’ts; Chapter 11 Design-Tech Résumés, CVS, Business Cards, and Stationery; Chapter 12 Design-Tech Résumés, CVs, Business Cards, and Stationery Do’s and Don’ts; Part 4 Portfolio Maintenance and Next Steps; Chapter 13 Establishing Goals and Reviewing, Choosing, and Updating Work; Chapter 14 Self-Assessment; Chapter 15 Planning for the Next Job; Chapter 16 Words of Wisdom: Do’s and Don’ts Highlight Summary; Part 5 Contributors First Edition; Chapter 17 Contributor Bios, First Edition (2006); Chapter 18 Contributor Bios, Second Edition (2012);

"Jaen helps readers assess the success of their portfolios and interview abilities, in order to further refine their materials, a great reminder that our portfolios are never done. I will return to this book with frequency as I update my own portfolio, encourage my students to own a copy, and use it in my classes. Show Case is an outstanding resource."--Theatre Design & Technology