Who: William Bloodgood, Senior Lecturer, Design and Technology
School: University of Texas at Austin
City: Austin, Texas

What should candidates look for in a training program? And what unique qualities do you think candidates would find at UT-Austin?

Applicants to graduate programs in theatrical design need to find a school that will provide a well-rounded program to prepare them for the fast-changing environment of the entertainment world and all its related fields. Aspiring designers need to be prepared for potential work in live performance as well as film, television, themed attractions, events, and exhibits—any medium where story and character are the foundation of the work.
Using theatre and dance performance as the working models, the UT Austin Department of Theatre and Dance offers M.F.A. candidates instruction in both analog and digital techniques, all the while emphasizing the future designer as an inventive, entrepreneurial artist who will be prepared to generate new work and new working opportunities. Graduate students in design and technology work together in a space dedicated to them that allows for the sharing of ideas and mutual growth.

What has been one of your favorite productions at UT-Austin and why?
A recent production of In the Red and Brown Water demonstrated the kind of collaborative production opportunities that are available in the department—combining spoken word, dance, scenery, costume, lighting, and projections all in the enhancement of a narrative script.

What is your favorite thing about Austin?
Austin, Texas is a booming, fun, high-energy capital city that is home to a great university, a center for film and television production, a well-known live music scene, and an important center for technical research and development (including computer software and video gaming). It is now the 12th-largest city in the U.S. and growing. Two events, especially, mark its identity—the Austin City Limits Festival of music and the South by Southwest Festival of film, interactive technology, and music both showcase Austin as a vibrant center for the arts, for new ideas, and for new industry. It’s a cool town.