Samuel Oates

Education

Equipment

My Equipment/Kit:

I can use:

About me

From an early age I had in an interest in artistic and creative activities and through Senior School attended Art clubs and extra curricular activities that inspired me to peruse my artistic ambition. Upon being accepted into Birmingham Orminston Academy (BOA) I have had many doors open in my favour allowing me to dive head first into the life of the academy seizing every opportunity to grow, not only as a skilled practitioner, but also as a person. It is at BOA that I have honed my ability to work effectively in a team environment; not to mention increasing my capacity to handle multiple projects at once.

I believe that I would be a valuable asset to any environment as I am active in many areas like prosthetic makeup, scenic painting, set construction and design and props. I am a hard-working and determined individual who strives to deliver a consistently high standard at all times, continually aspiring to improve my knowledge and ability. I work well within a team setting, leveraging the skills and strengths of those around me to achieve a level of excellence beyond what is expected.

Safety has quickly become paramount for me since starting my journey of learning this craft. I was commissioned to create a realistic but safe katana for a ‘Kill Bill’ rendition of ‘Alice in WonderLand’ and a Rapier for ‘JoJo’ in ‘Suessical the Musical’. I had to make the Sword look as realistic as possible using metal and metal replicating techniques (Foiling). This forced me to look into rules and regulations not only regarding the profile and sharpness of the blade but also the transportation of said props. This has impacted the way I approach any given task even beyond my practice to find the safest ways of operating.

In my leisure time I have collaborated on a number of low-budget amateur films such as "The Package" and "Would you believe me" directed by Jack Veasey- Vassy productions, both are available to view on YouTube. In these I was able to showcase my skills as a makeup artist, set dresser and props maker as well as helping with the composition of and execution of the shots. Working at a low budget has it’s challenges, it forces me to think outside the box and creatively problem solve while working under pressure; inevitably building my personality and capacity within the work place.

This year I was allocated the role of Set Designer for “Sweeney Todd”. To fulfil my role I was expected to work to the Director’s brief and conceive the design for the scenic architecture. I started with conceptual sketches informed by the needs of the script, later converting this into a 3D CAD file in “Sketch Up” I had to learn this very quickly but I took to it like a fish to water. From this I created a 1:25 scale model of the set to allow the director to fully grasp the design as well as know how the furniture works within the scenery to create a given location. I then used my knowledge of colour theory and lighting design to communicate ideas with the lighting designer in order to create atmosphere to enhance each scene. This skill is the result of a childhood fascination with creating my own world and the objects that inhabit it.

I feel I would work confidently within the work place environment because I am persistent in growing my ability to produce a high standard of work and pride myself on going above and beyond.
Additional skills:
Colour matching
Painting portraiture and scenery
Metal working
Finishing techniques (wood grain, brick work and pattern replication)
Referees:
James Latham : removed

Skills

Secondary Job Title	Scenic Artist
Job Titles	Make-up Artist, Props Master, Prop Maker, Props Buyer, Props Assistant / Support, Set Artist / Designer, Set Builder
Years in industry	1 to 3 years