#he would put a very classy black and white photo on the back panel of the book

[qeyond]

Did I ever tell y'all that when I was a teen I was trying to write a fan fic about B before he did the LABB murders and I worked so hard on it and I put so much love and heart into it and it was very over dramatic and emo because it was like also a diary. But the thing I did was I made it B writing about himself (he wrote the fanfic) and then I also titled the fan fic "Just Being B". Like why does it sound like a sitcom, on paper reads like a sitcom, but is actually a hard, emotional retell of B's harrowing past and pains and horrors and all these fucked up reasons why he wanted to do the LABB crimes?

Anyway, Beyond Birthday possessed me to write his clown ass autobiography when I was 13 and he really loved doing it.

[rkwendy]

Son PD in the House | Solo

Son Seungwan - Nova Entertainment January 2018 Evaluation - Creative Direction  Concepts Pitched: Girls: FM - Crayon Pop, Freeze - Momoland, Good Night - Dreamcatcher, Closer - Oh My Girl,  Boys: MAMA - EXO, Error - VIXX, Overcome - NU’EST, Bounce - Boyfriend

Wendy’s not going to lie. She’s had some interest in taking part in some artistic direction ever since one of her coaches jokingly told her that it’s a skill that will bring her one step closer to being a future entertainment company CEO. Now that she has the chance to learn a new skill, Wendy is going to take it. She may have gotten into Nova for her singing skills, but she has improved her composing and producing skills as well. She likes to think she’s one of Nova’s more creatively inclined trainees, so she might as well challenge herself and make that leap. 

The lecture discusses how several factors come into play when trying to come up with a concept to promote artists with. It has to be one that fits the theme and mood of the song, as well as the image the company wishes to push onto the artists. One must also consider styling, makeup, choreography, the narrative (if there is any), and of course, the budget they have. However, she has also been told that having connections helps as well despite the lack of funds.  

The instructor then challenges them all to come up with ideas their future groups can possibly promote with. Wendy frowns at the notebook in front of her, contemplating the possible ideas the Nova Girls can debut with. 

From what she knows of the rest of her unnies at Nova, they would all rather die than do a cutesy school-girl concept. Besides, they’re all too old to wear school uniforms. The only ones who can probably pass as high schoolers are Chaeyoung, Meiqi, and herself. She immediately throws that idea out the window. However, somewhat cute concepts are still public-friendly, so Wendy has to think of something cute without being cringe-worthy. She glances over to a moon-shaped clock when it hits her.

OF COURSE. 

She laughs as she remembers the running joke about them being a bunch of Sailor Scouts out to protect CEO Hyun Bin from evil. She scribbles a few ideas, such as each girl having an assigned Sailor Scout and superpower, or at least a corresponding color. Later at home, she comes up with makeup swatches for each of the girls. Since they refuse to come across as too childish, Wendy also suggests that their outfits aren’t the short sailor scout uniforms but sleek jumpsuits. 

The instructor sees her notes during the next meeting. “You’ll have to make a few adjustments,” she says. “The outfits and makeup you’re thinking of are too chic and mature for the sailor scout theme. You will all look pretty, but it throws away the innocence of youth associated with watching Sailor Moon.” 

Wendy’s hopes drop a little bit. So much for her first venture. But this is part of the learning process. “I wanted to try something that was age appropriate for both us and was public-friendly,” she admits. 

“I heard rumors that the young women of Nova would all rather commit some version of seppuku than act cute. I guess they’re true,” the instructor chuckles at Wendy. “However, it’s what the public likes. Now you as an artistic director and artist, have a challenge to satisfy that demand while making sure your group members don’t stage a riot.” 

Wendy sighs. It’s back to the drawing board. 

She stares at the notebook for the rest of the night, trying to think of how she can satisfy what the instructor wants while making sure it’s something the rest of the girls will enjoy doing. ... what if she matches the concept with a song? After all, most concepts are part of the story the single they’re promoting is trying to tell. But what kind of song will fit a sailor scout concept? 

She flips to a channel on TV, watching a Japanese kids’ show in attempt to improve her Japanese. The childish voices and squeals blast against her ears, reminding her of cutesy magical girls and Power Rangers... However, those Power Rangers were also hilarious. As a young adult, she finds herself drawn to the plot despite being a kids’ show... 

HOLY SHIT. 

Wendy looks at her initial proposal, then at the TV screen. She switches out the fancy jumpsuits in favor of Power-Rangers-inspired outfits and boots. The glamorous makeup is abandoned in favor of natural looks.  

When she presents the revisions to the instructor the next day, all she receives in a loud bark of laughter in terms of feedback. “This is a lot more fun than the first one. It’s still not perfect, but this one will give your group a unique flavor if you go with this.” 

“I’d like to see what else you can come up with by the end of the month.”

After submitting their initial assignments, the instructor then challenges them to come up with other concepts to present by the end of the month. They are given random, lyric-less, 30-second tracks to think of concepts for. “You will demonstrate what you’ve learned by presenting four different boy group and girl group concepts. You may include your first assignment in your final presentation. Make sure they are as different from each other as possible.”

It’s D-Day and it’s finally Wendy’s turn to present. This is just like being back in one of her advertising management classes. She has to present the concepts she has come up with. The first track she gets is one that reminds her of those video games Chanshik had tried teaching her to play but she never truly mastered.  

“This magical girl and Power Rangers infused concept works well with the first demo track I was assigned,” she explains. She gestures to her slide, which had photos that she spent hours of Photoshop on. She would have very much liked to ask Seulgi to draw for her, but eight concepts when Seulgi had her own evaluations to think of. She’s NOT going to subject her best friend to this. “The track itself is a fun, quirky sound, with hints of throwback, which is why I decided to assign a magical girl meets Power Rangers theme. It has super powers, fight scenes, and I imagine this to be one that has dancing. It will allow the artists to be cute and fun-loving without coming across as childish, but it will also fit a younger age group without making them seem too mature either. This concept is a free-for-all one.” 

She then justifies her choice of a marionette and carnival theme for the second track easily. “It’s still fun, but it lacks the quirkiness of character the previous track has,” she adds. “The opening notes were too similar to what I heard at carnivals or circuses I attended and watched back in Canada. The marionettes concept is because Nova trains us to have good control of our limbs, and it might come out well in the choreography.” One instructor asks about her opinion for a lead character in the music video. “I think it would be nice to have either an established Nova sunbae or one of our popular male trainees with acting skills to make an appearance to support us.” When asked for suggestions, Wendy smiles. She also thought of this one. “MYNAME Chaejin sunbaenim, if not he, then Seyong sunbaenim.” She had to think strategically, which member was most likely to draw in music video views? As far as she knows MYNAME Chaejin and Seyong sunbaenim are the members best recognized for their acting even if Wendy’s heart says Insoo sunbaenim is the best and just needs to be given real acting jobs to prove himself. 

The third track she was assigned is a mellow, bordering on eerily calm. “I’m thinking of grown-up fairy tales for this one,” she says. “After all, most of these original fairy tales weren’t written for children, but for adults.” The track itself is almost dream-like and nostalgic, wishing for days that have been long gone. She explains this much. “It’s feminine and delicate. It is age-appropriate for younger performers and it is classy enough for the older performers. The stories I’m thinking of incorporating include Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, maybe a little bit of Greek mythology. Perhaps one girl to be the lead, while the rest are supporting characters." She then moves on to the slide that explains the concept of time. “I’m thinking that the narrative is about the passage of time, and the symbolism to go with the video can reflect it such as trees, clocks, and other things. The fairy tale element gives it a nostalgic, but still feminine feel. More than anything, I think this concept can be a reflective one... The nostalgia for lost youth...” When questioned why not use an actress to portray the character, Wendy simply smiles and has an answer she hopes is good enough. “Our members’ ages are fairly diverse. There’s a clear distinction and age gap between the eldest and the youngest. It’s not like we’re all the same age, I should think. Some of us have already lost the innocence of our youth some way, somehow...” Most of them, especially the unnies, have experienced hardships both in and out of Nova that have taught them to grow up faster than was expected. However, some of them also live pretty sheltered lives, thus preserving some of their youthful innocence. There will be a point that they will all wish for that youth again. “I think this is a concept that can speak to older fans, without alienating the younger fanbase.”            

She tries not to look at the panel of coaches when she prepares for her last track and concept combination. The rock-based track with electric guitar and drums is without a doubt the most fun Wendy had when coming up with concepts. Pop-rock is one of her favorite genres, so it’s not surprising she'd want this song for a future album. Concept-wise, she has a feeling that this might be the one the rest of the girls will also favor. “For this one, I went with a Gothic, Victorian horror-movie story,” she says. “I see the performers wearing black lace dresses and dark, almost vampy makeup. We can also go with the doll-like innocent look, which is a stark contrast to the story.” She puts up the next slide. “For this one, the story is about a group of spirits toying and messing with the head of a trapped human,” she narrates. “Eerie concepts are usually the soft type, yes? In this case, I’m thinking that the electric guitars and drums show how women are still powerful despite being trapped in unfavorable circumstances.”

Her boy concepts are up next. She presents a supernatural theme for the track that reminds her of that film The Priest. It’s violin heavy and sounds rather grand, so Wendy suggests assigning each Nova Boy to a superpower and that those powers can carry over to future concepts. There is heavy emphasis on them needing to wear cloaks that could make the dementors in Harry Potter jealous. 

Wendy is also aware of the running joke that outsiders think Nova trainees and artists are robots, which is why she pitches a robot concept. Particularly a dramatic concept that involves a scientist, his lover, and cyborgs. Wendy had two versions, a public-friendly, heterosexual love line and a yaoi love line. “I was thinking that it’s time we start acknowledging that LGBTQA+ people exist in society,” she admits when questioned by the panel for her choices. “It’s not for shock value, but this is to send a message that love is love, regardless of preference.”     

She also pitches a concept for wandering knights who go on a quest for their queen, and a darker version of Alice in Wonderland for her final two concepts.  

“You went the fictional route for the boy concepts,” one mentor said. “Most of these can spawn... fan-created material. Is this your goal? After all, we are aware that fans seem to write and draw the male members they see as a couple...” 

Wendy refrains from chuckling at her panelist. It’s also not a secret that she’s read real-person fanfiction. After all, it has become a part of fandom culture. However embarrassing it is to read about yourself in fictional scenarios and hypothetical relationships with your members, as idols, they also perhaps have to give the fans what they want once in a while. Wendy remembers how some of the best fanfiction she’s read were inspired by concepts the artists were promoting with. She’d love to have played a part in fueling the fans’ imagination and honing their own talents in art, writing, and any other medium fans unleash their creativity. 

“I personally see fan-created content as their way of expressing how much they love and admire their idols,” she admits. “To be able to come up with a concept that fuels their creativity to write beautifully worded, moving novels or to home their drawing skills would be an honor as a creative director.” 

[doxampage]

Brochure Printing: Producing a Gatefold Brochure

A print brokering client of mine who is a graphic designer has a new client, a local restaurateur. That means I, too, have a new client. The first commercial printing job I won from this new client is an eight-page gatefold brochure selling the food and service for the restaurant. I’m excited.

The Brochures

This particular client of mine, the designer, is very easy to work with, in part because she is so complete in her descriptions of her jobs. To begin the bidding process she sent me not only written specs for the job but also a PDF version of an early draft of the brochure showing color and type placement, bleeds, and folding.

The job is 16” x 6” flat, folded to 4” x 6” final size, with the two outer flaps folding in to the center. This is what makes it a gatefold, just as the name implies. After some discussion with the commercial printing vendor, my client and I decided to put the job on a white, uncoated press sheet (Accent Opaque). Specifically, we chose this stock over a fancier paper to ensure that, with the complexity of the folds, the paper would not be likely to crack (as might have been the case with an eggshell or felt finish paper stock).

We decided the paper should be 100# cover stock to ensure that the folded brochure will be thick enough to meet the US Postal Service regulations for automation, to make sure the overall heft of the folded brochure will project a serious and opulent tone for the restaurant client, and yet to make sure the weight of the folded piece will not unduly raise the cost of postage.

My client requested pricing for 1,000; 1,500; and 2,000 brochures.

What makes her mock-up so useful is that it shows the amount and placement of process color on her client’s gatefold brochure. You can see in the PDF sample that the interior of the brochure will have a white background, a row of small color photos across the bottom of the four panels, text, and scattered headlines reversed out of slanted strips of color. The two outside, or rear-facing, panels of the brochure will be light brown, with all brochure cover copy and the back mailing panel printed in black type with black line art. Finally, the fold-in panels of the gatefold are light blue with black surprinted text and line art reversed to white.

With this unfolded visual representation of the brochure as a PDF, I could visualize the final printed and folded brochure, and the offset printer could do the same.

Considerations for the Print Job

I have already mentioned the reasons behind the choice of the paper stock, regarding the physical requirements of the Post Office (size, folding, and placement of the address and other postal information). In your own print design and print buying work, to ensure adherence to postal regulations (i.e., to make sure that the Post Office will mail your job), it is wise to have a business reply mail specialist at your Post Office review a mock-up of your job. He or she can make sure it will be the right size, aspect ratio, and thickness when folded; that the folds will be in the right place to ensure machinability; that the wafer seals or fugitive glue seals will be in the right place; and that there won’t be any surprise surcharges (or worse) due to design or printing problems. It’s always best to get the blessing of the business mail specialist before you print the job.

In addition, it’s always good to get the commercial printing supplier’s feedback regarding the foldability of the paper based on its surface formation in order to avoid any paper cracking.

But there are other things to consider as well.

For instance, the outermost panels fold in and touch in the middle of the brochure. For this to happen smoothly, the two outermost panels must be slightly shorter than the two innermost panels, or they will bump into each other when the brochure is folded. To be safe, in a situation like this, it is always wise to ask the custom printing vendor just how large to make each panel, to make sure the columns of copy fall in the right place (vis-à-vis the folds) and to make sure the folds are also appropriately placed.

Another thing to consider is the benefit of this particular format: the gatefold. In my client’s case, the first thing a recipient of the brochure will see is the gestural, freehand drawing of both the logotype and the restaurant image surprinted on the light brown background of the front cover. This will set a festive and casual tone.

Upon opening the two outer panels, the reader will see the two inner doors of the gatefold, and the light blue will provide a contrast to the outer light brown panels. Most probably the inner light blue will give a lightness to the piece after the more toned-down brown panels, and yet the similarity in style of the freehand drawings (reversed out of the light blue) will show a consistency of design style between the outer panels and the gatefold doors.

Finally, the reader will open up the brochure fully to display the interior. In this case the airy, white background will provide visual relief from the light, full-bleed brown and blue screens. And the slanted presentation of the headlines reversed out of the solids will provide a bouncy, informal tone to the interior, linking it with the exterior of the gatefold brochure.

This treatment of the headlines along with the horizontal line of photos along the base of the interior will provide contrast to the line drawings on the outer panels. But at the same time it will maintain the visual consistency of the brochure through its informal presentation.

With any luck, the reader will come away feeling hungry and ready to eat at this classy, upscale and fun restaurant.

What You Can Learn From This Case Study

Carefully plan out the interior and exterior space of a gatefold brochure. Think about the order in which the reader will see each chunk of information (image or text). How will the reader’s eye fall when she or he sees the closed brochure, then when she or he opens the outer panels, then when she or he opens the other panels. Ideally, when the reader reaches the interior of the gatefold brochure, the four innermost panels will be like a wide billboard, offering 6” x 16” of horizontal marketing space (or whatever other dimensions you choose).

Remember that the feel of the paper is important. Think about the appropriateness of coated or uncoated stock, but also think about the physical limitations of the paper. If the felt stock you absolutely adore will crack when folded, choose a more appropriate paper.

Always include the US Post Office in your design decisions. If something is wrong (anything from the folded size, to the placement of the folds, to the aspect ratio, to the placement of the type), your job could be unmailable, or it could incur a surcharge. Find this out and fix it before you print.

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