Flash Overall

Overall I think i struggled with this project,  I don't really like flash/dreamweaver. I found the coding really hard to do at the start. I thin the problem was that I didn't get what the codes meant, but after getting things explained to me I understood it a bit better. I think the main thing is that I just confused myself, but after Neil explained a much simpler way I found it slightly better to do, I still got confused to put where the codes go, and small things that weren't necessarily wrong but just little things that slowed me down a bit.

 I did have a lot of technical difficulties; layout was also a big thing to consider, as I needed my website had to look like my style, something that represents me asa designer. I decided to use my kind of collage style, I think that it showed a modern yet traditional style which is what I wanted to show- that i can be quite versatile.

Overall even though I found this challenging I did really enjoy it, it was something new, and even though I had problems throughout it is something I would definately consider doing in the future.

D&AD Crit with Hannah 2

Today we had another crit with Hannah, we showed our key idea and I think she really liked the idea.A point she made was about the tag- how were we going to fit in all the text?Did we need a stamp, and if so how were we going to place the amount of text we need on such a small surface?

What was our strapline?

Strap Line

We were really struggling with this to be honest, she said that most of your brief is fulfilled, but the gritty  part- but I didn't know what this meant, she said it meant that it's something that you know straight away what it means. So I think with our strap line this is what we need to fulfill. We had some ideas such as: "A key organisation in opening doors" something like that, and thought of words associated with keys;

Accessible

Exposure/exposed

Outside

Shut

Closed

Lock

Connection

Entry

Front

Back

Just ideas to start us thinking basically.

Key Ring

What is the actual ring going to be made out, and the tag, we thought about having a metal ring around the hole so it would reinforce it, havig paper, cardboard, lamenated or not?

We looked at few websites and found that paper ones were cheaper. She said she'd seen this website Muji where there was a metal one, but it was quite pricey and we wanted to make this as cost effective as possible.

Donating

We even thought about how you would donate with this, but this really wasn't part of the brief, it was only to bring awareness about the homeless/Crisis. So I thought there was no point worrying about it too much.

Materials

We went to a key shop and we just brought a blank key, in Aluminium , though we were originally planning to make they key out of coloured plastic. Just as an idea, but then we liked the fact that it was Aluminium as it was light weight, and in colour, and hard-wearing.

Major Confusion!

Yesterday I just got really confused, maybe cause I just had loads of layers everywhere and i just didn't know how where to put any of the codes. Neil asked me to do something with some code and I said I actually didn't get what it was doing, so he said just make it simple for myself,So he said what I should do is to make one layer called constant- which is where stuff goes that will be present for all pages throughout the website,one layer called content- which is where all the other stuff goes, and one called stop- which makes the each scene stop.

I got this all sorted, putting in my content, images, logo and buttons that i needed.

But then I came to the code, I had to ask again and got the stop, But then i tried to put the rest in, he said to put:

on (press( {

gotoAndStop( then the scene);

}

he said put this on the buttons, I thought he meant the layer where the buttons are, but it turned out I actually needed to click on the button then go Window>Actions and type in the code there. So I did this for each button.

I think the thing is i don't take in where the codes should be, I do take things in better when i'm shown how to do things and shown where things go, and when he went through this I got what I was actually trying to do and what the actual code meant.

One of the things on the brief was to know what we are talking about technical wise-so I wanted to get it, as this does interest me. But I found it quite easy when I got shown.

Code Confusion

        

Last night I was quite confident after Neil spoke to me yesterday about my website and thought I would be able to do the rest.We had a crit today before this I looked through website to help me with the next part, I looked on the handouts we had been given too- but it just made no sense to me, looking through all this codeing. I showed what I had, and explained what I would like the images to do.

The next thing I did was look more at codes, I sort of figured it out and tried different things, really just to see if I could figure it out. but as I said before the main thing is where the codes go I just get confused.

Neil helped me this afternoon, I guess if people explain it to me  then it just clicks- or it seems to. Neil said what I needed to do was to create a blank movie clip and then delete it, and name it holder. then what I needed to do was on the buttons(the images) I had to put some code on them to make the images go bigger in the holder:

on (press){

loadMovie(:images"/what the files called.jpg","holder");

}

///////////////////////////////

This means that wen I click on the button(the image) the file would upload into the holder. Which would make the image bigger.

I had to do this on each image/button.I did have a few problems with this as I didn't type in the code wrong. But after I sorted this it worked fine.

Neil said about the images being too big, and that's why it took forever for things to load up. So I had to change these in photoshop, this took me a while as I had to get it perfectly, as it had to fit between two things which I couldn't disturb.

The other Neil said as to look at my desktop, I have my greeting cards on it. He said what I should do is to make my page look like this and not minimalistic . To be honest I didn't really think I had a style, but I guess recently this has been my style so should use this.

Bloody Flash

i really wasn't looking forward to this website project. I wanted to do it in Flash, but as I've explained to my tutor I prefer flat things, he said about using Dreamweaver but to be honest I think i'd get confused using either. In other projects I have never seen other people get this stressed. Looking on Facebook the amount of people who say thy want to throw their computers in the class because of Flash is unbelievable, though I haven't heard anything off the Dreamweaver people, maybe after all I should have done it in Dreamweaver?

It's just so annoying. Even if I type in the stupid codes right it still comes up with a bloody syntax error! That really makes no sense.

Well anyways Flash.. as you can tell I have had a few problems. I thought I would keep my website nice and simple, using drag and drop which after much deliberation seemed to be going actually ok. I found it a nice way to present my work.

Making the objects drag was easy too- probably one of the few things I managed to remember from the tutorials.

D&AD Crit with Catell

After looking at ideas of what we could use as an object researching objects that homeless people carry around with them. Such as toiletries, can-opener, sleeping bag, matting, headwear, clothing etc. Things i guess which are absolute essentials.

Martin came up with some ideas/objects we could use like a key. After this research we thought about other ideas like a marker- we saw this website and it said something like have you noticed how homeless people have markers?Which I guess is true, you don't associate homeless people with pens, but the comment was quite true.

She really liked the key and the marker idea, as they were really different, not just your normal direct mail shot. She said another idea where we could produce it typographically, as our other idea was using house name signs, either have two question marks, as a homeless person doesn't have an address, Or havin something where by it shows lots of addresses, so she suggested havin stickers o it leaves the imprint of the number left, layered several times.

D&AD Crit with Hannah

This was definitely the crit where we really went through our ideas, We said about our interactive idea (with the pound coin), and we said about our concerns with sending money in the post.Our other idea we pitched was to make a pop up book. She said about using a piece of paper in someway- maybe look in the different ways about folding a piece of paper, instead of sending a 3D object.

She was saying about recent projects that she did, she said once she did a direct mail shot- more of a self initiated project where she sent different objects in the post to see if they would be returned to her she sent a number of things, anything she could find, like: a hairband, pens, plastic items, literally anything she could find, and surprisingly she got them all back.She said as long as you have the address then it should be sent back to you. We talked about this because our idea was to send things in the post,and because instead of doing a paper based mail shot, we may want to consider doing something different, like an item.

D&AD Crit with Neil and Catell

This crit I felt was really useful, they told us about looking at what's recent in advertising, (something Catell mentioned in her talk), and to look at the language in advertisements aimed at out target audience, and maybe look at subversive advertising. They gave us some really good advice on how to move on with this project. 

After this crit we had a look at some subversive advertising just to what it was about, as we weren't quite sure.

D&AD Crit with Neil

This crit I felt went a bit better, even though yet again he didn't really say much about idea again, but I think they just want us to really think about it ourselves. But Neil said to look at adverts/or think about what out target audience are into. Look at adverts now aimed at that particular age group, and that from this it will become more clear about what we need to do/ it will generate more ideas, and then we would move on from this.

D&AD Crit with Mike

This was one of our first crits we had about D&AD, we said about our ideas, about making something interactive where by we create something where images move when you put a pound coin into an envelope,(slot the pound coin push it up into the envelope/box and then when you push the pound coin in the image changes). So the idea to make something different something that other people wouldn't think of. The first images we thought of to change after doing some research was to make a homeless person, all scruffy, when you put in the pound coin was to make the man look all clean, shaved, smarter clothes. Either by imagery made out of an illustration or photography. 

We thought about considerations of sending money through the post- as people may steal the money, So we thought about having  a seel around where the money would be put in. To be honest I didn't really find this crit that helpful as far as out idea, he said about what we could do next, which I guess was good. But I felt that he didn't really say much about our idea.

Catell Ronca

Today Catell Ronca came in,an illustrator from Switzerland She talked about professional practice of being an illustrator.

She made a slide show of things you should consider:
She first said that when first going into illustration you need to define your market, where do you see yourself working?
She said to look at publications, magasines etc to see whats around, and what art directors are looking for-Look at the current state of illustration. In these publications look for who commisioned the work and phone the company and ask at the switchboard.
Buy directories such as aoi, filefx, bikinlist, Time saving but expensive.

The first main point she bought up was

Self Promotion
Create a piece of work that is original, memorable and valuable.
Create something original, inventive. Handmade stuff and originals get more attention show personal.
Something that will stand out, demonstrate your way of thinking/communicating an idea.Collect stuff that other people have done.Trial and error does this work for you?

Working as a poster or a book, something that works as all things combine ideas.Think outside the box.
Show an opinion.

Contacting ad agencies/if you get called for an appointment

Spell names right
Respect the ads verybusy people
Send stuff evry 6 months
Dint send a4s they get lost
Don’t chase them up.
Cover letter. If they can use your work or not.
Show your portfolio
Collect names and call them make appointments.

Portfolio

Portfolio Make it impeccable no dirt marks etc.
Include work that is only relevant to the client work they want to see.
Work to be commissioned at the front.
Only include the work you are proud of.
Experimatal work goes in the back a3 portflio is the largest size.
No more than 20 pieces.
Sketchbooks not so interested.
Take a buisness card
Ask director who could be of interest/who else they can recommend.


Create a website.
make It interesting easy to navigate, simple, just wrk is about.
About yourself how to contact you, whats been I the press.

Illustration mundo.
Coroflot.
Flickr.
Moonfruit.

Networking
With other illustrators
People you studied with
Keep in regular contact with your clients-occassionally send a postcard.
Organise an exhibition with friends.
Get commissioned-CONFIRM IN WRITING.
make ure you own your copyright agreed fee and copyright(@and your name)
Do not give it away even if they ask you offer a liscense instead.
Read all te small print especially where it says all rights.
Sell it if it only makes sense.

Pricing
What is the illustration used for?
How big is the client/How big is the budget?
Circulation?100/1000 copies?
Area and duration of the liscense?
Country and hw long.

Aoi.com
Wait for your price take your time


Invoice
Number name of client. Person who commissioned you, fee, expenses, copyright belongs to you, Paid within 30 days.. Charge them for impress over 30 days charge them for delay.

Agents
To negotiate the best contracts for illustrators.
Manage the illustrators work load
Chase clients.
Special deals for annuals.
Prefer taking mature illustrators.

You pay them 25-30% commissioing on each job
You pay for promotion costs/book fee every year.
You have to pay for commission on work that you generated yourself..

Change work change price maybe.
Rough then they don’t want it they have to pay you half. Some people don’t understand this.

Paid for a pitch.

Work to any size if you have the equipment.

She also showed us some of her pieces she had self-initiated something like  how she would would treat a poem or some thing a client gives you. She said that even though she doesn't really do editorial pieces, she showed how she would treat this by doing these self-initiated projects, so that if a client said can you show me how you would do this, she could show it to the client, and not only would it show that she can do it, it would show her passion for illustration as she is willing to do some of her own things outside of work.

Sending things out takes a long time but do reply eventually can be de motivating but can be good. Web is good as it. People write about you add you etc.

Overall I found this a really interesting lecture, she really made some good points,a nd even though I don't really want to do illustration in the future I found it very interesting still, as I felt that what she said could have been to applied to anything.

She showed her some of her work on different websites, and she really has made good use of the web to promote herself

The first one she said was to do with pollution in China, and the second one was about men that don't want to dance/ men don't dance, and women do. The last one was one of those ads that are in newspaper, where by people are looking for other people, like lonely hearts ad, where by they describe themselves, and this is how she illustrated it with type and then the imagery to go with the text, I thought that this was nicely done as it involves both type and illustration and  thought as well it was a nice way of presenting , and a nice thing to illustrate.