Today for our IPP session, we got into groups of 4 or so and discussed with each other what we wanted to do for our careers in the future and how we would get there, things we would need and what the path to our goal from our graduation would most likely look like.
For mine I wrote down being a children's illustrator and that what I needed most was to start working on an original idea and enter competitions and such to get my work out there. At least once I have my original idea and the designs for it under my belt I can start spreading the word around. I have heard about self-publishing as well but for now I want to try different routes and that can be my back-up plan! The career path I made squiggly and run all over the place because honestly I don't know how difficult it will be but I imagine it will not be an easy road and definately not one guaranteed to end in success.
It was a useful session, and stressed the importance of having an online presence, which I am happy to say is something I have constantly been doing for the past six years via http://lubrian.deviantart.com.
So just need to keep on drawing and working towards the penguin competition for the most part as well as update my CV to make it relevant to my chosen career path.
Tuesday 14 December 2010
Wednesday 10 November 2010
Penguin Book Competition 2
Yesterday I attended the lecture for the Penguin/Puffin illustration competition. I didn't know anybody else who attended apart from Mike and most of those who turned up were quite a lot older than me and were not so much people interested in entering but people already in the publishing world interested in seeing the new developments Penguin came up with.
Found out about a few useful tips that would help me with the contest though;
- Simplest is best. Do it simple and do it well.
- Let the children recognize themselves in the main character.
- The design is as important as the story, think about how the user will get from page to page as well as what effect the typography will have and the page layout.
- The choice of font affects the mood of the book.
- The cover must be exciting and pull the reader in.
- Make the story appropriate for the device it is on (iPad app, hardback book etc)
And some ideas you can only achieve with it as an Ipad app;
- Child could upload own avatar so they are in the story
- Record their own voices to play at specific points
- Put child's name, or the name of their school/hometown etc into the story (Fill in the blanks at the beginning)
At first I was concentrating on doing a linear story, but seeing as how this competition is Penguin's jump into the digital age it might be nice if I utilise some of the new features available and think of interesting ways to enhance the child's experience of the story, be it through sound or animation.
Here's the official launch site;
http://www.puffindigitalprize.co.uk/
I already have ideas for my entry but I don't want to post them online in case someone steals them.. But this is a project I will definately be working on, even if I don't write about it! The deadline is February so I may next update about it then. Wish me luck!!!
Found out about a few useful tips that would help me with the contest though;
- Simplest is best. Do it simple and do it well.
- Let the children recognize themselves in the main character.
- The design is as important as the story, think about how the user will get from page to page as well as what effect the typography will have and the page layout.
- The choice of font affects the mood of the book.
- The cover must be exciting and pull the reader in.
- Make the story appropriate for the device it is on (iPad app, hardback book etc)
And some ideas you can only achieve with it as an Ipad app;
- Child could upload own avatar so they are in the story
- Record their own voices to play at specific points
- Put child's name, or the name of their school/hometown etc into the story (Fill in the blanks at the beginning)
At first I was concentrating on doing a linear story, but seeing as how this competition is Penguin's jump into the digital age it might be nice if I utilise some of the new features available and think of interesting ways to enhance the child's experience of the story, be it through sound or animation.
Here's the official launch site;
http://www.puffindigitalprize.co.uk/
I already have ideas for my entry but I don't want to post them online in case someone steals them.. But this is a project I will definately be working on, even if I don't write about it! The deadline is February so I may next update about it then. Wish me luck!!!
Saturday 6 November 2010
Penguin Competition
A fantastic opportunity has been forwarded to me and my classmates this week.
'Penguin and their imprint Puffin are holding an event in the Walker Space next Tuesday as part of Internet Week Europe to launch their 'storytelling for children' ipad competition. The event is 6 until 8 and will also include a panel debate with Penguin designers on the future of digital publishing.
It would be great if you could send on to your students - the prize is for the winning story to go on sale in ITunes'
As an aspiring illustrator I am keen to enter the competition and have firstly done a little bit of research into children's books.
http://www.writersservices.com/index.htm has given me a lot of good advice about how to formulate stories and develop plots as well as what to avoid.
I also looked into existing books that I owned, and ones by authors who were mentioned in the forwarded email;
Janet & Allan Ahlberg with Peepo!, Each Peach Pear Plum and The Baby's Catalogue
Helen Oxenbury with We're Going on a Bear Hunt!
All personal favourites of mine from when I was a child. The illustrations are beautiful and the plots engaging for both child and adult audiences. There are differences in the narratives, some tell a story, others show different parts of a child's life with no real plot, but they all center around humans and have children of the target age in them. This isn't to say I have to have a child for the main character but it seems the popular way to go.
I will of course be attending the lecture on Tuesday to learn more about it, but for now am brainstorming ideas before then and am thinking of collaborating with a friend of mine for the story, which we are allowed to do.
Will post more when I know more!
'Penguin and their imprint Puffin are holding an event in the Walker Space next Tuesday as part of Internet Week Europe to launch their 'storytelling for children' ipad competition. The event is 6 until 8 and will also include a panel debate with Penguin designers on the future of digital publishing.
It would be great if you could send on to your students - the prize is for the winning story to go on sale in ITunes'
As an aspiring illustrator I am keen to enter the competition and have firstly done a little bit of research into children's books.
http://www.writersservices.com/index.htm has given me a lot of good advice about how to formulate stories and develop plots as well as what to avoid.
I also looked into existing books that I owned, and ones by authors who were mentioned in the forwarded email;
Janet & Allan Ahlberg with Peepo!, Each Peach Pear Plum and The Baby's Catalogue
Helen Oxenbury with We're Going on a Bear Hunt!
All personal favourites of mine from when I was a child. The illustrations are beautiful and the plots engaging for both child and adult audiences. There are differences in the narratives, some tell a story, others show different parts of a child's life with no real plot, but they all center around humans and have children of the target age in them. This isn't to say I have to have a child for the main character but it seems the popular way to go.
I will of course be attending the lecture on Tuesday to learn more about it, but for now am brainstorming ideas before then and am thinking of collaborating with a friend of mine for the story, which we are allowed to do.
Will post more when I know more!
First Post - Previous Work and Experience
I've made this journal as a way of noting down the different research I've collected concerning my future career and any opportunities or useful information along the way.
At the moment I have determined that I would like to be an illustrator of some kind rather than an animator. My ideal job would be a children's book illustrator but I wouldn't mind doing initial concept work, character, background and colour designs for things like films or games, maybe even storyboaring, although that is nearer the bottom of my ideal job list.
To succeed I will need to most likely be a freelancer but as I don't know much about that for now, this journal is the ideal place to find out!
-----
WORK EXPERIENCE
I have already had experience over the past few years which has helped me narrow down my career interest;
· From 2003-2005 I was part of the in-school company NMG Official Initials which sold custom printed T-Shirts. My job was customer liaisons. There was a PR event at the Drummond Centre in Croydon where I helped to promote the business.
· I was the Illustrator/Graphic designer for the college magazine at Norbury in 2006. I also helped to design the page layouts and organize inside content.
And for a number of different official companies –
2006
Graphic Designer at The Right Stuff (a graphic design company)
A runner at Channel 4
Concept artist at CHASE Animation Studios
2009
Runner at Framestore
Animator at Uli Meyer Studios
-----
So I have quite a wide range of different things I've tried and the ones I enjoyed the most were at CHASE and Uli Meyer studios because they were both focused on the initial 2D work behind projects. I wouldn't mind applying to both of them after I graduate but I would like to try my hand at getting into book illustration too.
I have also had one of my mangas (japanese-styled comics) published in Leek & Sushi 2 'Manga Cupcakes' Anthology --> http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/titles/leek-sushi-2-manga-cupcakes/
While I was not paid anything it is a great start to what I hope will be a long and fruitful career.
At the moment I have determined that I would like to be an illustrator of some kind rather than an animator. My ideal job would be a children's book illustrator but I wouldn't mind doing initial concept work, character, background and colour designs for things like films or games, maybe even storyboaring, although that is nearer the bottom of my ideal job list.
To succeed I will need to most likely be a freelancer but as I don't know much about that for now, this journal is the ideal place to find out!
-----
WORK EXPERIENCE
I have already had experience over the past few years which has helped me narrow down my career interest;
· From 2003-2005 I was part of the in-school company NMG Official Initials which sold custom printed T-Shirts. My job was customer liaisons. There was a PR event at the Drummond Centre in Croydon where I helped to promote the business.
· I was the Illustrator/Graphic designer for the college magazine at Norbury in 2006. I also helped to design the page layouts and organize inside content.
And for a number of different official companies –
2006
Graphic Designer at The Right Stuff (a graphic design company)
A runner at Channel 4
Concept artist at CHASE Animation Studios
2009
Runner at Framestore
Animator at Uli Meyer Studios
-----
So I have quite a wide range of different things I've tried and the ones I enjoyed the most were at CHASE and Uli Meyer studios because they were both focused on the initial 2D work behind projects. I wouldn't mind applying to both of them after I graduate but I would like to try my hand at getting into book illustration too.
I have also had one of my mangas (japanese-styled comics) published in Leek & Sushi 2 'Manga Cupcakes' Anthology --> http://www.itchpublishing.com/news/titles/leek-sushi-2-manga-cupcakes/
While I was not paid anything it is a great start to what I hope will be a long and fruitful career.
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