Hello,
So our bookbinding tutorial is confirmed for next week. We will have Charles Mohr in class doing a hands-on demo on different types of binding that apply to your projects. He will then provide you with a vendor's contact sheet so you can get the necessary materials (you can share these to cut costs) I have him scheduled from 4-7pm. This is a great chance for you to ask him questions, and it will be very helpful since you will have your book dummies done. He might use one for the demo and you will then be able to make & bind your own book.
This being the case, it means we have less time for crits, so I'll be thorough and precise, and I'll require focus on your side. If need be, I'm happy to stay after class to make sure all questions are answered.
This will be fun!
c
nb: please read the 2 posts below that outline the assignment deliverables & presentation technique in detail.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
What's Next: one last thing
For next class I want you to put all your books on a table for presentation. We will have a comments / feedback sheet next to each project in which you will critique your peer's work.
We will spend about 30 min on this and then move to individual crits taking into account these comments.
Bring all your printouts. all the work you've done so far as we will use it to generate the process book structure and also pick up on stuff that is relevant and might need to be brought to light.
This includes shots of your artwork, which I forgot to mention, should be photographed individually as well. Think of each piece as an object you are documenting, like a portrait.
ALSO:
if you know a photo student that can collaborate with us please let me know, I do not have a photographer confirmed for w12 and we need that. I will post an ad tomorrow at the photo dept, but any recommendation from you would be great.
thxs
questions welcome
c
We will spend about 30 min on this and then move to individual crits taking into account these comments.
Bring all your printouts. all the work you've done so far as we will use it to generate the process book structure and also pick up on stuff that is relevant and might need to be brought to light.
This includes shots of your artwork, which I forgot to mention, should be photographed individually as well. Think of each piece as an object you are documenting, like a portrait.
ALSO:
if you know a photo student that can collaborate with us please let me know, I do not have a photographer confirmed for w12 and we need that. I will post an ad tomorrow at the photo dept, but any recommendation from you would be great.
thxs
questions welcome
c
What's Next
hello all,
Lovely to spend time with you yesterday, glad you came out & we had a chance to share our stories. We'll do it again but let's see when
Back to work, here's me being perfectly honest:
The work presented yesterday was incomplete for most of you or not up to the standard I expect after 3 weeks of discussing the catalog. This is a very important piece and you need to show me you're on top of it. It is a great chance to make something relevant & beautiful, don't slack as it will come back to you. We have 3 more crits and need to cover a poster, an invitation card and a web component, so use your time wisely.
Overall you are behind on this process, so for next class I want to see a full mockup of your book; in actual scale, with all content in place (text and images). We're not experimenting anymore, now it's time to get it done.
ASSIGNMENT: Full Catalog comp trimmed to actual scale
this is what this entails:
- A book dummy or mockup is a comp of the entire object, trimmed to scale in the way it will actually be produced. this is how I want you to present next time: no flat printouts, but rather the whole book with all pages / narrative in sequence. So if you're doing french fold for instance: bring all your pages folded as they will appear, this means adjusting your pagination in indesign so that when you print & fold the spreads match. (Same analogy for other binding processes)
- structure:
this is the most important aspect of the book, it is the spinal chord to call it something, and it is your grid in relationship to your storyline. Remember, the grid is not a restraining setup, it is actually mapping in space. Another easy analogy: think of building a house, you plan it first, then you build it and then you put in the furniture. Or a film, divided into acts that correlate to tell a story, editing being akin to section dividers, chapters etc.
- language:
All of your language needs to be in place. We have been working on this for about 4 weeks so I expect it to be close to done by now. This means: you need to define the narrative sequence, your chapters, how they follow each other, how they tell a story in sequence. Each chapter needs to have its appropriate text in place (if you are still writing some of it, then estimate a word count for each chapter, incoporate or make space in your layout by using dummy text which you will then replace with the final. Don't let the text stop you, plan ahead)
- typography:
this is the voice / voices that tell your story. The organism of language, how it behaves, its rhythms, its relationship to space (page) it's weight, scale etc. You have been getting feedback on this, move forward with the insights we've shared and nail this down. Doing the full scale comp will bring to light what is working and what is not, both in structure & sequence.
- imagery / photography art direction:
I want you to document your model in these ways:
a) TOP VIEW: do a schematic of your space, a diagram (line drawing) a floor plan (this is not shot, cleary) but it should include descriptions of its main components: entry, artwork placement, artwork name (if relevant) etc. AND shoot a top view image of your space.
(note: for the diagram you can do this in sketup also)
b) FRONT VIEW: shoot your model in front view mode. The aim here is to see the model as objectively as possible, as an object. Your image should have space around it, this is not a close up.
c) SIDE VIEWS: Do a 360 sequence around your object where you shoot it in all possible angles. Again not a close up but a look into it from all sides.
d) MEDIUM SHOTS: here's where you get closer to your object to reveal its intricacies. Focus on revealing its main components, angles, zoom in on artworks but keep reference of their placement in space etc. You can play more here but I want full coverage and it needs to feel like we are moving into / through the space. Shoot straight on, then tilt your camera up (as in a slight bird's eye view, and tilt the camera low as if you were seeing it form the POV of the audience—cover all pov's)
e) CLOSE UPS: Here's where you focus on details: artworks & exhibition grahics and you open up the space photographically. The aim here is to take the viewer into the space, as if we were walking through it, inhabiting it. (you can achieve some of this in the medium shots but this is a closer look)
f) EXTREME CLOSE UP: the nitty gritty, use a macro lens to highlight specifics. A macro will make your space look huge, so use it to your advantage.
I want at least 20 images MINIMUM per setup. The point of this is to document your spatial narrative photographically, arrange it sequentially in your book (in relationship to text & language content, these would be your placeholder images) and also to determine how you will art direct the photoshoot on week 12. The more you prepare the better off you'll be, the better images you'll get.
Note: In the images above I want to see your environmental graphics, these should include:
- your logo as it would appear in the exhibit (keep in mind scale in relationship to audience)
- an intro text to the exhibition (artist statement, what the exhibition explores, is about)
- object labels that give artist name, name of piece, date created and possibly a small description)
- typographic statements: here's where you place your language / narrative in space. It can be bolder in scale, be allegorical in tone etc but it needs to be directly related to the language & sequence you are using in your catalog. So the walls here are your pages. I need to be able to look at these and follow a storyline.
You will present the environmental graphics in your catalog and in the model. So for the catalog pics you can do this in two ways:
1) shoot the relevant wall where the text will be and comp up the type in photoshop (don't do type in psd, import it from ai)
2) do the type in sketchup and bring screenshots.
Important thing to consider here: the style of your imagery. We want it to be cohesive, so if you do sketchup pics make sure they work with the photographic pics.
Front, spine & back cover:
- I want to see two versions of these, to scale, trimmed. Again, this could lead to your poster so be smart when you create these. Include your logo.
- stock:
do your dummy using the actual sheets you will print the final catalog in. This will help you determine if the sheets are too heavy, too light, how they fold, if the ink chips when you fold, if the ink bleeds or smears etc. If you are combining the catalog with the process book bring appropriate stock for each. You can go to kelly paper to see samples.
- inks:
you will do a 4/4 book (meaning full colour on both sides of the sheet) 4/4 accommodates for your exhibition pictures, which are full colour. You can, for instance, decide that some of your pages will be 1 colour or 2, this will differentiate content structurally, so make sure your choice is appropriate (this would work, for instance, if you combine the catalog & process book in one)
Any questions let me know,
I look forward to seeing your work. No exceptions.
thank u
c
Lovely to spend time with you yesterday, glad you came out & we had a chance to share our stories. We'll do it again but let's see when
Back to work, here's me being perfectly honest:
The work presented yesterday was incomplete for most of you or not up to the standard I expect after 3 weeks of discussing the catalog. This is a very important piece and you need to show me you're on top of it. It is a great chance to make something relevant & beautiful, don't slack as it will come back to you. We have 3 more crits and need to cover a poster, an invitation card and a web component, so use your time wisely.
Overall you are behind on this process, so for next class I want to see a full mockup of your book; in actual scale, with all content in place (text and images). We're not experimenting anymore, now it's time to get it done.
ASSIGNMENT: Full Catalog comp trimmed to actual scale
this is what this entails:
- A book dummy or mockup is a comp of the entire object, trimmed to scale in the way it will actually be produced. this is how I want you to present next time: no flat printouts, but rather the whole book with all pages / narrative in sequence. So if you're doing french fold for instance: bring all your pages folded as they will appear, this means adjusting your pagination in indesign so that when you print & fold the spreads match. (Same analogy for other binding processes)
- structure:
this is the most important aspect of the book, it is the spinal chord to call it something, and it is your grid in relationship to your storyline. Remember, the grid is not a restraining setup, it is actually mapping in space. Another easy analogy: think of building a house, you plan it first, then you build it and then you put in the furniture. Or a film, divided into acts that correlate to tell a story, editing being akin to section dividers, chapters etc.
- language:
All of your language needs to be in place. We have been working on this for about 4 weeks so I expect it to be close to done by now. This means: you need to define the narrative sequence, your chapters, how they follow each other, how they tell a story in sequence. Each chapter needs to have its appropriate text in place (if you are still writing some of it, then estimate a word count for each chapter, incoporate or make space in your layout by using dummy text which you will then replace with the final. Don't let the text stop you, plan ahead)
- typography:
this is the voice / voices that tell your story. The organism of language, how it behaves, its rhythms, its relationship to space (page) it's weight, scale etc. You have been getting feedback on this, move forward with the insights we've shared and nail this down. Doing the full scale comp will bring to light what is working and what is not, both in structure & sequence.
- imagery / photography art direction:
I want you to document your model in these ways:
a) TOP VIEW: do a schematic of your space, a diagram (line drawing) a floor plan (this is not shot, cleary) but it should include descriptions of its main components: entry, artwork placement, artwork name (if relevant) etc. AND shoot a top view image of your space.
(note: for the diagram you can do this in sketup also)
b) FRONT VIEW: shoot your model in front view mode. The aim here is to see the model as objectively as possible, as an object. Your image should have space around it, this is not a close up.
c) SIDE VIEWS: Do a 360 sequence around your object where you shoot it in all possible angles. Again not a close up but a look into it from all sides.
d) MEDIUM SHOTS: here's where you get closer to your object to reveal its intricacies. Focus on revealing its main components, angles, zoom in on artworks but keep reference of their placement in space etc. You can play more here but I want full coverage and it needs to feel like we are moving into / through the space. Shoot straight on, then tilt your camera up (as in a slight bird's eye view, and tilt the camera low as if you were seeing it form the POV of the audience—cover all pov's)
e) CLOSE UPS: Here's where you focus on details: artworks & exhibition grahics and you open up the space photographically. The aim here is to take the viewer into the space, as if we were walking through it, inhabiting it. (you can achieve some of this in the medium shots but this is a closer look)
f) EXTREME CLOSE UP: the nitty gritty, use a macro lens to highlight specifics. A macro will make your space look huge, so use it to your advantage.
I want at least 20 images MINIMUM per setup. The point of this is to document your spatial narrative photographically, arrange it sequentially in your book (in relationship to text & language content, these would be your placeholder images) and also to determine how you will art direct the photoshoot on week 12. The more you prepare the better off you'll be, the better images you'll get.
Note: In the images above I want to see your environmental graphics, these should include:
- your logo as it would appear in the exhibit (keep in mind scale in relationship to audience)
- an intro text to the exhibition (artist statement, what the exhibition explores, is about)
- object labels that give artist name, name of piece, date created and possibly a small description)
- typographic statements: here's where you place your language / narrative in space. It can be bolder in scale, be allegorical in tone etc but it needs to be directly related to the language & sequence you are using in your catalog. So the walls here are your pages. I need to be able to look at these and follow a storyline.
You will present the environmental graphics in your catalog and in the model. So for the catalog pics you can do this in two ways:
1) shoot the relevant wall where the text will be and comp up the type in photoshop (don't do type in psd, import it from ai)
2) do the type in sketchup and bring screenshots.
Important thing to consider here: the style of your imagery. We want it to be cohesive, so if you do sketchup pics make sure they work with the photographic pics.
Front, spine & back cover:
- I want to see two versions of these, to scale, trimmed. Again, this could lead to your poster so be smart when you create these. Include your logo.
- stock:
do your dummy using the actual sheets you will print the final catalog in. This will help you determine if the sheets are too heavy, too light, how they fold, if the ink chips when you fold, if the ink bleeds or smears etc. If you are combining the catalog with the process book bring appropriate stock for each. You can go to kelly paper to see samples.
- inks:
you will do a 4/4 book (meaning full colour on both sides of the sheet) 4/4 accommodates for your exhibition pictures, which are full colour. You can, for instance, decide that some of your pages will be 1 colour or 2, this will differentiate content structurally, so make sure your choice is appropriate (this would work, for instance, if you combine the catalog & process book in one)
Any questions let me know,
I look forward to seeing your work. No exceptions.
thank u
c
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Schedule, Ideas & Celebration
I think its time to celebrate this country re-inventing itself! so I propose a glass of wine or beer or water or whatever your prefer after class next week, but it would be nice to go out together and just celebrate the fact that we are sharing this point in time; any suggestions welcome, (I prefer dive bars) let me know if you're in.
and on another note, here's what i am projecting for our class:
- I want to bring in a bookbinder for a tutorial, likely nov 18th (week 11), I am making arrangements with steve & nik to pursue this.
- I'd like all of you to have excellent imagery for your catalog, so I am speaking with a photographer to see if she can shoot your models professionally nov 25 (week 12). Will let you know if I can book her and book a space at the photo studio. You guys interested in this?
(clearly this means having you space complete by that time: artworks & graphics)
cheers
c
and on another note, here's what i am projecting for our class:
- I want to bring in a bookbinder for a tutorial, likely nov 18th (week 11), I am making arrangements with steve & nik to pursue this.
- I'd like all of you to have excellent imagery for your catalog, so I am speaking with a photographer to see if she can shoot your models professionally nov 25 (week 12). Will let you know if I can book her and book a space at the photo studio. You guys interested in this?
(clearly this means having you space complete by that time: artworks & graphics)
cheers
c
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
GO OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! & assignments for next week
i know i probably shouldn't show political inclination, but what the hell, i will.
so moving on to our next class, this is what you need to bring (btw, I am very excited about what all of you are doing, i think all of you will end up with some beautiful, strong work)
catalog:
- mapping content: this is the thumbnail page / sequential layout we spoke about yesterday. think of it as doing storyboards for a movie, where you arrange and organize content per section (chapters). This is the blueprint that determines the flow of the book (sequential narrative), the thickness of the book, which in turn relates directly with how you will bind it and construct it as an object, a sculptural-cinematic piece.
So for instance, chapter 1 has 20 pages, 1200 words and 10 images. chapter 2 has 30 pages, 3000 words, 20 images etc....map it all
the most important thing is to create a foundation, a framework that will house your content, this is what this "mapping" is all about (similar to building a house, or a space where characters and stories travel through)
-table of contents: very important also, ties in directly with mapping above. Define your chapters and what content corresponds to each (text & image)
-content: the content of the book is all the work you have developed so far, and the purpose of the catalog is to promote & document your exhibition and its artwork. When generating text you can use your research (everything we've done so far comes together in this piece)
-format: we will do two books for this class, one is the catalog, the other is a process book. These can be combined into one book or be produced separately, I leave that up to you. If combined they need to be differentiated, so for instance you can say: the catalog is full colour on matte paper, the process part is on lighter weight sheets with one ink only and lives in the second half of the book etc... you decide. When figuring this out think of the implications this carries. A polished catalog in itself is more "official" the process book is more experiential, intimate in how it involves the reader into your thinking process. These are not mutually exclusive forms of perception, and you can "combine" the two books in format even if they are separate entities (for example, by giving them the same size or translated aesthetic, easy example: order and chaos within the same identity)
assignment:
A) I want to see 5 spreads per section (chapter). print these out in their actual format (size). Your grid needs to be in place as well as your typographic language, imagery & hierarchy. Here is where we see the book taking form as a narrative through space (in the movement of each page)
B) The covers are usually the last thing you design in a book but playing around doesn't hurt. So bring 3 ideas for front / back / spine. Your grid and assignment A will inform this.
C) Bring 2 rough sketches for posters, can be BW. I want to see what you're thinking as far as imagery & typography. Again, this ties in with your book covers.
if you have any questions let me know
and don't forget the environmental graphics! these will also be informed by the assignments above and will become easier to articulate. Some of you have great ideas for these.
have a great one!
c
and read "the invention of morel" it's a mind bender (author: Adolfo Bioy Casares)
so moving on to our next class, this is what you need to bring (btw, I am very excited about what all of you are doing, i think all of you will end up with some beautiful, strong work)
catalog:
- mapping content: this is the thumbnail page / sequential layout we spoke about yesterday. think of it as doing storyboards for a movie, where you arrange and organize content per section (chapters). This is the blueprint that determines the flow of the book (sequential narrative), the thickness of the book, which in turn relates directly with how you will bind it and construct it as an object, a sculptural-cinematic piece.
So for instance, chapter 1 has 20 pages, 1200 words and 10 images. chapter 2 has 30 pages, 3000 words, 20 images etc....map it all
the most important thing is to create a foundation, a framework that will house your content, this is what this "mapping" is all about (similar to building a house, or a space where characters and stories travel through)
-table of contents: very important also, ties in directly with mapping above. Define your chapters and what content corresponds to each (text & image)
-content: the content of the book is all the work you have developed so far, and the purpose of the catalog is to promote & document your exhibition and its artwork. When generating text you can use your research (everything we've done so far comes together in this piece)
-format: we will do two books for this class, one is the catalog, the other is a process book. These can be combined into one book or be produced separately, I leave that up to you. If combined they need to be differentiated, so for instance you can say: the catalog is full colour on matte paper, the process part is on lighter weight sheets with one ink only and lives in the second half of the book etc... you decide. When figuring this out think of the implications this carries. A polished catalog in itself is more "official" the process book is more experiential, intimate in how it involves the reader into your thinking process. These are not mutually exclusive forms of perception, and you can "combine" the two books in format even if they are separate entities (for example, by giving them the same size or translated aesthetic, easy example: order and chaos within the same identity)
assignment:
A) I want to see 5 spreads per section (chapter). print these out in their actual format (size). Your grid needs to be in place as well as your typographic language, imagery & hierarchy. Here is where we see the book taking form as a narrative through space (in the movement of each page)
B) The covers are usually the last thing you design in a book but playing around doesn't hurt. So bring 3 ideas for front / back / spine. Your grid and assignment A will inform this.
C) Bring 2 rough sketches for posters, can be BW. I want to see what you're thinking as far as imagery & typography. Again, this ties in with your book covers.
if you have any questions let me know
and don't forget the environmental graphics! these will also be informed by the assignments above and will become easier to articulate. Some of you have great ideas for these.
have a great one!
c
and read "the invention of morel" it's a mind bender (author: Adolfo Bioy Casares)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Our presentation, guys!!!!
sorry, I could only up load half of the photos for now. There is more coming...
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