URBAN WILD CREATIVE STRATEGY BY VICKY CARTER
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CONTENTS PAGE Synopsis Pages 3-4 Production Pages 5 - 12 Printing and Publishing Distribution and ISBN number Design and Binding Colour Palette Photography Pages 13 - 26 Equipment Hire Editing Assistance Locations Models Hair and Makeup Stylist Promotion 27 - 38 Social Media, Advertisements, Book launch Launch location Promotional material Prices Pages 39 - 48
Timescale Pages 47 - 48 References Pages 49 - 50
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SYNOPSIS Urban Wild is a photographic book that depicts the juxtaposing and parallel elements of urban and rural living within Britain. Through the means of photographic documentation, the representative elements of the two environments will be displayed within the contents of the Urban Wild publication. Unlike other photographic books, Urban Wild explores a variety of photographic styles such as landscape, portrait, documentary and fashion to successfully portray the two settings. The meaning behind this book is not to simply display beautiful imagery but to enjoy, compare and understand the meaning behind the photographs that are being displayed. It is about seeing past the immediate and obvious to the stories within. Alongside the publication Urban Wild also displays the unique photographic journey via the Urban Wild Tumblr, Instagram account and Facebook and Twitter pages. The addition of social media allows the viewer to become a part of the Urban Wild evolution. The launch day for Urban Wild will be October 2014, to capitalise on the Christmas demand for presents.
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PRINTING As the book is a photographic book it is important that the quality of the printing reflects the quality of the photographs as perfectly and as skillfully as possible. The book is going to be an A4 double-sided hardback publication. Whilst the cheaper option would be paperback, having a hardback cover adds to the quality and overall professional approach. Each page will consist of carefully picked digital images and will be presented and printed onto paper that is of an equal high standard. The paper will also be picked carefully to fit the contents of the imagery. The interior of the book will be an off white, smooth uncoated 170gm paper. As opposed to printing on high gloss, bright white paper, printing on an uncoated style will provide an unusual yet high quality finish. The hardback exterior will be a square sectioned 4mm textured board, using a textured card for the exterior of the book will create a visually stimulating product at the same time as replicating the artistic contents of Urban Wild. 5.
The initial type of ink that will be used for the printing of the hardback cover will be a CMYK breakdown. The CMYK breakdown will be used for the first 1000 copies of Urban Wild and depending on the success of the sales and more are printed the type of ink will change. If more copies were printed the method of printing will upgrade to screen printing. Whilst screen printing is the more expensive option it offers a professional and high quality finish to the book. It is a hand printed method of printing which enables specific detail to be embedded into the overall appearance of the cover as well as allowing each and every copy of Urban Wild to be unique. There are several packages that offer full service. These services include the likes of an author, an editor, a designer, an artist, a printer, a publisher, an accountant, a distributor, a stockholder, a salesperson and a publicist. Nonetheless the ‘Self-Publishing’ option is a service that allows the author to dictate the input they want to contribute toward the publication of the book, permitting them to input as much or as little creative direction as they feel they can cover without the additional cost of professional consultation. The ‘self-publishing’ option would be a service that will be used when Urban Wild goes into print. This type of publishing service allows the author/photographer the right to input as much creative direction into the layout, paper choice and other presentation methods and is therefore a further way to project their unique and creative flair. It is also a more cost effective option when considering the final costing and would allow for further printing quantities in the future. By narrowing the number of pages down as much as possible this would also allow for more copies to be printed (subject to overall budget allowance). Urban Wild will be between 100-150 pages . It also important to take into consideration the trade discount that goes into each sale. For example, each book that is sold online via an external trader such as Amazon, the minimum discount offer within the UK is 25% this would therefore mean that if Urban Wild retailed at £20, £5 would go to Amazon. On top of the trade discount there needs to be a consideration of Unit Cost Field. This is how much the book will cost to print. The hardback option would cost £4 per A4 book in comparison to the paperback book that would cost £1 per book. 6.
PUBLISHING Urban Wild will be published by the UK based publishing and printing house, The London Press. The London Press are a reputable publishing house that are renowned for their high-quality printing and publishing services having award winning books such as the illustration and fiction book ‘Beyond Imagination’ by Goldlyn Ugonna. Although not best known for producing photographic and design books, recent communication and email exchange confirm this style of book is something that they are able to produce at a guaranteed high quality level. Best known for their wide range of ‘Self- Service’ packages, The London Press offer a range of services that enable the author of the book to dictate the contribution in which they want to play part of in the publishing of the book. The packages available are; the journey package, the achieve package, the lifestyle package and the freedom package. Initially, Urban Wild will be published through the journey package. This package is perfect for the initial set up of the book, being the cheapest option still offering 50% author royalty. With time and expansion this package could be changed. The London Press also offer a European service that enables books to receive recognition from outside of the UK. This would be hugely beneficial for the sales of Urban Wild, as well as getting the work of the photographer to be known within European countries. As the focus of Urban Wild is the portrayal of the British rural and urban environments, this could be something that would appeal to foreign countries.
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DISTRIBUTION Urban Wild will use the traditional channel distribution method. This method incorporates a modest repping service (i.e. making contact with retailers likely to be interested in your work). By traditional channel, this means the book is made available via sale or return, as opposed to retailers needing to purchase it outright before being able to display or sell it. Titles placed in this channel also appear on Amazon as in stock and available for immediate dispatch. This method would suit the initial sales of the first batch of books, as the production number is low (1000) and this method would enable tighter control on inventory to make sure it is being placed where it can sell. This distribution method could change overtime, again depending on the success of sales.
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ISBN The journey package that would be used for the publishing of Urban Wild allows the customer to choose from a selection of ISBN numbers. The London Press will hold this chosen ISBN number all the way through publishing.
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BINDING Urban Wild will be bound together by the ‘Lay Flat Perfect Binding.’ This is a type of perfect binding that will lay flat when opened.
DESIGN The main focus of Urban Wild is the photography. It is important the layout does not distract the viewer from the photography and therefore the design for each page will remain simple yet effective. Some pages will present one image at a time, depending on how powerful that image is, others will be grouped together. For example, a location shoot of the creative craftsmen will be documented through a collage of images, the collage layout however will not be clustered together in the style of a montage but will be placed strategically on the page ensuring the emphasis remains on the imagery, not the style in which they are presented.
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COLOUR PALETTE The colour palette of Urban Wild will depend on the colour of the photographs that are on each page. Some will be black and white therefore the colours will combine between shades of grey, while others will be in colour. Depending on the image, be it rural, urban or portrait these colours may vary between bright bold colours and natural, neutral shades. As the book explores both urban and rural environments, the two environments will dictate the colour palette of that page. Towards the end of the book, when the fashion photography becomes the focus, the exploration of colour palettes from the two environments will be displayed through the means of fashion. Again, this will be dependent on the environment in which the fashion shoot is aiming to depict. The colour of the paper will vary in shades of creams and whites. Urban Wild will consist of a variety of different shades and textured paper. As opposed to bright white glossy paper that is used in most other photographic books, the sense of visual and textual exploration that will be explored through the photography will also be continued through the display of the different paper types that will be used to print the images on.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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EQUIPMENT As opposed to purchasing new equipment, the photographer will rent the majority of photographic equipment. Depending on the expected timescale of each shoot the equipment will either be rented on a daily or weekly basis. All equipment will be rented from Calumet Photographic. The photographer will already have possession of a Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera along with a Sigma 17-70mm 2.8 Canon fit Lens. Nonetheless, a variety of lenses will be required for the different shoots that will take place. Such lenses will include the Sigma 50mm 2.8 lens – an all round lens that captures great detail and is ideal for portrait shots. And the Canon 17-40mm f4 lens – ideal for landscape and cityscape photography. The shoots will also require equipment such as; external flash lighting, sync leads , reflectors, wind machines (for the fashion shoots), tripods – large, medium and small, HDMI leads, spare batteries for the equipment and the Camera . 15.
EDITING SOFTWARE
All of the photographs will be taken on a digital camera and some will require digital editing on professional editing software. Whilst Urban Wild aims to produce photographs that remain true to their original format, the addition of digital editing aims to enhance, but not significantly alter the original image. Professional photograph editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Element, Adobe Photoshop Light room and Arc Soft Photo Studio will be purchased and used for the editing and manipulation of images. Adobe Phototshop, Photoshop Elements and Arcsoft Photostudio will be used for any editing of the images. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is designed for the ability to handle a large volume of photographs, this will be vital for the post production and management of the photographic contents of Urban Wild. The design of the book will be designed on Adbobe InDesign. All software will be for Mac.
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ASSISTANCE Additional photography assistance will be vital within the photographic stages of the publication. Northumbria University students studying Fashion and Photography will be hired free of charge under the status of ‘work experience’. An email will be sent out to the Design school requesting assistance from students who have experience within photography and a selection of up to three students will be selected. Although many of the photo shoots will take place within the North East region of England, the ones that are not will require travel cost. Given the location of the shoots being so spread out this could cost up to £150 per assistant. All interns will be provided with a reference after the shoots are over and will lend them experience for their future career.
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LOCATIONS
The landscape and cityscape photo-shoots will take place within several different regions of the English map. The publication will expose the many different backdrop’s England has to offer and will therefore not be subject to one specific region. The craftsman photo-shoots will also be located in different regions of the country ranging from; Exton Bakery in Rutland, Newcastle leather trimmers in Heaton, Newcastle, glass blowing in Nottingham, Freelance Blacksmith in Leicestershire, Milner’s Saddle makers in Leicestershire and Scott’s Tattoo parlour in Newcastle Upon Tyne. A group of graffiti artists will also be documented within the north east regions of England. As opposed to being charged to take these photographs, any photograph that has been taken of the craftsmen will be available for them to use for their own marketing and promotion via their company websites and social media websites. These photographs will be watermarked with the photographers name alongside ‘Urban Wild’, this way Urban Wild will be receiving additional recognition from a clientele that it perhaps would not otherwise. The fashion shoots will take place outdoors. Urban Wild will consist of no studio shoots ensuring that that the focus remains on the urban and rural environments. Two fashion shoots will be shot, one within Newcastle city centre, the other in the Northumberland countryside.
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MODELS
All models for the fashion shoots will be hired from Newcastle model agency Tyne Tees. The models looks will need to fit into the environment in which they are being photographed and representing. For example, the rural shoot will require a natural, fresh faced, ‘English rose’ looking model. On the other hand, the urban shoot will require somebody with defined facial features (relating to the architectural features of the urban). The model used for the rural shoot will be Rebecca McAloan. The model used for the urban shoot will be Sophie Gradon. Each shoot will take one day each. Similarly to the procedure of the photographs being taken of the craftsmen, the models are available to work for free – on the understanding that all photographs taken will be available for them to use as their own for the build-up of their portfolio.
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HAIR
& MAKEUP
North East based hair and makeup artist Marta from ‘Doska Makeup’ would be hired for the fashion shoots. Marta has worked for the photographer for a number of previous fashion shoots and consistently produces high quality work that reliably fits the concept of the shoot. The style of the hair and makeup, again will be dependent on the environment. Statement makeup such as smokey eyes, red lip and contoured cheeks will be applied to the model in the urban shoot. The model’s hair will be styled into a slicked back ponytail, finished with a high gloss hairspray. On the other hand, natural eye makeup consisting of shades of browns and greens partnered with a nude lip and a blushed cheek will be applied to the model for the rural shoot. This model’s hair will be styled into a backcombed loose wave, finished with a salt spray product to add texture and volume.
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STYLIST A freelance stylist for the fashion shoots will be selected and hired from gumtree.com. The stylist chosen will be selected from North East England and will require excellent experience in the fashion styling industry. It is essential that the stylist is able to successfully represent the urban and rural environment through the means of fashion with a creative and experimental style that is going to differ from the generic urban or rural style fashion shoot. It is also important that the way in which the models are styled tie in with the style of hair and makeup ensuring a consistent and professional outcome.
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PROMOTION
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PROMOTIONAL METHODS The initial promotion for Urban Wild will be through social media. An Urban Wild Facebook page, Twitter page, Instagram account and Tumblr account will be created. Urban Wild will be continuously promoted through this online presence. The social media pages will include up to date data of recent photo shoots that are undertaken for the publication alongside detailed descriptions of their location and the experience. All four forms of social media will be linked together, ensuring easy access for the viewer. The above content will be designed by a junior web design intern who will gain invaluable experience and a reference. The contents of the social media pages will be updated by the photographer and the intern, ensuring that the photographer remains involved in the production of the publication. For further recognition and higher levels of advertisement, Urban Wild will also be advertised in relevant lifestyle and art magazines such as ‘Living North’, ‘Country Life’, ‘Art Monthly’ and ‘Kool Runnings’. This level of advertisement will require the recruitment of a Public Relations agency such as ‘Flint UK’ who specialise in the promotion of cultural communications. Alongside social media there will be a book launch held before the commercial release. The book launch will consist of a gathering of approximately 150 people. This will include; press, bloggers, contributors - being the creative craftsmen who took part in the photo shoots, The London Press publication and the PR department of the magazine companies who advertise Urban Wild. 30.
LAUNCH LOCATION The book launch will be held at ‘Conservatory Room’ in The Barbican Centre, London. The launch will be held in London for the sake of saving travel costs for the people attending the event (the majority of people and companies that will be attending the launch are London based therefore London is a practical location choice). The Barbican is Europe’s largest cultural conference centre hosting a diverse program of arts, music, films and events. For corporate meetings and conferences the Barbican offers two large suites with sound proofed partitions providing space for up to 170 delegates in theatre style or can be divided into six separate rooms for smaller groups.
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The Conservatory is a hidden tropical oasis in the heart of the city which is home to finches, quails, exotic fish and over 2,000 species of tropical plants and trees. Protected by its glass roof it is suitable to be used in any weather conditions and can accommodate up to 100 delegates for a standing fork buffet or 150 guests for a drinks reception. The Urban Wild book launch will consist of a wine reception and canapes. This venue would be the ideal location for the launch of Urban Wild given the juxtaposition of the rural environment being held within the urban capital of England.
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FOOD AND WINE MENUS
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PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL A graphic designer will be hired for the design of the commercial advertisements and Book launch invitations. The branding will need to represent the overall feel of the Urban Wild publication, which is simple, rustic, raw and British. The visual branding is exceptionally important, being a photographic book, it is important that the branding designs are visually stimulating and representative of Urban Wild. The typefaces used will be a mixture of traditional, bold fonts and the visuals used will be those that are part of the Urban Wild content. This type of design will successfully brand Urban Wild in an illustrative way but will also draw attention to the contents of the publication through the use of imagery displayed in the branding.
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PRICES
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PUBLISHING & PRINTING THE JOURNEY PACKAGE (INCLUDES PUBLISHING AND PRINTING) Charges Innitial Set Up Fee
Description Up front, one time fee
Cost £999
Annual Fee
Yearly Fee
£30
Author Royalty %
The percentage share of the royalties that are calculated as revieved for the book. In short, calculated royalties are your books RRP minus it’s trade discount, minus the Publishers published print unit cost of the book. The percent above Publishers published manufacturing cost that the author will pay when purchasing Urban Wild. This applies to orders with quantities at or above order breakpoint. The percent above Publishers published manufacturing cost that the author will pay when purchasing Urban Wild. This applies with orders with quantities below order breakpoint. Relates to the number of books in a single dropship order & determines which dropship fee (higher or lower) applies to an order. When books ordered above breakpoint, the low fee applies, when below, higher fees applies.
50%
Lower Dropship Fee%
Higher Dropship Fee%
Order Breakpoint
35%
45%
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THE JOURNEY PACKAGE (INCLUDES PUBLISHING AND PRINTING) Charges
Cost
Retail Price Unit Cost Trade Discount
£25 £11 25%
Author receives per book £3.88 £3.88 £3.88
Author receives per 1000 books £3,880 £3,880 £3,880
This table depicts the prices the author would receive per book if it were retailed at £25. The unit cost is how much it would cost to print and produce Urban Wild. An A4 page costs 0.07p per page, the unit cost is worked out by muliplying the cost per page by the number of pages in the book (100 pages) and then an additional £4 for the hardback cover.
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CAMERA & SOFTWARE HIRE CAMERA HIRE
TOTAL £7349
SOFTWARE HIRE
TOTAL £1,517.97 44.
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TOTAL £34,890
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TIME SCALE
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IMAGE REFERENCES Pages 1 - 8; Own Images Page 9 - www.tumblr.com Page 10 - http://www.whatsonyourwall.com/banksy-graffiti-25/banksy-photographer-cameraphone-b184-39975.htm Pages 11-12 - http://jakeeastham.co.uk/ Page 16 - http://jakeeastham.co.uk/ Page 18 - http://jakeeastham.co.uk/ Pages 19 - 20 - Own images Page 22 - www.tynetees.co.uk Page 23 - www.wendybevan.com Page 24 - http://bisanation.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/who-says-grey-is-boring-misty-grey-eyes.html Page 25 - (clockwise) Own image and www.zara.com page 26 - (clockwise) www.marieclaire.com and http://jakeeastham.co.uk/ Page 31 - http://www.barbican.org.uk/media/venues/pdf/inf_72_conservatorygalleryfloor.pdf Page 32 - http://www.barbican.org.uk/banqueting/private-hire Page 33 - 36 - http://www.barbican.org.uk/media/upload/banqueting/1836Canapes.pdf (all pages)
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/food/ic/food_16x9_608/recipes/red_onion_and_ brie_80420_16x9.jpg (page 33)
http://thepassionatecook.typepad.com/thepassionatecook/images/2007/06/19/ whitebeansalmoncaviarcanape.jpg (page 34)
http://www.ladygreys.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/redwine.jpeg (page 36)
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