"Year of the Adopted Family" book release
Showing posts with label Dawn Bloxham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dawn Bloxham. Show all posts

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Poster Perfect: Working with Designer who Listens


When Dawn Bloxham sent the first draft of the poster, I was impressed.

She focused on my requests, and she did not let 24 hours pass before addressing any questions or comments from me.

My response to her was the following--

What I Love:
  • The font and positioning is perfect for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love". I think you purposely lined up the "F" "U" "L" in a vertical way, which has a fun meaning for those who are observant.
  • The title, in and of itself, is a work of art.
  • The hands with the bowl of soup/heart really does work!
  • The red, white, and blue colors reflect Americana and traditional family values.
  • Your sense of balance and the power of threes in your artwork. For example, you are smart that the hands make a triangle shape pointing to the information. You are also conscientious of having some red on top, red in the middle, and red in the soup.
  • You understand the "less is more" concept.
  • Dark brown works as an outline color rather than a black.
  • Lining up of all the wording in a pleasing manner.
Things to Explore/Play:
  • Let's have bolder and richer colors of the red, white, and blue colors. What would happen if we had the same/similar bright blue as on my business card for the background? Blood-red or similar shade of red as on my business card? At the same time, I like how the skin color of the hand blends into the background--very artistic. Yet, the color is muted and not engaging enough to make someone stop while walking past the poster. The trick is what to do about the font color with such a background? Please save the original version as well as this "play with color" one.
  • Let's have "action" to the image by having big swirls of steam from the soup. Perhaps reflect the style as the heart in the soup.
  • Could my picture be enlarged without distracting from the title or bowl? I know white space is important.
  • Could the hands have a texture to look more 2D or 3D rather than flat?
  • Add possible contrast to the hands and bowl. For example, the tree on my business card has the white with the dark brown so it has almost a "shock" value. Same with the white pixie against the dark background. This may make the hands, in particular, less flat-looking.
Wording/Item to Change:
  • A couple people did not know what I meant by "recorded live" in connection with "World premiere narrative production recorded live". Do you think it will be more clear if it was "World premiere narrative production to be recorded live"?
  • The white font of "Monday, February 9th at 8:00pm" is hard to read against the tan background.
When Dawn changed the background color for the poster, darkened the blues and reds, and added the steam from the bowl of soup with the heart in it, I knew we had it. The contrast or the request to make the hands look more 2D or 3D became unnecessary.

Yet, not to be hasty, I again sent this file to my story buddies. They had helped catch things in the past that I would not have seen until it was too late.

After feedback from my story buddies, I knew that the poster was finalized.

Dawn certainly has artistic flair and listens to me at the same time.
Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)
Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com
Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Marketing Buddies: Many Eyes & Many Brains


I never like to make a decision alone. Not when it comes to advertising.

I sent the file of possible poster and postcard images for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" to several storytelling friends including my story buddies for "The Gardener's Wife" and for "Forsaken Brother".

I also sent the file to Elizabeth Ellis.

Then I waited for reactions.

Dawn Bloxham, the artist, had sent a page of six different images. She let me know that any of the images could be changed and altered such as in the colors, shapes, and additions.

Two pictures were of two hands with palms up with a heart in it. Another picture was of a heart-shaped apple with a bite and light streaming from it. The fourth image was of a modern white soup bowl filled with tomato soup with a white cream heart and a spoon from an aerial view. The last picture was of a thick horizontal limb of a tree with a couple apples hanging from it with a little blue bird.

I had considered the tree because my business card has a tree with a single apple hanging from it. Perhaps this would be a way to connect my logo with the program's logo.

Yet, it was the bowl of soup that grabbed my attention. I knew the white bowl was too modern, but if it was a modern bowl, then that might be perfect. Most of my story buddies commented on how the bowl of soup grabbed them.

Joanna Huffaker, a storytelling friend, mentioned that the hands did give a human touch so I asked Dawn to add hands around the wooden bowl.

Besides the image, Dawn asked what information needed to be on the posters. I sent her the following lists--

Required Information for Poster:
  • Title--Family Famine: Hunger for Love
  • World premiere narrative production recorded live
  • Starring Rachel Hedman
  • Monday, February 9th at 8:00pm
  • Covey Center for the Arts, Grand Theater
  • 425 W. Center Street, Provo, UT
  • Tickets: $10.00 general admission, $5.00 student/senior*, $5.00 for groups of 15 or more*, *Discount prices available only by phone or in person*
  • Reserve your seats by calling (801) 852-7007 or go to www.coveycenter.org
  • Light refreshments to follow
Debating on How or If to Share the Following Information for Poster/Postcard Due to Space:
  • Guest emcee/national storyteller Elizabeth Ellis
  • Singer Holly Robison
  • Accompanist/Guitarist Joshua Payne
  • How much of this standard description--Family life can starve when fed abuse and abandonment with stories that gnaw at the stomach. Then Rachel shares the feast of patience, humor and unconditional love through multicultural tales mixed with song and personal reflection. You are welcome to the table.
  • More info at http://familyfamine.blogspot.com or email info@rachelhedman.com
  • Merchandise available for purchase
Information for the "Save the Date" Postcard (besides required info for Poster):
  • Extend your stay while at the Timpanogos Storytelling Conference (www.timpfest.org) from February 5-7 and take part in this event
  • Please RSVP at info@rachelhedman.com
  • Remember you could:
* Attend and celebrate
* Pre-order DVD at special price $15.00 (Normal $20.00)
* Invite Rachel to you
* Or all of the above!

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)
Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com
Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Flying Forward with the Premiere Logo


So far most things are coming along for the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere, but I still do not have a logo for it.

I did not even have anyone lined up to create it. . .until today.

Wendy Gourley, a storytelling friend, recommended Dawn Bloxham to create my logo. Dawn was the same lady who developed the "Mockingbird Fly" posters and fliers for Wendy. I liked them because they were crisp, clean, and professional.



Wendy gave her telephone number and so the journey started.


I explained my project and how it was connected to "My Finest Hour" assigned by Elizabeth Ellis through the Advanced Storytelling class of the East Tennessee State University Storytelling Masters program.

Then I asked if there was a student rate.

She said her usual rate was $75.00/hour, though she could give me a student rate of $50.00/hour. She expected the project to take from 3-4 hours as I requested her to create the posters and postcards.

At the end of the logo creation process, she would supply the files with the original artwork and layered so I could adjust any images for other needs such as a program or to tweak the poster for touring as by then it would no longer be called "premiere".

She promised that she would would send some concept ideas as long as I gave her required information for the poster and postcard as well as any other information that would be useful.

I am anxious to see what develops. How about you?

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)
Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com
Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller