Crowd-funding: Before You Start

                 

              So, you got a new project ready, and want to get into crowd-funding! Seems simple, right? I mean it seems to be the new thing independent creators are doing nowadays. Well....... Do you know what you're doing though? After all, just because it's an easy way to get money doesn't mean it's an easy way to do the work.  

            First off, it is required the platforms you do it on take five percent of what you earn. This is so they can make money, and keep their site running. So you could have a goal of one-thousand dollars, and they would need to take fifty. So you must plan accordingly! Not just for that, but for the entire goal you'll have.

             Something else you'll need to worry about is rewarding your backers. I wouldn't say that it's a requirement, but I do think it'll help greatly. Make sure to give them perks, and rewards. So, that's another thing you need to budget. In the long run, it's best to get some financial advice from several sources.

 

             Now, should your crowd-funding plan fail, what do you do? Well with me, I would just apologize, explain what went wrong, and refund every backer. If I can't, then I would find a way to make it up to them as soon as possible. They can't be blamed for your failing in this one, and it's important to keep a positive image. Don't just sleep on things, and not respond.

               So in conclusion, know what you're doing. I've seen so many of these campaigns fail after reaching their goal, simply because they either didn't have enough, or they didn't keep motivated. Other times, it just feels like a scam. So keep your wits and dignity about you. Thank you for reading, make sure to comment below, and stay tuned!

      

The Present

      So, first off let me say sorry for taking a break. Life just sort of got busy in the moment. Secondly.... The present we live in is looking very scary. I'm not going to go too in depth, but there's been anger, fear, and some eye-opening stuff. I don't know how to best put it really, but I do know where I stand. That is that for too long have things been going this way, and just recently the last straw had broken the camel's back. No, not broken, but insulted the injury that had previously been sustained.

      Now I will acknowledge that there's flaws all around, and that I shouldn't generalize one side over the other. That being said, I also acknowledge I can't just play the middle man here. I can't just sit by, and let things escalate the way they have. At least, not with my conscience telling me what I need to do. I apologize if this is coming off wrong, but this is the best my words can go.

     Usually, this is a blog that talks about graphic design, and art. It still is, for I think these events will make all of us want to learn how we can better ourselves, and our crafts. The present has certainly showed me where I need my morals to stand. So, I'll leave this link here, so you can donate your money where you best believe it belongs. Now, stay safe, and I urge you, please learn about what you can properly do to better yourself. Racism won't stop until we realize that we need to work harder to stop it.

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co

Black Lives Matter

Public Figures

         So, this should go without saying, but don't be a jerk. I know that's generalizing things, but my point is, your image matters. Sure, you might not care what people think about you, but you'd be surprised at how much this affects. Namely, when you're in public, and representing a brand. If by chance you're a person who acts rude, then the brand can let you go. That ladies and gentlemen, is my topic for this week.

          Now, I understand that not every complaint to someone's character is valid. In fact, it's easy for most people to tell which are valid, and which aren't. My point is, even if you're a freelancer, the design business wants to make sure they aren't hiring someone rude or lazy. You have to keep up an image of yourself that tells clients 'yes, I can do the job!' Honestly, this isn't that hard to do, or at least it shouldn't be.

           Now that being said, I think there are public figures who are to important to a brand. The ones where, no matter how much they screw up, have put way too much in the business. One example is Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo. Not only has the man created two of the company's most famous franchises, but he's also been the one taking charge of new ideas, and trying out new features. That being said, there's a lot of fair critique against him. Namely, he's had a habit of butting into games in development, and just interfering when not needed. That being said though, he's already put too much time and energy to leave the company, and I can understand hating it when you're hired to... Oversee papers and not create.

Image from Wikipedia

             Even then though, with as high as some people are in a company, they can't just do what they want. Being a public icon, whether fictional or real, takes a lot of self-maintenance. Thankfully though  it can pay off ing you know what to do. Thank you once again for reading ladies and gentlemen. Make sure to comment down below, and stay tuned.

 

Overlooked Classics

              What would you consider an overlooked classic? Would that be a movie that did bad in the box office? Could it be an artist that worked mostly in magazines? Perhaps you're thinking of third entry in a trilogy, forced to follow-up a phenomenal second act? There are many things and people that for this category. In terms of design, you sadly see it much more than you should.

 

            I find some of the best designs or artists to unnoticed because of their position. Maybe they stick to InstaGram and put everything there, or stick to only designing for an ad agency. A sad fate for some, but if they're happy, and they're getting what they want, well then good for them. They shouldn't feel forced to share with the world because they were told to. At the end of the day, I would rather be secure financially, and doing small drawings as a hobby. It's the better option over fishing for attention everyday, in a place you won't find it.

  

             So, I believe sometimes it's better to go overlooked. You can still keep your identity, but work professionally in the design business. That being said, I would like to share some classics in this category. Not because I'm forcing them to be noticed, but because... I want to share my interests with you.

First, we have the movie Rock & Rule! A musical about a post-apocolyptic future, that went through studio problems to say the least. Somehow though, it came out as a trip that I think should be experienced. Thank you Retro Rerun for putting this in YouTube for the world to see.

https://m.youtube.com/watchv=knenwlh0ffa

Next, we have the game Deadly Premonition. I've talked about this game before, as it helped inspire my music poster. It should be said however that it really is a fascinating playthrough. May not be the most well-polished experience, but I loved it all the way through! Credits to Wikipedia for the image.

Finally, we have the man, Richard Williams. Animation director for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, contributor on several other animated films, and the mind behind The Thief and The Cobbler. I bring him up here as I feel he's just a guy who doesn't get enough attention. That and the aforementioned Thief and the Cobbler went through studio problems too, and was his main dream. Just thought I'd give the guy a shout-out. Image courtesy of Wikipedia again.

Well, with that, I am done for today. Thank you for reading, comment below, and stay tuned!

Officially Unofficial

         Ah, the very word unofficial. Commonly defined as not officially confirmed or authorized, you tend to see this word tossed around in Graphic Design. Now, the reason for this is mainly  copyright. More specifically, seeing something infringe copyright in some way or form. Now, this doesn't happen a lot in mainstream media.... Kind of. There are slips in the cracks every now and then. However, in underground commercials, other countries, or even just shirts from a van!

            Now, I'm not going to go into how this copyright stuff works. I am not a lawyer, and I can't give any information on this without fear of misleading. However, I will say that breaking copyright has given us great gems, like this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jvvDEzfalCk

This:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o3UgRO8VvBI&list=PL3kn8xdY4Q-N818VTwYT87u5ysfmocNvP&index=2&t=0s

And this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6-NKExQIaho

     Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Shouldn't this get the people who did this in trouble?' Answering your question, it does... Sometimes. A good chunk of unofficial stuff is either out of the jurisdiction of the origin countries. Either that, or it's just really underground. However, there are times when these rip-off artists do get in trouble.  Again, don't take my word as fact, not a lawyer. However, why do it anyways?

     It all boils down to two things. Get attention, and so it lazily. Bootlegers, rip-off artists, they all don't want to do too much for money. However, they can lure people in easier with a recognisable face. At that point, once let's say, they have to cease and desist, the viewer still had an impact. Therefore, the product did it's job in a way.

Video-Game Marketing

       So, earlier today while I was doing my online class, my teacher said  a videogame doesn't market anything. Now, I'm not hating on him, but that line did get me thinking. Can videogames be used for marketing? To the casual observer, probably not, but if you look closer... They just might. For one thing, they market themselves in advertisements, which is so obvious  it probably doesn't count


      Let's go deeper though, since I believe a videogame can market something bigger. The studio and companies that make them. Think about it, good games could land a team more work. Consistent work output will  help keep them afloat. A company that publishes great pieces will in turn expand.

    Going further, I've seen games that can be tied with toys, clothes, comics, all sorts of touchpoints. So with that being said, I think it's safe to say they do have marketing potential. Especially when you have a mascot or engine you want to put out.
!

The First of Anything

      So today, I would like to talk about firsts. Not drafts, but more editions. The early days of a brand or style of you will. I went into a similar with my blog, Evolution of Style.

http://www.kugraphics.org/zachary/2019/12/08/style/

Except here, the topic of discussion will be based around the early works. Namely, all the other media around it. For example, in Japan there exists a movie called 'Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!' Released in 1986, so early a year after the first game, it followed the basic story of plumber saves princess. However, looking back on the film from the perspective of today, there's a lot that doesn't match up. Elements that were made up, different characters and character traits, it certainly is bizarre. Thing is, you can't really say they did anything wrong when making it.

 Image courtesy of Wikipedia

       There was little control over the brand identity at the time. And not just here, but with other forms of media. In fact look at old advertisements for movies that turned into series, long-running shows, etc., and tell me that they say outdated statements. It's bound to happen as the team behind on the first days most likely didn't foresee the success, or hadn't planned it all out yet. They were also more relaxed with their product, not creating the more defined template other designers would need to follow. Whatever the case maybe, I hope this shows that your early designs, stories, or whatever, might become a bit more loose to interpretation. Even by you, things may change.

   

           With that said, thank you again for reading. Hope you enjoyed, comment below, and stay tuned!

   

Wrestling Follow-Up

Never thought I would make a follow-up to Design In Wrestling. Yet, surprising as it is, here we are. For those that need to refresh, there's a link to my words on this subject at the bottom.

         Ah, professional wresting, a… complicated situation. So, remember everything I said about design? Deadlines, drafts, finding the right audience? Toss it right out the window! Nothing can stay the same, and anything can change! That isn’t an exaggeration either, as a fan of wrestling, I notice things become different around two or three weeks. Of course, that does come with some complications.

       You see, this is a form of entertainment you see live. It’s also one with several shows, and many actors. Now, say it’s fake all you want, there are real stunts they perform that can get them injured. While a ladder jump maybe scripted, they are still jumping off a ladder. Now, let’s say they were injured in that jump for a month, and that person was supposed to be the next title holder. Now you have to change plans, any potential merchandise, matches, it just throws things off. It’s not just injuries either. Real life events, the audience reaction, or backstage shenanigans can just have everything go bonkers.


           So….. you can’t make plans to ahead of time with wrestling. You also can’t give up either, because the plans could really pay off. In the end, all you can do is adapt. Just adapt, maybe change someone’s personality, but make sure things are controlled. Things will change, but you’ll be surprised by results. What could have been a good toy would be a better toy. Maybe a video game will be better f they delay it. Either way, the design side of this business requires you to adapt. Like it or not, things won’t stay the same. However, you can succeed from something new.

http://www.kugraphics.org/zachary/2020/03/10/wrestling/

Going Online

            Alright, so...... my class is going online. To put it simply, right now we're having to deal with the Corona Virus scare, and thanks to that, I'm out of school for two weeks. This was a decision by the school's administration, and we will still keep lessons up. In the ned though, I will have to adapt. Something I went into good detail about, last week, I have to do. All of my work will now need to be done at home.  I can now sleep more, but at the cost of that, I don't have the best resources. I also have a more strict online schedule, but it should help me keep up on work better.

         During this time though, I promise to still post blogs, and I promise to still keep up my work. I'm too insane right now to give up so that won't happen. To show you I will still work, I'll post some graphics I make next week.  Other than that though, thank you for reading, stay tuned, and stay healthy.

Design In Wrestling

     Ah, professional wresting, a... complicated situation. So, remember everything I said about design? Deadlines, drafts, finding the right audience? Toss it right out the window! Nothing can stay the same, and anything can change! That isn't an exaggeration either, as a fan of wrestling, I notice things become different around two or three weeks. Of course, that does come with some complications.

       You see, this is a form of entertainment you see live. It's also one with several shows, and many actors. Now, say it's fake all you want, there are real stunts they perform that can get them injured. While a ladder jump maybe scripted, they are still jumping off a ladder. Now, let's say they were injured in that jump for a month, and that person was supposed to be the next title holder. Now you have to change plans, any potential merchandise, matches, it just throws things off. It's not just injuries either. Real life events, the audience reaction, or backstage shenanigans can just have everything go bonkers.

            So..... you can't make plans to ahead of time. You also can't give up either, because the plans could really pay off. In the end, all you can do is adapt. Just adapt, maybe change someone's personality, but make sure things are controlled. Things will change, but you'll be surprised by results. What could have been a good toy would be a better toy. Maybe a video game will be better f they delay it. Either way, the design side of this business requires you to adapt.

                 Well those are my words on the subject. Thank you once again for reading, comment below, and stay tuned!

Art Vs Design

                One thing people need to know is that art and design aren't the same. Design is to art what squares are to rectangles. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. It's as simple as that. In this case, all design is art, not all art is design. I say this as I want my audience to understand they can see a floating bag as art. They can see nature as art, however, the purpose behind it was never there in the first place.
               
                       
                  The purpose of this image above is that I wanted to demonstrate the seven chakras. There is a purpose behind it.  So, every element is designed as such, and helps illustrate the point I want to make.                                                                                                      The purpose of this image was to be a fifth-grade children's book cover.  Again, there is a purpose for it, and all the elements help show that. In this case, it's to draw a fifth-graders attention.

 This image, holds no purpose. There was no intention to making other than create something. It is art, but it is not design. I pretty much just turned my brain off when making it for this blog.

                              So, I hope you see my point. When designing something, always have a purpose behind it. Always have something to bring elements together. The same can go for art as well, if you want. However, sometimes you can just go in, and create. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned.

Are Fads Important?

                    So, I was taking a walk one day, when the idea of fads suddenly struck my mind. Essentially, I remembered what someone said about the 3d craze for video games.  How he believed that while it ruined what could have been great games, it showed what works, and what doesn't. Now, I am not saying 3D games are a fad, but the idea that every game has to be 3D is. Eventually that idea died down, people learned from it, and moved on. So what I am asking is, do fads teach us what works and what doesn't?
   
                  To give you an idea of what I mean, remember silly bandz? Those weird toys kids would bring to school, wear, trade, etc?                                   If you don't, hopefully this image they own, and from their Amazon listing will remind you. They were pretty popular for awhile, but most teachers found they were distracting kids. Eventually, it got to points they would take them from kids, or ban them, and then one day.... They weren't popular anymore. The generation that liked them grew up, and someone showed the kids something else, all in the span of a year.
   
                   So what happened to them? Well, when people age, or certain events like banning occurred, nobody would be interested anymore. Either that, or a sort of semi-controversy formed.  Advertisers will see this, and move on to something else, or they go bankrupt. So fads are important, as they show what will work, and what won't Anything that works will stay, and you build around it. Stuff that doesn't, well they disappear.

                 End of the day, just pay attention to them. I'm not saying you have to buy them, or cash in on them, but see what can be learned from their success or failure. You might just be surprised. With that, thank you for reading, and stay tuned!

Maturity in Media

                        During my last class, maturity as a blog topic came to mind when presenting touch points. Without going into to many details, one touch point reminded me of the ad campaign, Joe Camel. For those uninformed, Joe was the mascot for Camel Cigarettes from 1987 to 1997, an anthropomorphic camel, and kind of controversial. You know how today there are so many ads telling young kids and teens to avoid smoking? Joe here was kind of the catalyst, being a Looney Tunes-esque design that was depicted as smooth, and cool. He was also in several print advertisements, and was reportedly recognizable to hundreds of children.

                    So, with that in mind, what went wrong here? For example, the video-game Conker's Bad Fur Day came out when this ad was around. Said game is much, much more mature, with sexual references, alcohol and smoking, swearing, you name it. You also have adult cartoons like South Park and Family Guy that are still around, and doing well. Well, for one thing, they're not marketed to children. I know, there are probably children that wind up watching or playing them, but they are blatantly put in the mature markets. On top of that, a responsibility is put to the viewers to not re-enact the actions, or to watch it at all.

                    Well, can't the same happen for Joe? Parents telling their kids to not smoke? Yes.... and no..... you see, when that child gets older, they may like what they saw in these ads, and try smoking camel.  Also remember, these ads with Joe were everywhere, and felt both mature, and light-hearted. Combine that with the negative stigma smoking has gained,  and Joe has fell through for a reason. He wasn't just a mature cartoon character, he was, as the people saw him, manipulative. He wasn't just something they could tell a child not to see also.

                  So, in conclusion, you can have cartoon characters be mature. However, you need to market it to the right crowd if you do, no kids, so no public billboards near Mcdonald's. If not, make sure said character isn't advertising anything, so no beer. With that said, thank you again for reading. I hope my point came across, ask you to comment, and stay tuned.