Wednesday, 22 February 2017

Gerry Brakus Talk

I found Gerry's talk very useful and really liked how honest she was about her job and how she works with illustrators. 

KEY POINTS >

Getting in contact/making your self noticed

  • Emails don't work 
  • Letters can work better - but nothing too throwaway, if your going to do this make a real effort!
  • Know who your contacting 
    • Their name, job title. e.g. Gerry Brakus, Creative director
    • Make sure your work/the work your sending is relevant to the magazine/newspaper content and aesthetic - do research into past issues, the creative directors work, the readership of the publication 
  • Social media can be really effective - instagram is a good one to use...
Its a matter of collaboration 
  • You are fulfilling the creative editor's vision to some extent - theres an opportunity to bounce around ideas but this will obviously vary publication to publication... 
  • You will be required to make roughs, colour tests ect. 
  • They will do research before commissioning you - so make sure your online content (website, instagram etc.) represents you so they don't have any surprises. 
  • You can be rejected even after being commissioned - killing fee or nothing if its really that off point. 
  • Know your audience - are they conservative? Americans, germans and french are less-so and more gung-ho
Editorial - is it for you? what are you passionate about?
  • Editorial work is decreasing as publications close down/go online - is it a matter of making editorial gifs? or finding other avenues for your illustration? 
  • It is not your job to make your opinion clear within the work - you should be like a journalist. But at the same time you need to be passionate about your subject!
The talk really made me think more about the publications I would be interested in targeting to commission me, and where my work would be most appropriate in terms of being featured within a publication. I am not a very politically motivated person, however I could be interested in producing work for different content whether that be environmental, cultural - film, television, music - or even fashion and interiors.  

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