Reading 6: the Editorial Brief
Illustration for the Modern Newspaper Brief
The Illustration Should:
- Serve as a visual "hook" through visual boldness, wit, or it's intriguing story
- Summarize the heart of the story
- Be easily comprehensible
- Work as a stand alone picture as well as in conjunction with the headline and article
Creative roles within a newspaper/magazine/editorial website
- Editor: has overall control of content and visual appearance of the publication, is responsible for ensuring that the content is truthful, sits within the bounds of the public taste, and is attractive to the core readership of the publication.
- Creative Director: responsible for all aspects of the visual look and feel of a publication, shouldering praise and criticism in equal measures, working closely with the editor to coordinate the activities of the creative team/any freelance workers involved, and initiates and stimulates creative approaches from within the team.
- Art Director(s): responsible for commissioning illustration and photography for the publication. They coordinate the various design elements on the page to ensure that pictures and words form a cohesive whole, brief the illustrator at the outset of the commission, and discuss various possibilities in visually summarizing the article as well as approve the roughs and final artworks in conjunction with the editor.
- In-house Designer: responsible for composing the pages of a publication on a computer, utilizing the basic grid layout of the newspaper or magazine.
- Picture Editor: works closely with the art director, collecting, reviewing and editing photographic and illustrative material for use within the publication. They have to consider the guidelines and standards of their publication constantly and also be aware of budget limitations.
Illustration for the Modern Magazine Brief
The process is similar to that of a newspaper, but lead-in times may be longer. As result, while most magazines are published every week or month, there are some specialist publication that may only appear three or four times a year.
Illustrating for Editorial on the Web
There are many similarities between web-based editorials and newspaper/magazine editorials, but web-based editorials and their homepages need to be a synopsis it's content as well as fast and interesting since the viewer likely knows exactly what they're looking for and won't be distracted easily. Animated illustration has a lot of potential here.
Editorial illustration: Summary of Procedure
- Initial Research
- Prospecting for Work
- Securing the Commision
- Starting Work
- Submitting the Roughs
- Producing the Final Artwork
- Securing Payment
