Creating a Logo

As a young person entering the field of children’s media, I’ve tried to ask as many questions of as many people in the business as possible. Each person I’ve spoken with has contributed to my development as a professional in some unique way. My introductory experiences in the field have led me to become someone who is actually called upon to answer questions for young people who have a budding interest in educational television. I so appreciate these inquiries and feel like I’m creating a network of future artists, producers, writers, and thinkers. These conversations and experiences have inspired me to write more about my production process. Today’s entry is about something I’m currently working on: creating a logo.

When I began working on my Rogers project, I had a really specific idea for a logo. I enlisted the help of an old NYU friend and amazing animator Rachel Yonda. Our process was fairly simple. I sent Rachel some sketches of my ideas with color suggestions. She sent me back 6 options: 3 variations on my sketch and 3 new ideas (she is brilliant!). I loved one of them and began stamping it on everything: contracts, the story bible, and scripts. I thought I was the luckiest gal in the world when IKEA began selling the exact fabric I was looking for as my scenic backdrop. It perfectly matched my logo and my vision of the set.

On the day of the big fabric purchase, I visited IKEA and prepared for my fabric’s homecoming. Much to my dismay, all local IKEA stores were nearly sold out of my print. I. LOST. IT. I started yelling, crying, and gnawing at Swedish-inspired throw pillows. After a meltdown on a display Karlstad loveseat, I realized a different color would actually work better and solve my costume/set ish that I was stressing over. I put on my big girl pants, wiped away my tears, and began measuring.

I had one big problem, though: the logo. My beautiful logo would have to be changed and, with it, all my paperwork. Ugh! Rachel was very accommodating to my new ideas and provided me with some options that complimented them. We experimented with different color schemes and finally created something even better than what we had started with.

This process really taught me how important it is to remain calm and be flexible. No more IKEA freak outs…for now. I also have come to further appreciate the kindness and hard work of my talented friends. I look forward to posting visual representations of Rachel and my process once the project is fully completed!

Money Talks...

I've been thinking a lot about money recently...especially after reading Josh Selig's latest blog entry on Planet Preschool. I feel so fortunate to have funding for my current project. I realize, however, that a future life for live-action children's television is limited. I don't think that animation is much cheaper, but it seems more profitable particularly when thinking about international markets. Ugh! What's a girl to do?!

Thanks to children's media know-it-all (I mean this sincerely...the man knows everything) David Kleeman, I came across this interesting project. DinosaurUS ExplorUS is a new project being developed independently. This production company is raising money online in order to produce its first pilot. I'm impressed, shocked, and interested. I wonder if this is the future of production capital. Please read up, share your thoughts, and spread the word about this innovative idea!