Plan of Procedure/Material List/Tools List

Now that I have completed the final drawings for the advertising of Little Shop of Horrors, I must begin the process of developmental work to complete this advertising. I’ve selected three final solutions and these will be handed to the creative arts club in February or March, which is when they will choose which designs they want for each of the following: tickets, programs, fliers, and t-shirt designs. I’m also thinking about coming up with an elaborate larger design which I’ll give to them as a poster design.

Plan of Procedure
First, brainstorm to create design solutions which can be used to advertise for the play, Little Shop of Horrors.
Next, choose three final designs. These will eventually become the options for the cast and crew to use for the tickets, fliers, programs, and t-shirts.
Once these designs are chosen, examine them to find a way to break them down into smaller parts.
Redraw these smaller aspects on full or half sheet of paper, adding more color and detail.
Now, scan these aspects into the computer.
These pieces can be moved around and resized without losing any of the detail or clarity of the design.
Print out the three designs (in the form of: tickets, programs, fliers, and t-shirt designs) and mount them on three separate foam boards.
Burn the aspects and final designs to a CD.
Give the CD and the boards to the cast and crew. They will choose which designs they want and decide if they’d prefer things to be moved around at all.
Next, make any changes which they see necessary.
Print out the absolute FINAL versions of the tickets, fliers, programs, and t-shirt design and give them to the cast and crew so they can make copies and distribute the advertising media.
Enjoy the show!

Aspect Drawings

Week 5 Log

I have finished all my developmental work, the plan of procedure, and the bid process! YAY! All of this information and work has been handed in and I can now post the information on the blog.

Week 4 Log (2)

I am working on my plan of procedure and it will be finished today. This weekend and Monday, I'm going to finish the drawings. Almost done!

Week 4 Log

I've finished my bid process and I'm working on finishing my plan of procedure now. By the end of this week, I hope to have the majority of my developmental work done, leaving only a few minor details to be finished before next Wednesday.

Week 3 Log (2)

I've kind of rearranged my schedule for this marking period. Instead of finishing FS 2 this week, I've decided to just complete the bid process now and work on my plan of procedure and finish both the 2nd and 3rd final solutions next week. Therefore, I have finished and posted my bill of materials (which I'm using for my bid process) and I've started working on my plan of procedure as well. =]

Bill of Materials

Part of the work for marking period two is the bill of materials. This means we need to research three companies who can provide each of the products we'll need for our project. SH and I are doing similar projects, so I researched the printer paper and business cards, and SH researched printing companies for fliers and t-shirts. Below are the costs and webpages for three companies for the paper and cards. In the end, I found that Office Depot has the best paper price at $8.29 for a ream of 500 and that Office Max has the best price for business cards at $5.99 for 250 printable cards.

Printer Paper Prices (fliers):
Office Max
http://www.officemax.com/omax/catalog/sku.jsp?skuId=06024303&searchString=&productId=ARS26063
ream 500- $9.99

Staples
http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?&langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&productId=16087&cmArea=SEARCH
ream 500 $8.49

Office Depot
http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=562903&cm_ven=360i&cm_ite=office_supplier&cm_cat=google&cm_pla=office_supply_words-office_supply_word_group_exact&Nr=200000&N=200884&An=browse
ream 500- $8.29

Business Cards (tickets, business cards):
Office Max
http://www.officemax.com/omax/catalog/sku.jsp?skuId=06119372&searchString=&productId=ARS26794
250 cards- $5.99

Staples
http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?&langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&productId=187645&cmArea=SEARCH
250 cards- $11.98

Office Depot
http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?level=SK&id=683177&Nr=200000&N=200908%204294966788&Ne=42&An=browse
250 cards- $13.99

Week 3 Log

I've begun researching companies from which I would be able to purchase the paper products (business cards, printer paper, and poster paper). I must find three companies with different prices for this bill of materials.

Week 2 Log (2)

YAY! My breakdown drawings for FS 1 are finished! I colored the table and the flowers and the title in last night and they look pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself. =]

Week 2 Log

So I've started to work on my final solution break downs of FS 1. I'm doing it in pencil right now and I hope to be finished by tonight/tomorrow. Once they're done being drawn, I'll color them in using careful detail. Hopefully, they'll be scanned by the end of the week.

MP2: Week 1 Log (2)

So, I've finished breaking down my drawings into smaller parts which I've started to redraw. I'm working on the different parts of FS 1 which include the table with the plants on it and the title, both of which will take up a full page.

MP2: Week 1 Log

Heyy guys! So, since the start of this marking period, I've emailed my mentors to let them know what my work involves for this MP. I've created a calendar and I've also worked on breaking down my drawings into smaller more detailed sections which I'll eventually scan and save as individual images which can be modified and moved around on the computer. I'll continue doing this through this week, then maybe begin working on the separating of final solution 1. Later!

NEW POSTER IDEA!!

Picture this:
-City Skyline Silhouetted in BG
-Large Audrey II in bold colors (greens, reds, oranges, yellows, etc.)
-LOTS of long vines twirling around him
-Each character floating around him or standing on the vines/leaves
-Seymour, Audrey, Dentist, Singers
-"Little Shop of Horrors" in big bold-typed letters above the scene
-"Don't feed the plants!" in smaller italicized type-text below the scene
-Play information (location, date, time, etc) below tagline

Marking Period 2 Calendar

MP2 Calendar

Week 1 (November 19-23):
· Send mentor an email explaining this MP
· Post calendar on blog
· Break down final solutions
· Post on blog-Tuesday and Friday

Week 2 (November 26-30):
· Finalize FS 1aspects
· Make a list of all materials I’ll need
· Post on blog-Tuesday and Friday

Week 3 (December 3-7):
· Finalize FS 2 aspects
· Begin bid process
· Post on blog-Tuesday and Friday

Week 4 (December 10-14):
· Finalize FS 3 aspects
· Finish bid process
· Post on blog-Tuesday and Friday

Week 5 (December 17-21):
· Finalize FS 3 aspects
· Scan final aspects to computer
· Post final aspects on blog
· Post on blog-Tuesday and Friday

Week 6 (December 24-28):
· Winter break
· Do any preparations for math & science analysis
· Post on blog-Tuesday and Friday

Week 7 (December 31-January 4):
· Finish math & science analysis
· Post on blog-Tuesday and Friday

Week 8 (January 7-11):
· Post analysis on blog
· Start outline for presentation
· Post on blog-Tuesday and Friday

Week 9 (January 14-18):
· Finsh & hand in outline
· Presentations 18th-21st

Week 7 Log (2)

So presenations were on Thursday and I think everything went pretty well. My weblog was a bit frustrating to work with though, so I'll be working on reformatting it for the coming months with better use of labels and links.

Formal Progress Update Outline

I. Introduction
a. Hello. I’m a seniorand I am here to present my progress update for my senior project of the Theater Advertising design for this year’s school musical, Little Shop of Horrors
II. Background
a. Each year, the school play has some trouble getting the word out and therefore I’ve decided to create the advertising designs for the 2008 musical.
b. Hopefully this will help to get a larger audience for the show
III. Design Brief
a. Create a design scheme for the advertising of the 2008 School Musical.
IV. Specifications
a. must attract an audience to the play
b. ticket design
c. poster design
d. program design
e. flier design
f. t-shirt design
V. Limitations
a. outside resources for printing samples of the final designs
b. cannot be identical to the original Broadway play's designs
c. cannot require a lot of money to be spent on production
VI. Test Procedures
a. The testing of my project goes on throughout the year from start to finish, rather than just in the end when it is finished.
b. First, I received advice from my mentor and friends to get a general idea of what drawings to create in the first place
c. Next, I decided to create an idea matrix and get comments and ratings (1-4) from my peers to see the pros and cons of each design.
d. Now that I have chosen the final three designs and finalized them, I will create three design boards to show to the cast/crew of the musical.
e. Finally, the designs which they choose will be the final test in the project – to see the actual effectiveness of these advertising designs.
VII. Research
a. Over the summer, I researched design principles such as color schemes, shading, and basic drawing. I also researched the play itself to learn more about the plot and characters. Once I had some general ideas about the play, I was able to start creating my designs.
b. Once school started, I showed my mentor my designs and she showed me the posters which were used for the movie of Little Shop of Horrors and also the drawings which one of her students drew last year. Reviewing these designs really helped me gain some new ideas for my drawings.
VIII. Brainstorming
a. To aid me in my design process, I made some lists of ideas of what to draw for the play.
b. Also, once I had one of my designs finished, I created a color scheme chart to see some colors and how they would look together.
c. Next, I used two idea matrices to help me in my thought process. One was simply the pros and cons of each design, and the other has comments and ratings from my classmates.
d. All of this brainstorming helped me to decided on my final three designs which will be featured on design boards to show to the cast.
IX. Alternative Solutions
a. Originally I drew four drawings (show & explain drawings)
X. Selection/Rejection
a. I used the advice I got from my peers to decide which three drawings to use.
b. I chose to use AS 1 because of the bright colors, creative design, and limited amount of detail. I would be able to convert it to fit as all of the advertising media necessary.
c. I chose to not use AS 2 because it was lacking the bright exciting colors which are necessary to attract a large audience.
d. I chose to not use AS 3 because it had a LOT of detail, very little use of bright colors, and not a very interesting overall design. This one had the lowest rating on my idea matrix.
e. I chose to MODIFY AS 4 because my peers said the coloring was great and so was the overall drawing, but I thought that it needed some more flair to make it more interesting.
f. Based on the advice from my mentors and my classmates, I created AS 5 after I made the idea matrices. I like this design because of the coloring and pretty simple design.
XI. Chosen Solutions
a. As I said, I chose to use AS 1, AS 4, and AS 5 as my final drawings because they all utilized a good amount of color, workable detail, and creative designs which the potential audience (the classmates) liked.
b. [Explain model]
XII. Summary
a. Overall, this marking period, I have reviewed and modified the alternative solutions I created over the summer to decide on which three I want to present to the creative arts club.
b. After getting many opinions, I’ve chosen these designs and am ready to begin my developmental work.
XIII. Conclusion
a. Thank you very much for your time, are there any questions?

Alternate Solution 5 Final Designs

Below are the AS 5 designs for the flier, tshirt, program, and ticket.

Alternate Solution 1 Final Designs

Below are the AS 1 designs for the flier, tshirt, program, and ticket.

Alternate Solution 4 Final Designs

Below are the AS 4 designs for the flier, tshirt, program, and ticket.

Selection/Rejection/Intention Report

Selection/Rejection/Intention Report
Since the summertime, I have created five alternate solutions for my senior project. I needed to choose three final designs to perfect for my final solution. These three designs will be the options I will show to the cast/crew of the musical to allow them to decide which designs they like best for each advertising medium. To aid me in my decisions, I asked my peers to comment on and rate each of my designs on a scale of 1 to 4 (one being highest). They only rated four out of five of my designs because the last one I created based on the advice I received from my classmates.
My first solution was of three potted plants on a table-one with purple flowers, one with orange flowers, and one with a man-eating plant. Above the table, the words “Little Shop of” are written in script, while below the table, “HORRORS” is written in dark red bold letters. This drawing utilized bright colors, interesting concepts, and good contrasts. My peers gave me comments such as nice coloring, good focus, and possibly too much detail. The average rating for this drawing was 1.5. The pros of this drawing are the color choices, the focus, and the creativity. However, some of the smaller details may be too small to show up on a medium such as a ticket, which means I will need to do some major adjusting to format this design for tickets. I have chosen to use this design as the main focus of one of my three final design boards for my project.
The next solution is very similar to my fourth solution. They are both of a man eating plant in a pot. The pot in both drawings depicts the play’s title in the same fonts as alternate solution 1. The second drawing is a dark green plant with dark red spots on it. Mostly, my peers told me that this drawing was a good idea which is simple enough to be seen in many media, however the dark colors made the picture pretty dull. This drawing had an overall rating of 2.75. Alternate solution 4 portrayed the plant in a lighter, brighter green color with decorative touches of yellow, orange, red, and purple around the open mouth. My peers said they liked this design a lot because of the brighter colors used with the same simplistic design. This design rated a 2 on the four point scale. I chose to modify AS 4 for my final design board. I discarded solution 2 because its cons out weighed the pros and AS 4, while being very similar, definitely would have a more positive effect for the play.
AS 3 was definitely the poorest out of my five designs, rating a 3.6. I decided to attempt to draw the flower shop on the street corner. However, the picture came out looking ever dark and very detailed. My peers said that this design would not make them want to attend the play and that the heavy detail and dark colors would not fare well in creating the different advertising media.
My fifth solution was a compilation of the advice from my peers and their ratings. I drew the singing trio from Little Shop of Horrors standing around two microphones and interlocking their arms. To the right of the women, there is a small man eating plant. The title is written above and below this picture. My classmates and mentors suggested to draw a design with some of the characters as well as the plant, so I decided the trio would be a fun and interesting way to include the characters. I also decided to keep all of the colors in this drawing bright and make as little detail as possible to allow many modifications and size adjustments to be made, if needed.
As I said, I chose the first and fifth AS because of their bright colors, interesting designs, and positive feedback which I received from my classmates. But as for AS 4, while I liked this design, I did feel that I needed to improve on it. So, I changed the shape of the plant’s “head” from a tear-drop shape to a rounder shape. Also, I added many vines swirling upward and around from the pot. Some of these vines contain smaller man-eaters, just as Audrey II sprouts in the movie. I figured that these changes would keep the simplicity of the design while adding more creativity and dimension to the plant.
Overall, I definitely think I made the right choice in choosing alternate solutions 1, 4, and 5 to develop for my final designs. They all have colors that pop, designs which grab attention, and the ability to be adjusted to be used for many different advertising methods. Also, using the idea matrix and my friends’ advice really helped because they are the ones who will be attending the play based on the quality of the advertising. Knowing that they like these final designs gives me confidence that whichever designs are chosen by the cast and crew will definitely be the ones to draw in the best crowd for the 2008 musical.

NEW Idea Matrix

Above is my new idea matrix with ratings and comments from my peers. I used this idea matrix to aid me in deciding which drawings to use as my final options.

Week 7 Log

Hey everyone! So, the first marking period is coming to an end, which means it's time to put the finishing touches on all of the systems work for this marking period. I've emailed both of my mentors asking them their opinions on my final drawings. I've also completed my model and I'm working on finishing my selection/rejection/intention report. Tomorrow our report and model is due in class. I'll be doing my first formal presentation on Thursday of this week and presentations will be lasting until next Monday. Wish me luck! Catch you guys later!!

Week 6 Log (2)

I have started finalizing my designs for the model for this marking period's presentation. I've begun putting the design board together as well. I will be contacting my mentor soon about these designs and the format of the boards.

Week 6 Log

I've begun working on my outline for the formal MP1 presentation. I've also decided on an additional design specifically for a large poster. I've found an additional mentor and I have been in contact via email and personal meetings with both of them regarding my designs.

Previous Advertising

Above are a few advertising posters from the Little Shop of Horrors movie and from students at the school which my mentor is a teacher at.

Week 5 Log (2)

I've begun to work on the final drawings for my model. Also, I've started to work on my selection-rejection report.

Week 5 Log

I have now selected my three designs to feature on my model design board. I have also decided on how to present my model and how to portray the designs.

Week 4 Log (3)

Today during class, I redid my idea matrix and included a row with each of my alternate solutions pictured in a separate column. I then asked a few classmates to write their comments in the specification boxes under each drawing and rate the solutions to help me decide which three to include in my model.

Week 4 Log (2)

Today in class, teachers A and B discussed my informal presentation with me in a conference. They said that overall, the presentation was good. However, I need to go by the grading rubric for presenations which can be found in the red booklet. I did not elaborate much on my brainstorming and I skipped research until the end of the presentation. Also, I need to go back and rate each of my alternate solutions in my idea matrix, which will help me to write my selection rejection report.

Week 4 Log

Up until this point, I am waiting for my mentor to get back to me about her opinions on my alternate solutions and I am waiting to hear from my teachers about their critiques of my presentation from last week.

Week 3 Log (2)

As of last Friday, I have contacted my mentor about my alternate solutions to get her input on them. I presented my summer work to the class as an informal presentation as well. The internet was down during class one day and we were presenting the other days which is why this update is overdue.

Alternate Solutions

Week 3 Log

I have created two more Alternate Solutions which are variations of my alternate solution #5 (different color schemes). I've also received an email from my mentor talking about how I've done with my work so far. I've posted all of my alternate solutions as well.

Color Schemes

Pictured above are my possible color schemes for the final version of my Alternate Solution #2. In each square, the upper left hand corner is the plant color, the upper right is the plant detail colors, the bottom left is the color of the pot, and the bottom right is the color of the text (title of the play)

MP1: Week 2 Log (2)

I have now completed my outline for the informal presentation next week and have been reviewing it to become familiar for the presentation. I am currently finalizing my drawings to send them to my mentor.

MP1: Week 2 Log

I have completed my goals for week two by creating and posting both my idea matrix and my outline for the informal presentation. As I continue to progress, I will be updating/adding to my outline.

Idea Matrix

To the left is my idea matrix highlighting how of my alternate solutions stand up to each of my specifications/testing procedures.

Informal Presentation Outline (rough)

I. Good afternoon, my name is MB
a. This afternoon, I will discuss my progress on my senior project
b. Graphic design of the school play

II. Problem Statement:
a. Advertising and design is much needed.

III. Design Brief:
a. Create design scheme for 2008 school musical.

IV. Specifications:
a. must be brightly colored
b. must relate to the theme and style of the play
c. must be visible in various sizes for the posters and tickets
d. must be attractive and draw attention

V. Limitations:
a. outside resources for printing samples of the final designs
b. cannot be identical to the original Broadway play's designs
c. cannot require a lot of money to be spent on production

VI. Testing Procedures:
a. Along the way, I will receive advice to choose best design
b. Three design boards containing different themes
c. Cast and crew will vote on designs- will show feedback
d. Turned into advertising media- will prove effectiveness
e. The choices made by cast/crew & turnout of audience will show efficacy

VII. Brainstorming:
a. Peter Pan – fairies, pirate ships silhouetted on the horizon, children flying over London, magical looking writing (*this was the original idea for the play in the beginning of the summer)
b. Little Shop of Horrors – man-eating plant attacking a person, Seymour holding Audrey, shop front with the play’s title written in the window, a row of flowers with a man eating plant on the end, creepy styled writing

VIII. What I’ve Done so far
a. Published all summer work on my Weblog
b. Created a calendar
c. Finished & posted my idea matrix
d. Completed my outline
e. Been in contact with my mentor
f. Posted my Tuesday and Friday updates

MP1: Week 1 Log (2)

As of now, I am beginning to work on my outline for my first, informal presentation on October 3rd. Also, I am working on my idea matrix.

MP1: Week 1 Log

Up until this week I have:

• obtained my mentor's contact information
• set up my weblog
• created my calendar
• posted my summer work and essay
• posted my calendar
• begun to fill out an idea matrix for alternate solutions

MP1 Calendar

MP1 Calendar
Week 1 (September 16-22):
-Create calendar
-Set up Blogger account
-Put all summer work and background information on weblog
-Post on blog, Tuesday & Friday

Week 2 (September 23-29):
-Fill out an idea matrix for all solutions
-Organize blog and outline for informal presentation
-Post on blog, Tuesday & Friday

Week 3 (September 30-October 6):
-Get advice from mentor about the alternate solutions
-Finalize outline for presentation
-Presentation on October 3rd
-Post on blog, Tuesday & Friday

Week 4 (October 7-13):
-Create alternate color schemes for alternate solution #2
-Choose three drawings to perfect for model
-Post on blog, Tuesday & Friday

Week 5 (October 14-20):
-Compose selection-rejection report using evidence from the idea matrix
-Finalize three alternate solutions for the model
-Post on blog, Tuesday & Friday

Week 6 (October 21-28):
-Put three designs onto the design board for the MP presentation
-Print out mentor contacts
-Post on blog, Tuesday & Friday

Week 7 (October 29-November 7):
-Presentations Nov 1-5
-Post on blog, Tuesday & Friday

Research

"Colour Schemes". Mezzoblue. August 14, 2007
http://www.mezzoblue.com/archives/2004/05/14/colour_schem/.
Technical method for color selection: pick 2 dominant colors, put together with some complementary colors. (can be a boring color group)
Matching: using a photo/object to select a few colors. (people sometimes choose the wrong colors)
Intuition: going with your gut and picking colors off the top of your head that you think would look nice together. Can either turn out very good or very bad.
Choose one color (any color) and create an entire drawing out of just different shades of that color, then add another color or two for emphasis on certain aspects.

"Graphic Design". Wikipedia. August 14, 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design.
Graphic design is a way to use text and drawings to show information
Advertising and graphic design are very similar-they both are a way to present information about something.
Graphic design is present literally EVERYWHERE
Computers are now used to create GD
“Anywhere there is a need to communicate visually, there is potential enhancement of communications through graphic design.”
GD is not just for advertising and making things look pretty – road signs are an example of this type of art. They must be crafted to be readable and bright. Taking these aspects into account when creating the signs is an example of GD
GD aids companies in creating an image that symbolizes their product. (Tony the Tiger, the Nike logo, etc.)
Education uses GD in textbooks and such to help students understand the information better.
Entertainment – scenery, comic books, book covers, book texts, film credits, programs, all of this enhances the theme
Web design uses GD through html work to create an attractive and accessible website for the internet browser
Don’t limit yourself to what fonts/colors/designs are easily found

"Little Shop of Horrors". The Guide to Musical Theatre. August 12, 2007.
http://www.nodanw.com/shows_l/little_shop_of_horrors.htm.
Synopsis
Aliens took the form of plants
Seymour brings one back to the plant shop where he works
His assistant, Audrey, has a creepy boyfriend
Audrey II says that he will give Seymour anything he wants if he feeds him
Audrey II eats Audrey’s boyfriend after he ODs on laughing gas
He then consumes Mushnik, Audrey, and Seymour.
They take over the world.
Main Cast: Seymour, Audrey, Orin, Mr. Mushnik, Audrey II
Scenes: The Shop, Skid Row (the street), In front of houses

"Shading". Wikipedia. August 12, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shading.
Cross hatching is used to shade an area with criss-crossing, perpendicular lines.
Patterns of darks and lights creates the illusion of depth
Shading is done during the coloring/rendering step
It makes the drawing look more realistic by adding an angle of light
Ambient light- no shading, lights the entire object
Directional light- comes from one single direction
Point light- comes from one point and moves out all over
Spotlight- single point into a cone
Area light- single plane and goes in all directions
Volume light- encloses space which lights the objects in the space
Distance falloff creates realism with out adding more lighting
None, linear, quadratic, factor of n

"The Little Shop of Horrors". Televisioncity. August 12, 2007.
http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/studio/8849/Moviemusicals/Mushniks/LittleShop.htm.
Movie director- frank oz, producer- david Geffen, book/lyrics- howard Ashman, music- alan menken, movie score- miles Goodman, line producer- William Gilmore, music producer- bob gaudio
Originally a hit Broadway play, “Little Shop” was transformed into an equally successful film
Changes:
“Ya Never Know” is replaced by dialogue, “Some Fun Now”, radio program.
“Mushnik & Son” was cut because the father/son deal is never present
“Now (It’s Just the Gas)” was cut and Steve Martin takes its place
“Closed for Renovation” was taken out because it didn’t move the film along

"The Media Business: Advertising". The New York Times Online. August 13, 2007
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70E1FFC3F550C718EDDAD0894DD404482.
TV and movies have always used brand name products as a way of advertising called “product placement”
Recently, Broadway shows have taken to this type of advertising
It helps them get the message out about their show
However, some worry that this will make theater become less art and more business.
Despite these worries, this advertising is here to stay. At least for a long time.

Summer Work

Problem Statement:
For any performance situation in the real world, advertising and design is much needed for posters, tickets, clothing, and programs. Our school play needs this design as well to properly advertise the production.

Design Brief:
Create a design scheme for the advertising of the 2008 School Musical.

Specifications:

• must attract an audience to the play
• ticket design
• poster design
• program design
• flier design
• t-shirt design

Limitations:

• outside resources for printing samples of the final designs
• cannot be identical to the original Broadway play's designs
• cannot require a lot of money to be spent on production

Testing Procedures:

• Along the way, I will receive advice from friends, teachers, family, and mentors to help me create the best designs that I can.
• Once I have chosen the three best designs and perfected them, I will create three design boards containing the design in the form of a Tshirt logo, a playbill, a ticket, and a flier.
• Each of these design boards will be handed over to the cast and crew of the play, who will choose which design they like the best for which part of the play.
• The designs will then be transferred onto the final documents and hopefully the designs will aid in getting an audience for the play.
• I will know how my final project is by the choices made by the cast/crew and by the overall turnout for the performances.

Brainstorming:

• Peter Pan – fairies, pirate ships silhouetted on the horizon, children flying over London, magical looking writing (*this was the original idea for the play in the beginning of the summer)
• Little Shop of Horrors – man-eating plant attacking a person, Seymour holding Audrey, shop front with the play’s title written in the window, a row of flowers with a man eating plant on the end, creepy styled writing

Research Essay

My senior project is to create the graphic designs for the advertising for the 2008 Spring Musical here at MAST. In order to have a successful showing of the play, we must have plenty of advertising prior to the show. This advertising will be in the form of fliers, posters, and T-Shirts worn by the cast and crew. But simply having these items doesn’t necessarily mean that the crowd will be large on opening night-the designs must be attention grabbing and interesting to the audience.

No one will want to attend a production of any kind if the advertising is unattractive. These designs are like a preview to the show itself. If they are plain, hastily drawn, and simple, then no one would be drawn to the performance. These designs must be bright, attractive, and intriguing. When passersby notice the fliers and posters hanging up around campus, the brightly colored illustrations should draw them in and make them want to learn more about the show.

In order to achieve this goal, I had to learn about techniques involved in graphic design and drawing. I learned many new methods in color selection and advertising through my research. One way to create a color theme is to choose two colors and add some complementary colors. Another way to do this is using a color palette, such as a photograph, to find your main colors. Of course, the simplest way to select colors is to just go with your own feeling. All of these methods have their ups and downs, but if done correctly, one can definitely pull it off (Colure Schemes).

Graphic design not only involves advertising, but any design using text and illustrations to present information. All advertising is graphic design, but not all graphic design is advertising. This form of art is what helped to create advertising slogans and logos which are easily recognized by many people, such as “Tony the Tiger” of Frosted Flakes and the famous Nike logo (Graphic Design). Graphic design is used in education for text books, entertainment for scenery, books, etc, websites, and even road signs! It is about expanding beyond the normal extents of design and going above and beyond with a new added touch of personal flair (Graphic Design).

As of now, the musical for this school year will be The Little Shop of Horrors. This musical is very unique, as it features a man eating alien plant as the main character. Aliens plan to take over the earth and decide to infiltrate the planet with man eating plants. One is brought back to a local flower shop, where it wreaks havoc on the people working in the shop, killing all of them, along with a snobbish dentist (Little Shop...). I’ve decided to focus on the logo of the shop on all of the designs. I also want to create a contrast between the regular, cute flowers of the store, and the vicious man-eating Audrey II.

After learning about the graphic design process, I think I know what I must accomplish this school year in Systems II. I need to focus on choosing designs and colors which will create enough of a contrast with each other to be bold, while still matching enough to be attractive to passersby. I also have learned the details of the play, of which I was previously unfamiliar with. Now I feel that I am prepared to create graphic designs to the best of my abilities in order to attract a large audience for this year’s school musical.