Yearbook Production
By: Leanna Brunner
You are in a faculty meeting and the question is asked: “Is anyone interested in doing the yearbook for next year?” You ponder the question for a moment because you worked on the yearbook in high school and had great memories of that experience. Or, you have a graphic design degree and you really want the yearbook this year to shine. You are tempted, but you’ve heard stories of late nights, angry parents, and missed deadlines.
Those who have ever taken on this daunting task may sink down in their seats and stare at the floor because most people associate yearbook production with one word—stress. However, if you are one of those people unfazed by hard work and yet excited at the possibility of taking part in such a rewarding project, you should not let the stresses associated with yearbook production deter you from stepping up.
Yearbook stress can dampen enthusiasm and bring even the most organized planners calling for help or losing sleep. The process is overwhelming and consuming, especially when deadlines are looming, pictures need to be taken, and the committed staff (who had so willingly promised the moon to join your project) is enjoying the spring weather instead of sorting through photos or writing captions.
There are ways to avert the stresses associated with yearbook production.
Keep perspective.
The first thing to remember about undertaking such a task is that, when all is said and done, as valuable as this will be for years to come for you and your students, it is, after all, a book. The sun will still rise and set if deadlines are missed or someone’s photo is mistakenly omitted. In the big scheme, it is a yearbook, and countless advisers have spent many a night awake worrying if the books will be delivered to eager students on their deemed, or in some cases doomed, due date.
In the end, you need to remember that no matter what happens, years from now, people will pull out their books for a brief moment to gaze at days gone by, and no one will care how many pages were in the book, what the theme was, or even if the books arrived on time.
Be flexible and choose a good company with flexible deadlines if possible.
With such a surge in technology in recent years, there are many good yearbook companies on the publishing horizon. It is vital to ask many questions before settling on a certain company. Although cost is of the utmost concern, especially in today’s economy, deadline flexibility is vital. Murphy’s Law in the yearbook industry states that there will be setbacks in this task—even with the best of intentions and the most careful planning.
Unfortunately, many of these setbacks are beyond your control. You will be at the mercy of a number of outside sources, including portrait photographers, administrators, parents or students who supply the photos, teachers, and even the yearbook company you select. It is important that flexibility be a part of this experience to compensate for these setbacks.
Choose your team members wisely.
You need to be diligent about selecting those who will be working with you. It is advisable to have an application process if you are dealing with students or a questionnaire if you are dealing with parents. Find out why people are joining you on this endeavor, and remember to stress that there is a great deal of work and a certain level of commitment required to get this daunting task completed in a timely manner.
Many people go into this thinking it will be fun, which we hope it will be, but there is more to putting together a yearbook than placing photos on a page. Choose people who are open-minded and willing to compromise, and who will keep their desires and agendas secondary to the success of the overall project.
Build in more time than you think you will need for this process.
Implement a series of deadlines—not just the ones the yearbook company sets for you. Break the project down into mini-deadlines. It is advisable to have a photo deadline for parents or those making photo submissions weeks before your graphic design team will need them.
Procrastination is engrained in many of us, and it is human nature to wait until the last minute to meet deadlines set before you. If you set your deadlines well before your pages are due to the printer or yearbook company, chances are that you will meet your deadlines more efficiently and with less stress.
Make sure your expectations for the book are known to those above you.
There will usually be someone above you making decisions regarding the book—decisions that may, at times, conflict with your expectations. Before determining a theme or how many pages will go in the book, sit down with your superior and find out what that person expects from you and, likewise, share your expectations of what you want to see happen with the book. Never assume anything, and keep the lines of communication open at all times.
Know what technology is available to you before beginning.
Technology is one of the most uncontrolled and unpredictable beasts of our era. Computer hard drives crash, files get corrupted, e-mails cause viruses, and sometimes programs do not work the way they are intended. Know your program or get the training you need to know the program before beginning.
Many companies offer their own programs, while others allow you to use programs available on the market. It is best, however, not to undertake a book on a program with which you are unfamiliar, even if the company promises it is the “most user-friendly on the market.” Even if the company representative promises training, be cautious. There are too many other unforeseen stresses associated with this process for you to have to undergo the learning curve on the program you will be using. If you do not know the program, find someone who does. There are others who might be willing to help, but who do not want the stress of being the moderator or adviser.
Make you sure have someone on the staff who knows how to take good pictures and has the equipment available to do so.
Good pictures make good yearbooks. Bad pictures cause unneeded stress and can lead to calls from angry and frustrated parents. There is nothing worse than coming up with a good theme and having good graphic design but lacking the pictures to make the book look good. People buy yearbooks and want to look at yearbooks because of the photos—because they want to see themselves and others captured at that moment in time. Even if you have a good photographer, you need to make certain that person has the equipment to take good photographs.
Digital technology especially makes the process easier and more affordable, but you need someone in place who understands the ins and outs of digital technology. Just because someone has a state-of-the-art digital camera doesn’t mean he or she has the experience to use it well.
Look at samples provided by those wanting to take photographs before you bring them on board. Have a plan in place and have people in place well before the school year begins. Don’t depend entirely on a general announcement going out in the spring to bring in photos to fill the blank pages that sit before you. Such an announcement can help, but depending solely on it in April is not going to assist with the stress level.
Rely on others and don’t be afraid to seek help.
Taking the baton from previous moderators or advisers doesn’t mean those people are out of the race. Ask as many questions as you can of them while they are still available to you. Learn from their past mistakes and use their experience as a tool. Call on them when in doubt, as most of them are probably willing to help when they can.
Another good resource is your yearbook representative. Call upon that person as often as necessary. Those representatives are paid to help you through this process and to make your yearbook as good as it can be. It is better to call upon them and ask too many questions than to make assumptions that can lead to more work in the long run.
Keep a positive attitude and a sense of humor.
Know going into this project that things will go wrong. Someone invariably will not like a photo you selected or clip art you used to fill an empty space. And, chances are, you’ll hear about it. That is likewise human nature. If you do find yourself in this situation, tell the person doing the complaining that he or she can be the adviser the next year. That will usually remedy the situation.
In the end, there is nothing more exciting than to see your finished product arrive and watch the expressions on the faces of the students as they look through the pages over which you slaved and stressed. Those are the moments that will make all the hard work—and all the stress—worth it.
Leanna Brunner oversees production at Picture This Yearbook Services, a yearbook company based in the Midwest, www.picturethisyearbooks.com.
Sidebar
5 Steps to Enhance Yearbook Content
By Laura Smith
For most schools, yearbook creation is a labor of love. It requires dedicated teamwork and creative passion. Yearbook advisers, staff, and volunteers strive to build the best yearbook possible to delight parents, students, and school staff. However, what does it take to tell the complete story of your school year within the pages of the yearbook?
In 2006, a yearbook consumer research study conducted by an independent marketing firm revealed these key insights: purchasers demand richer yearbook content, they base their perception of a quality yearbook on its contents, and they are willing to pay more for a quality yearbook.
Based on these findings and detailed recommendations from yearbook purchasers, these five steps will help you to enhance yearbook content.
1. Ensure the yearbook is relevant and meaningful.
The yearbook content must be relevant for the majority of the student body, while also serving as a memorable keepsake for years to come. In order to meet this dual challenge, seek inspiration from others and plan ahead. Brainstorm with the yearbook team or volunteer group by looking at magazines and other quality publications; review past yearbooks or yearbooks from other schools; and discuss the major events of the past year on a school level, community level, and local/national level. Explore many possibilities to create a timely and timeless yearbook.
2. Expand coverage of school activities and events.
There is a simple rule of thumb for yearbook planning. It is better to have too much content as opposed to not enough. If you have a ton of content to work with, you will be able to select the very best content for your yearbook. At the beginning of the school year, look at a calendar of school events and plan to cover each one. Parent volunteers are an excellent resource for taking photographs at a variety of school events. By utilizing many parent volunteers, you will guarantee wide coverage of various school events from the fall festival to the spring book fair. Don’t forget about capturing the events of the school day, too—recess and lunchtime present good opportunities for candid photography.
3. Include more candid photos within the yearbook pages.
Many parents will be disappointed if all of the candid photos in the yearbook were captured on one school day (it’s very obvious when the students are wearing the same clothing in each photo). The best way to ensure that you will have many candid photos to use in the yearbook is to plan ahead. Work with the school principal and parent volunteers and/or paraprofessionals to designate a variety of yearbook photo days throughout the year.
During these scheduled days, ask parent volunteers and/or paraprofessionals to help capture candid photos that tell the story of the school day. Parents who purchase the yearbook enjoy seeing photos of their students throughout a typical school day. Advance planning will help you avoid the risk of creating disruptions because you can capture candid yearbook photos when it is most convenient for teachers and staff (i.e., gym class, pep rallies, band practice, art and music class, etc.).
4. Capture unforgettable moments with words.
Excellent yearbook coverage is not just based on photography; there must be adequate description to explain what is happening. Headlines pull readers into your yearbook pages, and captions take them behind the scenes.
Effective headlines answer the Why or So What question for readers so they know why they should look at this yearbook page. Simple adjustments can make a big impact; for instance, compare “Second Grade” to “Mrs. Kipler’s Super Second Graders.” The added detail in the second headline tells the reader more about what they can find on the page. Even better, tie the yearbook theme into the headlines—the previous example would be perfect for a yearbook with a Super Heroes theme.
A good caption does not require advanced writing skills, but it does provide detail for the reader. Aim to answer the basic questions of Who, What, Why, Where and How within a caption to explain what is happening in the photo for the reader. For example, “Students enjoy spring” does not share much detail with the reader. Yet, “Third graders Lindsay Morrow and Amy Johnson welcome spring on the playground during Relay Day” provides more information within a concise caption.
5. Offer personalization options for student yearbooks.
Both parents and students value options for personalizing the yearbook in order to make it unique. There are many possibilities for personalization options, and there is sure to be an option that will work best for your school.
Currently, it is popular for parents and/or students to personalize an individual yearbook page using a scrapbook technique or computer design. Parents may create a dedication page for their student, or students may build their own original design. Schools may sell personalized yearbook pages as a fundraiser to help offset expenses or to fund a yearbook distribution party.
In addition, most yearbook publishers offer yearbook personalization options such as printing the student’s school portrait and name within the yearbook cover design or printing the student’s name in colorful, metallic foils on the cover. Your yearbook publisher can recommend personalization options to offer as additional enhancements to parents.
These five steps are a starting point for your yearbook staff to enhance content within the yearbook pages. You will undoubtedly uncover additional methods for expanding your yearbook content and telling the story of your school year. A quality yearbook is a rewarding achievement for you and an unforgettable memento for parents, students, and school staff.
Laura Smith works in yearbook marketing for Lifetouch National School Studios, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, www.yearbooks.lifetouch.com.
