Monday, August 16, 2010

Magazine Progress

A month ago, this school magazine thing had me losing sleep. In fact, just last week (two weeks ago?) I ranked it number one on my to-do list because it was wreaking so much anxiety on my life. Who knew that meetings were such a good way of getting work done? In fact, I’d say that informal meeting we had at Apong’s house was the catalyst in this whole process. Last Friday’s Picture Day came out of that, and today’s meeting today was an even bigger step forward.

For lack of knowing what to do next, I made a storyboard this morning. I made a tiny page-by-page version of the magazine, mapping out the sequence of content: year 13s through year 9 then staff, etc. I drew up half the magazine on the computer, and then printed out a page of blank pages to pen over tea in the staffroom. But then I figured, why make this a visual thing? Why not just make a list?

The entire magazine is only set to be 40 pages, and it wasn’t all that difficult to list the contents of each page:
  1. Title page
  2. Candid photos
  3. Message from Pule
  4. 13.1 Class
  5. 13.2 Class
  6. Et cetera
So I did that, including an extra carriage return to denote which pages would face each other. 40 pages, 20 leaves.

I also took the liberty this afternoon of employing 9 year 12 and 13 students to write short 100-word articles for a slew of school events that are slated to get magazine coverage: Rugby, Athletics, Netball, the Field Trip to Mt. Vaea, Culture Day 2009, English Day 2010.

Did you notice a pattern there? Yeah, I think this entire process would be a lot more challenging content-wise if I didn’t have the blog. Really, what is a yearbook, but a less frequent blog with a narrower scope?

In any case, with a working outline and a tentatively abled staff, I’m feeling much more confident about the prospects of the school magazine. I’m pretty sure I can have a good draft finished by mid-September. Things could be worse.

I hope you’re well. Pictures below.


Unbeknownst to me, the staffroom floor was re-tiled on Saturday. No doubt in preparation for the team from the Oceania Games that flies in Saturday morning.


This one's going up a little late. This is Erica, K8, and Erin posing with the soccer trophy we briefly stole from the Australians. Yeah. We lost to the Aussies. Embarrassing, I know.

1 comment:

Cale said...

as a jaded, former magazine advisor, I just want to make sure you check with your pule that there arent any surprises (like I had) that include finding out that you are responsible for figuring out where it is going to be printed and how to finance the cost of the printing. cause that will really put a kink in your plans.