Caption Tips

Bob's Caption Tips

• Every photo MUST have a caption.
• Not every caption needs to be long. Sometimes the only thing to say about a photo is the person's name and grade. There is nothing wrong with Ident captions at least they identify the person in the picture. Make absolutely sure that when you do identify them, that you use both first and last name and then don't forget to index that page.
• Joke captions are not appropriate. Humor is extremely difficult to convey in writing. A joke caption is often one in which the writer has no information about what is actually happening in the photo so they try to say something funny. Also, there are numerous libel lawsuits that have resulted from what are known as "false light" captions. Those are ones where you imply that something is going on in the photo that may or may not actually have happened.
• "No, Duh" captions are a waste of time. If all you have to say is "Joe Schmoe looks at the camera," you might as well just type his name. Why state the obvious?
• Captions should give accurate, relevant information.

ASN: Write On Demand
Take the first three to five minutes of class and write a caption for the photo below. Add it as a comment. Be sure to either log in.

Assignment Good Design

Step 1: Get out your magazine

Look through your magazine.

Select three lays that really grab your eye. They can be spreads or single-page layouts.

Look for pages that contain information in interesting ways (i.e. charts, graphs, quotes, etc).

Look for layouts with cut-outs or real objects.

Neatly remove these pages from the magazine. On double-page spreads tape them together.

KEEP THESE FOR NEXT TIME!!!

Step 2: Log onto YEARBOOK AVENUE. The homepage look through the look books for good designs and neat ideas.

How to be a Maestro

A Maestro is a person in charge of designing, laying out, and choosing the content of a spread in a magazine or in our case, a yearbook.

A Maestro does NOT take all the photos or write every article. They DO choose what gets covered and what photos go where.

Step 1: Review the Spread that you have been Assigned.
Choose what will be covered. Look at a calendar if you are working with a month or an event and make sure you capture all the IMPORTANT EVENTS

Step 2: block out where these stories will go on the page. Place the dominate story at the top with small content modules filling in the remaining spaces.

Step 3: Check with the Editor and the Adviser and then Assign these jobs to the staff.

Step 4: COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE. Working together to get info complete, photos taken, stories written and all the pieces in place, first on Google Docs, then on Yearbook Avenue.

Step 5: When its all in place, look it over for mistakes and work with the Editor and Adviser to get the product complete.

Now we will look at Yearbook Avenue for some Layout terms that will help us begin to understand how to block out good page designs.

Yearbook Folder on Google Docs

Hello Yearbook Titans:

Log into Google Docs.

Note your new folder called YEARBOOK.

This is a communal folder. EVERYONE CAN ACCESS ANYTHING IN THIS FOLDER!

This will make sharing documents WAY WAY WAY EASIER!

Now.... When you finish a document, and you need to pass it on to the group, just drop it in the YEARBOOK FOLDER. NO MORE ENTERING A DOZEN EMAIL ANYMORE!!!

Try it! IT WORKS!!!

Send your thank you cards to:
Mr. Bollman
Art Guy (and Computer Wizard)
NM Schools
New Sharon, IA

Writing a Story

Step One: Collect Data

Step Two: Interview

Step Three: Review your notes
Find the good stuff... circle or highlight the quotes you want to use
Note what details are MOST IMPORTANT

Step Four: Write your Lead.
This drop in point for the story MUST be catchy, drawing in the reader
Tell them why this person (or event) is worthy of a story in yearbook
You should start with drama- tell why this person is different
Make the reader hungry for more or ask a question

Step Five: Use quotes to add insight. Use the Hand out from the start of the year to lead you through this process.

Step Six: End with a conclusion that leaves the reader satisfied.

Finally: Read and Reread the story. Share it with the Editor (Sue) and one other staff member.


ASN: Take the notes you took during your interview and write a story using the steps above.
Due: Friday Oct 24th at the end of class.


A regular day on the farm at Cody Foster's house consists of getting up early and choring followed by coming home from school every evening in order to chore. This is a normal part of life for livestock producers.
Cody raises Suffolk sheep on his family farm five miles west of New Sharon. The hardest part of raising sheep is constantly checking things during lambing season. But his favorite part comes in the summer when he travels to the county fair, hangs out with friends and shows his animals. "It’s good to be rewarded for how hard I have worked all year,” says Cody.
In the future he wants to work with something in the Ag Field. But showing sheep at the county fair will always be a found high school memory.

Dawson Ferguson is a gear head. He loves to work in his father's shop on projects like his recently completed blue '65 Chevy truck.
"We rebuilt a motor then found a truck to drop it in." It took two-and-a-half years to complete the project.
His favorite part of overhauling is the first test drive or firing up an engine for the first time.
He doesn't want to work on cars as a career but thinks he will always rebuild engines as a hobby. "I think it’s fun."

"I always thought I'd just be a custom farmer," says sophomore Jesse Phillips. "But then God threw me a curveball. He gave me a gift I never imagined; the gift of rhythm."
He was a saxophone player in elementary band, but in the 7th grade, he asked Mr. Piffer if he could give drumming a try. "I just wanted to learn a new instrument. I didn't expect it to change my life."
Now, Jesse drums for NM jazz band, New Sharon AoG Church, Ignite, and a youth group called The Dock that meets in Ottumwa at the Bridgeview Center on Wednesday nights.
Jesse doesn't know where drumming will lead him, but with God as his guide he won't miss a beat.

Note in the examples above how each story has a lead line that catches your attention. In Jesse's story, I immediately want to know, 'what curve ball?'

Notice the detailed info later in his story, siting the different churches he drums for.

And finally, a great conclusion wraps the whole story up and holds it all together.

Monday Assignments

Reminder: Interviews are due tomorrow. Bring your answers to class. Face to face interviews are best. Phone interviews are ok... no not pass a note or text them.

Remember the most important question to can ask is 'TELL ME MORE..."

ALSO: Don't forget... Big Volleyball game tonight!!! I believe Jordan is shooting it with her own camera (which would be great because I have the big camera with me because I shot the marching band this weekend).

Individual Jobs

Jesse: Write a story about the Marching band contest. Include the following details:
Where the band performed
The songs and who made them famous
the score you received
a quote from Sue
a quote from Mallory


Steven: Add Captions for the Marching Band Photos in the October pages 16-17.

Abby: Finish the Back to School write-up and the quotes from Zach Howard

Kody: Add the Homecoming game write-up

Alex: Figure out what you want to say about last Friday. Maybe just a one sentence thing about how the Warhawks fell to the Bears for the first time this season.... blah blah blah

Aaron: oversee cut-outs and get them uploaded when complete.

Mallory: Finish cut-out and have Aaron upload it.

Kenzie: Cut out the Kaitlin Dickensen photo that I am going to email to you.

Jordan: We have a Halloween dance and haunted hallway event coming up next week. Think of three questions to ask kids after each event that will capture the experience.
Ex: What was your favorite part of the haunted hallway and why?
Type this up into a questionnaire so you can ask kids next week.

Tierney: Try to call Angie Jedlicka from Action Electronic again. They have always supported us at a high level.

Sue: Start Writing a story for tomorrow's concert. Gather all the info you can and come up with a good lead line.

Order Yearbook sign test

testing a widget

Homecoming Memories Courtesy of your Warhawk Yearbook staff

BIG WEEK... BIG JOBS

Job 1- Get your worksheet for yesterday (Good Questions) back from Mr. Bollman. Review my suggestions that are on the back. Ask me if you have any questions.

Job 2- The following people will meet in groups to plan and start a big week of jobs.
If you sign up for job, please be there and get photos taken or contact Sue or I to get someone else there.


Photographers: Look at the calendar at the bottom of the blog. Divide up the upcoming major events. Decide who will shoot which. I will take State Marching Band and Fall Concert.
We also need a good picture of Kaitlin D. for student of the month.

Reporters:
Jesse- Powder Puff Game. One paragraph. p 11
Steven- Marching Band Captions. Abby has the notes.
Abby- p6 One paragraph about the start of school. Use descriptive words. Sights, sounds, feelings? Get real personal. What would you want to remember in ten years about what its like going back to school. Through in quote from someone for fun.

Sport Reporters:
Divide up the following:
p.13 Waco Homecoming Game. 2-3 paragraphs. Can also include that Dance and Marching Band performed at halftime.

p.9 Volleyball photo block captions.

Leadership Team:
Sue- See me about a special job. (re: News Feed on p 14 and Elementary Book Cover)
Tierney- Today you will work on a Widgit to place on the website. I will show you how and then cut you loose.

Job-3
The following people will have a special meeting at 2:45.
Sue, Kenzie, Tierney, Abby, Mallory
Meet and go over the businesses that still need to be hit. Come up with a plan of action to get these businesses all hit (either in person or on the phone) before the end of ad sales.
Report back to me on what you decide.

ASN: Ad Update

OCTOBER 23 IS THE FINAL DAY OF AD SALES.

All loose ends tied up by then. We DO NOT NEED payment now. We can bill people. We need to get the Banner in to Champion Sign in Oskaloosa on October 26th.

ASN: Please comment to this post any and all businesses that you still need to firm up sales from and tell me your plan for doing so. If none, then please comment, "complete".

Due: Tuesday, Oct 13th end of class

A Great Yearbook

OUR GOALS THIS YEAR FOR...
A great yearbook serves as a memory book time capsule.
A great yearbook features every student at least three times.
A great yearbook showcases photos that capture personalities and tell stories.
A great yearbook engages readers with an opportunity for content submission.
A great yearbook features a custom cover capturing the school's personality.
A great yearbook covers the entire year.
A great yearbook identifies students in every photo and provides an accurate index.
A great yearbook builds school tradition with a distribution celebration.

Making a Cut-Out

1- Open your document in Photoshop (right click>open_with>Photoshop)

2- Select the Magnetic Lasso Tool and go around part of the image you want to keep. You can create a keypoint when ever you want by click. Be careful not to double click until you are all the way complete.

3- Once the bulk of the subject is selected (using the lasso in step 2), click on the Quick Mask button on the tool bar. This floods the unwanted area with a color (you can change it to best suit your image). Now you are ready to do the FINE DETAILS.

4- Use the following tools to move around the image and make your cut-out perfect

H- the hand allows your to move about the image
B- Paint Brush allows to to paint more mask
E- Eraser allows you to free more of the subject.
L- Polygon Lasso is good for selecting larger areas. Once selected, once an area may be filled.
SHIFT+ F5- Fills the selection

5- Once the Quick Mask work is done, complete the following steps to make your cut-out complete and ready to upload to YEARBOOK AVENUE.

• CLICK on the Quick mask button again creating marching ants around the subject.
• COM+X to cut out the background
• COM+N to open a new doc
• COM+V to paste in the subject
• Delete the background layer

Save as a TIFF document with a descriptive name. MAKE SURE YOU CLICK ON KEEP TRANSPARENCY on the save options.

That might seem like a lot... because it is. But if you start playing with cut-outs in your spare time you can get very good at it quickly. AND PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

I know lots of other tricks as well for tough cut-outs but, the real trick is getting a good photo. Take those pictures one the PORTRAIT setting of your camera and have the subject take a few steps away from a wall. Also, avoid the red lockers. They mess with the colors on the photo.

HAPPY CUTTING!

OCTOBER 23 IS THE FINAL DAY OF AD SALES.

Please have all loose ends tied up by then. We DO NOT NEED payment now. We can bill people. We need to get the Banner in to Champion Sign in Oskaloosa on October 26th.

Any questions? Let me know.

Mr. Bollman

Wednesday- What's Up Yearbook

Sales GOAL: ONLY $450.00 More dollars folks and we reach out goal for ad sales. Bring it home!!

Assignment 1: Every student needs to sign the sheet that we will be placing in lockers.

Assignment 2: Pair up in groups of three. Each group should pick one person to log onto Yearbook Avenue. Then I will come around and give each team a page to write Headlines for.

Tierney: I need you and one other staffer of your choice (but not Sue) to stuff and label envelops and then stick some letters in lockers.

Phone Call Tuesday

We are making phone calls today for Yearbook Class. Get out your sales information.

Hitting the BOOKs

Hey guys- we still need to make calls, finalize ad sales, make return visits, double check with places in Osky, etc to finish Ad Sales. But we are going to begin to get into the FLOW of writing, reporting, taking photos, and getting the info onto Yearbook Avenue.

Yearbook (like any journalism gig) is a grind. You have tokeep up with the push of events. The more time that passes, the less valid the reporting will be on it and less details we will be able to dredge up.

JOBS-

PHONE CALLS TO BUSINESSES ALWAYS COME FIRST. We are still more than two thousand dollars under our fund raising of last year. So we need to push.

Editors
Sue- Due by the start of Tuesday's class- in a google doc, a note on the cheerleader's stunt for homecoming. Use DeLaney as a source. You can really make something fantastic here! Write in first person. Ask me if you have questions.

Aaron- I will email you some cut-out work to do this period. Oh the joy!

Tierney- Log on to Yearbook Avenue. We need to enter the committed sales and get bills out to them. This is an easy process.

Reporters
Abby- Get the info for the Start of School project entered. Talk to Mr. Bollman and/or Sue for ideas/help with YTO (the page design program).

Jesse and Steven- I want to two of you to make a list of questions so you can find out just exactly all that the trainers do. we see them drive around on their little cart. They have little shirts and fancy bags... but just what are they doing out there? Speak with a veteran trainer (like Callie) and a newbie (like Bree F-S). Get accurate quotes and think of a great lead line for a story.

Photographers-
See list below about football players.
Profile Pictures needed for these kids:
Carter VD
Brandon VW
Haley Johnston
Cassie Hibbler

Also, the reporters have a list of jr high kids that spoke about the J High Dance. Those kids need shot too (with a camera).

Sport Reporters
Secure the stat block for the 09 NM Varsity Baseball Team. This info can be entered into a Google Doc and saved. Invite me to join once it is complete.

We will meet to discuss the month of October. There are three big events coming up in the three sports: N. Tama, Vball tournament and CC districts. We need to plan on how to cover them.

Also, we need to place a steak in the heart of the softball season review! It should write itself!!! THEY WENT TO STATE FOR PETE'S SAKE! We'll get a firm deadline on that worked out.

Photographers: Photos Needed

ASN 1: We need shots of the following guys in their football jerseys.

Outside before the game would be best. This should look like the sort of photo you'd put as your profile pic on facebook but in their football stuff since it is being placed beside a questionnaire about the football season it should be football-ish.

Kody Lake
Jake Silk
Steven Crosby
John Sims

ASN 2: We need one nice shot (portrait style) of Kaitlyn D. for student of the month.

ASN 3: Football photos tonight- Try to get shots of wide receivers and defense. No more shots of Joe Agan running the football. We have about one hundred good shots of him.

discuss who can do this and have the camera ready.

ASN 4: Volleyball photos from the past weeks- make sure you label them with which game they are from and upload them (with Aaron's assistance). We have had some GREAT shots lately. I need to talk to Mallory about what game and they were from.