VCD 49098: Senior Research Proposal
Project & Paper Proposal Form
Directions: This form is intended to simplify the proposal process by asking specific questions that are critical to a successful project proposal. If there is other information that supplements the description of your project, you may attach pages as needed. All written information must be typed or word-processed. Use complete sentences and include each question. Please be as detailed as possible.
I. Subject or title:
Title: Character Branding
Deliverables: Short children’s book, small calendar, approximately three different cards (exemplifying the brand in its own line of greeting cards), and a child’s sketchbook.
Description: The illustrated children’s book will be based off of the out of copyright story “The White Cat” by Countess d’Aulnoy. Some changes in the text may be made to better modify the story for the audience appropriately, but the story overall will be fairly similar.
o Summary of text: A king has three sons he must choose from to succeed his throne. He gives the sons three tasks to accomplish and whomsoever does the best in achieving these tasks will rule his kingdom. All the sons go valiantly forth to achieve these tasks. The youngest however finds a spectacular castle run by enchanted cats. A beautiful white cat greets him as the madam of the area. The youngest prince realizes that these are no ordinary cats and spends an enchanted time the white cat. The first two tasks the king sets out are accomplished with the help of the white cat, and the third task is to bring home a beautiful maiden to wed to become the queen of the kingdom. At this, the white cat forces the youngest prince to cut off her head and tail and throw them into a fire. The body of the white cat then transforms into a beautiful maiden that explains that she was cursed. In her own right, the white cat (now woman) is a queen with her own kingdoms. After returning home with this queen, the youngest prince wins his father’s throne. This queen grants his brothers kingdoms of their own to rule and lets the father continue ruling his though as she and the youngest prince marry and rule over her remaining kingdoms.
o Some parts such as the mutilation of the white cat will be rewritten to be more appropriate for the intended audience.
2. Academic / educational goal of the paper or project:
What I will learn from this project is character development, visual storytelling, and brand development. As an illustrator it is important to get the audience to be involved with the subject matter and this involves creating interesting and intriguing characters that a person will like to know more about. Visual storytelling is another important tool, as the message to be given must be clearly and quickly understood. I need to better enhance my skills at making the purpose of my work easily known. A huge opportunity to being successful is to create a marketable idea. I need to be able to take my illustration techniques and make them into something that can be branded (something unique and recognizable that can be purposely sought out).
3. How, specifically, does this project go beyond existing course projects?
This project goes beyond existing course projects in that I will be in charge of all the aspects of it myself, attempting to utilize the full capacity of my creativity; from the idea of the project to its conception I need to be able to pull off its success as a cohesive and professional work. The aspect of developing characters of my own should exemplify knowledge of social/audience expectations and interest. Building these characters into a brand to be marketable is also a unique aspect. With the fairly different deliverables, there must be a consistency throughout them that individualizes these products as being a part of one, identifiable brand. In the way “Hello Kitty” or “Disney” can be seen through all different types of media, my goal is to somewhat simulate this through my project. The “brand” must be able to easily transfer and adapt to whatever product it can be a part of. Though we have had projects with different deliverables, the projects were preconceived, made for a select purpose, and confined. This project shall extend to what I can conceive individually, expand it to be able to be a part of various products (not just advertising/promotions), and be an example of work that better portrays what I would personally like to be involved with after graduation.
4. Research necessary for the project or paper. Describe any research completed: (surveys, interviews, publications, etc.)
Any research I have done so far has been fairly superficial. For my ideas I have looked into examples of the products I plan to make as my deliverables (children books, greeting cards, etc.), and I have listed helpful resources and examples I can reference in regards to writing and making the material needed for this project.
There are several things I would need to research. I would have to research both new and past forms of illustrating as well as any surveys that can be beneficial in determining appropriate methods of delivering/creating my material (what’s familiar and/or popular). Further questions I may have will need to be answered appropriately whether through help of faculty, online research, etc
5. PROJECT ONLY: Form of the project: Describe what the individual pieces would be: number of pieces, sizes, colors, materials, techniques, quantity.
The number of pieces in the project will be a total of six individual items. This will include a short children’s book, a small calendar, three different greeting cards, and a child’s sketchbook. The short children’s book will be the main source from which the other deliverables will branch off of; presuming that the book has marketing potential and is practical for marketing different products. By creating a brand based off of this book, the brand can be used to encompass products such as calendars, a line of greeting cards, and various notebooks. The project deliverables (along with the book) will have…
- A small calendar: All months on one page face, the visuals of it all connecting with the book.
- Three different greeting cards: Each card is for a different “event” (Valentine’s Day, Thank You, Birthday…) to demonstrate the characters from the book as easily adaptable.
- A child’s sketchbook: About the size of a small notebook (roughly five inches wide and eight inches high), the sketchbook will have visuals connecting with the book. Visuals will include the cover, the back, an opening page, and the rest of the pages inside with a recurring header on each page of the journal. Included are blank pages (not including headers, etc.) for a child’s doodles, notes, drawings, etc.
6. PROJECT ONLY: How will the final pieces be presented? (comped, printed, electronic, actual art, etc.)
The final pieces will be presented as physical (namely printed) items. The small children’s book will have printed illustrations, as will the cardstock small calendar and greeting cards, and double-wire-o bound child’s sketchbook. The children’s book will have approximately five to ten pages (will more likely be seven to ten pages).
The audience will be from young children (approximately three to twelve years of age), to parental figures, child educators, and child caretakers. The age range includes its mid-range as the beginning of children’s literary skills as they develop reading, the earlier ages when most children comprehend being read to, and the older ages when children further develop their reading skills and are still generally interested in the children illustrated book genre. Illustrated children books are namely for kids learning to understand basic language skills while keeping thier concentration in being entertaining as a child’s skills develop. Those involved with this age group (parents, grandparents, teachers, care-takers, etc.) are also important people to consider as they are the main figures of contorl to what the interest party (young children) may be exposed to.
- A more specific audience targeting would be aiming for areas more prone to positive feelings towards animals (as the book includes mainly personified cats). More rural areas towards children of families with backyards and more inclantion toward household pets is a factor. Subarbs might also be included, but those of urban areas not as likely. Some begining research towards demographic surveys suggest that those of a rural upbringing have more of a positive attitude toward animals versus those of an urban upbringing. This also includes a higher aptitude for females than males to express positive attitudes towards animals.
o The small calendar will be appropriate for the age range as it not only includes visuals connected with an enteratining storybook, but is a quick read of any marked dates needed remembering.
§ It is also a plus for adults wanting children to remember a specific event whether for excitement (such as birthdays, holidays, etc.) or prepartion (such as vacations, school, etc.).
o The greeting cards will be appropriate for the age range as it not only includes visuals connected with an entertaining storybook, but can be shared among friends as it provides a quick read of a specific social expression in a fun way.
§ Events such as Valentine’s Day have children exchanging cards to classmates, or moments for Thank You cards to relatives in receiving a gift, or occassions like Birthdays to a friend’s party are all examples of prime greeting card exchanges for this age range.
o A child’s sketchbook will be appropriate for the age range as it not only includes visuals connected with an entertaining storybook, but provides the freedom of expression and creativity that many children in this age range generally want to let out. It is a way of playing, but also a way for children to put down physically what they may want to remember or convey.
§ A sketchbook can be used not only for drawing but for any other uses that a notebook, planner, or diary would be used for. The blank pages are open for whatever interpreation a child wants to use it for.
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