1. 1.3 | Covering the Year

2. Covering the Year
View this presentation and take notes on the verbal and visual elements of a yearbook.
Use Handout 1.3 – Yearbook language to identify basic parts of a yearbook spread during the presentation.

3. CONTENT GOALS Coverage should be: Complete Balanced Relevant Dynamic
Complete coverage means that everyone in the school can expect to see their sports and activities covered. We do not play favorites.
Balanced coverage results when we include everyone in the school at least three times – whether through photography or quotes.
The book is relevant when students feel that it is an accurate representation of their year, their lives. This book should not look like a color version of the same book that was made 10 years ago.
We make the book dynamic when we make it fun and different for this year. It should not look like last year and should not cover the stories in the same way.

4. MAKING IT BALANCED & RELEVANT
Coverage should be:
Visual
Verbal
70% of a publication’s communication is through visual means, like theme, spread design and photos.
30% of a publications communication is through verbals like stories, captions and clever headlines.
Both verbals and visuals contribute to a yearbook’s theme, which we are about to look at.
A theme should be consistent throughout an entire yearbook. Unlike other classes, you are not making individual projects. A yearbook is one product that requires collaboration for consistency. A good theme energizes the staff and provides coverage angles which will make the book more relevant and dynamic.

5. Themes begin with verbal and visual elements seen on the cover.
What do you see on this cover?
Color: Primarily black and white with a small amount of other
Graphics: stripes, both the thin and colored stripes at the top and a thick black stripe running vertically down front; strong horizontal and vertical placement.
Fonts: one font in both a very thick and strong version and thin version – san serif font (one without feet)
Verbals: a catch phrase
Themes begin with verbal and visual elements seen on the cover.
Teacher: ask the class about what they see on the cover. Answers should include:
Color: Primarily black and white with a small amount of other colors.
Graphics: stripes, both the thin colored stripes at the top and a thick black stripe running vertically down the front. Strong horizontal and vertical placement of graphics, no angles. Lines of text have tight leading, or space between the lines.
Fonts: One font in both a very thick and strong version and a thin version. They chose a san-serif font, or one without feet at the bottom and top.
Verbals: a catch phrase – We’re something to talk about
Front and Back Cover
Castleview High School [CO]

6. What elements were used here to match the cover?
An endsheet.
Endsheets are the first pieces of paper you see when you open a yearbook. They hold the cover to the pages of the book.
What elements were used here to match the cover?
This is the endsheet. Endsheets are the first pieces of paper you see when you open a yearbook. They hold the cover to the pages of the book.
What elements were used on this endsheet that match the cover?
Color: Primarily black and white with a small amount of other colors.
Graphics: Lines of text have tight leading, or space between the lines.
Fonts: The same font in both a very thick and strong version and a thin version.
Verbals: a catch phrase – We’re something to talk about
Addition: Notice also, that the staff added one font (a serif font, under the page numbers) and that the words appear to run off the pages at the top, bottom and right-side. I is ok for the first couple pages to add graphic elements to the ones shown on the cover. Don’t add many, but a couple are ok.
Endsheet
Castleview High School [CO]

7. The title page is the first official page of the yearbook
The title page is the first official page of the yearbook. It is page one in your book and does not have a page to its left. The title page should include information about the school.
The title page is the first official page of the yearbook. It is page one in your book and does not have a page to its left.
The title page should include information about the school.
What elements were used on this title page that match the cover and endsheets?
Color: Black and white. On this page they did not include any color.
Graphics: Lines of large text have tight leading, or space between the lines. Smaller text has more space between the lines so that it is readable.
Fonts: The same font in both a very thick and strong version and a thin version. Continuation of the serif font introduced on the endsheet.
Verbals: a catch phrase – We’re something to talk about
Addition: a black box with white type.
Title Page
Castleview High School [CO]

8. The opening is one or more double-page spreads that explain the theme to the staff and readers. The paragraph on the left explains the concept.
What elements are used on this opening spread that match the cover and endsheets?
The opening is one or more double-page spreads that explain the theme to the staff.
The paragraph on the left explains the concept. What elements were used on this opening spread that match the cover and endsheets?
Color: Black and white and a small amount of color.
Graphics: They expanded their idea of lines from the cover. On this page, two of the letters have been made into lines that run off of the page. Their text on the right is also set in tall text blocks that are linear in nature. A good theme does this – it allows for flexibility with the idea while maintaining a cohesive look.
Fonts: The same font in both a very thick and strong version and a thin version. Continuation of the serif font introduced on the endsheet.
Verbals: The headline relates to the catch phrase on the cover. Also notice that the lead-ins above the quotes on the right. Rumor Has It, Change the Subject, Speak Out, Have a Say, Status Quo - each play off of the catchphrase “every one’s talking.”
Addition: none
Opening
Castleview High School [CO]

9. Dividers with Conceptual Spin-offs
Divider pages go between each section of the book to separate chapters, so to speak. Visually we have black and white, but this time it is large black and white photos. Color is used sparingly behind their text blocks. Section titles are the very same phrases we saw on their first opening spread.
Dividers with Conceptual Spin-offs
Castleview High School [CO]

10. What elements do you see?
You can see their use of verbal and visual elements on every spread in their book.
What elements do you see?
Double Page Spread
Castleview High School [CO]

11. This is the last page in the book
This is the last page in the book. It echoes the verbal and visual elements that have run through the book. Notice that they have included a closing statement, “That’s something to talk about” to wrap up the book.
This is the last page in the book. It exhoes the verbal and visual elements that have run through the book. Notice that they have included a closing statement, “Tha’ts something to talk about,” to wrap up the book.
Parting Page
Castleview High School [CO]

12. VISUAL VARIETY
A book theme should be consistent, with small variations from page to page.
Photos should be the main point of variety on your spreads.
Single shot: one image used to tell the story
Series: three or more photos showing the sequence of events
Collection: group of related photos each telling a different aspect of the story
Cut-out-background (COB): removing the background of a photo, leaving just the subject
Mortise: smaller, related photo that overlaps or is inset into a larger photo

13. A VARIETY OF PHOTOS IS KEY
Large Group Photos
Small Group Photos
Single shot: one image used to tell the story
Series: three or more photos showing the sequence of events
Collection: group of related photos each telling a different aspect of the story
Cut-out-background (COB): removing the background of a photo, leaving just the subject
Mortise: smaller, related photo that overlaps or is inset into a larger photo
Mortise
Photo Collection
Cut Out Backgrounds (COBs)
Coronado Middle School [CA]

14. A VARIETY OF PHOTOS IS KEY
Smaller Horizontal Photos
Smaller Vertical Photos
Large Dominant Photo
Small Cut Out Backgrounds (COBs)
Single shot: one image used to tell the story
Series: three or more photos showing the sequence of events
Collection: group of related photos each telling a different aspect of the story
Cut-out-background (COB): removing the background of a photo, leaving just the subject
Mortise: smaller, related photo that overlaps or is inset into a larger photo
Large Cut Out Background (COB)
Plano Senior High School [TX]

15. VERBAL VARIETY Headlines Captions Quotes Quick Reads
Sometimes words tell the story best.
Verbal elements report specifics – facts, figures, opinions and descriptive details
Tell anecdotes about people and their experiences that readers like
Best writing focuses on people and uses their quotes to tell much of the story
Solid reporting adds substance to story
To establish credibility, writer indicates sources for factual information and gives names of people quoted

16. HEADLINES
Alliteration
Play on Words
Westlake High School [TX]

17. HEADLINES
Play on Words
Theme
tie-in
Westlake High School [TX]

18. QUICK READS/INFOGRAPHICS
Palos Verdes High School [CA]

19. QUICK READS/INFOGRAPHICS
Quick reads and infographics are easy quick ways for readers to get information about the event or concept.
Quick Read
Bryant High School [AR]

20. QUICK READS/INFOGRAPHICS
Bryant High School [AR]

21. CAPTURE LIFE
A comprehensive yearbook documents life both in and out of school in several key areas:
Student Life
Academics
Organizations
Sports
People
Ads
Index

22. STUDENT LIFE Rocklin High School [CA]
A yearbook’s focus should be the school, but it is not only acceptable, but encouraged, to also include information and images from activities that happen outside of regular school hours.
Note that the Rocklin yearbook, which we are exploring in this and the next few slides, is a chronological yearbook. A chronological yearbook is organized by time rather than section, but it still includes all of the same topics. It just includes multiple topics on one page. Each of the topics covered on these pages, for instance, happened during the same week. Most of the Rocklin spreads have a date in the lower-left corner.
Rocklin High School [CA]

23. ACADEMICS
Rocklin High School [CA]

24. ORGANIZATIONS
Rocklin High School [CA]

25. SPORTS
Rocklin High School [CA]

26. PEOPLE/REFERENCE Rocklin High School [CA]
In the Rocklin book, sports group shots are included in the reference section so that there is more room on the other pages for action shots.
Rocklin High School [CA]

27. ADS Rocklin High School [CA]
Ads can include business ads or ads for seniors or other students, like these.
Rocklin High School [CA]

28. INDEX
Rocklin High School [CA]

29. PLANNING FOR ALL THAT COVERAGE
The Page Ladder
General subject of the spread (Sports or September)
Specific topic of the spread (Volleyball)
Deadline on which the spread is due.
Person or People in charge of design

30. THE PAGE LADDER Odd pages are always on the right.
Even pages are always on the left.
Page subject, topic, creator and deadline are entered here.
The page ladder should be complete and realistic.
It should be posted on a wall where everyone can see it so that assignments and deadlines are clear.
Do not leave any pages blank. There should be plan for every single page, plus some back-up ideas in case something prevents the page from happening the way you planned.
Books are printed in groups of 16 pages called signatures.

31. STEP 2 – PRACTICE & DO
Complete the Activity Interest Inventory to determine your interests and talents.
Hand in the interest survey before the end of class.