We've been surrounded by dramatic and stormy images
lately—Katrina, Rita, and now the truly horrific earthquake
in Pakistan. It doesn't seem like the right time for a
lighthearted introduction to our newsletter. It is an easy time
to be grateful for what we have, including our fortunate geography.
What we have for you in this issue is, coincidentally, focused
on images. If you've ever found yourself a bit confused
about purchasing rights to photography or other creative work,
our main article will help you out. There's also a piece
on using the web to help brand a neighborhood—a second
part to a project begun last year.
You may already have heard from us about our efforts to help New
Orleans jazz musicians. If you missed that email and now want to
help, the information is repeated below.
A neighborhood with a logo? When Aaron Design, Inc. worked
with LoHo Realty (see Communiqué, Summer 2004), one goal was to brand the realtor's “non-brand
name” home
turf, a relatively unknown section of the Lower East Side.
The latest project in this effort is the online LoHo
Guide
The site is emblazoned with a logo that flips the colors of
the LoHo Realty logo. The modified logo highlights the neighborhood
itself, linking the community with the client's realty
business. Prominently featured on the homepage is the photomontage
of the neighborhood that Aaron Design created when developing
LoHo Realty's corporate identity.
Some people know the neighborhood's historic past, while
to others, it's all about the hip scene right now. The website
provides up-to-date information about both, expanding people's
perceptions of the neighborhood. There's an events calendar,
listings for neighborhood clubs, restaurants, and cultural organizations,
an opportunity to ask questions and of course, information on housing.
A section on history is under development.
Three's the charm
Aaron Design, Inc. has won awards from Graphic Design USA three years in
a row. This year we won three awards, including one for our corporate
identity work for LoHo
Realty.
AIGA Design! Conference
Stephanie Aaron recently attended the biannual conference of the American Institute of
Graphic Artists, the largest design conference in the world.
This year's focus: Design! emphasized the functional aspects
of design. A good fit with the Aaron Design philosophy that design
is more than making something pretty. The conference was moderated
by journalist John Hockenberry, with an eclectic range of speakers
from Congressman Barney Frank to design legend Milton Glaser
to DJ Spooky.
New on our site
We've improved our navigation a bit, so it will be even easier to check out the new projects
all throughout the site. Take
a look!
Refreshing the wellsprings of creativity: Last
summer Aaron Design, Inc. president Stephanie Aaron spent several
weeks painting in Italy. This year she worked on large scale
drawings and paintings on paper – right here in her Lower
East Side studio (aka kitchen). Some of the smaller pieces will
be on display at the Matzo
Files.
Help the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund
For more than two hundred years, the people and musicians of New Orleans
have given us a gift. Now they need us to return the favor.
Many musicians live on the financial edge in good times,
and the impact of Katrina has pushed them over that edge.
With that in mind, we created these caps, T-shirts and aprons
to raise money for the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund. Click
here to learn more and purchase.
By Marlaina Gayle
What do the Yankees, Sting, Bill Gates, Cynthia Rowley
and Donald Trump have in common? They all get paid for
something they own—something they have the “right” to.
Sting gets royalties when his music is played. Bill Gates
is paid when you buy Microsoft Word. Put the Yankees logo
on a hat without their permission and you will hear from
their lawyer. Cynthia Rowley sells Target designs for pajamas.
Donald Trump can sell air or mineral rights to his property.
They get paid because they own the right to their copyrighted
and trademarked products, designs, melodies, services or
real property.
Artists, photographers, writers and designers also sell
rights.
Organizations benefit from commissioning original work
by getting products that are tailored to their look, their
branding and their message. They typically want exclusivity,
at least in their industry category, for a set period
of time. They also want to use the images for a specific
purpose: a brochure, the home page of website, a
billboard. How they want to use the photo determines the
usage rights they buy.
Usage rights are one element of photographers fees for
original work, which also include:
Creation of the image (the style, skill, experience and vision
of the photographer);
Execution (the expenses to make the?hotograph, such as digital processing, lighting rentals, make-up artists, special props,?ransportation and pre- and post-production time)
When first-use rights expire, the creator can sell usage
to others, who may or may not purchase exclusive use. This
spreads the cost of creating the work. If an artist sold
all rights to a client who did not need all rights, it
would increase the cost of the work. Rights-managed creative
work has a history.
The business of licensing photographs has been hampered
by a lack of standard terminology describing the categories
of rights being purchased. Do “advertising” rights
includes web use? Is an image on a package insert “collateral?” A
worldwide coalition of
leading companies, associations, and industry experts is
now developing the Picture Licensing Universal System (PLUS),
an approach to standardizing and simplifying terminology.
Avoid paying for rights you will never use. The more information
you with share with your artist about your goals and use
of the work, the greater the value and the better the price.
Marlaina Gayle represents photographer Greg Kinch, www.kinch.com, who specializes in providing imagery which tells stories.
Aaron
Design, Inc. creates innovative visual marketing
solutions that capture the spirit of your company or the
passions of your organization. We craft extraordinary designs
for print, exhibits and electronic media, including:
Striking brand
identities
Sophisticated marketing
and corporate communications
Impressive and intelligent publications
Eye-catching,
accessible websites
Inventive event
and promotional materials
Our award-winning team helps demanding corporate clients and
non-profit organizations meet business goals. We'd love to help
you meet yours. Contact us by e-mail info@aarondesigninc.com or
call us at 212 414-1522.
