The Gig Series (or books we wish we could make…)

After an animated YM chat about last Saturday's Stevie Wonder Woman gig…
Frances (2:36 PM):  i wish we could make a book on this

Frances (2:37 PM):  like that Malate coffee-table book? maski puro photos lang ng gigs.

aldus_santos (2:37 PM):  naku im sure may gumagawa na nyan

Frances (2:37 PM):  I wonder if it would sell. parang Taschen publication. (http://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/popculture/index.htm)

Frances (2:38 PM):  we could get the best photos from the Lomo people. and some photographers manage bands….

Frances (2:38 PM):  and i'm SURE all the bands have copies of all their best photos

Frances (2:39 PM):  i wonder if you could have separate volumes pa, by scene

Frances (2:39 PM):  Ska, Rock

aldus_santos (2:39 PM):  korek!!!

Frances (2:39 PM):  Reggae

aldus_santos (2:39 PM):  i wanna WRITE it!!!

Frances (2:39 PM):  i wanna publish it!

Frances (2:39 PM): but I has no money

aldus_santos (2:40 PM):  heehee

aldus_santos (2:40 PM):  i wanna write it with LUIS

aldus_santos (2:40 PM):  

aldus_santos (2:40 PM):  and MAYO

aldus_santos (2:40 PM):  that would be killer

Frances (2:40 PM):  naku kanya kanyang libro in the series na yun

aldus_santos (2:40 PM):  HAHAHAHA

aldus_santos (2:40 PM):  oo nga

Frances (2:40 PM):  or i could get several of you and luis could be the overall editor

aldus_santos (2:40 PM):  maybe

Frances (2:41 PM):  who would do reggae?

aldus_santos (2:41 PM):  hmmm i dunno

Frances (2:41 PM):  all you'd need is a killer introduction. and some great captions.

Frances (2:41 PM):  jp could do hip-hop with help from Cris Ramos.

And just for kicks, a book proposal, subject to many revisions, for an imaginary series on music.

Working title: The Gig Series (rock, reggae, punk…)
Description: Collections of photographs on 'gigging'. The bands, the crowd, the things we do…
Trim size: 5.512" x 7.677" ('cute' version, limited to one or two photos per page)
              10.5" x 14.5" (approximately double the size of cute version. have misgivings about the sexiness of this trim size but it might give you more room to play with layout)
Pages: 128pp (you could go up to 144 but i don't want to push it.)
Paper stock:
Cover: Foldcote 15 + UV or Matte lamination (matte lam is classier but more expensive) -OR- a really thick C2S.
Inside pages: Matt 120 or higher, or one of the thicker C2S stocks
Binding: Perfect
Colors: Full-color throughout (kung may pera ka, dagdagan mo ng special color or foil stamping para may touches of gold ka sa cover. Bakla!)

Challenges:
1. Money. Printing costs, fees for photographers, writers, editorial team, layout artists, etc. (Oh despair.) The more money you put in, the more expensive the retail price. And you don't even know if anyone will buy it, apart from the  people who are in it. (Yuk. Philippine Tatler of Pinoy music!)

2. Scope. How much ground will you cover? How do you set the limit? X number of bands? X number of years (ex. the 90s, 2000-2008)? And if you go by 'scene' how do you define 'scene'? Paano yung mga banda na 'fusion'? Patay. It might save your sanity to focus on one band. Or one venue. Pero, shet, dadami ang libro sa series.

3. Sino ang gagawa?

Super simple peg for the gig book:
Postcards from the Underground is 20 pages/postcards/photos of the Beat Generation taken by Larry Keenan.

You could do something similar. You could focus on one band. Or, using Luis' idea of featuring several bands, limit each chapter to 10-20 potentially iconic (ooh iconic!) photographs.

You could have one comprehensive introduction. OR a more personalized essay or write-up per chapter. :)

*skips lightly away*