What do you do when your client's production budget stretches all the way to, well, not much at all? Even though packaging expectations for Western Australia's first DVD format street press seemed higher than the budget, it didn't faze the staff at Worldwide Online Printing in East Perth.

John Macliver, head of Dirty Stylus Productions, came to the East Perth Worldwide team with a concept for packaging a brand new three-monthly Western Australia street press DVD magazine, Cut and Paste. The free DVD magazine spotlights local arts, media, music and design. Because of the DVD format, the magazine features an assortment of visual and audio media segments including interviews, film clips, short films, live-event recordings, comedy and skits, festival features and local DJ play lists.

The first issue was due to launch on 5 June 2007 with a strict, locally sponsored budget. Dirty Stylus Productions had produced the artwork and was then looking to fit it with packaging that was cost-effective, but suited to the alternative feel of the DVD 's content. "Originally we planned on a regular DVD holder, plus a booklet containing information and sponsors' details, but it was just going to be to expensive," Macliver says. "And we were getting quotes of $7000 to $8000 for the whole thing."

 

The launch was approaching, however, and the DVD had to be attention grabbing as well as displaying its sponsors clearly. "Basically, I sat down with Mandy Dzelzitis at Worldwide and asked what we could do," explains Macliver. "So we threw ideas back and forth, but it was always clear that we wanted to maintain the look, but for less cost."

 

It took about a week of experimenting with the packaging's shape and stock, but ultimately Worldwide revised the design completely and ditched the traditional DVD packaging. "In the end we produced something like a CD cover in size, but with lots of fold-in panels that displayed the sponsors," Dzelzitis explains. "It was offset printed, and came to nine pages effectively, but it was under cost and within the time-frame, It was also a bit different." Dzelzitis also helped Macliver source low-cost plastic DVD holder parts from a local supplier, and Cut and Paste had found a format from which to launch its inaugural edition without the cost blow-out. "I hope to use Worldwide as my printing company for as long as Cut and Paste is around," says Macliver. "I have been very happy with my dealings with Mandy Dzelzitis and her team." The packaging changes also brought in some unexpected positives. "In a roundabout way, it actually ended up looking better than what we had original planned. We've had lots of great comments about the finished product, mainly because it is so different and eye-catching," Macliver explains.

 

 

Link: www.cutandpastedvd.com

 

Company:
User:
Password: