Project 1 - Directions and Terms

We are in search of artists with children’s book illustration and digital animation experience. We are partnering with a local children’s hospital to create a short video for parents detailing best practices regarding screen time and offering fun alternative suggestions for young children to learn and play away from screens. This short video project is inspired by our Baby Unplugged board book series. We are looking for a tone that is bright, bold, and happy; while also hinting at a classic style that isn’t overly digitized. We encourage you to look at Baby Unplugged: Make and Baby Unplugged: Ball for examples of the tone we have in mind.

Additionally, the artist selected for this project (if the right fit in style and availability) may also be considered as the new assigned illustrator to re-imagine existing titles in the Baby Unplugged board book series, as well as future titles in that series.

We invite you to share your best storyboard interpretations (simple, rough sketches are absolutely fine) of how you would illustrate the scenes for the video based on the following sample text:

Panel/Scene 1: Long ago, there was only television. Now screens are everywhere: In the car. At the dinner table. In bed.

Panel/Scene 7: While technology is amazing, there are limits to what children can learn from screens.

Panel/Scene 8: This is because human brains learn best: Using five senses…with other people…and through play.

Panel/Scene 17: Children need to learn how to entertain themselves. When they get fussy or bored, instead of turning on a screen, reassure them and wait. Great things will happen!

You are also welcome to share with us your online portfolio for consideration as well.

Here is a an example of a similar video project based on our board book SHARE This Book.:

Terms for Project 1: This is a for-hire project, with a one time payment of $6,000.00 for full rights to the artwork.  The project will include a minimum of 20-30 illustrated graphics for the Baby Unplugged video partnership. Some of the illustrations may be more elaborate, full scenes; while others may be of a single object or change in an existing illustration to help with the animation...for example, an eye blinking.

The artist selected for the video project will not be responsible for sourcing or creating sound effects or music accompaniment for the video, editing the video, or creating the animations for the video. Rather, the artist will be creating the illustrations for the videos which our partners at the hospital’s media lab will animate for the video.

Additionally, if the artist selected for the project is the right fit in terms of artwork design and availability, the selected artist will also have the opportunity to re-imagine existing titles in the Baby Unplugged board book series, as well as be the assigned artist for future titles in the series. In such a case, new terms will be negotiated for the board book series artwork. For a sizing template for the printed board book series, Please click here.

Interested candidates should submit their work to our Editorial Director, Amy Dean, at booksubmissions@bluemanateebooks.com. More information about blue manatee press and our previous titles can be found here. Ideally, all artwork for consideration should be submitted by May 07, 2021. The project will most likely have a final deadline of early July 2021. Our editorial review board will select, from all submissions received, the candidate whose work best fits the purpose of the project and series in question, as well as the overall "feel" of a blue manatee press title.