Making a cartoon version of your wedding memorializes the event as a work of art.
For newlyweds with an offbeat sense of humor, standard wedding photographs and videos may not be as cool as documenting the occasion through cartoons. A talented cartoonist can memorialize the event as a work of art that will engage many who otherwise may have little patience for tedious wedding slide shows. A commissioned comic strip or animated film offers limitless opportunities for creatively depicting the couple to be married.
Instructions
1. Set aside a budget for your cartoon. Your cartoonist will be able to break it down into separate line items, but you must decide upon a ballpark figure of how much you are willing to pay. Be realistic. A few cartoon sketches will cost significantly less than a half-hour animated sequence.
2. Search for and hire the right cartoonist. A brief posting on any number of freelance job boards or cartoon forums will get you an avalanche of replies. Depending on your budget, your cartoonist may draw stills or create an animated video. Find someone who is competent, has a rate you can afford, and shares your own sensibilities and aesthetics. Check out the cartoonist's portfolio of previous work to get an idea of how you and your mate will be depicted.
3. Hire a professional photographer to shoot your wedding if you plan to develop a comic strip or a group of other illustrations. Similarly, hire a videographer if you plan an animated sequence. In addition to the fact that your cartoonist will need this material as a model for his work, real documentation of the event may be of historical and personal importance for the couple if not now, then in the future.
4. Acquire the photographic and/or videotaped material from your shooter after the wedding. Because this material is going to be used as the basis for the cartoon, find your favorite photographs or videotaped moments. Save the best material for your cartoonist.
5. Make a backup copy of the material for your cartoonist. Keep the original photos and/or video footage.
6. Set up a development meeting with your cartoonist. Let him pitch you on his plans before executing them. You may decide to develop a storyline for the cartoon wedding, or to stylize the material in a clever way. In some cases, your cartoonist will have a great idea right off the bat. In other cases, it may take several brainstorming sessions to hammer things out. The possibilities are vast. You can be anything you want and do anything you want in a cartoon.
7. Review your cartoonist's work. As with development, he may get it right the first time. Otherwise, send it back for revisions as needed.
8. Make and distribute copies of the finished cartoon. A professional printer may be good for a comic strip. DVD replicators can make video copies of any animation. Or skip the duplication costs by just posting the material to the web.
