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02/19/11
Digital Yearbook Team Building
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 1:15 pm






One of the biggest challenges that schools have today is implementing a yearbook program. Yearbook programs require a strong team environment to be successfully implemented. As a key part of school fundraising revenue, the yearbook program is bound by general business guidelines and that is why it is important to understand the structure of a successful yearbook staff.

Create a school digital yearbook program for free

Digital yearbooks have changed the process of how yearbook programs can be organized. An efficient digital yearbook team can provide a platform for a successful fundraising season and develop a strong team building experience. MyYearbookBuilder is a yearbook program platform that can enhance the overall team building experience and help raise funds more efficiently.

Teams always need a leader. In journalism terms we call this leader the Editor In Chief. This could be done by two people, dividing the duties. The editor in chief is responsible for working with entire staff and creating a plan to produce a quality digital yearbook on deadline. MyYearbookBuilder allows the editor in chief to take personal responsibility for the digital yearbook as well as work with all section editors to make sure their jobs are getting done and that they are providing leadership for those working for them. The editor in chief can use MyYearbookBuilder to read all copy and captions and get the digital yearbook published on time.

The managing editor works for the editor in chief and handles tasks assigned by the editor in chief. The managing editor will help manage the digital yearbook using MyYearBookBuilder. A primary responsibility of the managing editor is to work directly with section editors and writers. The managing editor may be responsible for photographs or be a liaison with the photo editor to make sure that photography requests are being handled.

Digital media technology has changed the way yearbooks can be published. Now you can add video, audio and images using MyYearbookBuilder. The multimedia editor makes sure that all digital multimedia is ready to be published. The multimedia editor keeps an assignment calendar and constantly reminds others about upcoming shoots. Digital yearbooks add video and audio that will store on a yearbook DVD.

Learn about digital yearbook multimedia

Each section of a digital yearbook can be assigned to a section editor who is responsible for the development of every aspect of their section. Sections can include student life, organizations/clubs, sports, classes, academics, advertising and community. All section editors are responsible for section plans and check the work of others to make sure quality and deadlines are met. Section editors will work as part of the leadership team as core team members.

Staff writers are responsible for content delivery. They work according to design specifications set by the leadership team. Staff writers can use MyYearbookBuilder to create an interactive digital yearbook that can be personalized with audio, video and images.

Photographers will develop multimedia content using digital cameras. They should recognize what makes a good picture and practice good photo composition. They will have to record names of people in photos and the date and the place they conducted a content section shoot. The should also capture information not obvious in the photo.

Contact us, we want to help you create a great yearbook program.

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK


1 comment
12/01/10
Digital Yearbook Frequently Asked Questions
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Advisors, Copywriting, Multimedia, Staff
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:43 am




Digital Yearbook Frequently Asked Questions

What materials can I incorporate into an Odyssey Interactive eYearbook?
Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks incorporate digital photographs, video files, audio files and word processing.

The maximum photograph file size you can upload is currently 5 MB; we accept only “*.JPG” (JPEG) format. The ideal pixel dimensions (resolution) should be at least 640 x 480 pixels for a landscape picture and 480 x 640 pixels for a portrait picture.

How “personalizable” are Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks?
Students have complete control over the content posted to their portrait, which includes audio, video, photographs and type-written text. The eYearbook Admin account (editor accounts) controls all peripheral sections including athletics, clubs and student life.

While the architecture of the yearbook is static, there are opportunities to customize the yearbook navigation window with school colors, logos and other graphic representations.

Additionally, the yearbook committee has full artistic control over the yearbook disk cover and various case inserts. Yearbook committees can have school-wide competitions for best design or manage the graphic design process internally.

No changes in graphic design and/or architecture can be made without additional charge. Schools interested in creating a custom architecture must submit their request to Odyssey Interactive by September 30th. All custom design requests must be received by Odyssey Interactive no later than December 30th to guarantee an on-time delivery.

How much information can be stored in an Odyssey Interactive eYearbook?
Odyssey Interactive offers three distribution platforms. For productions less than 620 MB in size, Odyssey Interactive will deliver a CD-ROMeYearbook. For productions greater than 620 MB and less than 4 GB in size, Odyssey Interactive will deliver a DVD-ROM eYearbook. Finally, for productions greater than 4 GB, we can offer USB drives as the distribution medium.

Can I incorporate MyYearbookBuilder into my yearbook or journalism class?
MyYearbookBuilder.com is completely classroom ready. Whether your yearbook program is an extra-curricular activity or a credited journalism class, MyYearbookBuilder.com offers a variety of tools and activities that educators require to teach and manage students. In the formal classroom environment, MyYearbookBuilder allows teachers to assign specific tasks to students, to review their submissions, to track activity and to monitor daily performance.

As the administrator, can I control the material that is posted to the public yearbook?
Multiple screening systems are available to ensure that students are not posting inappropriate material to the public yearbook. Before a student photograph can be posted to the public eYearbook, it must be approved by the administrator via the photograph screener. Additionally, the global dictionary screener is a system feature that monitors text boxes in the admin and individual student accounts. The feature is a database of restricted words that can NOT be posted to the public eYearbook. Finally, for security purposes, the administrator also maintains global overwrite ability; the admin account has unrestricted access to all student accounts and may edit and/or delete material as necessary and/or appropriate, even after student portraits have been closed for editing.

How long is the eYearbook available for editing online?
How long you keep your yearbook running is entirely up to you; however, we require about 3 weeks for publishing turn-around and 5-7 business days for shipping - so yearbook committee’s should plan accordingly. Opening and closing dates must be set for 9th graders, 10th graders, 11th graders, 12th graders, yearbook editor accounts and the admin account, individually.

When are the actual eYearbooks delivered to high schools?
The delivery date is entirely dependant upon your scheduled yearbook closing date. After publishing, which is typically about 2 weeks, the final yearbooks are delivered to you within 5-7 business days.

How long is high school eYearbook data stored on MYYEARBOOKBUILDER.COM?
Currently, ALL data (including pictures, video files, audio files and word processing) is permanently deleted from MYYEARBOOKBUILDER.COM on June 30th of each calendar year, after all schools have received and formally accepted product deliveries. Otherwise, NO permanent online archive of production material/content is maintained. However, we do maintain permanent and redundant archives of actual school productions offline.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer a paper yearbook to supplement the disc version?
While our primary focus is publishing electronic yearbooks, we do offer an optional traditional paper yearbook supplement. Our paper supplement, which fits inside our standard DVD case as an insert, features a heavy-weight paper cover, 20 to 30 pages of full color pictures and 10 pages of standard paper for hand signatures and messages; additional production charges apply.

Does Odyssey Interactive maintain permanent archives of all eYearbooks?
Odyssey Interactive maintains a permanent archive of all high school eYearbooks productions, indefinitely. This will allow quick and easy replacement of an existing eYearbook at standard replacement price. Additionally, we will provide a master to each participating high school, for archiving purposes only. No duplications and/or redistributions can be made of the master without paying appropriate royalty/licensing fees.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer a standard warranty?
Please request a copy of our standard warranty for specific details.

Basically, Odyssey Interactive does offer a limited Warranty. Odyssey Interactive warrants that (a) its eYearbooks will perform substantially in accordance with the accompanying written materials for a period of one (1) year from the date of receipt by customer and (b) that the medium on which the eYearbook is contained will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one (1) year.

Does Odyssey Interactive have a licensing agreement for each album?
Please request a copy of our licensing agreement for specific details.

You are granted a non-exclusive license to use the original purchased eYearbook on unlimited computers. Odyssey Interactive’seYearbook (including any images, icons, graphics, animations, audio, music, and text incorporated into the Software) is protected by copyright laws. However, you may NOT make copies of your eYearbooks. You may not give copies of your eYearbook to other persons, or duplicate eYearbooks by any other means, including electronic transmission. You may NOT copy the printed materials accompanyingeYearbooks, and print copies of any user documentation. Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks do also contain trade secrets, and in order to protect them, you may NOT decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, or otherwise reduce the eYearbooks to human-perceivable form. Further, you may NOT modify, adapt, translate, rent, sublicense, assign, lease, loan, resell for profit, distribute, or network Interactive’seYearbook, disk, or related materials or create derivative works based upon Odyssey Interactive’s eYearbook or any part thereof.

Does Odyssey Interactive require project sign-off and milestone approvals?
Due to the nature of our business, Odyssey Interactive does require a signature of approval for delivery of the final product. In addition, sign-offs at predefined milestones can and may also be required.

Once an eYearbook milestone has been achieved and approved by the customer, no additional retrospective changes will be made without incurring additional expenses by the customer. Regretfully, we can not offer unlimited revisions.

Does Odyssey Interactive require a down-payment or deposit to begin production?
No, Odyssey Interactive does NOT require an immediate down-payment/deposit to begin production. However, 1 payment is required before final invoicing, which covers approximately 25% of total order cost. Payment is collected on May 1st of each calendar year.

Is there a fee associated with using MyYearbookBuilder.com?
Daily access to and use of the MYYEARBOOKBUILDER.COM website is free of charge during the school year.

Charges are incurred if, and only if, you enter into a publishing agreement and elect to purchase a copy(s) of the final eYearbook. For the individual student, failing to purchase a copy of the final eYearbook may result in the omission of personalized material like “Favorites” and “Year In Review” (for example); however, at a minimum, every student will have an eYearbook portrait with name, grade-level and a primary picture.

How do we promote the sale of the Odyssey Interactive eYearbook? 
Selling our solution to your students is no different than your previous experience. Before and during the yearbook sale, promote the book! Build hype and anticipation. You are competing for money, which may go to gas, prom or the latest electronic gadget, so you must actively seek the sale. Various promotional tools include: 

  • PA announcements
  • Home-made posters and banners
  • Flyers
  • Presentations to homeroom
  • Press releases in school newspaper
  • Incentives and student give-aways

How do I motivate students to buy eYearbooks early? 
The best incentive for early purchase is to create a sliding scale for your eYearbook pricing. Let students and parents know that early purchases include a discount off the eYearbook total price. Let it be known that the longer you wait, the more expensive the purchase price.

When do we need to submit the final quantity for our eYearbook order? 
This will be specified on your publishing agreement and will solely depend on your requested publishing date and final shipping date. It’s usually about 4 weeks before your expected delivery date.

How do I decide on the eYearbook selling price? 
Unfortunately, this process is more subjective because the wholesale price is not completely production-dependant. The wholesale price is dependant on order volume and there’s no specific charge for printing or other expenses. Therefore, determine how many eYearbooks you expect to sell and ad a profit margin on-top of the appropriate wholesale list price.

How do I determine ad rates? 
eYearbook ads are one size fits all; like Internet banner ads, there’s no longer a need to negotiate a ¼ page, ½ page or full page ad. Therefore, determining the price is based on the actual production cost per ad and also how much you want to make on each ad itself. As a starting point, look at four times production cost for your rate and modify as appropriate. An ad that costs $25 to produce should be sold for $100.

How do I keep track of eYearbook orders? 
Students are required to place their eYearbook reservation online at MyYearbookBuilder.com. Upon request, Odyssey Interactive can provide the yearbook adviser with a complete, up-to-date order list in hard-copy format, which was downloaded from the specific school’s account.

What forms of payment are accepted?
Odyssey Interactive will accept all personal checks, bank checks, and cash payments, which are denominated in US dollars. Credit card payment is also accepted.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer any financing options?
Financing options are NOT currently available. Final payment must be made within 10 days of final product delivery.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer incentives to customers that elect to prepay in full?
Odyssey Interactive does offer a 3% discounts for schools that elect to prepay balance in-full by January 1st. This does require that finaleYearbook count be placed before January 1st.

How long does it take to produce an eYearbook?
Production time is completely and entirely up to the individual school. It’s highly recommended that schools work at a comfortable pace, and spread the work load out throughout the entire school year.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer albums for other special occasions?
In addition to our traditional eYearbooks, Odyssey Interactive also provides digital solutions for wedding, family albums, anniversaries, birthdays, reunions and other special occasions.

How do I get started?
Contact Odyssey Interactive today and schedule a free, no obligation consultation. Alternatively, you can also register with us online via “START A YEARBOOK”, and we will contact you shortly thereafter.

 

 

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
03/01/10
MyYearbookBuilder General Information (Digital Yearbooks)
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Digital Yearbook News, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:37 am





MyYearbookBuilder General Information (Digital Yearbooks)

MyYearbookBuilder.com is an online, electronic (“eYearbook”) publishing system designed to record, highlight and commemorate the past school year for middle school, high school and/or a college/university. It’s a novel system and a unique method for creating and publishing electronic yearbooks using the Internet as the primary content collection vehicle and a proprietary multi-tiered user account structure. The final product is an eYearbook delivered on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM or USB Drive, which contains self-expression, artistic design, sophisticated technology and rich, interactive experiences.

School Registration (online)

To begin production, the school must first register with Odyssey Interactive at www.MyYearbookBuilder.com. This registration process will enable the school administrators and/or yearbook adviser to open an eYearbook database and also create a private and secure account from where to manage the eYearbook production, which will ultimately be completely converted into an interactive CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or USB Drive at the end of your school year.

To be accepted into our program, a registration must be completed and submitted by an adult (25 years of age or older) and active member of the high school faculty/staff seeking registration. Absolutely NO exceptions will be made to this rule. For students seeking registration, we appreciate your interest in our product and look forward to serving you in the future. However, please contact your high school principal or an appropriate member of the administration staff for registration.

To register your high school, please select the “START A YEARBOOK” button on our splash page or the main navigation page and submit the accompanying application form. This action will initiate the opening of an eYearbook account and database, which needs to be authorized by Odyssey Interactive before it can be populated by the registering school. During this inactive period, an Odyssey Interactive representative will contact the applicant via telephone and/or email for verification, qualification and a free, no-obligation consultation.

In addition to registering online, all applicants will be required to sign a publishing agreement for their respective school.

Account Access

All registered schools receive a school code and password for yearbook access, along with a private admin account user name and password. All students create a user name and password for their own yearbook access and portrait building, which requires a valid email address for identification, registration and tracking purposes.

Student Account
A Student Account is required to build a basic student portrait and is subsequently opened via a registered email address.

First time users must create a student account, once a school is registered and an eYearbook has been opened. This is accomplished by “signing-in” to the eYearbook database via “New User?” access, which requires providing the appropriate school code and school password. Once completed, students submit the accompanying registration form to open an individual student portrait. Returning users can quickly and easily sign in to their eYearbook by selecting the appropriate school code from our drop-down menu (“Returning User” access) and also providing their user name and password.

The student account enables any students to build and customize their own eYearbook portrait, add photographs, audio files and video files, along with creating a social network via the eYearbook “Buddy” system and electronically sign other student eYearbooks. Students can also search the eYearbook and preview the eYearbook in the student account.

While we do offer the ability to “remember” user name and password on a computer, for security purposes, and especially in instances when signing-in to the database on a shared computer, we strongly urge and recommend that users maintain “forget me” sign in access. “Forget me” access will completely sign users and the user’s computer out of the publishing system, so no returning user can go back into the prior student account and add/edit/delete portrait information.

Administrator Account
One Administrator (“Admin”) Account is required, per school, to incorporate non-student portrait, community-related content. Additionally, the admin account possesses global over-write ability and also maintains photo-, video- and audio-screeners, which allow the administrator(s) to individually screen (“approve” or “delete”) all material submitted to the eYearbook, before it’s posted for public viewing.

This account is to be used and managed by the yearbook editor, and also any authorized members of the school yearbook committee.

Computer Compatibility

Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks will be compatible with all current computer systems including:

  • Desktop/Laptop PC (Windows®)
  • DesktoplLaptop Mac (Mac OS)

Browser Compatibility

MyYearbookBuilder.com is designed so that eYearbook production will be compatible with all current Internet browsers including:

  • Internet Explorer
  • Safari
  • Firefox
  • Opera

 

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
01/01/10
Digital Yearbook Production Timeline
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Advisors, Staff
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:46 am




Digital Yearbook Production Timeline

Step 1: Consultation
We understand that you will have many questions regarding our products and production services. Please contact us (viainfo@odysseyinteractive.com) to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.

Step 2: Application and Publication Agreement
Before entering into our eYearbook program, you will need to submit an online application (via “START A YEARBOOK”) and sign our publication agreement. Be sure to save a copy of your application and publication agreement for deadlines, terms and conditions and other key information.

Note: The online application and publication agreement must be completed (signed) by a member of the school’s faculty, staff or administration; students are NOT permitted to authorize an eYearbook. Further, before an eYearbook can be fully authorized, a verification and reference check will be completed by Odyssey Interactive.

*Recommended Deadline: by September 30, 20**

Step 3: Organize a Committee
Depending on the size of your school and also available resources, you may want to consider assembling an eYearbook committee, which will manage the entire creative development and production process.

Step 4: Delegate Responsibilities
Create individual teams with specific responsibilities and designate a team leader for each of the following working groups:

  • Editing Team – incorporating eYearbook clubs, athletics, events, etc.
  • Sales Team – selling and promoting the eYearbook
  • Creative Team – creating theme, graphics and eYearbook artwork
  • Journalism Team – writing and editing eYearbook copy
  • Media Team – collecting and gathering eYearbook photographs and video
  • Student Oversight Team – reviewing and approving eYearbook student portraits
  • Distribution Team – managing the eYearbook distribution process

    Step 5: Receive eYearbook Tool Kit
    Once you receive your eYearbook toolkit, please read the enclosed information very carefully, and also review the MyYearbookBuilder.comPrivacy Policy and Terms of Use Agreement. Be sure to locate your project number, school code & password and also your admin account user name & password. Please store in a very safe and accessible place.

    *Recommended Delivery Date: by October 15, 20**

    Step 6: Build a Project Timeline and Set Deadlines
    Create an itemized list of all production-related assignments, which should include assignment leaders, starting dates, milestones and firm deadlines. Please pay close attention to the following important areas:

    • Student/Admin/Editor Account Closings
    • Cover Design and Artwork
    • Reviews and Final Editing
    • Publishing Date

    Step 7: Sales Campaign
    Use the demo eYearbook and electronic sales collateral provided in your tool kit to promote the eYearbook sale.

    Step 8: Brainstorm a Theme
    Come together as a group and decide on your theme, which will provide continuity and direction for all artwork and graphic design. To keep the entire school involved in the production process, we recommend setting up an intra-school competition to solicit ideas/suggestions for the yearbook theme and then setting up a rewards system to honor and recognize finalists and the winning concept.

    Step 9: Submit Payment for Your Deposit Notice
    After your account has been activated, a deposit notice will be mailed to your school. Payment is required within 10 days.

    Step 10: Admin Account Building
    One Administrator (Admin) account is required, per school, to manage and supervise the global production process.

    Refer to Odyssey Interactive e-learning tutorial MyYearbookBuilder.com: Admin Navigation and Overview in the Admin Account for building instructions and additional details.

    Note: This account is to be used by the yearbook adviser and authorized members of the yearbook committee.

    *Recommended Start Date: by October 1, 20**
    *Recommended Closing Date: by May 30, 20**

    Step 11: Editor Account Building
    Editor accounts are required to incorporate non-student portrait information. This includes the eYearbook dedication and colophon (credits), teachers and high school staff, athletics, clubs, events, news, awards and other various elements of student life.

    Refer to Odyssey Interactive e-learning tutorial MyYearbookBuilder.com: Editor Navigation and Overview in the Admin Account for building instructions and additional details.

    *Recommended Start Date: by October 15, 20**
    *Recommended Closing Date: by May 15, 20**

    Step 12: Student Portrait Building
    A student account is required to build a basic student portrait and is subsequently opened via your registered email address.

    Refer to Odyssey Interactive e-learning tutorial MyYearbookBuilder.com: Navigation and Overview in the Student Account for building instructions and additional details.

    *Recommended Start Date: by December 1, 20**
    *Recommended Closing Date: by March 15, 20**

    Step 13: Cover Design and Artwork
    You will need to design artwork for the eYearbook disk, its case cover insert and also for your main eYearbook splash page. Layout templates are available upon request.

    Alternatively, Odyssey Interactive can also provide this service at an additional charge.

    *Recommended Deadline: by February 28, 20**

    Step 14: eYearbook Closings
    Before printing an eYearbook to disk, you will need to “close” (lock) both the Student Accounts and the Admin Account for editing.

    *Recommended Student Closing Date: by March 15, 20**
    *Recommended Admin Closing Date: by April 30, 20**

    Step 15: eYearbook Review Period
    With the Student Accounts closed for editing, but the Admin Account still active, use this period to review your eYearbook and make any necessary revisions in the Admin Account. The Admin Account can access and make changes to ALL eYearbook content.

    *Recommended Deadline: by May 31, 20**

    Step 16: Plan the Distribution Day
    Before the eYearbooks arrive, decide on a location and distribution process. Odyssey Interactive will provide a list of all student eYearbook reservations made on our website, which will also equal the number of eYearbooks printed.

    Step 17: Review the Shipment
    Before distributing the eYearbooks, please open all boxes and count the enclosed items. Be sure to note any physical damage to the shipping boxes or the enclosed product.

    Step 18: Final Payment
    After the eYearbooks have been shipped, a final invoice containing the balance due will be mailed to your school. Full payment is due within 30 days.

    *Deadline: by June 30, 20**

    Step 19: Distribution
    Distribute the eYearbooks and enjoy!

    Step 20: Collect Feedback
    Provide an opportunity for individuals to offer constructive feedback; you may want to create a survey and/or provide a general comment box for students to drop-off anonymous suggestions. This information will be very helpful in next year’s planning process.

    Step 21: Project Review
    Assemble your eYearbook committee to review any surveys and/or feedback collected. Your team will have many ideas and/or suggestions that should be recorded and passed along to next year’s committee.

    Finally, any comments that you might have with regard to Odyssey Interactive’s product or production services are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. We value your feedback and use your suggestions to constantly improve our product offering!

    Thank you again for your interest in MyYearbookBuilder.com, an Odyssey Interactive product.

 

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
12/01/09
Digital Yearbook Frequently Asked Questions
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Advisors, Copywriting, Multimedia, Staff
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:46 am




Digital Yearbook Frequently Asked Questions

What materials can I incorporate into an Odyssey Interactive eYearbook?
Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks incorporate digital photographs, video files, audio files and word processing.

The maximum photograph file size you can upload is currently 5 MB; we accept only “*.JPG” (JPEG) format. The ideal pixel dimensions (resolution) should be at least 640 x 480 pixels for a landscape picture and 480 x 640 pixels for a portrait picture.

How “personalizable” are Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks?
Students have complete control over the content posted to their portrait, which includes audio, video, photographs and type-written text. The eYearbook Admin account (editor accounts) controls all peripheral sections including athletics, clubs and student life.

While the architecture of the yearbook is static, there are opportunities to customize the yearbook navigation window with school colors, logos and other graphic representations.

Additionally, the yearbook committee has full artistic control over the yearbook disk cover and various case inserts. Yearbook committees can have school-wide competitions for best design or manage the graphic design process internally.

No changes in graphic design and/or architecture can be made without additional charge. Schools interested in creating a custom architecture must submit their request to Odyssey Interactive by September 30th. All custom design requests must be received by Odyssey Interactive no later than December 30th to guarantee an on-time delivery.

How much information can be stored in an Odyssey Interactive eYearbook?
Odyssey Interactive offers three distribution platforms. For productions less than 620 MB in size, Odyssey Interactive will deliver a CD-ROMeYearbook. For productions greater than 620 MB and less than 4 GB in size, Odyssey Interactive will deliver a DVD-ROM eYearbook. Finally, for productions greater than 4 GB, we can offer USB drives as the distribution medium.

Can I incorporate MyYearbookBuilder into my yearbook or journalism class?
MyYearbookBuilder.com is completely classroom ready. Whether your yearbook program is an extra-curricular activity or a credited journalism class, MyYearbookBuilder.com offers a variety of tools and activities that educators require to teach and manage students. In the formal classroom environment, MyYearbookBuilder allows teachers to assign specific tasks to students, to review their submissions, to track activity and to monitor daily performance.

As the administrator, can I control the material that is posted to the public yearbook?
Multiple screening systems are available to ensure that students are not posting inappropriate material to the public yearbook. Before a student photograph can be posted to the public eYearbook, it must be approved by the administrator via the photograph screener. Additionally, the global dictionary screener is a system feature that monitors text boxes in the admin and individual student accounts. The feature is a database of restricted words that can NOT be posted to the public eYearbook. Finally, for security purposes, the administrator also maintains global overwrite ability; the admin account has unrestricted access to all student accounts and may edit and/or delete material as necessary and/or appropriate, even after student portraits have been closed for editing.

How long is the eYearbook available for editing online?
How long you keep your yearbook running is entirely up to you; however, we require about 3 weeks for publishing turn-around and 5-7 business days for shipping - so yearbook committee’s should plan accordingly. Opening and closing dates must be set for 9th graders, 10th graders, 11th graders, 12th graders, yearbook editor accounts and the admin account, individually.

When are the actual eYearbooks delivered to high schools?
The delivery date is entirely dependant upon your scheduled yearbook closing date. After publishing, which is typically about 2 weeks, the final yearbooks are delivered to you within 5-7 business days.

How long is high school eYearbook data stored on MYYEARBOOKBUILDER.COM?
Currently, ALL data (including pictures, video files, audio files and word processing) is permanently deleted from MYYEARBOOKBUILDER.COM on June 30th of each calendar year, after all schools have received and formally accepted product deliveries. Otherwise, NO permanent online archive of production material/content is maintained. However, we do maintain permanent and redundant archives of actual school productions offline.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer a paper yearbook to supplement the disc version?
While our primary focus is publishing electronic yearbooks, we do offer an optional traditional paper yearbook supplement. Our paper supplement, which fits inside our standard DVD case as an insert, features a heavy-weight paper cover, 20 to 30 pages of full color pictures and 10 pages of standard paper for hand signatures and messages; additional production charges apply.

Does Odyssey Interactive maintain permanent archives of all eYearbooks?
Odyssey Interactive maintains a permanent archive of all high school eYearbooks productions, indefinitely. This will allow quick and easy replacement of an existing eYearbook at standard replacement price. Additionally, we will provide a master to each participating high school, for archiving purposes only. No duplications and/or redistributions can be made of the master without paying appropriate royalty/licensing fees.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer a standard warranty?
Please request a copy of our standard warranty for specific details.

Basically, Odyssey Interactive does offer a limited Warranty. Odyssey Interactive warrants that (a) its eYearbooks will perform substantially in accordance with the accompanying written materials for a period of one (1) year from the date of receipt by customer and (b) that the medium on which the eYearbook is contained will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one (1) year.

Does Odyssey Interactive have a licensing agreement for each album?
Please request a copy of our licensing agreement for specific details.

You are granted a non-exclusive license to use the original purchased eYearbook on unlimited computers. Odyssey Interactive’seYearbook (including any images, icons, graphics, animations, audio, music, and text incorporated into the Software) is protected by copyright laws. However, you may NOT make copies of your eYearbooks. You may not give copies of your eYearbook to other persons, or duplicate eYearbooks by any other means, including electronic transmission. You may NOT copy the printed materials accompanyingeYearbooks, and print copies of any user documentation. Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks do also contain trade secrets, and in order to protect them, you may NOT decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, or otherwise reduce the eYearbooks to human-perceivable form. Further, you may NOT modify, adapt, translate, rent, sublicense, assign, lease, loan, resell for profit, distribute, or network Interactive’seYearbook, disk, or related materials or create derivative works based upon Odyssey Interactive’s eYearbook or any part thereof.

Does Odyssey Interactive require project sign-off and milestone approvals?
Due to the nature of our business, Odyssey Interactive does require a signature of approval for delivery of the final product. In addition, sign-offs at predefined milestones can and may also be required.

Once an eYearbook milestone has been achieved and approved by the customer, no additional retrospective changes will be made without incurring additional expenses by the customer. Regretfully, we can not offer unlimited revisions.

Does Odyssey Interactive require a down-payment or deposit to begin production?
No, Odyssey Interactive does NOT require an immediate down-payment/deposit to begin production. However, 1 payment is required before final invoicing, which covers approximately 25% of total order cost. Payment is collected on May 1st of each calendar year.

Is there a fee associated with using MyYearbookBuilder.com?
Daily access to and use of the MYYEARBOOKBUILDER.COM website is free of charge during the school year.

Charges are incurred if, and only if, you enter into a publishing agreement and elect to purchase a copy(s) of the final eYearbook. For the individual student, failing to purchase a copy of the final eYearbook may result in the omission of personalized material like “Favorites” and “Year In Review” (for example); however, at a minimum, every student will have an eYearbook portrait with name, grade-level and a primary picture.

How do we promote the sale of the Odyssey Interactive eYearbook? 
Selling our solution to your students is no different than your previous experience. Before and during the yearbook sale, promote the book! Build hype and anticipation. You are competing for money, which may go to gas, prom or the latest electronic gadget, so you must actively seek the sale. Various promotional tools include: 

  • PA announcements
  • Home-made posters and banners
  • Flyers
  • Presentations to homeroom
  • Press releases in school newspaper
  • Incentives and student give-aways

How do I motivate students to buy eYearbooks early? 
The best incentive for early purchase is to create a sliding scale for your eYearbook pricing. Let students and parents know that early purchases include a discount off the eYearbook total price. Let it be known that the longer you wait, the more expensive the purchase price.

When do we need to submit the final quantity for our eYearbook order? 
This will be specified on your publishing agreement and will solely depend on your requested publishing date and final shipping date. It’s usually about 4 weeks before your expected delivery date.

How do I decide on the eYearbook selling price? 
Unfortunately, this process is more subjective because the wholesale price is not completely production-dependant. The wholesale price is dependant on order volume and there’s no specific charge for printing or other expenses. Therefore, determine how many eYearbooks you expect to sell and ad a profit margin on-top of the appropriate wholesale list price.

How do I determine ad rates? 
eYearbook ads are one size fits all; like Internet banner ads, there’s no longer a need to negotiate a ¼ page, ½ page or full page ad. Therefore, determining the price is based on the actual production cost per ad and also how much you want to make on each ad itself. As a starting point, look at four times production cost for your rate and modify as appropriate. An ad that costs $25 to produce should be sold for $100.

How do I keep track of eYearbook orders? 
Students are required to place their eYearbook reservation online at MyYearbookBuilder.com. Upon request, Odyssey Interactive can provide the yearbook adviser with a complete, up-to-date order list in hard-copy format, which was downloaded from the specific school’s account.

What forms of payment are accepted?
Odyssey Interactive will accept all personal checks, bank checks, and cash payments, which are denominated in US dollars. Credit card payment is also accepted.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer any financing options?
Financing options are NOT currently available. Final payment must be made within 10 days of final product delivery.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer incentives to customers that elect to prepay in full?
Odyssey Interactive does offer a 3% discounts for schools that elect to prepay balance in-full by January 1st. This does require that finaleYearbook count be placed before January 1st.

How long does it take to produce an eYearbook?
Production time is completely and entirely up to the individual school. It’s highly recommended that schools work at a comfortable pace, and spread the work load out throughout the entire school year.

Does Odyssey Interactive offer albums for other special occasions?
In addition to our traditional eYearbooks, Odyssey Interactive also provides digital solutions for wedding, family albums, anniversaries, birthdays, reunions and other special occasions.

How do I get started?
Contact Odyssey Interactive today and schedule a free, no obligation consultation. Alternatively, you can also register with us online via “START A YEARBOOK”, and we will contact you shortly thereafter.

 

 

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
11/01/09
Digital Yearbook Sections
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Advisors, Copywriting, Multimedia, Staff
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:40 am




Digital Yearbook Sections

My Dedication/Colophon

The dedication is a brief statement from the editor, which focuses on a faculty/staff member, a prominent school supporter, a contributor, the senior class or other entity.

The colophon lists all yearbook staff members and acknowledges the hard work of committee members and volunteers.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes:

  • Dedication
  • Colophon

My Memorial

Often, students will have to deal with the death of a classmate and/or teacher during the school year. Should that happen, this section is set aside to eulogize the deceased.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Personal Information
  • Headline
  • Biography

My Portrait

This section offers personalized portraits for all high school students.

This section is authored by a Student Account.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Introduction: My Intro, My Headline and My Trademark
  • Favorites: My Favorite Subject, My Favorite Quote, My Favorite Movie, My Favorite Song, My Favorite Place and My Favorite Movie
  • Express Yourself: My Year, My Secret Ambition and My Pet Peeves
  • Remember When: (1) We were hysterical when… (2) We were crazy when… and (3) We were laughing when…

My Teachers

This section offers personalized portraits for all members of the high school faculty.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Personal Information
  • School Information

My Staff

This section offers personalized portraits for all members of the high school staff and administration.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Personal Information
  • School Information

My Athletics

This section chronicles the accomplishments of high school athletic programs, by season and team, which includes team photographs, season highlights, action pictures and a list of all members.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Sport
  • Highlights
  • Varsity Members
  • Junior Varsity Members

My Clubs

This section describes school clubs (often referred to as student organizations).

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Club
  • Highlights
  • Member Information

My Student Life

This section chronicles activities undertaken by students, such as trips abroad, activity trips, sporting and other special events. These pages consist of photo-journals displayed with or without captions. Members of the yearbook committee write editorial and journalistic content about life as a student, current events (local, national and international) and other matters of interest to the peer group.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Club
  • Highlights
  • Member Information

My Snapshots

This section is available for storing candid photographs, which do not necessarily fall into a previously mentioned eYearbook section.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes uploading picture files, only.

My News

This section is available for students/yearbooks to document news-related events that occur during the school year. Topics may include US news, World news, economic, politics, sports, life and/or technology.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing, only.

My Awards

This section is available for students to nominate their classmates for “superlatives” or “class celebrity awards” (such as “most likely to succeed,” “most athletic,” “most spirited” and “class clown”).

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading audio, video and picture files.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Award Name
  • Award Recipient
  • Award Description

My Diary

This section allows students to create diary entries spanning the entire school year. Diary entries may be brief and perfunctory or lengthy and hold greater sentimental value. 

This section is authored by a Student Account.

Data entry includes word processing.

My Buddies

This section allows students to create an intra-yearbook, social network. Buddies are the names and portraits of up to 100 students you like most.

My Signatures

This section allows students to write personalized messages about the preceding year and summer to fellow students. Messages may be brief and perfunctory or lengthy and hold greater sentimental value.

This section is authored by a Student Account.

Data entry includes word processing.

Word Processing includes: 

  • Messages

My Ads

Many eYearbooks gain revenue by including a section for ads from local businesses. This section allows students to sell yearbook ads to local businesses.

Ads sold by a high school may incur additional production charges to create the ad and are only incorporated into the final productioneYearbook.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes uploading picture files, only.

My Journeys

Parents, family members and friends can use these secondary yearbook ads to congratulate a senior or group of seniors for their accomplishments.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing and uploading picture files.

My Patrons

While businesses, friends and even family members may not have the financial resources to contribute a formal ad to the yearbook, many individuals may still wish to make small contributions to the production. This section allows students to collect yearbook contributions from the general public and provide appropriate recognition.

This section is authored by an Editor Account, requiring Admin Account approval.

Data entry includes word processing.

Word Processing includes: 

  • List generation

 

 

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
10/01/09
MyYearbookBuilder Product Requirements (Digital Yearbooks)
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:38 am





MyYearbookBuilder Product Requirements

  • Pentium 100 MHz processor or higher (200 MHz recommended)
  • Apple Mac OS or,
  • Microsoft Windows® 98, 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Microsoft Vista or Windows 7 operating systems
  • 32 MB of RAM for Apple Mac OS or,
  • 32 MB of RAM for all Windows OS (64 MB recommended)
  • Minimum 1 GB of available hard-disk space
  • CD-ROM and/or DVD-ROM drive (24/7 recommended)
  • Super VGA, 16-bit or higher monitor supporting 800 x 600 pixel screen resolution (1024 x 768 recommended)
  • Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
  • 16-bit sound card with speakers or headphones
  • Some features may require an Internet connection

 

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
09/01/09
MyYearbookBuilder General Information (Digital Yearbooks)
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Digital Yearbook News, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:38 am





MyYearbookBuilder General Information (Digital Yearbooks)

MyYearbookBuilder.com is an online, electronic (“eYearbook”) publishing system designed to record, highlight and commemorate the past school year for middle school, high school and/or a college/university. It’s a novel system and a unique method for creating and publishing electronic yearbooks using the Internet as the primary content collection vehicle and a proprietary multi-tiered user account structure. The final product is an eYearbook delivered on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM or USB Drive, which contains self-expression, artistic design, sophisticated technology and rich, interactive experiences.

School Registration (online)

To begin production, the school must first register with Odyssey Interactive at www.MyYearbookBuilder.com. This registration process will enable the school administrators and/or yearbook adviser to open an eYearbook database and also create a private and secure account from where to manage the eYearbook production, which will ultimately be completely converted into an interactive CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or USB Drive at the end of your school year.

To be accepted into our program, a registration must be completed and submitted by an adult (25 years of age or older) and active member of the high school faculty/staff seeking registration. Absolutely NO exceptions will be made to this rule. For students seeking registration, we appreciate your interest in our product and look forward to serving you in the future. However, please contact your high school principal or an appropriate member of the administration staff for registration.

To register your high school, please select the “START A YEARBOOK” button on our splash page or the main navigation page and submit the accompanying application form. This action will initiate the opening of an eYearbook account and database, which needs to be authorized by Odyssey Interactive before it can be populated by the registering school. During this inactive period, an Odyssey Interactive representative will contact the applicant via telephone and/or email for verification, qualification and a free, no-obligation consultation.

In addition to registering online, all applicants will be required to sign a publishing agreement for their respective school.

Account Access

All registered schools receive a school code and password for yearbook access, along with a private admin account user name and password. All students create a user name and password for their own yearbook access and portrait building, which requires a valid email address for identification, registration and tracking purposes.

Student Account
A Student Account is required to build a basic student portrait and is subsequently opened via a registered email address.

First time users must create a student account, once a school is registered and an eYearbook has been opened. This is accomplished by “signing-in” to the eYearbook database via “New User?” access, which requires providing the appropriate school code and school password. Once completed, students submit the accompanying registration form to open an individual student portrait. Returning users can quickly and easily sign in to their eYearbook by selecting the appropriate school code from our drop-down menu (“Returning User” access) and also providing their user name and password.

The student account enables any students to build and customize their own eYearbook portrait, add photographs, audio files and video files, along with creating a social network via the eYearbook “Buddy” system and electronically sign other student eYearbooks. Students can also search the eYearbook and preview the eYearbook in the student account.

While we do offer the ability to “remember” user name and password on a computer, for security purposes, and especially in instances when signing-in to the database on a shared computer, we strongly urge and recommend that users maintain “forget me” sign in access. “Forget me” access will completely sign users and the user’s computer out of the publishing system, so no returning user can go back into the prior student account and add/edit/delete portrait information.

Administrator Account
One Administrator (“Admin”) Account is required, per school, to incorporate non-student portrait, community-related content. Additionally, the admin account possesses global over-write ability and also maintains photo-, video- and audio-screeners, which allow the administrator(s) to individually screen (“approve” or “delete”) all material submitted to the eYearbook, before it’s posted for public viewing.

This account is to be used and managed by the yearbook editor, and also any authorized members of the school yearbook committee.

Computer Compatibility

Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks will be compatible with all current computer systems including:

  • Desktop/Laptop PC (Windows®)
  • DesktoplLaptop Mac (Mac OS)

Browser Compatibility

MyYearbookBuilder.com is designed so that eYearbook production will be compatible with all current Internet browsers including:

  • Internet Explorer
  • Safari
  • Firefox
  • Opera

 

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
08/01/09
Digital Yearbook Committee Organization Structure
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Advisors, Staff
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:30 am




Digital Yearbook Committee Organization Structure

With any project as complex as the yearbook, organization is the key to success. Therefore, we highly recommend using job descriptions to organize the yearbook team and allocate production tasks. Assigning work by job description ensures that each team member understands what is expected of him or her, and also allows the faculty adviser to see to it that all jobs needing to be completed are covered by a member of the team.

Fortunately, the production team required to publish an Odyssey Interactive eYearbook is very similar to that needed to publish a traditional paper yearbook. Included below are the most common eYearbook team member titles and their job descriptions. When preparing to assign these positions, consider the size of the staff and the talents and capabilities of each team member. Advisers at smaller schools may need students to double-up on duties, while advisers at larger schools may reformat the staff organization chart yearly depending on the number of people and their skills. For example, the yearbook team could be managed by one editor-in-chief who oversees everything and reports to the faculty adviser. Or, the editor-in-chief position could be split among two, three or four co-editors who oversee various functions, and they all independently report to the faculty adviser. Another format would be to have section editors at a more managerial level like co-editors, and have specific tasks delegated to assistant editors or reporters. The business manager is a person who could use assistants, if available, to handle the commercial ad sales, senior ad sales, book sales, budgeting, and accounting. Business manager also can be at the level of a co-editor.

The best way to determine optimum structure is to review the yearbook tasks and timeline, look at your available staff, and then decide how to organize your staff for maximum performance and productivity.

Job Responsibilities:

Editor-in-Chief
This is the student ultimately responsible for overall development and content of the eYearbook.

Among the duties:

  • Delegates staff assignments
  • Recruits staff and assigns jobs with adviser
  • Sets and enforces a production schedule
  • Edits every page and proof
  • Leads staff meetings
  • Trains and coaches staff
  • Decides theme, design and coverage with adviser and other editors
  • Reports to yearbook faculty adviser

Managing Editor
This is the assistant who keeps the staff operating efficiently and most effectively.

Among the duties:

  • Maintains supplies
  • Fills out production forms
  • Checks individual deadlines
  • Reports to editor-in-chief and faculty adviser

Co-editors
This structure is sometimes used instead of Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor. There can be more than two co-editors; section editors and business managers can be at this level. 

Among the duties:

  • Same as editor-in-chief and managing editor but are split among co-editors
  • Report to adviser

Copy Editor
This is the student that proof-reads all copy before pages are due, checking for style and accuracy.

Among the duties:

  • Provides constructive feedback to improve writers’ work
  • Establishes copywriting styles with editor-in-chief
  • Compares copy on all pages to prevent repetitiveness
  • Suggests coverage ideas to designers and photographers
  • Reports to editor-in-chief

Photo Editor
This is the student who assigns photographers to cover all events and stories.

Among the duties:

  • Edits photos and cutlines
  • Ensures no photo runs twice and the same people are not photographed too often
  • Runs the club/sports team Picture Days
  • Works with professional photographer to coordinate senior and underclass portraits
  • Manages the darkroom, organizes negatives, contact sheets and finished prints
  • Reports to editor-in-chief

Business Manager
This is the student that leads eYearbook and ad sales campaigns. Larger staffs may have a team that includes a bookkeeper, sales manager, promotions manager and ad designer who report to this position. Smaller staffs may use the advertising/index editor in this position.

Among the duties:

  • Balances the budget
  • Provides a monthly report of income and expenses
  • Organizes additional fundraising efforts if necessary
  • Prepares billing statements
  • Writes receipts
  • Makes daily deposits into the yearbook account
  • Reports to editor-in-chief and adviser

Design Editor
This student is the creator of the layouts and graphic designs for all covers.

Among the duties:

  • Organizes computer folders for templates
  • Trains staff on design software
  • Creates the style guide for design consistency

Section Editor
This student is responsible for completion of all pages within his section.

Among the duties:

  • Assigns spreads to other staff members if needed
  • Edits and proofreads every spread in his section
  • Section editors can include academics, sports, clubs/organizations, student life or people, and ads/index
  • Designs spreads if there is no design editor
  • Reports to copy editor, design editor and photo editor

Technology Director
This student is the technology expert and knows how to operate all hardware and software.

Among the duties:

  • Ensures staff is saving text and photos in the correct format
  • Keeps desktops and hard drives organized
  • Sometimes creates, scans and manipulates all the graphics, freeing up the designers
  • Reports to editor-in-chief and adviser

Photographers/Videographers
These students take all requested photographs/video.

Among the duties:

  • Shoot assigned event before, during or after school
  • Develop and print photos
  • Write appropriate cutlines
  • Reports to photo editor

Reporters
These students cover and submit stories on events.

Among the duties:

  • Conduct interviews
  • Cover assigned event before, during or after school
  • Write and submit stories by deadline
  • Reports to section editor or copy editor

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
06/01/09
Digital Yearbook Data Integrity and Network Security
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Digital Yearbook News, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:27 am





Digital Yearbook Data Integrity & Network Security

From managed firewalls and intrusion detection to daily backups, we take appropriate physical, electronic and procedural security measures to protect your production and secure all personal information from unauthorized access and/or disclosure.

Core Infrastructure:

Information Technology 
Odyssey Interactive’s data centers offer premier hosting services to our valued clients. To ensure the fastest and most reliable routing of traffic, we utilize multiple connections to major Internet backbone carriers with OC-12 and Gigabit Ethernet connections using the BGP-4 routing protocol.

Additionally, our data centers are built with N+1 redundancy throughout, including multiple HVAC systems and redundant power. Every month, the backup diesel generators are tested to make sure they are in proper functioning order in case of power grid failure. The data center’s physical security is entrusted to 24/7×365 live monitoring, CCTV, and biometric access control system. 

Content Delivery Network via Edge Caching
Edge Caching is a group of servers strategically deployed in Odyssey Interactive’s multiple data centers. Together, the servers determine the fastest route to speed your data and accelerate content delivery, giving our clients the high level of service they expect.

Our content delivery network also enhances the user experience in three important ways: Faster load times mean less time spent waiting to upload yearbook content. Distributed content eliminates the impact of heavy traffic or outages in a single area, increasing our Web site availability. Swift data transmission makes audio and video files play more smoothly during online preview.

Managed Backup
Odyssey Interactive’s managed backup solutions protect your critical data, simplify the management of data backup and recovery and also provide consistent, reliable and secure data protection.

Security and Protection:

Intrusion Detection
Protecting your production from outside attack is our highest priority. That’s why our data centers utilize Threat Manager (an Alert Logic solution), an on-demand intrusion detection system (IDS) that blocks network attacks, manages server vulnerabilities and automates IT compliance — securing your confidential data from within.

Firewall Protection
Without disrupting legitimate web traffic and activity, Odyssey Interactive’s managed firewall adds a solid layer of protection between your private information and malicious attempts to access it. Our Cisco firewall analyzes all incoming and outgoing traffic to block suspicious activity inside and out.

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Keywords: digital yearbook publishing company | free digital yearbook software | free video yearbook software | free dvd yearbook software | free interactive yearbook software | free electronic yearbook software | free online yearbook software

REQUEST INFORMATION
START A YEARBOOK
VIEW A YEARBOOK



comments (0)
05/01/09
Digital Yearbook Safety and Security
Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Digital Yearbook News, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:16 am





Digital Yearbook Safety & Security

MyYearbookBuilder.com is NOT a social networking portal available to the general public; rather, it’s a restricted-access, closed community devoted to the online publishing of digital yearbooks for registered clients. We take appropriate physical, electronic and procedural security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access and/or disclosure.

Safety and Security:

The safety and security of our users are our top priority. As such, we closely monitor all MyYearbookBuilder.com activity on a daily basis. Any and all access violations and/or violations of the terms of use agreement can and will be reported to the proper authorities and may be prosecuted to the fullest extent that the law permits.

Account Access
All registered schools receive a school code and password for yearbook access, along with a private admin account user name and password. All students create a user name and password for their own yearbook access and portrait building, which requires a valid email address for identification, registration and tracking purposes. Users, including the admin user(s), are solely responsible for any and all activities which occur under their account access, whether authorized or not authorized. Users agree to (a) immediately notify Odyssey Interactive of any unauthorized use of a school code or user name or any other breach of security, and (b) ensure that they exit from their account at the end of each session.

Editor Accounts
Another feature of the admin account is the ability to create editor sub-accounts, which enables the administrator to assign yearbook tasks to selected students. Editor accounts distribute the production workload while maintaining a safe and secure environment.

The administrator may assign tasks to individual editors. The editors can then complete the tasks and send work back to the admin for review and/or approval. If changes are necessary, the administrator can resend the submission back to the original editor. Alternatively, the administrator can approve the work for publishing into the eYearbook. Only the administrator can post community-related content to public eYearbook.

Global Overwrite
For security purposes, the administrator also maintains global overwrite ability; the admin account has unrestricted access to all student accounts and may edit and/or delete material as necessary and/or appropriate, even after student portraits have been closed for editing.

Global Dictionary Screener
The global dictionary screener is a system feature that monitors text boxes in the admin and individual student accounts. The feature is a database of restricted words that can NOT be posted to the public eYearbook.

If a student types a restricted word and then attempts to upload the content to the public eYearbook, the action of selecting “Submit” will immediately result in an error message indicating the identification of a word not permitted in the eYearbook; the posting is immediately rejected. To proceed, the inappropriate language must be deleted by the student. Student-users do have the opportunity to go back into their current page and make necessary changes. However, in addition to the student’s on-screen warning, notification is also immediately sent to the admin account, which records the offender and what was attempted to be submitted.

Photograph Screener
Before a student photograph can be posted to the public eYearbook, it must be approved by the administrator via the photograph screener.

The photograph screener is an admin feature that previews all photographs that have been submitted for posting. The administrator can elect to “approve” or “delete” a photograph submitted by a student. Delete completely removes the photograph from the system; all photographs are linked to their submitter in the screener, so the administrator can quickly and easily identify/contact the student that submitted the material. Upon approval by the administrator, the photograph is released from holding and will appear in the submitting student’s eYearbook page.

Multimedia Screener
Before any student audio or video can be posted to the public eYearbook, it must be approved by the administrator via the multimedia screener.

The multimedia screener is an admin feature that previews all audio and video that has been submitted for posting. The administrator can elect to “approve” or “delete” an audio or video file submitted by a student. Delete completely removes the file from the system; all audio and video files are linked to their submitter in the screener, so the administrator can quickly and easily identify/contact the student that submitted the material. Upon approval by the administrator, the audio/video file is released from holding and will appear in the submitting student’s eYearbook page.

Buddies
Before one student can add another student to his/her buddies list, a request must be sent to and approved by the other student. Any recipient of a buddy request may approve, block or reject the request.

Signatures
Before one student can electronically sign another student’s yearbook, a signature request must be submitted to the recipient, and then accepted by that recipient. Any recipient may approve, block or reject another student’s electronic signature.

Report A Concern
“Report A Concern” is a vehicle for students to confidentially report posted material that is inappropriate, offensive or harassing in nature. Through “Report A Concern”, any student can send notification to the administrator and identify an individual that is posting inappropriate, offensive or harassing material. The admin account maintains real-time access to the “Report A Concern” log.

Webmaster
In addition to the many advanced security features found in the admin and student accounts, Odyssey Interactive simultaneously maintains real-time access to the entire production environment. Our team of information technology experts closely monitor and report on all individual account activity on a daily basis. 

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

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