OFFICE MANAGER CONTACTS

Click HERE for a printable view

CONFIRMATION STEPS

• If date is less than 7 days away, check data chase to see if there is missing data. Consult with office manager to see if you should ask them about it. 

• Find picture day contact in Salesforce

• Read through calendar notes to familiarize yourself with the event

• Ask the office manager for clarification on any questions you may have

• Call the school. Don’t call more than 30 minutes before school starts or within 30 minutes of school ending.

• Let the office manager know verbally about any urgent questions or concerns

• Send an email at end of every day with any non-urgent questions or concerns and schedule requests

CONFIRMATION TEMPLATES

CONFIRMATION DETAILS

Printable Version

Please note when going into a calendar event, you will have a previous year’s notes. You can use the notes as a reference point when confirming.

School code: This information should be pre-populated

Photog(s): This information should be pre-populated

Dorian Helpers(s): This information should be pre-populated

Elementary Arrive Time: When staff are first we will arrive 50 minutes before the staff photos. When students are first we will arrive 1 hour and 20 minutes prior to the student start time.  Please verify that the building will be unlocked and ask who will meet our crew. Ask for the phone number of the person letting the photogs in the building, especially when the arrival time is 7:00 am or earlier.

MS/JH/HS Arrive Time: This information should be pre populated and you can just inform the school what time we'll arrive based on the start time. Adjust the arrival if the start time changes to match the previous set up time. Please verify that the building will be unlocked and ask who will meet our crew. Ask for the phone number of the person letting the photogs in the building.

Staff Start Time: This is the time that staff members will take individual photos. Not all schools do this. If the school wants more than 1 hour between the staff and student start time please let the appropriate Office Manager know. For spring if we do a staff group follow prepopulated times in calendar events.

Student Start time: This is the time that the students will begin taking their photos. We usually ask for it to be at least 10 minutes after the school day has started.

Lunch/break:  Some schools need us to stop taking photos during lunch. Use the previously filled out template as a reference. Do not suggest a break, unless you see it listed from the previous year. If a school asks for a break longer than 30 minutes that has not been noted in the calendar as something they have done in a previous year alert the appropriate Office Manager. 

End time:  This is typically the end of the school day on ORG days, or when the photographers will be finished taking photos. 

Location: This is where the photographers will set up. For a UG or PP photographer we ask for a minimum 15ft x 15ft space for each photographer. Please view location red flags below. If the contact mentions a location that is marked under the red flag section below, get as many details as possible about the space. Let the contact know that you will discuss the location with their Dorian Office Manager and get back to them to let them know if the space works. If the location already noted in the calendar is a red flag location just ask the school if the location worked okay last year and if it did simply confirm as usual.  

Red Flags:

• Portable, Classroom, Hallway, Foyer, Outside

  • Portable & Classrooms - Ask that they be cleared of tables and chairs. Additionally ask for the usable dimensions of the room or portable. Hallway & Foyer, please let the Office Manager know. 

  • Outside: WE DO NOT TAKE UNDERGRAD/PERSONALITY PHOTOS OUTSIDE

Class Group Locations: Class group pictures need a minimum of 20ft x 30ft.  For class group photos the photogs need to be set up at least 20 ft back from the first row of students. If the school wants the staff group done in one location and then move to a different location for the class groups we need one hour between start times to move gear. Class groups can be outside, but if the location from last year wasn’t outside then notify the appropriate Office Manager. 

Risers:  For schools that take class groups, we will need to know if they have risers, or steps. If they do not, we need to notate that they do not have any. There will be a note on the calendar if the branch is providing the risers. Clarify with the Office Manager if necessary. If the school has risers, write, “School to provide”. If we’re providing risers, write, “Dorian to provide”. Only some branches have risers to provide. You’ll find a list of who has risers in Branch Specific Notes. 

Background: This note is for group pictures only. If you see in the previous notes, “use red curtain”, verify that they still have a curtain. If they indicate a place such as a gym ask if we need to bring a background. If the photographer needs to bring a background type “Dorian to provide”.

PM Classes: Ask if they have any AM or PM classes. Typically, Pre-K classes. Please note the PM arrival time and number of classes. Write “NA” if they have all full day classes.

Helpers: We ask for one per photographer. They are there to provide crowd control and ensure classes are coming down at their assigned time. If no helpers are available please ask for a radio and alert the Dorian Office Manager.

Elementary Schedule: Ask how many classrooms they have and notate it in the calendar. Send the school the template hyperlinked in the calendar event. If they are not a Google compatible school we will create an Excel schedule template. If the school does not use Google write, “Sending Excel Template”. We try our best to send every school our blank schedule template but if a school says they already have a schedule created ask the below follow up questions. If they can answer yes to all of the questions below then ask the school to email their schedule to us then upload it to the calendar event following the instructions in Schedules/Schedule Templates

-That they have only 1 class coming down every 10-15 minutes if we have two photographers scheduled.

-That they’ve scheduled a 30-minute photographer break no later than 5 hours after the arrival time. If the schedule doesn’t allow for a break, let your supervisor know. 

- Ask them to send completed schedules to us at least 4 days prior to pictures.

-If it is a Personality only shoot create a schedule with 7-10 minute time slots per class

Retake Day Schedule (Elementary):

Typically what we did last year will already be in the calendar event, just confirm that or make a note if we are doing something different. 

Retake Day Schedule (Secondary): 

Refer to the Retake Day Schedule document for specifics by branch. 

Envelopes: Before asking about envelopes check in Salesforce under the “Envelope Instructions” section. If it says “Online Only” bypass this question. If they are set up to get envelopes ask if they have received their order envelopes. If you’re calling an Elementary school let them know their coupons are in the box of envelopes. If they have not received their envelopes, check UPS tracking, if you don’t see them in there inform the appropriate Office Manager. On the Original Day let the school know there is a bundle of envelopes at the bottom of their box labeled for Retake Day.

Contact: This is the person who you confirm with. If the name on the calendar does not match what is in Salesforce go by the person listed in Salesforce. If there is an instance where the school does not have an office manager simply ask the person you are speaking to who would be best to confirm picture day details with. If the contact is new, alert the Office Manager of the change.

Confirmed: The date you confirmed the picture day, or made contact. Once confirmed write w/contact name, date and initials i.e. w/Cindy 4/19/22 EV. Delete out all previous notes on communication. If you leave a Voicemail, put VM, date, initials i.e. VM 4/19/22 EV. We call every other day and after leaving 2 voicemails we try sending an email with questions. 

If the day is partially confirmed, note, “w/Cindy 4/19/22 EV waiting on location” and do not make the event timed. 

***Permanent Notes*** 

These are notes that carry over from year to year. If appropriate, verify content while on the phone (custodian phone #, etc). 

Please watch for notes that pertain to you as the confirmation specialist 

PICTURE DAY VARIATIONS

Printable Version

CLASS GROUPS/STAFF GROUPS

• We can take these photos outside

• The photographer needs to stand 20-25 feet back from the first row of students

• Risers: We will need a way to create rows whether it be with risers, bleachers or a hill. Some branches have risers, see Branch Specific Notes for a breakdown

• Background: We typically use a school curtain or Dorian backdrop for group photos unless outside

RETAKE DAY SPECIFIC NOTES

ALL Retake Days: 

• Confirm times, location, how kids are coming down, and if there is a helper available

• Typically we only need a few hours for retake day

  • If they have AM and PM classes, schedule times that will allow us to catch AM kids before they leave and PM kids after they arrive

  • If a school wants us there all day, notify the Office Manager 

  • We try to avoid starting early for staff, especially at elementary schools

  • If a MS/HS requests before-school hours, then we won’t also stay during lunches (one or the other)

Composite Retake Day:

• Confirm the principal and update the Salesforce contact with Academic Year (the date you verified)

• Update the calendar with the current Principal’s name 

GRAD SPECIFIC NOTES

• Gown Color: This is the color of gown that the school would like us to provide. Each branch has different colors and quantities. Click HERE for that list.  If the school wants to switch colors, check to make sure that the branch has the color and that it is available that day. 

• Principal Signature: If you do not see the question in the calendar event please add it. Verify that the principal listed in SalesForce is current and add a date to the Academic Year field (date of when you verified) . If a signature is not on file, ask the school if the principal would like to hand-sign or have us add a digital signature. If hand-sign, please let office manager know. If digital, ask for the principal to sign a white piece of paper with a black pen and have the signature scanned to us.  

PANO SPECIFIC NOTES

• Population: Need to ask what the population is of the group that will be photographed.  Update the population in the calendar event or add it in if it is not listed. 

• Risers: We need a way to create rows whether it be with risers, bleachers or a hill

• Ladder/ Rooftop: Depending on the size of the group and location, ask if they have tall ladder available (at least 6 foot), or access to the roof, or scissor lift available

• Location: We can take panoramic photos outside, or inside if the space allows it (gym bleachers work great)

PERSONALITY SPECIFIC NOTES

• We do not photograph everyone, only those students who are purchasing a package

• Students are photographed on green screen

• Space requirement is 10x10’ and must be indoors

• If CG and PP are on the same day, we start with the group photo. Students who have purchased an individual package will be photographed by the PP photographer after the group photo is done.

• Online ordering: 

  • An online report is generated for the photographers indicating which students pre-ordered online

  • The lab will post reports in branch-specific folders on drive starting at 6AM PST.

  • Online ordering is cut off at 9:00AM day of the event

  • A second report will be run at this point and added to the original list by the OM. These should all be complete by 10AM PST.

LINKS