Music Video: Ancillary Products

The BriefOur task is to choose two of the following three options to include with

the music video in a promotion package for the release of the album:• A website homepage for the band• A digipak for the album’s release• A magazine advertisement for the digipak

I have chosen to design the digipak and the magazine advertisement for the digipak as I enjoy photography and art, so these tasks would enable me to express my creativity.

DigipakA Digipak is a patented style of CD packaging meant to replace the

standard jewel case but it’s more environmental as digipaks use less plastic. They consist of a book-style paperboard outer binding, with one or more plastic trays that hold the CD. A digipak has four panels for putting the artwork on. Digipaks should feature clear information about the product e.g. track listings.

Digipak ExamplesMy music video genre is Acoustic/Indie Pop, so I here are some digipak examples from

the same genre… Corinne Bailey RayAlbum: The SeaAlthough this is a CD cover not a proper digipak, I like the design as it features different layers, which all evoke the style of the artist. The photograph of the tree in the background portrays a rural, summer scene, which expresses the Indie genre and also evokes a natural feel. However it doesn’t fit in with the title of the album which is ‘The Sea’, I think the design of the CD cover should include an image of the sea so it relates to the title. The image with the artist lying down in a white dress has an ethereal, fantasy element about it, especially as the opacity of the image of the artist has been edited, so the artist appears as if she’s just floating which conveys a magical style . The white colour has connotations of purity and virginity which conveys an angel-like quality, the colour is also very bright so it grabs the attention of the intended audience. The typography of the name of the artist is large, bold, and eye catching in a serif style, I also like the way the letters overlap. The album title ‘The Sea’ is slightly smaller as it’s less important, the typography is in a son-serif style so it’s more flowing and embellished , which evokes a feminine style. I would like to emulate the style of photography displayed on this album cover, as I like the way the artist is photographed in an outside location which conveys a natural vibe. My artist’s music references nature so I will take some photos of my artist in a rural location e.g. in a field, beach, or wood.

Digipak ExamplesKate Nash Album: My Best Friend Is YouI love the creative, ‘cut and stick’ style of this digipak, particularly the cover of the album as it evokes a random, scrapbook feel with the part of a face and hands which display a heart. The heart shape of the hands have connotations of love, which suggests the theme of the lyrics is about love. The white background is quite simple, which is good as the bright colours stand out more against the white. However I think the back of the CD is too plain and boring as it’s just white. I would have a photo of the artist on the back as I think it’s important for the audience to have a connection with the artist. I like the CD design as it’s got bright and clashing colours.

Digipak ExamplesNoah And The Whale The First Days of SpringThis CD cover evokes a natural vibe which is a key convention of the Indie/Acoustic genre. I like the composition of the photo, as the sky takes up a large percentage of the image; thus conveying a feeling of freedom. The grass in the foreground gives a rural, rustic and authentic theme, which reinforces the Indie genre. The prop of a camera evokes an artistic, creative feel which I would like to emulate within my music video. The lead singer of the band is in the foreground so the audience knows that he is the main one. The other band members are in the background standing in the sun, so they aren’t as important. The band members in the background are all looking up at the sun, which conveys a laid back, optimistic vibe. The typography of the band name is in a large, sophisticated and bold font which stands out. The typography of the album name is in a fluent, expressive font which echoes the free flowing design of the CD cover.

Digipak ExamplesJack Johnson Album: In Between DreamsThe bright yellow of the background evokes a happy, sunny, positive theme which flows throughout the design this reflects the light-hearted Indie/Acoustic style of the artist’s music. The black colour of the image stands out against the vivid yellow background.

The image of the man with a guitar hints at the Acoustic theme of the music. The natural imagery of the tree and the close up image of the leaves enhances the authentic Indie vibe, it also portrays the laid-back, cheerful style of Jack Johnson’s music. The typography of the name of the artist is in black which contrasts with the bright yellow colour of the background, so it stands out. However the title of the album is in a white font which doesn’t really grab the attention of the audience. I would like to include natural imagery within my CD digipak, such as a woodland scene, or a seascape, however I would also like the artist to be in the foreground, as the artist should be the focal point.

Digipak ExamplesLissie Catching A TigerThe close up photo of the artist on the front of the CD

makes the audience aware that she is the focal point of the album. The setting and the artist’s wind swept hair evokes a rural, natural vibe which reinforces the Indie genre. The typography of the artist’s name is very expressive and fluent, it conveys a feminine edge which portrays the feminine style of the music, thus attracting a mostly female target audience.

The image of the artist sat on the ground laughing, conveys a happy, light-hearted feel which also translates into her style of music. Her costume, the sparkly dress evokes a glamorous, celebratory vibe which links with her happy expression. Both of her costumes includes pale colours which conveys simplicity.

The back cover of the digipak is quite plain but the rural scene reinforces the Indie theme of the music. I like the way the names of the songs are formatted in the middle of the design, so they grab the attention of the audience. The name of the album isn’t displayed on the front cover of the CD – I think this is bad as it is an important and necessary piece of information which needs to be displayed.

Digipak ExamplesFlorence and the machine LungsThe black and white colours of the CD digipak evokes an old fashioned, vintage style, which links with the melancholy lyrics and gothic style of the music. The typography of the band name is in an animated style which conveys a fun, playful theme which contrasts with the dark and sophisticated imagery. The image of the artist on the front of the CD cover portrays an ethereal, fantasy element which reinforces her style of music. The prop of the lung necklace conveys the title of the album. The setting includes vegetation and flowers which portrays a rural theme, it also makes me think of an enchanted garden, which enhances the magical style of the digipak’s design.

The image on the actual CD of hands, evokes a feeling of constriction and suffocation, this is reinforced through the photo of the artist with her arms wrapped around her, which portrays feelings of being trapped. The yellow/golden colour of the CD conveys a heavenly style which is contrasted with the dark colours featured in the rest of the digipak. The image of the lungs is quite scientific which is juxtaposed against the creativity of the other images.

Album Advertisements

This is Ellie Goulding's poster for her album 'Lights'. The album is pop, with elements of acoustic. The poster includes the digipak of her album, as well as reviews, company logo and important information about the album, such as the release date. The artist’s costume of a white lace shirt evokes pure connotations, while the brown hot pants are quite revealing which is a stereotypical feature of a teenage girl’s outfit.

The poster is very light and uses mostly natural colours which reflects the Acoustic genre. The sunlight has been enhanced to make it look like a bright summers day which conveys the optimistic, cheerful theme of the poster, it also links with the title of the album ‘Lights’. I like the use of depth of field, as the singer is in focus in the foreground and the background is out of focus and blurred.

The typology of the artist’s name is a bold font in a bright yellow colour which gives a striking affect and grabs the viewer’s attention. The photo of the artist’s windswept hair evokes the feeling of freedom and gives a quirky style as she has been caught mid-movement, which I would like to emulate through my music video. All of the text is laid out in the middle of the poster so it is easy to read, the album’s vital information is in a bold font so it stands out.

An advert promoting an artists album should feature information about the artist, the album, and maybe feature a photo of the artist. Here are some examples of magazine adverts promoting albums from my chosen genre.

Album AdvertisementsThis is the Mumford and Sons magazine advertisement

for their latest album, Babel. Mumford and Sons are the stereotypical Indie boy band with a heavy folk and acoustic influence. This photograph has a definite folk style to it, due to the celebratory feel with everyone dancing in the background. There is a shallow depth of field within the photo so the band are in focus in the foreground but the people in the background are blurred, this effect enhances the feeling of movement and celebration which conveys a hectic and chaotic atmosphere. This makes the band members the focal point of the image, as they grab the attention of the viewer, they also look quite out of place in the busy street.

There are mostly light, neutral colours and the whole image has a sepia tone which makes it appear authentic and slightly rustic, thus following the typical conventions of Indie music. The props of the flags and bunting enhances the celebratory, jolly atmosphere, which is reinforced by everyone’s happy expressions. The band’s costumes are mainly smart jackets with jeans or chinos which evokes a smart style that contradicts the stereotypical scruffiness of Indie artists. The lead singer (second from left) is even wearing a tie and a waistcoat which makes him stand out as he is smarter than the rest of them. This is his usual outfit so he has developed a visual motif which makes him recognisable to his audience. The typography of the band name is large, bold and sophisticated which makes it grab the reader’s attention and easy to read. The only other text on the poster is the album name so the page isn’t too cluttered with information; this is good as the reader can concentrate on the image, however it’s bad in terms of the important information the target audience need to know, such as the release date of the album.

Album AdvertisementsThis magazine advert for Florence and the Machine

reinforces the title of the album, Lungs, by featuring a photo of a pair of lungs, it also flows well with the album cover, which I analysed earlier in the PowerPoint, as it’s a similar design. The reference to lungs suggests that this song/the album is of vital importance and is significant to the artist as she can’t survive without it (lungs are a vital organ). It also conveys the feeling that the song is part of the artist - like the lyrics are baring her soul. This appeals to the target audience as they feel connected to the artist and also makes them feel as if they are on a journey with her.

The visual styling of the pair of leather lungs, with the flowers, stuffed bird and vintage patterned fabric as the background, reinforces the Indie genre as the props evoke a authentic, quirky and slightly eccentric and antique style. The brown, blue, grey and white colours convey a rustic edge which further enhances the genre.

There is a lot of text at the bottom which is in a small font so it isn’t very easy to read. The typology of the band name is identical to the font used on the album cover, so it’s recognisable to the target audience and brings the whole promotional package together. The black border makes the image stand out and catches the viewer’s attention. The white colour of the typography has connotations of purity and innocence while the cartoon style evokes a playful, fun edge.

Album Advertisements

The photo on this promotional advert for Lucy Rose’s debut album evokes a care free, natural spirit, which is further enhanced through the muted colours and sepia tones. The prop of the vintage radio conveys an authentic vibe which reinforces the stereotypically rustic style of the indie genre. The rural location also cements the natural Indie conventions. The position of the artist laying down on the ground amplifies the free spirit vibe of the album, although it’s also quite mysterious as the viewer can’t see the artist’s face. I like the way the sky takes up 40% of the image which enhances the natural feel of the album and also acts as an effective background for the title. The thick, rounded-style typology of the artist’s name grabs the viewer’s attention, while the beige colour links with the colour of the radio. The artist’s costume of plaid shirt and jeans is casual, practical and exudes a folk/country style, thus reinforcing the typical conventions of the Indie genre.

Album AdvertisementsThis is one of my favourite album advertisements as it’s

simple but effective, it is also identical to the artist’s album so it’s recognisable to the target audience. The cropped composition of the artist’s face exudes mystery while the prop of the pale pink roses evokes a feminine, natural edge. I like the way her face fills the whole of the advert which makes it the focal point of the image, thus making the viewer focus on her. This conveys the feeling that her music is directly from her – she writes her own music. The typology is in a type writer style which portrays a sophisticated vibe but also quite an old fashioned/vintage feel, which reinforces the typical conventions of the Indie genre. The positioning of the album name in the centre of the design makes it stand out and I like the way it overlaps her face. The harsh lighting within the image makes her face seem like porcelain, which makes her appear delicate and fragile, it also portrays her as being quite angelic and innocent, this is enhanced by the white colour of the text. However her eyes are cast in darkness which is emphasised by her dark eye liner, thus evoking a sinister, slightly mysterious feel. I would like to emulate the design of this advert as I like the simplicity of it – the close up of her face exudes the feeling of her baring her sole to her audience.

Photos

Here are a selection of photos I have taken of my artist. I will conduct a target audience survey and select their favourite photos to feature in my ancillary products. The photos were taken in the local wood as a rural location was commonly used in the promotional packages I have analysed.

I chose the costume of a maxi skirt, vest and leather jacket as I think it evokes a hippy, casual vibe which reinforces the Indie genre. The prop of the guitar also emphasises the acoustic genre.

I have tried to emulate the style of the photos I’ve analysed from products currently on the market. I will use my target audience’s selection of favourite photos to compile the promotional package for my music video.