digipak research last
TRANSCRIPT
Digipak ResearchFolk RockHanan Mohamed 5161
About our Digipak A Digipak is a book-style fold out paperboard or card outer binding
used to hold CDs on the inside, the first alternative to jewel case packaging. It’s much less likely to crack then jewel cases and allows the manufacturer more creativity with the graphics and overall design. The panels can range from from 4, to 6, to 8 etc.
For our chosen track we must create a Digipak to market the band – this will be done using skills of editing, software e.g. Photoshop, photography and design skills. In researching digipaks however it was difficult to find recent examples as folk rock is a genre that was explored much more by artists a couple of decades ago than the present day and full digipaks are relatively new and more common in the more popular genres e.g. pop, hip hop, RnB etc. Even though album covers front covers are easily found, the inside and back covers are not always available. To the best of my ability I have researched five different bands’ albums front and back covers and analysed them in the following slides.
The bands and artists I have used are: Cat Stevens, Laura Marling, Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, and Simon & Garfunkel.
The font colour used is orange-red which matches the myriad of
colours of the things drawn around the background. matches
the background. Her name is printed within a flower. The
background consists of butterflies, snake on a plant,
smiley face sun, mushroom, a crocodile, bug and overall wildlife
amongst flowers and plants all painted in blue, red, yellow and orange. This makes for a very bright, colorful album cover
which draws attention.
The actual font type is very curly at the ends and matches the curly inside strands of the flower – it looks like her name has grown into the flower, her identity is tied up within it and
nature. This is is consistent with the theme of folk genre which usually markets the artist as
being a part of nature (see cover Iron & Wine: Our Endless
Numbered Days).
The entire background of the album cover is not a
photograph which is more common for digipaks of
other mainstream genres but hand drawn which is a
common feature of folk rock album art that is
often painted or drawn.
Of the album covers I researched in this
presentation and the ones on my homepage and research, the majority (Laura Marling: Alas I
Cannot Swim, Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks) have hand drawn or painted art
on the cover – the few photos they do have are
either mixed with art (Cat Stevens: Catch Bull at
Four), or tend show the artist in a nature setting
(Simon & Garfunkel: Sounds of Silence).
This markets the artist as having natural talent to use in their art instead of
technology. This is in keeping with the folk rock theme of staying in touch
with nature, along with the very simple setting of the artist lying on the grassy ground and nothing else.
The record label’s logo, website and address are present next to the barcode to sell the label themselves and associate themselves
with the artist as well as give credit.
The back cover matches the front cover as it is also hand drawn with an extended version of the wildlife amongst plants drawn on the right half. As Laura Marling’s name was tied within the nature on the front cover, this is now associated with her so the large block of art stands in as a
symbol of her – her name does not need to be printed in large. The track list is kept simple, bold and black on a light background and its simplicity is also in keeping with the general track listing style of folk music genres.
The art was so ornamental that nothing further is needed to make a statement about the genre and what it means.
The font colour used is yellow like the shade of sunlight, and
matches the background. This is in keeping with the the most dominant theme of folk rock which is being in touch with
nature.
The actual font looks like cursive and joined up it looks like it has been handwritten as opposed to
type. This is important to the persona of folk genre which is
about truth and personal talent over technology, so reminds the listener that this music is what
the artist has written himself and is not subject to the producer of
the record label’s demands.
This also links back to how the artist has been marketed
similarly in his videos where genre characteristics match
album cover characteristics in their connotations of nature with a lack of technology (Bon Iver:
Calgary), relying on artist’s musical talents and his reality (Iron & Wine: Boy With A Coin).
The entire background of the album cover is not a photograph
which is more common for digipaks of other mainstream genres but hand drawn which is a common
feature of folk rock album art that is often painted or drawn.
Of the album covers I researched in this presentation and the ones on my homepage and research,
the majority (Laura Marling: Alas I Cannot Swim, Bob Dylan: Blood On
The Tracks) have hand drawn or painted art on the cover – the few
photos they do have are either mixed with art (Cat Stevens: Catch
Bull at Four), or tend show the artist in a nature setting (Simon &
Garfunkel: Sounds of Silence).
This markets the artist as having natural talent to use in their art instead of technology. This is in
keeping with the folk rock theme of staying in touch with nature, along with the very simple setting of the artist lying on the grassy ground
and nothing else.The artist has been depicted similar to his real life self. Here he has a large beard with an open necked shirt, and appears to be sleeping. He fits quite neatly into the grass around him, and with his eyes closed looks very at peace – this markets the artist as being a part of nature, a peaceful person at heart. Not looking at the camera or even out at all shows he is focused on his music, and is an introspective person. His long beard although natural is almost a part of a costume or
dress code as across artists in the folk rock genre most men keep beards to emphasize their maturity and life experience, and the long beard has connotations of wisdom, spirituality. This sells the artist as a wise, mature, peaceful man at one with nature and in the business for the
music and not the money.
IMPROVEMENTS:Examples, link to marketing, what audiences match, use target audience research, look at marketing of folk rock or other genres, the
selling, the genre the audience
The background matches the front cover as it is also hand drawn with a grass ground background, the font type and colour remain the same. Although curiously, the artist here is completely absent – but his imprint is left behind on the grass so when looking at the back the viewer stills thinks of the artist, who has actually
been made conspicuous by his absence.
The record label’s logo, website and address are present next to the barcode to sell the label themselves and associate themselves
with the artist as well as give credit.
The font type is in capitals and a very
simple font, which looks quite classic looking.
The font colour used is a simple black on white, which is in keeping with the simplicity of the folk rock genre. Simplicity
shows no need for showing off or glamour, indicates humility which
leads to introspection which the artists are sold
as.
A photograph has been used for the front cover which looks like a typical street, and the focus is
on the shop on the middle which looks like an old charity shop, a
boutique or a shop that sells vintage clothing –
not any shop that would be found on the high
street and does not need to be flashy with lights
and big displays to advertise itself. Although
this cover does not reference nature, the vintage impression is
consistent with folk rock music being presented in
a way as having links with history and past
culture, and fashion/dress is a large
part of culture – this genre characteristic is also seen within the
music video iron & Wine: Boy With A Coin where
the dancers are all dressed in a very classic style of dress with even their make up and in a
traditional seeming dance.
The band have been depicted wearing the typical dress of the music style which is closely related to how indie artists dress. They are wearing hats, waistcoats,
baggy jeans tucked into boots, long coats and instruments in hand. They look like mannequins in the shop window, which as mentioned in the analysis of the front cover on the right looks like from another time period – they are the band in the
shop window, they have become the product and you can buy them. Their instruments being forefront even before them shows the music is the most important part. Under their hats they all have long floppy hair and stubble.
Although not the typical long beard of many other male artists in the folk rock genre, there is still stubble indicating their maturity and the facial hair symbolizes their masculinity and maturity, perhaps indicating they will grow it into a beard – they’re young and new artists but their experience and music is growing along with themselves as person. Again this sells the artist as looking into the deeper
meanings of life, and very much about the music although this impression is slightly juxtaposed by their becoming the product in the window the aesthete of
what the customer wants to be.
The background is even simpler than the front and focuses on one window, which matches the shop window on the front cover, on a blank
white wall. The colour scheme is all white and glass, very simplistic once again and the band are absent from the back cover – but the window
has been left slightly open, and with the track titles printed underneath shows that by listening to this album you have been let into the band’s
collective mind. This references the genre which is there for introspection and usually has descriptive lyrics of significant events as
opposed to a clubber tune with three words being repeated to a repetitive tune.
The record label’s logo, website and address are present to sell the label
themselves and associate themselves with the artist,
as well as give credit to them for helping produce
the album.
The font colour used is yellow like the shade of sunlight, on white for the album title and the artist name on a rocky textured background. This is in keeping with the the most dominant theme of folk
rock which is being in touch with nature.
The font type is in capitals and a very simple font, which looks quite classic looking. Simplicity shows no need for showing off or glamour, indicates humility which leads to introspection which
the artists are sold as.
The entire background of the album cover is not a photograph which is more common for digipaks of other mainstream genres but hand drawn which is a common feature of folk rock album art that is often painted or drawn.
E.g. Laura Marling: Alas I Cannot Swim, Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks)
The art also tends to be of nature or animals and wildlife: here within a yellow circle there is a little boy who looks like a monk holding the snout of a bull. The bull signifies rage and for a little boy so young to have achieved the
status of a monk’s inner peacefulness and enlightenment to the extent that he has by himself calmed a wild animal speaks volumes about his capacity for peace. The boy could be taken to represent the artist and the bull the artist’s inner demons which appear to have been defeated. The boy could be taken to represent the artist and the bull the artist’s inner demons which appear to have been defeated. Like the Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More album, once
again the customer is presented with a window. We are on the outside looking into the artist’s mind, they offer us a glimpse of their soul and this markets the artist as being peaceful, moral, reflective and introspective which
artists are usually sold as within the folk rock genre.
The background matches the front cover as it is also fairly plain with black print on a white background
apart from the artist shown on the right. Interestingly although the band/artist if shown is usually on the
front if not both sides, here they have chosen to show him only on the back cover – this shows that the
music and his personal connection and feelings in the songs take precedence over the glamour of him as an
artist, or a rock star.
The artist has been depicted typical of folk rock artists. Here he has a fair sized beard with a deep open necked shirt, and has a cigarette in one hand. He’s staring straight at the camera and consequently straight at us, looking
happy with a smile and fairly relaxed in a casual stance with long curly hair under his hat. He looks peaceful, marketing the artist as a peaceful person at heart. His beard like other folk rock artists emphasizes his maturity and life experience. This sells the artist as a mature, peaceful man also indicated by the pleasant smile on his face.
The record label’s logo, printed name and address are present to sell the label
themselves and associate themselves with the artist as well as give credit for producing the
album.Even the track titles usually have something to do with spirituality, love or nature: ‘moon’,
‘star’, ‘angels’, ‘sea’, ‘sunlight’, ‘sweet scarlet’ and ‘ruins’ which reminds us of the ruins of history civilizations and places, all of which are popular topics for the folk rock music
genre..
The font type is in capitals and a very
simple font, which looks quite classic looking. Its
simplicity does not distract from the nature
around him.The font colour used is
white for the artists’ name, indicating their
purity of mind and music, truth and
introspection a key theme of folk rock music. The album name is blue,
connotations of peace which fits the ‘silence’
part of the name.
A photograph has been used for the front cover
which is on a dirt road with the two singers
walking on it and glancing back at the viewer of the cover.
These types of roads are natural, relating to the convention of nature within the folk rock
genre, and also at the same time much more
timeless than roads made with modern
machinery or materials today. The artists
walking on the road made of dirt show that they are making their own way through life,
and looking back works as symbolically looking
back on their life – it means they learn from their past. This sells the
artists as wise and experienced in life, a
common persona for the folk rock band or artist.
The band have been depicted wearing the typical dress of the music style which is closely related to how indie artists dress, a mix of how Samuel Beam in his Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin video and Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man video were dressed. Smart clothing, fitted jeans/trousers and woolen black coats, one holding
something made of tartan fabric in his hand – with connotations of the country and nature. Their smart clothing indicates that they are mature, and serious
about their music, and the lack of any jewellery or obviously luxurious materials that would be seen in e.g. an RnB cover with the artist covered in bling, further shows their humility and lack of concern for materialistic things. This sells the
artist as humble and more interested in the abstract, in ideals, into the integrity of the music.
The background is simple and matches the front cover in colour theme. The colours are canary yellow, coral and lavender and white, spring colours reminiscent of florals and new beginnings. New beginnings indicate starting over after reflecting on a life that could have been
better, and so again links back to how folk artists are sold as introspective and wise. The font type is also classically cut and simple, very minimalist which ties in with humbleness without excessive luxury
– the artist is marketed as living a simple modest lifestyle.
The record label’s logo and address are present to sell the label themselves and associate themselves with the artist, as well as give credit to them for helping
produce the album.