INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE

IDEAS FOR PROMOTIONAL

PACKAGE

Raleigh Ritchie• Stronger Than Ever• The Greatest• Cowards• You’re a Man Now, Boy

CD Cover• Black background• White, distinct font• Close-up of artist

Raleigh Ritchie, as well as being a singer, is a professional actor. Therefore he appears as the protagonist in the videos for his own music (whereas some might only appear while performing, or not at all, leaving acting to others). His narratives often only focus on a single man and I would like to recreate this in my own. The use of metaphors in all of his videos show how he is feeling. For instance the top picture suggests he is trying to hang on and feels as though he is suffocating in contemporary society.

I like this performing space used in the Jack Garratt video. The mise-en-scene is minimalistic, with only a few props. The lighting is mysterious and because it fades at the outside, the viewers eye is drawn into the centre where the musician stands. The blocking is almost symmetrical. This aesthetic is something I’d like to replicate.

Music Video• Artist/ Band performing in

studio- purposely framed so behind the screen is visible

• Urban and/or run down location

• Empty places- just the actor• Song with deep and

meaningful lyrics• Using various metaphors

DVD Ideas• Jack Garratt- Behind the

scenes of the one man band

• Live at Leeds• Singles • Interview with…

CD Ideas• BBC Music Sound of

2016• BBC Live Lounge• Fifa 17 soundtrack• Best of Alternative Pop

Jack Garratt• Worry• Surprise Yourself• Weathered

Music Video

■ I want the main contents of my music video to follow a narrative, like with many of Raleigh Ritchie’s videos, I want it to concentrate on just a single character (rather than a couple or group) and how he engages with the rest of the world as this gives the potential for a more intimate story to be told. The actor might not necessarily be the musician himself but it could be suggested that it is based on his previous experiences by having the artist appear in the video singing as if he is the narrator.

■ By choosing a song with meaningful lyrics, I will more effectively be able to create a connection between the protagonist and the audience. This is opposed to the generic, often shallow verses and choruses of chart music. I believe a song is more successful if people are able to identify with the words due to shared experiences with the writer as it has a more lasting impact compared to pop songs which fall out of trend after a two weeks. As for the actual genre of music, alternative R&B is known for it’s down to earth real-talking lyrics. It’s melodies and beats are very catchy and as a genre it is certainly enjoying a peak period and shows no signs of fading. Because the style of music is popular, the video is more likely to get views.

■ Costume. Modern, fashionable outfits from popular male brands such as H&M and ASOS. Because the narrative will take place over an indefinite time frame, it is likely that multiple outfits will be required. There is no colour scheme required and the condition of the clothing could be more worn in some parts of the video to emphasise any struggle.

■ Location. There will be a mixture of environments used to tell the story. From urban estates, to a forest setting, to a classroom. I would also like to find an abandoned, dilapidated building as this would be act as a metaphor for the character's emotional instability and vulnerability.

■ The protagonist would be a male aged 17-25 as this would represent my initial intended primary target audience. Due to the genre, he may also be of African-American descent.

CD Ideas

■ It is common to have the artist appear on the album cover as shown by 4 out of 6 of my example covers. However I have noticed that generally, artists who sing (rather than DJ etc.) are more likely to appear on their album- this could be because they are trying to promote themselves and increase brand recognition given they, in effect, are the brand. Therefore the type of artist I choose to create a promotional package for could influence my decision as to whether I have a model on the cover or just artwork/ a graphic. In all four of the covers that display the singer, the shot type ranges from only medium close up to mid-shot. It gives a chance for them to show off the fashion as well as the pose which tells a lot about the artist and how they want to be perceived. For example, JONES wears a turtleneck sweater which covers her whole upper body. It shows she defies the convention that suggests women dress for the male gaze. It implies she is focused on her music rather than her appearance. The pose is quite dramatic, like that of a dancer and therefore expressive.

■ Raleigh Ritchie also adopts a neutral expression with the hood of his jacket up giving a mysterious image. His is the only cover which has made use of after effects (MNEK’s Aurora Borealis themed lighting is an effect however that was present at the photo-shoot whereas the other was done after). Firstly, two shots with slightly different head positions have been combined and then split down a diagonal line. It implies his head is divided, unsettled and holds conflicting thoughts. The second piece of editing makes his bottom half fuse with the wall behind him and his legs begin to fade into painting on the wall. The third effect is a brush filter which makes the subject look like he has been painted. The two imply that Raleigh himself is the art.

■ All of these to some extent utilise bright colours. Black is also common. This is because generally black seems to compliment every colour that reasonably contrasts. Black is also very fashionable at the moment. It is colour of JONES’ sweater and she herself acts as a divide for the different colours. I like the use of black and white in Jack Garratt’s as well as the gradient from blue to turquoise. For my own CD, the colour palette and ratio on HONNE’s cover is similar to what I want- primarily black with yellow/orange/red highlights.

■ Each one has a distinctive font, from the thin serif font of JONES to the blocky sans serif font of MNEK to the brush stroke of Raleigh Ritchie. Furthermore, the ‘A’s in Jack Garratt and the ‘H’ in HONNE are both stylised. All of this is done to create/ enhance each brand.

CD Layout

FRON

T

BAC

K

This will contain a list of all the tracks on the album, down the left side. The font type will be the same as the album title on the cover to instil the theme. The track number, song name and any additional artists who feature will be displayed in a white font which will stand out against the black backdrop. Emanating from the right bottom corner will be a natural yet calculated spreading of yellow, orange and red paints which contrast and offer some brightness. This keeps the minimalistic but still artistic design. The barcode will have to be placed on here as well.

It will have a black background to keep continuity with the other outside slides, maintaining a solid fill throughout. There’ll be a longshot of the artist who is stood- since all of his body is on show, clothing will be important and it will be similar to that worn in the video (designer brands). I would like his shadow to be visible however it would be difficult to achieve due to the already black background colour. A potential solution would be to take the photos in a studio with a grey screen behind so a shadow would show and then blend the grey with the black so it becomes seamless.

The slide on which this disc is placed will be black so it blends with the main colour of the disc which is black. On the disc is the artist’s name and the title, both of which are the same respective fonts that appear on the front to push the brand and keep a consistency. In similar fashion to the feature on the back slide, the CD will have a paint graphic scattered across it which continues onto the slide.

This slide will be in the middle of where the two disks are held so I will put something interesting in there. This space could potentially be filled by a quote or message from the artist which the span the whole area. The font would have to be white for it stand out against the black background. This message would make the product feel more personal for the customer as it is a heart felt, genuine note from the artist himself to show his appreciation to his fans.

The background will be black. The disc will also be black. A white font will be used on the DVD that displays the title so it stands out. I will use an extreme close up of the artist’s eyes which will run along the below the centre ring of the disc so that the image does not get cut off. It will look intense and emphasise that the eyes is the sense used for this disc (rather than ears for the CD).

Close up of the artist. His expression will be serious and he will be looking away from the camera in a fairly posy manner to show he is in a state of thought provoking curiosity and interest amongst potential customers. Because of the shot type, no clothes are on show- the only accessory on show maybe a pair of glasses. The face will stand out against a black background and I will use lighting strategically to bring out the facial features. The artist’s name will be the largest body of text with the album title in a smaller font directly underneath- both horizontally centred.

CD Examples

Colour Scheme

Design Aspects

■ A common theme for many covers is completely black and white. This is a very minimalist, sophisticated and fashionable design. Eliminating colour means lighting is key to create the correct contrast of shades.

• After reviewing other existing CD albums I am set on using black as the primary colour as it provides a fashionable base colour that is also easy to compliment. The palette I want to use with this is that of fire- reds, yellows and oranges. They connote passion and are also analogous colours.

Font

■ Again like the first option, this uses a black base and bright colours. I have chosen green and purple as, according to the colour wheel, they are triad colours. Contrary to the first choice, is the mood created by these- instead of anger, purple and green are quite calming.

■ I feel it is important to use a distinctive font on the cover that reflects the personality of the artists. This font is quite sporty like something that would be expected to see on jerseys of American sports like basketball, baseball and American football. This automatically gives masculine connotations and would be most appropriate for a male artist.

■ This font looks much more natural due to the inconsistent brush strength. Therefore it has a more personal, hand-drawn feel. This could create a stronger connection with the audience. The ‘E’ is this sample is backwards. This stylized design of a certain letter is something I identified as a convention from the others.

■ This shares qualities of both the previous fonts- a similar general body shape of the first and not a full fill like the second. It looks worn and degraded implying this has been through a lot and has been damaged. It again is quite manly. I have found that many covers use all capitals so that is an essential. This is because it gives a more symmetrical size of shapes which looks better after being centred as many are.

Artwork These images are my inspiration for potential design themes of the digipak.

Magazine Advert

■ The main part of the advert is centred to create symmetry which is easier on the eye

■ Similar shot type to the one of the album cover

■ Different costume but similar style to that from album

■ Same font as used on the album to create synergy

■ Details allow consumer to gain the information necessary to purchase product as that is the ultimate goal of the advert along with raising awareness of the artist/ brand.

■ Studio setting■ Similar artwork themes to

that of the digipak to create a recognisable brand

■ Raw picture- little if any post production editing

■ Low key lighting to create mystery

■ No props as this could distract

■ Same colour scheme as video and digipak

■ Small picture of the album means it will be easy for customers to identify the actual product

Artist’s nameAlbum title

Picture of

Album

Medium Close-up

Album details