CD Digipak Back Cover Flat Plan

Before we create the design for our CD digipak back cover, on Photoshop, we have first drawn an initial rough draft as an idea of how we wish the back cover to appear, which will provide us with a guideline for our creation. This initial rough draft can be displayed below.

CD Digipak Back Cover Flat Plan Initial Design

Rationale Questions

Colour
Within the back cover of our CD digipak, we will be featuring a large number of bright colours, specifically on the background, in the form of paint splats which will be placed onto a wooden background texture. This allows the back cover to reflect the 'party' and chaotic theme and be consistent with the other aspects of the CD digipack and the overall project. Furthermore creating the background to consist of bright colours, will also allow the cigarettes to stand out, which will be featured in more pastel colours like white and grey, which is particularly important as we want the cigarettes to stand out as they will contain the name of each song title.

Image

For the back cover of our CD digipak, we won't be featuring any photographic images, we will simply be using photo shopped/animated images. This will mainly consist of the use of cigarettes. We feel this would be appropriate as it, not only provides areas in which the song titles can be placed, but allows the back cover to reflect the theme of reckless behaviour. 

Text
The first item of text, we will be featuring on the back cover of our CD digipak, will be the names of the tracks featured on the CD. This is simply for conventional and convenience purposes, as it allows the audience to identify which tracks are on the CD. This also allows the viewers to identify that the song featured on the music promo video is also available on the CD, identifying the CD digipack and the artist with the music promo video, that they will have viewed. We will be featuring links to the websites of  both the artist and the record company, which is beneficial and relatable to our target audience, as the internet is very common part of the lifestyle of teenager and young adults. We will also be featuring a copyright disclaimer onto the back cover. This was simply as it is a very conventional aspect and is featured on all the back covers of CD digipaks, therefore this will ensure our back cover is too professional standards. 

Font

For the song titles which will be featured on the back cover, the font we will be using will be Nova Solid. We have chose to use this font simply as its solid and bold, and will allow the track numbers and the information to be read easily. We will also be featuring this font, as we will be using it on the other aspects of the CD digipak and the magazine advertisement, therefore allowing the overall project to be consistent. We will also be placing the song title text in a dark coloured font, to ensure the text stands out against the white grainy effect of the cigarettes. For both the website links and the copyright information, as the text will be featured quite small, we will use a thinner and more simpler font such as Cambria, to ensure the text can be read easily. We will also be placing this text in a white font, to ensure the text stands out against the bright colourful background. 

Layout
For the layout of our back cover, we will be featuring the names of each song track, almost centralised down the centre of the page. This allows the reader to identify the track names and numbers easily, which is particularly important for when the audience maybe trying to find the a specific song they may want to play. However we feel if were to place the song titles in a neat centralised layout, it would seem inconsistent with the chaotic theme of the CD digipak and the overall project. Therefore we will be slightly placing the track names apart from each other at various angles, to create a messy appearance, whilst still allowing the text to be readable. We will be placing the barcode in the bottom right hand corner and the copyright text in the bottom left hand corner, simply as this is conventional and therefore will ensure our back cover looks professional. 

CD Digipak Inside Sleeve Flat Plan

Before we create the design for our CD digipak inside sleeve, on Photoshop, we have first drawn an initial rough draft as an idea of how we wish the inside sleeve to appear, which will provide us with a guideline for our creation. This initial rough draft can be displayed below.

CD Digipak Inside Sleeve Flat Plan Initial Design

Rationale Questions

Colour
Within the inside sleeve of CD digipak, we will be using a number of bright colours, which will be mainly featured on the items which are placed around the polaroid photographs. Unlike both the front cover and back cover, we don't want to place as many bright colours, specifically in the form of paint splats, as we feel the entire CD digipak may become too busy and uneasy on the eye of the audience. However we still want the inside sleeve to remain consistent, reflecting the chaotic and messy theme throughout the use of bright colours, therefore we will be placing the bright colours on the items such as the lighter and gig wristband. 

Image
Within the inside sleeve of our CD digipak, we will be placing four polaroid type photographs, featuring each of the band members. For the location and backdrop of the photographs, we will be a fence or a break wall, the same as the backdrop we will be using for the photograph featured on the front cover, which will allow the inside sleeve to be consistent with the front cover. We have also chose to use an everyday, outdoor backdrop as we want the images to appear very candid, as if they are just regular photographs, in comparison to if a stylised studio backdrop were to be used. This will heighten the uses and gratification of personal identification, relating the photographs taken at a party, to the lifestyles of our target audience, who may have taken similar photographs. The props we will be using, will be consistent with those in the front cover photographs, with items such as cigarettes and alcohol. This will emphasis the deviancy and controversial behaviour, helping to provoke shock from the audience, like we had intended. However, this will also again allow the images to be relatable to the lifestyles of our target audience, who often engage in similar controversial behaviour. For the camera angles, we are hoping to use quite close up of each band member and to place the camera at tilted, unusual angles, which will allow the photographs to look more candid and spontaneous. Lastly we will also be added a vintage and scratched effect to the photographs and lower the saturation and increasing the contrast. This will allow the photographs to be consistent, by reflecting the destructive and chaotic nature of the overall theme of the project. 

Text
The main text which we will be featuring on the inside sleeve of our CD digipak, will be the names of each of the band members which we will be placing onto the polaroid photographs. We feel this would be suitable, as the band would be relatively unknown, this would allow us to somewhat introduce the band members to the audience and add more of a personal and relatable touch. We will also be featuring the title of the album. Although this is conventionally placed on the front cover, we want to keep the main focus on the name and image of the band, therefore  we will be placing this on the inside sleeve, to allow the audience to still be aware of the name of the album. 

Font

For the names of each band member we will be featuring on our inside sleeve, we will be using the font HammerKeys. We have chose this as the font has a typewriter text appearance, and we want the text to appear like a label has been placed on the polaroid photograph, which will emphasise the overall realistic desk appearance, we are hoping to achieve. We will also be placing this text in a white coloured font to allow the text to stand out against the polaroid photographs. For the album title text, we will be using the font Myriad Pro. We have chose to use this font, as we want the text to appear like it is printed on wrist band, and this font is simple and bold, and will appear like printed text. We will place this text in a black font, to allow it to stand out against the bright yellow background of the wristband. 

Layout
For the layout of our inside sleeve, we will firstly be placing the polaroid photographs, horizontally along the centre of the page. Specifically as we want the photographs of the band members to be the main focus, and the first thing the audience will notice, therefore it is more appropriate to place in them in the centre focal point of the page. However, we will also be surrounding the photographs, with items such as money, cigarettes and gig tickets, very effortlessly to create a somewhat messy and carefree layout. We will be doing this to create the appearance of a desktop, specifically one which belongs to someone of our target audience age group, which will appeal to our target audience and allow them to relate to the inside sleeve effectively.

CD Digipak Front Cover Flat Plan

Before we create the design for our CD digipak front cover, on Photoshop, we have first drawn an initial rough draft as an idea of how we wish the front cover to appear, which will provide us with a guideline for our creation. This initial rough draft can be displayed below.

CD Digipak Front Cover Flat Plan Initial Design

Rationale Questions

Colour

Within the front cover image, we will be using a large variety of bright colours, specifically on the clothing of the band members and the props. This we feel will be very effective in emphasising the chaotic and wild party atmosphere, we hope to create with a chaotic use of bright colours. We will also be using the large variety of bright colours, to allow the front cover to be befitting with the other aspects of the CD digipak, the magazine advertisement and the music promo video, to allow our overall package to appear consistent and professional. For the background, behind the models that are featured in the image, we will be using very vintage and faded colours such as light blue, brown or grey. We have chosen to apply this, as the worn out colours will contrast greatly with the bright colours used and as we would like the band members and props used to catch the majority of the readers attention, this will allow them to stand out to the audience, ultimately creating more emphasis on the party atmosphere.

Image

The image which we we will be using on our front cover, will be located outdoors, with a fence backdrop. We feel this would be appropriate, as rather then having a very stylised image with a studio backdrop, the image will appear much more candid and realistic, similar to a average photograph taken at a party with a regular camera. This will allow our target audience to relate to the front cover of our CD digipak, which is a very important factor, in order attract our target audience and encourage the purchase of the CD. We also felt the use of an ordinary and rather plain background would be more effective, as this will allow the colourful props and band members to stand out more, as they are very significant to the overall cover. The props which we will be using, will consist of items such as alcohol, cigarettes, party poppers, balloons etc. After various research we found many of these props were evident, specifically cigarettes and alcohol, in the everyday lives of our target audience, therefore this will increase the use and gratification of personal identity, allowing our target audience to relate and identify themselves with the band members and the overall image. We have also selected these specific props as they are consistent with the 'party' theme we have chosen, ensuring the overall theme is identifiable and creating a professional and consistent package. The costumes which will be featured in the image, as mentioned in the costume planning, will be highly influenced by the type of music, specifically indie and rock and also the current fashion trends with teenagers and young adults. Therefore not only will this allow the band members clothing to appear consistent with the genre of music and the overall theme, furthermore this will allow our target audience to identify themselves with the band members featured. For the image we will be using a medium long shot type. This will provide a sufficient amount of clear space around the band members featured in the image, to allow us to place the text without distracting or inflicting with the models or props featured. The camera angle we will use is eye line, as keeping the band members on eye level will help to ensure they are the centre and key focal point of the overall CD cover. After both the text and images have been placed onto the front cover, we will then add a vintage overlay,  which will fade out the edges of the image, lower the saturation of the colours and overall add a grainy effect. This will be used to help emphasise the destructive party atmosphere, creating an old, worn out and dishevelled look, to the image. 

Text

The text which we will be using on the front cover will simply consist of the bands name. Although there are many artists who do not place there name on the front cover of their CD digipak, we felt it would be appropriate, as the band would be relatively unknown and therefore unlike famous artists, of whom could be simply recognised by their face, audiences may not be aware of the appearance of the band members, therefore the name of the band will allow them to identify who the CD digipak belongs to easily and clearly. 

Font

The font which we will be using for the text featured, will be Nova Solid. We felt this was an appropriate font, as although it is simple, which will allow the text to be read easily, it is also quite unique and as we will also be using the same font on our magazine advertisement, this will allow our audience to associate this specific font to this band. The font of the text, will also appear in the colour white. Although this may seem like an inappropriate choice of colour, as it will not allow the text to stand out greatly, we would like the image used on the front cover to be the main focus, with the band, the props and the party atmosphere catching the viewers eye, in order to emphasise the atmosphere we would like to generate. Therefore the choice of white, will allow the text to stand out enough for it to be readable but not to much that it would be distracting.

Layout

Initially we would like the image we will be using to consume the overall front cover of our CD digipak, specifically as the image will play a vital role in reflecting the theme of our package and creating the choatic and controverisal atomsphere we intend to generate. The text, the band name, will be placed at both the top and bottom of the front cover, in order to allow the text to  not distract from the central focal point of the cover, which will be the members of the band. It is very important that the band members are seen clearly on the front cover, to allow audiences to recognise them and identify them with both the magazine advertisement and the music promo video.

Music Copyright Permission / Email To Music Company

As we will be using an already recorded piece of music, to create our music promo video along to, it is important that we gain permission to use this song in our media project, in order to not infringe any copyright laws, within the music industry. Therefore, we have gained contact with the record company of the band, we would like to use, which can be displayed in the image below.

E-mail to Cooking Vinyl Publishing Record Label Company

Here we have gained contact with Cooking Vinyl Publishing, the record label company for the band Does It Offend You, Yeah?, of who's song we wish to use, via the contact page on their website. We felt this would be the easiest and most effective way to gain contact with the company, as the email would go straight to them and not through any other third party companies. In the email, we simply stated that we will be producing a music promo video an aspect of  our A2 Media Studies coursework, and that we would like to use the song We Are Rockstars, by the band Does It Offend You, Yeah? of whom they represent. This simply ensures, we have gained the rights to use this song for our music promo video, and we will not be breaking any copyright or infringement laws if we were to publish it on any social networking websites, such as YouTube. 

Music Promo Video Soundtrack

For our music promo video, we felt that writing and recording our own piece of music would be too complicated and time taking, for the limited time we have to produce our coursework. Therefore for our music promo video, we will using a already recorded piece of music, that is of the electronic, grime and indie rock genre, the genre of music we chose when producing our initial research. 

After listening to a variety of songs, the song we have chosen to use and to create our music promo video to is We Are Rockstars by the band Does It Offend You, Yeah?, which is displayed below. 

We chose this song, as we felt it was very in keeping with the theme we would like to portray within the music video. This consists of a teenage out of control party, therefore using a electronic indie tone we felt would be the most appropriate for that plot. Our music promo video, will also be aimed at a teenage and young adult audience and after producing target audience research we found that this genre of music today, is increasingly popular with that particular audience, which would allow us to reach and relate to our target audience in all aspects and gain the popularity we would need when promoting a music video.

Music Promo Video Initial Ideas & Synopsis

As we have produced extensive research and planned the initial ideas for all aspects of our project, including the theme, the designs for the printed aspects, the genre, the target audience, the costume and make-up, the characters and the photo shoots, we felt we had an efficient basis to create the overall plot for our music promo video.

Music Promo Video Plot Ideas

The plot or synopsis of our music promo video, will focus and revolve around a group of teenagers partying in a derelict location. However the video will begin, displaying the aftermath of a party and will be played in reverse, right back to the beginning, before the party has taken place. We liked the idea of showing the aftermath of the party first, as it evokes more curiosity from the viewer, encouraging them to want to know what events which lead up to this happening, leading them to watch the entire music promo video. Within the video, we will also be using a variety of shot types and video editing such as a zoom and motion blur, which will be used to emphasise the intoxication of the teenagers whilst drinking and various camera movements and techniques, such as fixing the camera to various people or objects to emphasise the realism of the events. The words 'We Are Rockstars' the title of the song, which we will be using, will also be shown spray painted throughout the video. 

Media Coursework Blog Feedback So Far...

To determine whether the work I had completed so far was sufficient and I was on time with my production and planning, I took part in a peer assessment within my media lesson, in which I looked at the blogs produced by my classmates and gave feedback on them anonymously, along with every other class mate. 

Blog Peer Feedback

After reading the feedback which was given on my blog I am rather pleased. The majority of people felt I had analysed and explained my sources and inspirations very well. They also felt I had displayed a sufficient amount of research into all aspects of my groups project, for example characters, costume and make-up, photo ideas etc and displayed efficiently what myself and my group intend to produce for our overall project.

Photo Shoot Ideas

For our CD digipak, one of the printed aspects of our project, we have chosen to produce photographs that we will place on both the front cover and in the inside sleeve. For both the front cover and inside sleeve photos, we would like to feature the members of the band we have created, taking part in inappropriate behaviour such as drinking or smoking, not only to relate to our target audience but to allow all aspects of the project, the music promo video, the CD digipak and the magazine advertisement to stay consistent with one another. 

For the front cover of our CD digipak, we would like to feature a group image of the band members, which will allow audiences to recognise the band members and of whom the album belongs to easily. 

CD Digipak Front Cover Photo Shoot Ideas

Displayed above is a collection of images, which we like as inspiration for our image which will be displayed on the front cover. As the theme of both our overall project and music promo video, is focused on a party, we would like to incorporate that into the cover image, to allow the audience to identify with the theme, allowing the overall project package to maintain consistency. Therefore like the images above, we would like to incorporate aspects of a party, such as balloons, drink , dancing etc. 

For the inside sleeve of our CD digipak, we would like to feature single images of each member of the band on their own. As you open the CD digipak, this provides more of an intimate feel. It allows the viewer to connect on a more one to one or personal level with each member of the band, gaining aspects of each individuals personality. 

CD Digipak Inside Sleeve Photo Shoot Ideas

Displayed above is a collection of images, which we particularly like as inspiration for our images with will be displayed in our inside sleeve.  The behaviour displayed in each image, appears to be very consistent with the overall theme of our project and specifically the music promo video. The images also seem very candid, an effect I especially like and would like to replicate in the images displayed in our inside sleeve, as we would like to give these images a polaroid like appearance, this candid style would look more realistic. 

Characters Ideas

Although we are not creating a film trailer, therefore do not neccessarily need to create particular characters, we will be creating a music video, that has somewhat of a storyline, therefore there will be people or 'characters' involved. For our music promo video, we will be featuring the members of the band and other teenagers partying, therefore although there is no specific storyline, we still need the characters featured to fit a specific type of character, in order to allow the music video to look professional and consistent with the theme. After producing research into various TV shows and movies, that follow a similar theme to the plot of our music promo video, we felt the types of characters portrayed in TV programmes such as Skins or Misfits, would be ideal to us. These type of characters, can be displayed in the video below, which features the trailer for the third series of the TV show Skins. 

As evident in the video above, these characters are portrayed as typical British teenagers. They often participate in reckless behaviour, appear to be very care free and enjoy drinking alcohol and partying regularly. These type of characters would fit perfectly within the plot of our music video. They also appear to reflect aspects of an average teenager or young adults life, therefore this would allow our target audience to relate to the video effectively, as many of them may see themselves reflected in the characters. 

Costume & Make-Up Ideas

As fashion is an important aspect of the lives of our target audience, we thought it would be efficient to research the type of fashion which has become popular recently with our target audience. In order to do this, we visited a number of high street stores and websites which are popular with our target audience and made a note of the items of clothing which were the most popular or were present frequently in each place. Afterwards, we then visited the popular clothing website LookBook, and searched the popular items to create a collage, which will be used as inspiration for the costume choices, for the members of the band and the other people who will feature in both the photo shoots for the CD digipack and the music promo video. 

Costume Ideas

From the collage we have created, which is displayed above, it is evident that the clothing we will include  is very dishevelled and worn out, which somewhat mirrors the behaviour associated with teenagers and young adults in today's society, for example being reckless. This type of fashion is very popular in today's fashion market, particularly in clothing stores such as top man and top shop and specifically popular with the teenage and young adult age group. This furthermore would allow us to add a sense of realism and allow the music promo video and photographs to look more professional, as they would be accurate of the fashion choices of the age group displayed. Relating sufficiently to our target audience of teenagers and young adults, would therefore allow us to make all aspects of our project more appealing and increase popularity. Therefore this is the style of clothing we would like to use in our magazine advertisement, CD cover and music promo video. 

As the members of our band are all of the female gender, we also thought it would be efficient to research make-up, specifically the type of make-up which would be fitting of the genre of music we have chosen. In order to do so, we observed images of female band members and singers who were associated with the electronic, grime and indie-rock genre and images of models who were associated with these genres of music and the type of clothing we have chosen.

Make-Up Ideas

From the collage of images we have created, which is displayed above, there are a number of aspects which appear to be popular. Whilst the skin often appears to be quite minimal and fresh, the eyes and lips are used to stand out amongst all features on the face with the use of dark or bright bold colours. This often consists of dark, shadowed eyes and extremely dark or very bright lipstick. Therefore, this is the type of make-up we will be including in both our photo shoots and music promo video, in order to appeal to our target audience and to allow the video to seem more professional. 

Target Audience - Results

To allow us to appeal to our target audience correctly, we felt it would be appropriate to conduct a questionnaire. After respondents completed the questionnaire on the blog, we then created a chart displaying the results for each question, which can be displayed in the image below. 

Within the questionnaire, we devised questions on both the lifestyle of the respondent and questions on how and why a music promo video, a CD digipak and a magazine advertisement would appeal to the respondent. This allows us to gain knowledge on how we can relate to the lifestyles of our target audience and how we can cater the design of our products to attract our target audience successfully. 

From the results, we can see clearly that the target audience for our music promo video, CD digipak and magazine advertisement will mainly consist of those between the ages of 16-25 and of both male and female gender. They will be students in education, with the majority also being unemployed, whilst a few also have part time jobs. Their hobbies include, enjoying going out and socialising with friends and listening to music. We can suggest, that as young students, spending time with friends, partying and listening to music both at home and at gigs is very important to them and their lifestyles. Therefore when designing and creating our products, we will be sure to emphasise these elements to allow them to relate, and feel a sense of connection and understanding with the artists/band members portrayed.

For clothing purchases, we can see that our target audience, mainly shop at popular high street stores such as H&M, Top Man, Top Shop and River Island. Therefore, for the costumes featured within our music promo video, they will be influenced by our chosen music genre, whilst also reflecting the latest high street fashion trends, to allow our target audience to relate to the band members and the characters within the video. 


The genres of music they mainly enjoy listening too, consist of indie, rock, dub-step and electronic. This is beneficial as  the genre of music we have initially chosen for our project is, electronic, grime and indie-rock, therefore our target audience are likely to enjoy the song we will choose, encouraging them to view the music promo video and most likely purchase the CD digipak. 

Our target audience, also enjoy going to music gigs/concerts/festivals regularly, as they mainly enjoy participating and being apart of the atmosphere. Therefore to appeal to our target audience, we will emphasis the chaotic and upbeat 'party' like atmosphere which is projected at music events. 

From the questions, that were specific about our chosen products, we can firstly see that our target audience enjoy watching music videos, mainly via the internet on websites such as YouTube. Therefore when promoting our music promo video, it would be best to do this via YouTube, as we would be more likely to gain feedback from our target audience. We can also see that when viewing a music promo video, they particularly enjoy watching one which involves a narrative or storyline and a hint of comedy and humour. Therefore, when devising the final storyline and plot for our music promo video, we must ensure to create a storyline or narrative that involves the characters enjoying themselves and having fun and ensure the storyline is not too dramatic or serious. For our CD digipak, we can see that in order to attract our audience, it will be mainly important to use bright and eye catching colours and images of the artist and band, whilst also using images that relate to the lifestyle of our target audience and a catchy font. For our magazine advertisement, to appeal to our target audience, we can see it is important to mainly include a use of bright and eye catching colours, images that relate to our target audience and recommendations, whilst also being slightly influenced by a catchy font.

This will ensure that the music promo video will be highly comparative to the lifestyles and ideologies of this target audience. It is very important to understand your target audience as having knowledge of who they are, what they like, what they need etc. can allow you have better communication with your audience and a better impact, with a package that is sufficiently targeted towards them. The uses and gratification consist of both personal identity and diversion. Personal identity will be due to the theme and age of the characters used in the music promo video. The audience will be easily able to relate and connect with the characters and with the theme of the video being a party, we understand this is something all teenagers enjoy. Diversion maybe perhaps due to the wild party and reckless behaviour featured in the music promo video, which could help divert the audience from their lives as it maybe something they would like to participate in themselves. 

Target Audience - Questionnaire

Before we can determine how we will appeal to our target audience effectively, we have created a target audience questionnaire, which we will supply to a large variety of different personnel. Displayed below is the questionnaire, which we have created on Google docs. 

Producing this will help us to gain information about the lives of our target audience, allowing us to relate to them more effectively, heightening the uses and gratification in the form of personal identification. We have also included questions specifically about music videos, CD digipaks and magazine advertisements, to allow us to determine how will appeal to our target audience, influencing the design and creation of our overall package. 

Chosen Genre & Genre Conventions

The genre we have chosen to use for our music promo video and the band featured in the music promo video, the album digipack and the magazine advertisement is electronic/grime/indie rock, which has become very popular in recent years, particularly with the age group 16-25, our target audience. We have produced research into the typical conventions used within electronic/grime/indie rock music videos, CD album covers and magazine advertisements, which we could use in order to make our music video, CD digipak and magazine advertisement seem more professional and be consistent with the genre.

Below are examples of music promo videos, following our chosen theme of electronic/grime/indie rock:

As we can see, it is evident that a theme seems to be present in both music promo videos and is very conventional for music promo videos of our chosen genre. This theme seems to consist of a 'party type' or  'festival/gig type' scenario, which includes loud music and reckless behaviour and dancing. This is largely due to the target audience, belonging to the age group 16-25, who enjoy attending festivals and parties, therefore this will allow the bands to appeal and relate to there target audience. 

Below are examples of CD digipaks, following our chosen theme of electronic/grime/indie rock:

From the albums that are associated with electronic, grime and indie rock, that are displayed above, it is evident there are a number of conventions which are typically used. A major convention is the large use of bright and colourful text and images. This is often used, as the target audience is usually between the ages of 16-25, therefore are more attracted to the bright colours, which in turn will attract them to the albums whilst in a store. There is also a common theme of party, destruction or reckless behaviour, which is often portrayed through the use of splattered paint, graffiti or party photos. This use of imagery and themes are used to help relate effectively to the target age group, who enjoy attending parties or clubbing regularly.  On the other hand this could also apply to all those who enjoy the electronic, grime and the indie rock genres of music, who often participate in reckless behaviour at music gigs and concerts associated with these genres of music. 

Below are examples of magazine advertisements, following our chosen theme of electronic/grime/indie rock:

Much like the album covers we found, it is evident that the magazine advertisements which are associated with this genre are typically very extravagant. This often consists of conventions such as, the use of very unique fonts, bright lighting and bold and over the top colours. Again this is used to attract the attention of  the target audience, of whom are between the ages of 16-25. 

Inspirations For Magazine Advertisement

Stone Roses Album Magazine Advert

This was my favourite album magazine advert, particularly the background, which is has a paint splatter effect. This I feel would be again in keeping with the theme of the music promo video, however I feel the colour theme used here to be rather dull and faded. The colour theme we would like to use instead, would consist of bright neon colours, which furthermore would allow the vintage, pale and faded album cover to stand out more and catch the readers eye on the magazine page. The stone roses logo, I would replace with and image of our CD cover, as placed in the centre of the page, the image will gain more attention.

Santigold Lights Out Album Magazine Advert

I chose this magazine advertisement particularly for the use of font and images. I liked how the images and text appear the be cut out of paper and taped together rather carelessly. This would be very suitable for our magazine advertisement, as the tatty and torn appearance would fit very well with my party theme of both my album cover and music video, to allow for consistency. I also like how the background is patterned and very busy, something I would be keen on using on our advertisement. In addition to being combined with plain coloured text, this would allow our text to stand out firmly on the page and catch the readers eye whilst in a magazine.

Crystal Castles Album Magazine Advert

I have chosen this magazine advert as one of my inspirational texts mainly for its use of imagery and layout. I like how they have numerous images associated with the theme of the band and have overlapped them to create a type of collage, which is very unique and effective. I also like the layout with the image taking centre focal point within the advertisement, as this is the area which is most likely to attract the readers eye this will create more emphasis on the effect of the imagery. 

Inspirations For CD Digipak Back Cover

Paramore - Riot! Album Back Cover

What I particularly like about this back cover is how the front cover background image is used again and the song titles are incorporated within the image. This adds a more stylistic and intriguing affect in comparison to plain titles placed against a plain background, which is usually used on most album back covers. This I would like to replicate in our album back cover, rather then using the typical conventions for a back cover, I would like the text to blend in with the image and stay consistent with the front cover and inside sleeve. 

Bon Jovi - Cross Road Back Cover

Similar to the Paramore Album back cover, I particularly like how the text is incorporated into the image, almost as if it is imprinted onto the wall Bon Jovi is leaning on. Again I would like to replicate this into our album back cover, as it creates more appealing and intriguing image for the viewer, and allows all aspects of the back cover to be consistent and tie in smoothly with one another. 

Unknown Band - Album Back Cover

What I particularly like about this album back cover, is the unique choice of font and layout for the song titles. This appears to look like a type writer font, with the use of black tape, which particularly looks like the tape which was often used on cassette tapes. Although we will not replicate this specifically, this has inspired us to create a more interesting back cover, with a more unique choice of font and layout. 

Inspirations For CD Digipak Inside Sleeve

Paramore - Uknown Album Inside Sleeve

What I particularly like about this album inside sleeve is the use of font and text, which are the lyrics to one of the songs. The text appears to be in handwriting and even has scribbles, almost like the plan for the song lyrics, which adds a more personal touch for the viewer, something which I would like to replicate in our album inside sleeve. 

Unknown Artist - Album Inside Sleeve

I really like this album inside sleeve, particularly for its realistic approach. The use of everyday items, seems more like a photograph, which I feel would be more relatable to the viewer, as it maybe items they use everyday. I would like to incorporate this style within our album inside sleeve, however with items such gig tickets and party photographs, in order to be relatable to our target audience and be consistent with the overall theme of our project. 

Charlie Mayfair - Unknown Album Inside Sleeve

Allow this may not necessarily be in keeping with our chosen theme, I like the use of font and background image used on this album inside sleeve. The font is very unique, appearing almost like handwriting, it stands out and catches the readers eye, which I would like to incorporate into our album inside sleeve. The background image is very intriguing, with an antique effect it makes the background almost appear like parchment paper, this effect I would like to somehow replicate in our album inside sleeve. 

Inspirations For CD Digipak Front Cover

Pegasus Bridge - Ribena Album Cover

This is my favourite album cover and is my main inspiration, for our album cover. The layout is very minimalistic, which I would like to replicate as it is not too busy or over powering, which would be much more easy and appealing for the public to view. I like the image, which also appears to be very minimalistic, with no use of props or a busy background image which could distract from the band members. Instead we can see the band clearly, which allows the viewer to recognise and identify them clearly. I also like the colour and vintage effect which is applied to the image, which allows all aspects of the cover to to be consistent with one another and compliment each other really well.

All Time Low - Dirty Work Album Cover

My favourite part of this album cover is the layout, which is quite similar to the Pegaus Bridge album cover, with a minimalistic and typical layout placing the band image in the centre focal point and the band name at the top of the cover, which again is very appealing and easy on the eye. I also like the use of contrasting colour, with the image of the band members and the title placed in black and white, whilst the background is placed in a bold red colour, to allow the black and white aspects to stand out. I also like the use of body language and props used in the image of the band members, which I would like to replicate in our album cover, allowing the album cover to stay consistent with the party theme of the music promo video. 

You Me At Six Photo Shoot

Allow this is not an album cover, I particularly like this image which I would like to take as inspiration for the central image of the band which will be used on our album cover. The image features what appears to be the aftermath of a party, therefore not only will it be appealing to our 16-25 year old target audience, but it would also be consistent with the party theme of our music promo video. 

Inspirations For Music Promo Video

All the video inspirations which I have chosen below follow a consistent theme, of centring on or being related to a party, which we would particularly like to use within our music promo video. However I have chosen each video for a different specific reason, such as unique editing and camera work. 

You Me At Six - Gossip

Specifically what I liked about this video, was the choice of camera work and shots. Firstly the video appears to be shot using a fish eye lens to add a creative, artistic flair to the video. Unlike other music videos, the band members create the music video by holding the camera in front of them, themselves. This adds a sense of realism as the camera work is jerky and unsteady by moving along with them, you somewhat experience what they are experiencing. 

Travie McCoy - We'll Be Alright 

Along with the party theme, I particularly liked the editing used at the beginning of this video, which displays people getting out of a car one by one entering the party. However the scene is cut after each person, and pieced together simultaneously. Allowing it to appear as if the people are getting out in one continuous line, out the back of a small car. This technique we would particularly like to use in our music promo video.   

Hadouken - Liquid Lives

What I particularly liked about this music video was the camera work. This is created by attaching the camera to bands instruments. This creates a sense of realism, as you appear to me moving along with the band, furthermore moving along in time with the music, which increasingly emphasises the beat of the song and  makes it more catchy to the audience. I also liked the use of neon paint, particularly the lyrics to the song, which can be seen spray painted and glowing throughout the entire video, which adds a sense of continuous recognition, ensuring the audience will remember the name of the song or the band easily. 

Skins USA Reversed Trailer 

I feel this video is one of my main inspirations for my music promo video. What particularly stood out in the video was the editing. The entire video is played in reverse, beginning at the aftermath of the party playing backwards to before the party, which provokes more response from the viewer, as they are intrigued to find out what lead up to these events. This reverse effect, we would definitely like to use in our music promo video. I also like the zoom blur camera effect which is used as the teenagers are drinking, to emphasise the intoxication of the teens, by altering your vision too. 

Music Promo Video & Theme Mood Board

Music Promo Video & Theme Mood Board

Here I have created a mood board with a collection of images to use as inspiration for the music promo video and the overall theme which will be consistent throughout our three chosen products, which I will be creating with my group. These include screen captures from other music videos, with a similar theme to the one we wish to choose and images from bands and songs which I found inspiring such as You Me At Six and Paramore. My group found this to be very helpful, specifically when combined with the mood boards created by the other members of the group. The use of images, helped us to determine the choice of music genre we would like to use, the overall theme which will be present throughout the music promo video, the album digipak and the magazine advertisement and the overall plot for our music promo video.

A2 Media Coursework Brief

The brief I have selected for my A2 media coursework, which I will be producing with the members within my group is: 'A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following three options:  a website homepage for the band, a cover for its release as part of a digipak or a magazine advertisement for a digipak.' The three products we have chosen to produce are, the music promo video along with the an album digipak and a magazine advertisement to promote the album.

AS Media Work Reflection

When looking back over the work I produced for my AS media coursework, I'm very pleased with the overall outcome and look of the product. Not only was the finished product exactly what I had hoped to produce, I also feel it was produced sufficiently and professionally.

However there where some areas within my AS media coursework, particularly research and planning and post-production, which I felt I could have improved.

Research and Planning

When learning that I would be creating a music magazine for my coursework, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted the appearance to look like. Therefore I did not research the appearance of other indie rock music magazines as much as I could have. Particularly producing more deconstructions of front covers, contents and double spread pages, may have been more influential on my final design, particularly in the conventions that were present. I also feel I could have produced much more research before taking photographs for my magazine, as although my photographs where could quality,  I feel they could have been more in keeping with the genre of the magazine. Thus I would search and collect images from magazine photo shoots by singers such as Taylor Momsen, Paramore and Florence and The Machine etc. of whom are associated with the genre of music magazine I had chosen. 

Post-Production

Post-production refers to the work which I produced after completing my magazine, which was very minimal and only mainly consisted of an evaluation. Although the evaluation was sufficient with basic reasoning behind my choices for my magazine, it could have been greatly improved by presenting my magazine to my peers or even the public and gaining feedback, to which would provide me with evidence that my magazine would sell successfully or whether there was any aspects I would need to change, in order to make sure it sold successfully.