Flat plans for advert

Flat Plans for digipak

Skills that i learnt and utilised througout the creation of the product

The step by step guide below shows how I constructed the completed advert on Photoshop. Firstly, I adjusted the canvas size to the chosen height and width which was 14.1cm x 9.98cm. I decided on this size after I had experimented with the others in my flat plans.

Secondly, I selected the photograph I had taken for the advert and placed it stretched it so that it fitted onto the canvas. As you can see from the image below the microphone is on a stand and prevents any text I want to place over the image from being easily read. However, I used the Cut-out effect, which I have used throughout my entire Digipak to ensure that there was continuity throughout my promotional pack. Not only will this will raise awareness of my target audience and enable to identify the Digipak in the shop, it also removes the microphone stand so that there is a clear black background for the text to be placed in front of.

The effect I have placed onto the image is shown below. This effect has been used on every image that I have used throughout my promotional pack, which will ensure that my target audience will be able to notify an Arctic Monkey product through the colour schemes and style of shots I have taken. I also adjusted the RGB colours and brightness of the image so that the advert was exactly the same colour as the Digipak.

In my research I found that one of the Katy Perry adverts included the actual front cover of her Digipak. I decided that this worked really well and I decided to incorporate my Arctic Monkeys front cover into the advert. After I had placed and resized the image I arranged the layer to bring to front so that it was visible on the advert. The front cover works really well with the advert because my colour schemes are exactly the same; once again this demonstrates the continuity and consistency within the media products I have produced.

Finally, I added text to promote the Digipak to the target audience. The font style is ‘Indie Komiks Sketch’ and the release date and the name of the band are in the largest and brightest font. The text tool below was used to enter the text onto the advert. Each line is a separate layer as it allowed me to keep the text at various distances from the above line. The small text is much closer together and the significant information is in a much larger font size with a clear background.

Evaluation of advert

The previous post shows an image of my completed advert, which advertises the release date of Arctic Monkeys – Bigger Boys Digipak.
The image I have used has been placed on the left so that there is a clear divide between the text and the image. The red and white colours within the model coincide with the colours of the text to ensure that the advert receives the attention from the audience. The intended purpose of the advert is for the consumers to look at the image first followed by the title of the band and the name of the Digipak. My media product uses conventions of real media products as the front cover of the Digipak and the guitar are in a diagonal eye line so that the viewer follows the image onto the front cover. I noticed this layout was used in Katy Perry’s advert and it was really effective in identifying the target audience and promoting the actual Digipak. I have chosen this particular layout so that the consumers know what to look for when they enter the shops and look for the product.
Yet again in my promotional pack I have decided to use the same model, with a relaxed body language holding an instrument. I feel that this coincides with the genre of the Indie music and that fans would appreciate the simplicity of the advert. By distorting the face using the Cut-out effect it allows aspirers to recreate this look for themselves. Finally, I have made the model focus on the guitar rather than looking at the audience. Although some posters make eye contact with the consumers to make a connection I felt that to maintain the impression that the focus is on promoting the music and not the band itself, this angle worked better.
The font style is Indie Komiks Sketch as research has shown that continuity in a promotional pack is critical. The largest front on the advert is the title of the band, as this will ensure that they read this part of the text first. The audience are then likely to read the information downwards, which is why I have made the release date in a bigger font and the website link in red. This ensures that the audience will not start to lose interest in the text and they will be aware of when they can purchase the Digipak and where they can find out more information about the band. The colours of the text red and white contrast the dark background, which makes the information, stand out to the audience. The eyedropper tool also enabled me to make the colours of the text the same colours as the models clothing.
Overall, I feel that my completed advert is very successful. This has been achieved because I extensively researched existing media products from the Indie/Rock genre to learn what my target audience would expect to see in a typical media product. I have used the knowledge I gained from the research task to create a product representative of their expectations. The creation of my advert was also successful because of the skills I have gained within the programme Photoshop. The effects that I have learnt how to use make the image much more appealing to the target audience.
However, to strengthen the validity of my opinion I posted the final product onto Facebook in order to receive feedback from classmates and friends who are of similar ages to my target audience. Below is the message I sent to my friends and the comments that I have received.

Andy Lade – appreciates the effectiveness of the advert and feels that the audience would become attracted to this in a magazine. There is also a mention of my product that suggests it links well with my Digipak, which suggest that I have successfully created an interesting and successful promotional pack. Finally, Charlotte has said that the language is appealing to consumers, which is pleasing because I wanted to instil a ‘buy it now’ or ‘must have’ impression on my target audience.

completed advert

Analysis of 2 adverts from chosen genre or artist

Kings of Leon Advert

Only by The Night is the fourth studio album produced by Kings of Leon and was released in September 2008. The album experienced remarkable commercial success, featuring inside the top 10 in over 10 different countries. The success of the album was recognized both by the Brit and Grammy Awards and the singles ‘Sex on Fire’ and ‘Use Somebody’ reached number one and number two respectively in the UK charts. The success of the advert therefore suggests that the consumers were aware of the album’s release date.
The images on the advert are a montage of five edited images to coincide with the title of the album ‘only by the night’. The most noticeable effect that features on the advert is the inclusion of the four band members and the night owl as one character. The creation of the montage still allows a quarter of each corner to each individual band member, which will appeal to the target audience. The appeal of the advert to the target audience is strengthened by the inclusion of the owl, which denotes a less obvious meaning and requires the viewers to look beyond the obvious meaning of the advert. The advert is successful in appealing to the target audience and the style of the montage requires a deeper thought about the album, which is likely to lead to sales as the target audience is likely to want to know why the owl has been included.
The title ‘Only by the Night’ is in the same green font as the image to ensure there is a consistent theme throughout the advertisement. The green color has been used to create a night vision effect, which is implied by the title of the album. The image below illustrates that there is a common theme running through the production work associated with the band. Although the color scheme is different, the use of feathers allows the target audience to relate the track to relate it to the Kings of Leon, which ensures that the promotional pack is easily identifiable.

The black background used for the advert allows the reader to easily understand the text, which has been enlarged to ensure all information is carried across to the reader. The advert follows certain conventions, which expects the reader to read from top to bottom, by making the title both white, and the biggest font size. The contrasting colors ensure that the title of the band is read first, which ultimately is the most significant information for the target audience. The other white text is the name of the tracks that feature in the album, which perhaps suggest that the main focus is on the band and their productions itself, as opposed to the image which is in a less noticeable night vision green color. The image is probably the second feature that the viewer would look at in detail and the effect of the montage ensures that the reader doesn’t just overlook the image, whereas they might if it was just ordinary pictures of the band.
The subheading which is written in the slightly smaller white text below the title of the album is informing the reader about the content of the album it is advertising. This is crucial as it has chosen the three most successful tracks from the album and publicized them on the advert. This widens the potential target audience for the product as a reader may not necessarily be familiar with the Kings of Leon other music but admire one of the titles mention on the advert.
The same font is used throughout the publication, which adds to the professionalism of the product. The two largest fonts included within the publication are the name of the band and the title of the album. As the image is not clearly recognizable as the Kings of Leon at first glance the title and name of the album will appeal to anyone interested in the band and then they will explore the image in much more depth to possibly depict the deeper meaning. The presentation of the font size and color is crucial as adverts like these are likely to feature in magazines so they have to stand out from the others. The most significant text is published in the biggest font so that it attracts the target audience to the most important issues; the band’s name, the title of their album and the release date. The release date is significant as the main aim of the advert is to raise awareness of the product so that consumers are aware of when they can actually purchase the album. The red font used to illustrate the release date is only used once throughout the publication and is slightly darker than the name of the band. The reader will therefore read this information in that particular order and after these three titles are likely to know whether or not it is a product they would be interested in. Finally, the advert includes a website link to the Kings of Leon website, which allows readers to strengthen their understanding of the band. The copyright requirements are also include within the design to ensure that the advert cannot be copied.

We are scientists advert analysis

The rock bands breakthrough success came with their second album, which sold 100,000 copies in the first six months and they have also reached number 11 in the UK chart.

The advert is 1/4 Page horizontal and the dimensions are 50mm height x 141mm width, which is commonly found in a magazine. I feel that this size is more effective than the full A4 page as the information is much more concise, which ensures the reader is aware of the most important issues.

The two most dominant pieces of text are on the left and it shows the title of the single and that they are making the single available for download. These two points are the most significant pieces of text and they have been enlarged accordingly so that the reader reads the text from top to bottom. The information shown is advertising the online availability of the single and the website link allows the readers to pursue the purchase of the single. The link may also strengthen download figures as it will raise awareness to potential listeners and provide them with an insight to their music. The inclusion of a quote from the ‘NME’ shows that they are successfully recognized and acknowledged by a professional audience in the music industry.

The band title is in a very relaxed font style, which looks as though it may have been hand written and the title of the single is in block capitals. The capitals have been used to make the title stand out to the audience, whereas the title of the band has been used to give the viewers an insight into the bands attitudes towards music. Any link with the band is in a white font, whereas reviews and information about their music is in black font. The white and black are very traditional colors and the text is easily accessible as it has been placed on a bright background.

The advert is very simplistic as the props are basic and the band members are clearly visible so that the target audience will be able to recognize them. The staging of the picture allows the text to be shown on the left hand side and I feel this layout works very well in presenting the information to the audience.

The image has been constructed to make the model on the right look like a werewolf. This has been done to reinforce the slightly strange and mysterious personalities and style of music they play. The target audience will be able to relate this image to the song lyrics, which solely focuses on the nightlife of young people. The staging is very simplistic, which is common within the Indie/Rock genre and the background looks painted, as if to suggest the audience can recreate the shot due to the ease at which it could be reproduced. The painting emphasizes the sun rising on a night out and the bright colors replicate the artists feel good mood. The simple staging of the shot reinforces the band members approach to their chosen style of music and identifies their target audience.
The information within the advert suggests that because the production is advertising a single, it suggests that the band is new to the UK music industry and it is attempting to make the sales through the online media, which suggests that the record label feels that there is a much larger requirement for downloads in this post-modern media as opposed to the consumer buying the actual single.

How i created the product using photshop

The font I have decided to use was found on http://www.dafont.com/. I have chosen this style as it strengthens the simplicity I want to achieve. The basic and relaxed nature of the font coincides with the images and reinforces the nature of the Indie genre.

The dimensions of a Digipak are illustrated by the image below. Firstly, I created a template in Adobe InDesign so that I could envisage the product as a whole, as opposed to four individual frames. I designed the template using the circle and line drawing tool.

Secondly, I had to adjust the canvas size so that the front cover was the same size as a standard CD front cover. I carried out this procedure for each of my four designs throughout the Digipak.

Then, I placed my front cover image. I placed this layer first as it enabled to add the text around the image. My Digipak flat plans made the design process much easier as I had a general idea of what I wanted.

Then I decided to use the Cut-out effect to enhance the interest of the image. AS you can see below I adjusted the number of levels and edge simplicity to get the image to look exactly as I wanted. The effect gave me more space in the top left hand corner for the title Arctic monkeys to appear.

To add the text ‘Arctic Monkeys’ I selected the horizontal type tool and drew a box where I wanted the text to form. To make the colour of the text the same colour as the red on the models shirt, the eyedropper tool was used. To select the font style/size the toolbar at the top of the programme was used. I used ‘Indie Komiks Sketch’ as my only text in my promotional pack to maintain consistency and the style of the font is not only representative of the Arctic Monkeys genre of music, but also coincides with the Cut-out effect used on the images.

I had to arrange the text layer to ‘bring to front’ so that the text appeared in front of the image. I had to select the layer and then use the options at the top of the programme. I made the background of the text box transparent so that the text incorporates itself into the image. The arrangement of layers was particularly important in this project as it was vital that all of the information was easily accessible by the readers.

Below is an image before the quick selection tool was applied. My flat plans design shows that I wanted to establish a black background for the inside of the Digipak and when I looked at my photo shoot I noticed that there was a dark shadow around the model and the floor had also entered the bottom of the picture, which I didn’t want. Seeing the image on Photoshop made me change my initial ideas and revert to a white background. I overcome this problem by using the quick selection tool to select the areas I wanted to fill with white.

The screenshot below shows the image after the quick selection tool has been applied. I also rotated the image so that the text was more accessible to the readers and so that the Digipak created a mirrored effect of two images on the outside and the text the dominant feature in the centre.

What skills i have learnt during the task

At the beginning of the task I created three flat plans and decided to follow, which one I believed would be the most successful in maximising sale volumes. However, once I started to create the product on Photoshop I discovered that I had to make various changes to what I had originally decided on. Initially, the photos I had taken for the original flat plans all had black backgrounds and when I constructed them on Photoshop it was difficult to identify which one was the front cover. I thought that the black backgrounds would create continuity, but it made the images almost identical. I decided to remove the backgrounds for the middle of the Digipak by using a tool on Photoshop. I feel that this change benefitted the final outcome of my Digipak as the changes made the inside much more interesting as a result of the contrasting background colours.
The back cover of my flat plans shows that the guitar strings act as guidelines for the titles of the Digipak contents. However, when I started to create this feature on Photoshop it made the text difficult to read because I had to reduce the font size significantly. Instead I moved the song titles to the top left hand corner, solely because the western culture reads from left to right. I also placed a red strip with the band’s name to ensure that the reader focused on the left hand side.
Initially, I didn’t intend to insert any effects on the front cover because I didn’t want to make it difficult for the target audience to identify the band member’s facial features. However, once I started to experiment with a variety of effects I found that they actually made the images much more interesting, whilst still allowing the model to be easily identified.

The research and design stages within the project have taught me various skills. Initially, I researched the target audience of the Arctic Monkeys and analysed existing professional examples of current Digipak’s from within the Indie genre. I feel that these two tasks enabled me to create a completed Digipak that solely focuses and appeals to the appropriate market, which are predominantly young, aspiring males. However, the Digipak doesn’t exclude the other audiences within the market as the simplicity appeals to the older audiences and the male model could potentially appeal to females.
The actual production work required a firm understanding of the programme Photoshop CS4. In AS I also used this programme, but I feel this year I have fully utilised the programmes capabilities to maximise the professionalism of my Digipak. The quick selection tool enabled me to remove the dark backgrounds so that the artist now appeared in front of a blank canvas. This tool enhanced the variety of my Digipak and allowed me to display text easier, so using this tool really benefitted my completed production work. I also learnt how to maximise the use of layers in Photoshop. I was taught that you could decide whether or not the chosen layer was actually visible on the main canvas. I had various ideas so it enabled me to discover which elements worked well together and vice versa. Finally, locking the layers is also important as the programme doesn’t allow me to accidentally lock a particular layer that I have finished manipulating.
Finally, the evaluation has been much more detailed as I received both positive and negative feedback on my completed Digipak. The comments I received on Facebook enabled me to gain a response from people that fell into the target audience category. This was vitally important as the feedback provided me with comments that justified my decisions, and also questioned others. Overall, the feedback allowed me to make a change that I believe has benefitted my final product.
Although I am very happy with the final product, there were some difficulties I had to overcome to create the Digipak. Firstly, once I uploaded the photo shoot onto the computer I realised that the majority of them were portrait. When I stretched the image to fill the template it become the pixels become distorted. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use the images so I had to rearrange another photo shoot. This mistake was very time consuming and I should have perhaps allowed more time in original plan for the photo shoot. However, I overcome this problem by arranging another photo shoot with the model and staying behind after lessons enabled me to complete the Digipak task on time.
Secondly, I did not have the software at home, which meant that I had to do all production work within college. Once again extensive hours on the task enabled me to complete a Digipak, that overall I was very pleased with.
The final production is very professional and I am pleased with the Digipak that has progressed from my original detailed flat plans. The photos I have included within the CD Cover are very specific to my chosen genre, which I feel will guarantee sales as it appeals to my target audience. The layout and colours of the product are very similar to my original ideas so I am pleased that continuity has been established through a well managed project. However, as with any Digipak there will be certain areas that could be improved. My front cover is relatively limited in terms of text for the audience. I have relied on the inclusion of the bands title and an image of the band member to sell the CD, whereas perhaps a promotional incentive such as free music downloads or discount on Aortic Monkeys merchandise would be the deciding factor on whether or not the individual would be purchase the product. However, my limited resources and time prevented this from being a realistic improvement, although if I was to redo the Digipak I would certainly look into the possibility of including financial incentives as it may be the difference between the consumer buying a similar genre Digipak.

Digipak feedback from Facebook

Social networking is clearly evident in the new online media era, so once I had completed my Digipak I uploaded the images onto Facebook and sent the above message to all of my friends. The idea was to receive feedback from my friends (a large percentage of these fall into the target audience) and students who are also creating Digipaks for their Media A2 coursework. The comments I received would hopefully allow me to make any potential improvements that would ultimately lead to a better production piece. Feedback from the target audience is also crucial as it will then allow me to evaluate the success of my media product. All of the images from the photo shoot are displayed below.

The comments received are shown below.

James Martin – suggests that the effect that I used on Photoshop has made the original picture much more interesting. As a result of this comment I implemented the Cut-out effect on all of the pictures used throughout the Digipak. The intention behind the effect was to ensure that the reader was interested by the appearance of my front cover, so therefore the choice of effect has been a success.

Claire Lade – believes that the colour scheme I have used within my Digipak makes the completed product a success. The colours were chosen so that I could easily display important text on the black and white backgrounds. The feedback shows that the decision has been a success and therefore I will continue to use the same colours in my advert task.

Morten Bernhardt – feels that the clothing, mise-en-scene, props and body language is representative of the target audience I am trying to capture. This is vitally important as I want the Arctic Monkeys fans to be able to notify and recognise the product as one of their own. By concentrating on the Aspirers I have decided to concentrate on making them feel as though they can relate to the band and perhaps inspire them to recreate the look. The facial expressions and high angle positioning of the photography have been arranged to ensure that the final Digipak conveys a relaxed approach to music.

Jennifer Baxter – proposes that the use of white space has been used to good effect inside the Digipak. This positive feedback is reassuring because originally when I removed the backgrounds from the images I thought that the photographs looked a little empty. However, the removal of the backgrounds allowed me to place text into the production and the website link can be clearly seen. Jennifer also feels that the white space breaks up the darker backgrounds on the front and back cover.
Charlotte Lloyd – This comment raises doubts about my use of text on the inside of my Digipak. The song title slightly covers the models left arm, which wasn’t intentional. When I took this photograph I shouldn’t have zoomed as far in as I did, as it now prevents me from having all of the text in the white background. I could have overcome this difficulty by looking at the actual photographs whilst the photos were being taken at the time. Luckily I was able to overcome this problem by marginally reducing the size of the text.

Evaluation of digipak

Front cover

The front cover is typical of the professional examples I have previously analysed. The cover contains the most typical convention of a Digipak, which is the artist’s name as the most prominent text. I have placed the text above the image and centralised the text alignment to ensure that the reader’s attention is drawn to this part of the cover first. The font is very basic as it fits in with the simplicity that runs throughout the entire Digipak. I have decided to make the colour of the font red to ensure that it stands out from the dark background. The colour also corresponds to the colour scheme, as it matches aspects of the artists clothing.
The style of font is basic, as it appeals to the target audience. From my research I have learnt that audiences within the Indie genre expect very basic Digipak’s that usually include members of the band. My choice of text appeals to the target market, which will attract sales once the product is released.
The character I have photographed for my Digipak has a very relaxed approach towards their music. The photograph of the artist is very similar to the group shot that The Kooks (band from the same genre) have used for their front cover. The model is solely focused on playing the guitar, which strengthens the appeal to my target audience, as they will be able to recreate a similar pose.
I have decided to use black, red and white as the three most prominent colours throughout my production. The front cover will be on display as the main point of sale so I have made it representative of the Indie genre through the use of photography and font. The colour scheme is still continued throughout the other three pages as it increases the professionalism and continuity of the product.
The guitar is the only prop that I have used on my front cover, as my target audience will be able to relate to the image. The Indie genre emphasises the importance of music and instruments on their lives and my target audience of aspirer’s may consist of bands that tend to be based in garages and in bedrooms. The basic set reinforces the simplicity of both the Digipak and the genre itself. The artist is relatively young, which also coincides with my target audience’s average age. In terms of fashion the model is wearing very basic clothing that consists of a cardigan and shirt. The outfit is representative of my target audience, which will encourage the consumers to actually purchase the product.
The background surrounding the image is black. The reason I have done this is so that the only focus is on the colours included in the image. This ensures that the reader understands that the message running through the Digipak is that this style of music is purely based around the actual instruments and the artists themselves. I have chosen a poster edge effect over the image to slightly disorientate the features of the model. The effect helps the image to blend into the background, yet still allows the audience to identify that the model belongs to the Arctic Monkeys. Allowing the target audience to identify the band member will create interest into the product and the effect allows this recognition to be made.
I chose a close up of my band member to ensure that the facial features could be recognised by my target audience. The camera captures come of the models face because this image is the most dominant feature within the front cover and I therefore want to use this as a vocal point for my audience to discuss.
In conclusion, the front cover sets the tone, message and style of the entire Digipak. The layout is typical of all of the Digipak’s I have consumed and analysed in the past. The use of photographic effects and a basic text allows the image to sell the Digipak. The image is very basic and therefore evident of the genre, which ensures that the product appeals to my target audience.

Inner left

The inside of the Digipak still uses the same colour scheme as the front and back cover, but I have decided to have a white background as opposed to a white background. The image has been staged so that I could incorporate the model into the text ‘Bigger boys and stolen sweethearts’, which is the name of the song. The image is black and white and to strengthen the continuity throughout the product I have used the same poster edge effect on the image as the front and back cover. The guitar has once again been used as a prop to reinstate that the importance of the Digipak is the music itself. The shot is a long shot as it allows the shot to dominate the page and it also allows me to manipulate text around the artist. The model is positioned with his back to the camera for various reasons. Firstly, the style of the body language demonstrates a relaxed attitude towards the music. Finally, the target audience already know who the artist is from the front cover, which means that the inside is less influential in the sale of the product.
The text that I have used has been downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/ and is the ‘Indie Komiks Sketch’ style. The same font style is used throughout the entire Digipak and the text is also representative of the colour scheme of black, red and white. The text surrounding the artist makes the image much more interesting and will therefore engage the audience into the Digipak. The inclusion of the song title in capital letters around the image perhaps promotes the idea that the artist is solely focused on the music itself.
I have intentionally left a lot of whitespace on the canvas because otherwise the inside would have looked very similar to the outer covers. The image continues the simplicity theme running through the Digipak and the white background makes it easier for the consumer to read the text. The arrangement of the text is very contemporary and therefore similar to existing Digipak’s within the Indie/Rock genre.
I have made the image black and white and once again used clothing representative of the target audience. The majority of my audience are aspirers, so including fashion accessible to them will ensure that the Digipak sells. The white background also allows the artist to become the main focus point within the Digipak.
The body language, colour and clothing are very similar in all of my shots to ensure continuity and all of the photographs I have used for my Digipak have a blank background. Although the types of shot vary from close-up to long shots, the mise-en-scene of the photo remains the same to ensure that the completed Digipak is recognisable with the other production pieces within the promotion pack.
The camera is in focus and the lighting of the shot is clear so that the artist is clearly visible and therefore recognisable to the target audience. No shadows have been casted from the lighting and although this is a basic skill it ensures that the product looks professional and will therefore ensure that the Digipak doesn’t look out of place on the shelves. The shot has been arranged so that the angle suggests that the viewer has an equal status to the artist. The genre and style of the music is focused on bands forming for the enjoyment of music and the simplicity I have attempted to create throughout the Digipak ensures that the target audience can relate to the Digipak and aspire to pursue their music career.

Inner right

The design and layout of this is a continuation of the left hand side, which contains the CD itself. The text has continued onto the design so that when the target audience opens the Digipak the first thing that they will do is read the text. I have intentionally made the text the most dominant feature within the Digipak to promote the song itself. The style of the Digipak has also been continued as it uses the same white, black and red colour scheme as the other three templates. All of the images used share similar features to establish continuity and the inclusion of the artist in all four shots allow the consumer to have something unique.
The image is continuing the relaxed approach to music and the two pictures inside the Digipak do not show the artists face, as the target audience are aware of whom it is from the front and back cover. The image suggests that whatever mood or attitude he is in music always plays a large part in his lifestyle. The artist is also facing the floor because any contact with the camera would mean that they would then become the most vocal point. However, the way I have taken the shot allows the first point of contact to be the text, promoting the name of the Digipak. The same guitar has been used throughout the whole Digipak as it establishes the focus on the Indie music genre. I have used a tool on Photoshop to make the background completely white. This enabled the white space from the opposite side of the Digipak to carry onto this page, as does the text.
The Digipak focuses on the nature of the music and the artist body language and the props used have intentionally been aimed at my target market. Research has shown that aspirers are the most likely to buy the music and using clothing and settings available to the audience will inspire them to buy the music. The shot is a mid-shot of the artist and I have reflected the image horizontally so that the text wouldn’t overlap the artist. The text continues on from the left hand side so that the text is the most prominent feature on the page.

Back Cover

I have continued to use the black, white and red colour scheme for my back cover. I decided to incorporate a black background once again so that the product looks professional and it also enables text to be clearly visible. The text colour naming the content of the Digipak is white, as it contrasts the black background. I have used the same font as the front cover to demonstrate the simplicity theme running through the Digipak. The red strip on the left hand side has been used to break up the main focus towards the image. The colour contrasts the background so that the reader can easily identify who the band is. The guitar and microphones are examples of props that have been include into the shot to reinforce the artists focus onto the music. The simplicity of the shot and relaxed playing style of the artist will appeal to the target audience, which is a common feature throughout my Digipak.
To ensure professionalism is maintained throughout the production, continuity is a crucial impression on the viewers. The image has the same colour scheme and the model has the same hair, clothing and relaxed/focused body language throughout the photos featured on the front and back cover. The majority of people who buy music are aspirers so the simplicity of the shot encourages my target audience to buy the album. It suggests that the Digipak is a crucial element of recreating the artists look.

The back cover continues the simplicity theme that is emphasised on the front cover. The cover only contains the relevant information which is;
· The contents of the Digipak
· An image related to the band/artist
· Copyright laws associated with the production work

I have chosen to include the name of the record label on the back cover for two reasons. Firstly, it is a requirement within the music industry to acknowledge the owners of the music when we are using it. Secondly, my target audience may recognise the label which could lead to the sale of the Digipak. If the audience have had past productions from the label then they may be willing to buy the Digipak purely out of interest.
I have edited the photograph in Photoshop so that parts of the artist clothing and hairstyle blend into the black background. I used the cut out effect because it allowed the song titles and music video to become the subject of the frame. The models face is looking downwards, which illustrates that the viewer’s attention is intended for the text in the top left hand corner. The Digipak is meant to persuade consumers to purchase the product, and people viewing the item are likely to look at the back cover to view the contents of the product. The white text allows the three titles to stand out as the most prominent piece of text, which ultimately leads to the decision whether or not to purchase the product. The bar code is also included on the back cover as it is a standard addition/inclusion to any professional Digipak so that the customer can identify the price. All of the information given on the back cover will be common amongst the majority of any Digipak’s that are on sale in today’s music industry.

Evaluation that includes feedback (maybe from a Facebook group) and outlining what skills you gained during the task

Front cover

The front cover is typical of the professional examples I have previously analysed. The cover contains the most typical convention of a Digipak, which is the artist’s name as the most prominent text. I have placed the text above the image and centralised the text alignment to ensure that the reader’s attention is drawn to this part of the cover first. The font is very basic as it fits in with the simplicity that runs throughout the entire Digipak. I have decided to make the colour of the font red to ensure that it stands out from the dark background. The colour also corresponds to the colour scheme, as it matches aspects of the artists clothing.
The style of font is basic, as it appeals to the target audience. From my research I have learnt that audiences within the Indie genre expect very basic Digipak’s that usually include members of the band. My choice of text appeals to the target market, which will attract sales once the product is released.
The character I have photographed for my Digipak has a very relaxed approach towards their music. The photograph of the artist is very similar to the group shot that The Kooks (band from the same genre) have used for their front cover. The model is solely focused on playing the guitar, which strengthens the appeal to my target audience, as they will be able to recreate a similar pose.
I have decided to use black, red and white as the three most prominent colours throughout my production. The front cover will be on display as the main point of sale so I have made it representative of the Indie genre through the use of photography and font. The colour scheme is still continued throughout the other three pages as it increases the professionalism and continuity of the product.
The guitar is the only prop that I have used on my front cover, as my target audience will be able to relate to the image. The Indie genre emphasises the importance of music and instruments on their lives and my target audience of aspirer’s may consist of bands that tend to be based in garages and in bedrooms. The basic set reinforces the simplicity of both the Digipak and the genre itself. The artist is relatively young, which also coincides with my target audience’s average age. In terms of fashion the model is wearing very basic clothing that consists of a cardigan and shirt. The outfit is representative of my target audience, which will encourage the consumers to actually purchase the product.
The background surrounding the image is black. The reason I have done this is so that the only focus is on the colours included in the image. This ensures that the reader understands that the message running through the Digipak is that this style of music is purely based around the actual instruments and the artists themselves. I have chosen a poster edge effect over the image to slightly disorientate the features of the model. The effect helps the image to blend into the background, yet still allows the audience to identify that the model belongs to the Arctic Monkeys. Allowing the target audience to identify the band member will create interest into the product and the effect allows this recognition to be made.
I chose a close up of my band member to ensure that the facial features could be recognised by my target audience. The camera captures come of the models face because this image is the most dominant feature within the front cover and I therefore want to use this as a vocal point for my audience to discuss.
In conclusion, the front cover sets the tone, message and style of the entire Digipak. The layout is typical of all of the Digipak’s I have consumed and analysed in the past. The use of photographic effects and a basic text allows the image to sell the Digipak. The image is very basic and therefore evident of the genre, which ensures that the product appeals to my target audience.

Inner Left

The inside of the Digipak still uses the same colour scheme as the front and back cover, but I have decided to have a white background as opposed to a white background. The image has been staged so that I could incorporate the model into the text ‘Bigger boys and stolen sweethearts’, which is the name of the song. The image is black and white and to strengthen the continuity throughout the product I have used the same poster edge effect on the image as the front and back cover. The guitar has once again been used as a prop to reinstate that the importance of the Digipak is the music itself. The shot is a long shot as it allows the shot to dominate the page and it also allows me to manipulate text around the artist. The model is positioned with his back to the camera for various reasons. Firstly, the style of the body language demonstrates a relaxed attitude towards the music. Finally, the target audience already know who the artist is from the front cover, which means that the inside is less influential in the sale of the product.
The text that I have used has been downloaded from http://www.dafont.com/ and is the ‘Indie Komiks Sketch’ style. The same font style is used throughout the entire Digipak and the text is also representative of the colour scheme of black, red and white. The text surrounding the artist makes the image much more interesting and will therefore engage the audience into the Digipak. The inclusion of the song title in capital letters around the image perhaps promotes the idea that the artist is solely focused on the music itself.
I have intentionally left a lot of whitespace on the canvas because otherwise the inside would have looked very similar to the outer covers. The image continues the simplicity theme running through the Digipak and the white background makes it easier for the consumer to read the text. The arrangement of the text is very contemporary and therefore similar to existing Digipak’s within the Indie/Rock genre.
I have made the image black and white and once again used clothing representative of the target audience. The majority of my audience are aspirers, so including fashion accessible to them will ensure that the Digipak sells. The white background also allows the artist to become the main focus point within the Digipak.
The body language, colour and clothing are very similar in all of my shots to ensure continuity and all of the photographs I have used for my Digipak have a blank background. Although the types of shot vary from close-up to long shots, the mise-en-scene of the photo remains the same to ensure that the completed Digipak is recognisable with the other production pieces within the promotion pack.
The camera is in focus and the lighting of the shot is clear so that the artist is clearly visible and therefore recognisable to the target audience. No shadows have been casted from the lighting and although this is a basic skill it ensures that the product looks professional and will therefore ensure that the Digipak doesn’t look out of place on the shelves. The shot has been arranged so that the angle suggests that the viewer has an equal status to the artist. The genre and style of the music is focused on bands forming for the enjoyment of music and the simplicity I have attempted to create throughout the Digipak ensures that the target audience can relate to the Digipak and aspire to pursue their music career.

Completed digipak

Analysis of two digipak covers

I am required to analyse examples of professional Digipaks as part of my research task. The research should influence how I will design my own Digipak. Using http://www.cdcovers.cc/ I have chosen two covers to analyse including the following:

1) The Kooks – Inside In Inside Out
Looking at other bands Digipaks from the same Indie/Rock genre will allow me to understand the general concepts associated within genre such as Mise-en-scene.

2) Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, I’m not
I have decided to choose this particular Digipak as it will give me an insight into the style and layout of my chosen band. Looking at an example from the Arctic Monkeys will help me to ensure my production conforms to consumer’s expectations, which is important as I am trying to create a product that will maintain and possibly enhance the band’s brand image.

The Kooks – Inside in Inside Out

The Digipak above is the debut album by English Indie Rock band The Kooks and was released in 2006. The album was produced by Virgin Records and sold over 2,000,000 copies worldwide to reach number two in the British album charts.

The mise-en-scene is particularly important as it informs the consumer about the genre of the music and the way in which Virgin Records want to market The Kooks to their target audience. The outer front cover portrays the four band members with very relaxed body languages and they all have an instrument. All of the individuals are avoiding eye contact with the photographer, which implies that their main focus is purely devoted to their instruments. The props have been used to reflect the band member’s attitudes towards their genre, which is ultimately playing solely for the love of music. One of the band members is resting his foot on the Amp whilst playing his guitar, which again suggests that, the group individuals have a very relaxed approached to their music. The clothing and fashion appearance of the four band members is representative of the Indie/Rock genre, as all of the individuals have long hair and informal clothes. The jeans and hoodies worn by the band reinforce the relaxed approach adopted by the band as it shows that they are comfortable within their given environment (an empty stage with only their instruments).

The front cover follows the basic conventions of most Digipak’s as it displays the title of the Album and an image of the artists. The red font stands out from the greyscale image, which perhaps suggests that The Kooks want to reinstate that the main focus should be on the album itself, and not the band members. The font is the same throughout the entire Digipak, which ensures that the product looks professional because continuity is an important aspect. Continuity will be vital for my own creations not just in the Digipak but other design tasks too such as the promo pack and the advert. The font on the outer back cover is aligned on the left for song titles and numbered which allows the consumer to easily identify their favourite songs. Although, my Digipak will only contain one track, I am likely to present the text as it has been on this example, which is over the blank white space which isn’t fulfilled by the image. The small print text on the back cover includes copyright details and a mention of Virgin Records. The Virgin Records label is also displayed on the CD cover, which is an example of advertising. Finally, there is a website link on the back of the Digipak, which is an example of marketing. The inclusion of the bands official website will raise awareness of the band and allows their target market to strengthen their current fan base.

The outer back cover uses the same image as the front cover, but the image has been blurred. The editing of the image makes it easier for the consumer to notify the song titles, which once again highlights the emphasis on The Kooks desire to ultimately promote the music and not themselves. The colour scheme is continuously red, white and black throughout the Digipak. The red font will stand out on the shop shelves because it contrasts the rest of the front cover. The only part of the Digipak that is brightly coloured is the actual CD, which may emphasise that it is significantly the only part of the purchase that matters to the consumer, the music itself. The continual colour scheme and the inclusion of the barcode on the back cover ensure that the Record Company have created a professional final product.

Arctic Monkeys - whatever people say i am, that's what i'm not

The second Digipak I have chosen to analyse (whatever people say I am, that’s what I’m not) is displayed above. The album was the debut album by Arctic Monkeys and was released in the same year as The Kooks Inside in, Inside out in 2006. The album is currently the UK’s fastest selling debut album and sold over 360,000 copies in its first week. The album includes ‘I bet you look good on the dance floor’ and ‘when the sun goes down’, which were both UK number ones.

The image on the front cover is a close-up of an individual after a heavy night out in Liverpool and was taken to demonstrate the stereotypical northern clubber. The image caused huge controversy as the NHS believed that the image ‘reinforced the idea that smoking is OK’. However, this particular image was used for the CD cover as the lyrics for all tracks within the album are first-person narratives of observations made when clubbing. The only two colours used throughout the Digipak are black and white, which ensures continuity is maintained. The text on the front cover is slightly disorientated, which may have been done to coincide with way the character is feeling.

The image has been staged so that there is a black background behind the smoker. The emphasis is heavily on the state of the individual on the front cover and shows that the band members are perhaps just like anyone else from their target audience. The only prop used within this shot is the cigarette that the person is smoking. The prop signifies the reality of the Sheffield nightlife and illustrates the typical clubber. The cigarette theme features heavily throughout the Digipak to maintain the same message throughout.

On the back cover, the song titles are aligned left and listed in the top hand corner. The text is once again placed on the black background to ensure the reader has no difficulty in reading the text. Following conventions such as listing the tracks on the back cover ensures continuity and professionalism is maintained. The font is very ordinary, which reflects the genre of music played by the Arctic Monkeys and the clothing and hairstyles are also very basic, which relates to their target audience.

The inside panel consists only of text thanking individuals and all of the copyright legislation expected to be evident within a Digipak. The focus and emphasis is purely on the actual music itself, which reinforces the Indie genre. Finally, after one of the thank you messages the text shows “If we sell any we will give you that amp back”. This message shows the target audience the relaxed and informal approach the Arctic Monkeys have towards their music.

Explain what a digipak is

As a requirement for the A2 production coursework I have been asked to create a Digipak for my chosen song Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts. A Digipak is a patented style of compact disc or DVD packaging and this type of media style is often used for CD singles. They typically consist of a gatefold paperboard or card stock outer binding, with plastic trays capable of holding a CD or DVD attached to the inside. The Digipak usually contains images and graphics throughout the four covers representative of the band or artist. It also includes the name of the artist and album on the outer front cover and the song list on the outer back cover.

Any evidence of techniques you have practiced

There are three main components associated with depth of field, which are foreground, middle and finally background. The narrow depth of field is created by adjusting the shutter speed settings on the camera, which is a Canon XM2. In order to achieve a successful shot representing depth of field I had to adjust the following camera settings: narrow depth of field was 1/50; neutral density filter, iris aperture and video gain. Our teacher taught us how to manipulate the settings to create the desired effect, which included the following changes.

Firstly, the manual settings had to be set to programmable so that the MF button appeared on the side screen of the camera. The exposure then had to be addressed by adjusting the shutter speed of the camera. Finally the aperture needed to be opened as much as possible to focus on the character. Once I had discovered the correct setting I applied the standby setting to the film, which ensured the new settings were not lost.

Below, the shot illustrates where I have tried to use depth of field to manipulate the camera settings to portray the characters mood and emotions.

The image has been used to show the main character watching the girl that he wants to impress. However, the main character has been blurred to show that he is confused by the actor that is in focus. Depth of field can be very effective to enhance the realism and professionalism of the completed music video, however I decided against using this clip as I had initially planned to feature the boyfriend alongside the girl. Finally, the facial expressions did not make the product look realistic and the main character is too close to the camera.

A detailed evaluation that includes feedback (from YouTube) and outlining what skills I have gained during this task

At the bottom of the blog is the completed video, which I exported to a quick time movie version for the Arctic Monkeys ‘Bigger boys and stolen sweethearts’ production.

To create the music video all of the footage was edited using the software Final cut pro on the Apple Mac laptops. Below are screenshots of how I used the various tools available to construct my music video from start to finish.

The screenshot above shows how I imported the footage from the tape within the camera onto the laptop. We used ‘Log and capture’ every time we filmed more footage, which allowed us to store and edit footage on the Apple Mac. I connected the camera to the laptop and selected ‘capture now’ from the toolbar. Once the desired footage had been captured I pressed the escape button, which then ensures that the footage is saved onto the final cut pro software.

The image above shows how I organised my filming within Final Cut Pro so that the required footage could be easily identified. Once we had finished filming we had over an hour of footage, so this was an essential skill to ensure that editing was made easier by being able to easily identify what we was looking for. Each separate clip was given a separate name, which meant we could label footage that once it had been captured back we decided that we didn’t want to use and therefore knew not to waste any time looking through unnecessary camerawork.

Once I had named all of the footage I encountered a problem when I started to edit the footage. The actors within the shot were blurred and all of elements within the frames were not being displayed by the viewer. My teacher identified the problem and we had to change the motion settings. The screenshot below shows how I changed the aspect ratio from 25 to 0, which overcome the difficulties we were having.

I had begun the editing process, the toolbar displayed below is the one which features on the right hand side of the timeline in Final Cut Pro. The most used tool throughout the video production is the cut tool, which is highlighted below. Initially, I used the cut tool to select any unwanted footage, which then allowed me to arrange footage into a rough edit. Finally it enabled me to shorten clips, which made the film synchronise with the music being played. The red markers on the image below appear when I applied the cut tool to the timeline to cut up various parts of the scenes.

Another skill that I learnt during the production of the music video is the importance of locking layers. By applying the padlock on the left hand side to the selected audio layer ensured that when I cut the footage the audio remained there.

I used markers throughout the production because I wanted the music to synch to the lyrics of the track. To imprint a marker onto the timeline I had to press M on the keyboard and the green markers appeared as shown below. The markers allowed me to identify a particular part of the song, which saved time looking through all of my footage, as I had already identified the filming that I wanted to use for that part of the song.

I used certain effects in the music video to ensure that there was a smooth progression from each shot. The fade tool also features in the same toolbar as the cut tool, which made it easy for me to apply to the video. The fade to black was effective as we used it to illustrate the actor’s mood and to signify the end of the production. I used the pen tool to two mark the black symbols onto the timeline and then manipulated to create the desired effect.

The images below demonstrate the effect that the fade has on the actual production. The fade becomes darker as the character emerges closer towards the camera. The camera then pans to darkness as the car starts to pull away, which is a defining moment in the narrative. The fade has also been used on this part of the video as it concludes the song.

After I had seen the footage played back on the laptop there was clips that I still wanted to use without some of the components that featured in the background. The people in the background of the shot ruined one of the frames; however I overcome this problem by using the Image + wireframe. This effect allowed me to zoom in or out to focus on a specific area of the shot. Below the screenshot demonstrates how I changed the footage to make it suitable for my final edit. Once I selected the option from the drop down menu I could then manipulate the frame by dragging the corners of the shot.

I also overlapped two shots and changed the transparency settings so that the two shots could be seen. The image below shows how I edited the shot to illustrate the characters thoughts. The character is holding an image of his last girlfriend, whilst at the same time her new boyfriend is proposing to her. This shot is significant in demonstrating that the character has given up all hope and that the following clips are flashbacks as to why he has given up.

To ensure that the audience withhold their interest in the production, I have included various types of shots. The image below is an example of an establishing shot which has been used to introduce the character. A zoom in follows the start of the frame, which focuses on the face so that the audience can familiarise themselves with the actor who narrates the lyrics from a series of point of view shots.

The majority of the clips that feature within the chorus are mid shots of the band members playing the instruments. This allows the audience to recognise the band member’s facial features and appreciate the music being played. The setting is representative of the target audience and the positioning of the actor in the middle of the shot ensures that they are the most prominent feature in the frame.

Below is an example of a high angle shot to reinforce the dominance and power that the bigger boy has within the video. The positioning of the camera and the confident body language combine to enhance the realism of the narrative.

The video begins with a still shot of a bunch of roses. The close up of the roses demonstrates the content of the music video and the prop is very effective in creating an element of suspense for the audience.

Once the music begins the film cuts to the character introduction, which includes jump cuts and a zoom in. The introductions familiarise the audience with the main character as the facial features are clearly visible. The video is told from this characters point of view throughout the majority of the video, except for when he is trying to make contact with the girl.

We were taught how to construct the tripod in a lesson. Initially we had to loosen the legs and lock them into place once I was happy with the cameras position. To ensure that the camera didn’t fall of the tripod, the metal plate was secured with a screw to the base of the camera. The tripod spiralled, so it was ideal for all of our tracking shots on the car. These shots of the character were filmed in a location where we could use the tripod so they are very smooth and therefore portray a professional start to the beginning of the video. Whenever possible I used the tripod as the narrative required a variety of shots to demonstrate movement, body language, location and facial expressions. The tripod enabled me to track the car smoothly, which again enhances the professionalism and the realism of the video.

However once we cut to the narrative the cameraman has to track the band member through the door, which required a hand held technique. To minimise the unwanted movement of the camera I slowed the frame down in Final Cut Pro and zoomed out as far as possible. When I captured back the footage after the first shoot, I noticed that the tracking shots around college were very shaky and I couldn’t edit the footage to make it work in Final Cut Pro. I overcome this problem by reorganising the actors to meet once again on the campus to reshoot.

To make the narrative of the video more believable I used shots to signify messages and impressions that reflected the characters mood. The two frames that I have manipulated onto one another ensure that the emotions of the character are clearly illustrated and the audience can react to this critical frame within the music video. The main location used throughout the video is Seaford beach. The colours are bright when the couple are together, yet dark and gloomy when the main character features. This signifies the difference in emotions and moods between the two characters.

Although I took the storyboard with me when filming, it was difficult to get the shots exactly how I had intended. The lighting made it difficult to get the desired focus on the main character within the frame. The settings on the camera had to be adjusted for every shot so that it captured exactly what I wanted to achieve. The white balance had to be adjusted for filming on the beach due to the bright sunshine. The settings were easy to implement as I filmed what I needed from the location as opposed to running through the song. As I filmed at the location I could lock the settings on the camera, which ensured that when the camera was on standby it remembered the edited settings. This meant that I could keep the same settings throughout the majority of the frames with small adjustments as I went. When I filmed the proposal scene the sun over exposed the characters facial expressions. I overcome this lighting problem by adjusting the aperture settings on the camera.

There were only two of us within our group, so it was relatively easy to arrange when we were going to film and edit the footage. Initially we were let down by provisional actors so we decided against filming the band on the beach, which was our initial idea. However, the studio shots that we performed instead were much more representative of the Arctic Monkeys video I had studied so fortunately this setback didn’t affect the final product. As mentioned before the storyboard was present throughout the whole process so at all times I knew exactly what I wanted and where it was going to be placed. The animatic was very useful when it came to the editing stage as I knew approximately how long each shot should last and where the footage was required. The equipment that we needed to create this product was a tripod, a camera and a laptop. All of these had to be booked in advance and a pick up and return date stated. This required efficient planning and organisational skills from start to finish. We originally fell behind on the filming and editing schedule that we set in the planning stage of the project. We overcome this problem by spending weekday evenings in the TV studio to ensure that we met the deadline.

During the production we took criticism and ideas from our teacher that we could incorporate into the final edit that enhanced the professionalism of the media product. The end of the video now includes flashbacks of the main characters feelings and memories associated with the girl. This provided a different ending to what we had originally envisaged, but created a much more interesting conclusion to the video. The effects I have incorporated into the ending ensure that the characters change in mood is clearly portrayed.

During the creation of the video we had a clear idea of what we wanted to achieve so we both adjusted the camera settings to get the desired effect before we filmed one another. Sharing the camerawork and editing workloads was made much easier as a result of our small group, we both took an active role in all aspects of production so that we were both happy with the completed outcome.

We filmed each scene numerous times to ensure that we would have various scenes to select from. The use of clapperboards was particularly important as it enabled us to easily arrange footage when we got to the editing stage. Editing could have been very time consuming if we hadn’t been so organised with the clapperboards and arranging different scenes into different categories. Developing an understanding of what we both wanted to achieve in the research task meant that there was a clear sense of direction throughout all elements of the production.

Overall the production was relatively straight forward; however it was inevitable that I would encounter some problems. Initially, I underestimated how much footage the music video actually required. Although I had a detailed storyboard with me throughout filming, once I recaptured the footage and started to edit the scenes I realised that I would need to arrange another shoot. I decided to reshoot because I didn’t want to use the same footage throughout the narrative, except for the flashbacks at the end. The scenes we had filmed didn’t cut quickly enough in order to make a realistic music video. Fast paced cuts are needed to move the narrative along and most importantly appeal to the target audience.

Secondly, my feedback from YouTube pointed out that there were extras in my music video beach scene, which were not intentionally staged. I had to remove these in my final draft using the image and wireframe. This shows how important both negative and positive feedback is in today’s music industry, as it has helped me to improve my overall product.

Finally, (as I have mentioned previously) the footage was filmed in the wrong format which meant that the footage appeared to be blurry and pixelated when I captured the filming back on screen. However, I used Final Cut Pro to adjust the aspect ratio to 0 in order to prevent the group to having to film the scenes again.

Overall, I feel that the final edit is very successful and although I didn’t use all of my original ideas I feel that my organisational skills and creativity at the editing stage creates a music video typical of the Indie genre. The final product shows what can be achieved through in depth research and planning. The images below show how elements of my music video have been taken from my initial ideas and actually incorporated into my final edit. The images are representative of my target audience and as you can see are very similar to examples within the professional music industry.

I uploaded my music onto YouTube to receive feedback from a wider audience. The comments I received were very positive and they felt that the production is very similar to other videos they have seen within the Indie genre. The audience feel that the switch between the narrative and the band members works well. The majority of the song is narrative, but I didn’t want to take the focus away from the bands capabilities. The music is in synch with the music, which is also essential in creating a realistic video and the audience noticed this intentional effect within the video. They also feel that the effects used in the final few frames of the video ensure that the video has a positive impact on the target audience and really capture the feelings of the character. The final comment also suggests that the fast cuts that I have included in the chorus’s keeps the audience interested.