Audience Feedback - Rough Cut

In today's lesson we had a rough cut viewing of our music video and our classmates gave us feedback; they identified the parts they liked and noted any areas for improvement.

What I learnt from the feedback:

• People liked the use of locations.
• They also thought the performance was good as it was interesting and attention grabbing. 
• They also liked the editing, especially the quick montage at the beginning and end.

Thing to be improved:

• There are still a lot of gaps in the video that need footage added to. 
• There was this one location that people didn't like the costume for as they felt it was too casual compared to the rest of her costumes where she looks more glamorous.
• Some of the shots were out of sync.

This shows that we need to start moving a bit quicker and start adding more footage into the video. And we need to either re-shoot Gabi on the bridge in another costume or fix those clips when we come to do colourisation.

Final Digipak

 I am very pleased with how my digipak turned out. I think the concept of 'dimensions' is very apparent throughout the digipak and it acts as an effective, recognisable symbol as it is found in the music video and will be incorporated in the website.

Digipak CD Art

My idea for the CD art was influenced by Disclosure's album 'Settle'. They didn't use an image on their CD but incorporated other aspects found on their album. For example, the CD colours match that of the album front cover. 

I wanted my CD art to be simple but maintain it's relevance with the rest of the album. The main colours are black and white which occur repeatedly throughout the album. The pink rim is associated with the pink lipstick found on the front cover. I positioned the 'O' in Tomi over the CD hole to create the idea of 'dimensions' which is a reoccurring theme in the digipak.

Inside of Digipak

 I decided to use this image on the inside of my digipak as it was not suitable for the front cover but it created such a strong feeling I knew I wanted to incorporate it in my digipak. I increased the brightness and the contrast of the image as I wanted to amplify every bit of colour on the page from the graffiti to the blonde in her hair. Gabi is positioned in the center of the image and has her hand in the air as if she's celebrating or she's free. The idea of freedom is very iconic of dance music and I felt this image matches the idea of freedom. 

Back Cover of Digipak

Front Cover of Digipak

I decided that the front cover of my digipak should be a close up of Gabi; as that's what regularly occurs on front covers. I am still sticking to the idea of 'dimensions'. 

Initially I thought I would have two different close ups of Gabi and adjust the opacity of the images. After testing it out I realised it did not look that appealing so I resorted to using just one close up. 

After deciding that I only wanted to use one image I still needed to decided on how I would position the duplicate images of Gabi. I first had all the images aligned across the horizontal centre and I spaced the images out evenly. I did not like the way it looked as I felt none of the images were clear and it looked too messy.

I continued to rearrange the duplicate images of Gabi's face around the page. I positioned the duplicates at the top left and right hand corners but again I did not like the way it looked. In the end I positioned the duplicates in opposite corners and I really liked the way it looked. The main image was clear and the star was easy to identify while still incorporating the 'dimension' idea. I then added the 'Parental Advisory Explicit Content' logo, added text and adjusted the brightness and contrast of the image.

Second Draft of Digipak Front Cover

I decided to experiment with this image and see how effective it would be as a front cover. I still wanted to keep with my idea of 'dimensions'.

I made a copy of the image and removed the graffiti in the background so I was left with an image of Gabi's body.

I then lowered the opacity of this image so that when it is shown alongside the main image it will be fainter and create the 'dimension' effect.

I added more duplicates and lowered the opacity of the duplicated images depending on how far out it was from the main image of Gabi. The multiple images of Gabi help to amplify the 'dimension' effect.

I then added text to the album cover.

I then repositioned the text to where I thought it looked good. And I added a 'Parental Advisory Explicit Content' logo as well as modifying the brightness and contrast of the image.

This is what I ended up with. I did like my design but after some discussion with my peers I concluded that the page was too busy; with the bright colours and multiple images it was just a lot to look at and not an effective front cover. Furthermore, the image that I used did not show her face which was too unconventional and so I decided that this image will be better on the inside of my digipak rather than on the front cover.

Digipak Research - Eminem

This is by far one of my favourite album covers purely because of the message it illustrates. This was Eminem's come back album after an extensive 5 years of rehab dealing with his drug addition. The album title 'Recovery' is pretty self-explanatory; it describes his battle with his addiction and his recovery and how he made it out the other side. The album title is presented in big bold white letters and a red medical sign  is used to illustrate the letter 'O' this connotes the idea of hospitals and sickness which relates back to his drug addiction.

Furthermore, the image used on the album cover has a very apparent message; it's suggesting he's on the 'road to recovery'. It's such a simple image but it creates such a strong sense of appreciation and power for the audience. The image used on the back of the CD is very representative of Eminem as the sign denotes it's set in Detroit, which is Eminem's home town. This is done to make the audience feel closer to him as it's the idea that he's letting his fans deeper into his life. He's also sat on a sofa with a pensive look on his face, the objects surrounding him look as if they belong in an office or therapy room, which links back to concept of the album being about his rehab and recovery. 

Unlike most albums which include a star name and an album name, Eminem doesn't show his name anywhere on the front cover, this is done to not divert the audiences attention from the message of the album however, Eminem's name is visible on the back cover; this is so the audience knows who's album it is, if they haven't already recognised it as being Eminem's.

The colours used on the CD are very dull, almost earthy and mainly consist of blacks and whites; this is done in order to maintain the simplicity of the album art; so that the concept of the album can be understood without any distraction. Furthermore, the album has a minimal use of colour in order to maintain the seriousness of the subject matter.

This album has taught me a lot about what makes for an effective digipak and it has been very inspirational. I have learnt that having a clear message or concept is key when trying to create particular emotions among your audience. I have also learnt that one powerful image is better than a montage of random ones, so I know that when I'm making my digipak I need to be selective with my images and choose the one with the strongest message. The reason why Eminem gets away with not displaying his name on the front cover is because he has already established an image for himself as an artist and has achieved idol status; furthermore, he doesn't need to exhibit his name because he already has a colossal fan base. My digipak however, would need to have the artist's name at the front cover because she is yet to establish herself as an artist and does not have a big enough fan base. 

Digipak Research - Sam Smith

The thing that drew me to Sam Smith's album 'In The Lonely Hour' is the simplicity of it. The use of monochrome colours are nothing to shout about, but because it fits so well with Sam's persona and the way he is as an artist it invites you in. The colours along with the image of Sam Smith create the look of vulnerability which links in to the 'heart-break' themed songs that Sam is so popular for.

The reason why I think this album cover is effective is because it portrays Sam as a real person; it takes away the fame and the fortune that comes with being a singer and strips it down to show Sam at his core; he also tries to replicate this feeling in his music.

Furthermore, the name of the album goes hand in hand with the visuals; 'the lonely hour' connotes the time frame after the end of a relationship. The image shows Sam in deep thought and almost tearful, this again emphasises the idea of vulnerability and the idea he has 'poured his heart out' into this album. He is seen as such a relatable person that this is going to draw people into his music.

Overall, what I have learnt from analysing this album is the impact that colour, imagery and titles have when combined. While Sam's album has a more heartfelt and more romantic theme than my album, it is important for him to be subtle with his use of colour, but as I'm making a deep house album colour is going to be vital; this has helped me understand the difference between what is necessary to create emphasis and when it becomes 'overkill'.



First Draft of Digipak Front Cover

Today I started working on the digipak. I used what I had learnt during my research into digipaks and decided I wanted to incorporate the idea of 'dimensions' as this will become Tomi's identity as it will be seen in the music video, digipak and website.

I used one of the images from the Mile End shoot as I felt it was striking and made it clear that she is the star due to her dominance in the image. I experimented with layers, opacity and positioning of the duplicate images, and this was what I created. Obviously there is still a lot more work to be done but my vision for the digipak is coming together.

 

Digipak Photos - Waterloo Shoot

Digipak Photos - School Shoot

Digipak Photos - Mile End Shoot

Digipak Photos - Leake Street Shoot

Digipak Photos - Brick Lane Shoot

Digipak Research - Disclosure

Disclosure are an English electronic music duo. The band consists of the two brother; Guy and Lawrence Howard who's music is of the House genre. What makes disclosure and their album 'Settle' so distinctive are the white lines that are drawn on their faces. This appears on their album cover (as shown above) on all their promotional images and in their music videos. Disclosure have taken this simple concept and created their whole identity. They've become so easily recognisable and so iconic; and this helps to promote their music. 

The idea of simplicity is very apparent on this album cover; they use a simple monochrome font and neutral colours. This is done to make the main feature of the white faces more stark against the almost 'dull' background. Furthermore, the album cover uses an image of two brothers, this is done to promote the idea of 'brotherhood' between the two brothers in Disclosure. 

What I am going to take away from this album cover is the importance of simplicity. It's not about how much you can shove on one page, or how much colour you can fill it with; rather it as about creating an image that is recognisable and iconic, even relatable. I feel in regards to my digipak I will use an image that plays with the idea of 'dimensions' which is also exaggerated in the music video and so will be identifiable if it appears on the digipak too.    



Digipak Font Research

Digipaks usually have text, this can be in the form of the album name, artist name, recording company, copyright policies etc. The main use of the font will be for the album and artist name, as a group we decided on the name Tomi, and I wanted to find a font that expressed the quirkiness and originality of this name as well as representing the star's personality.

I used 'dafont.com' to research different fonts, below are some of the fonts I liked. I wanted a font that was different, something quite modern but not too simple, it needed to be readable but still be edgy.

After all my research I decided to use the 'PROMETHEUS' font as I felt it was representative of the dance genre and because it has a modern/edgy feel to it while still being readable. If the font was any more extravagant I feel like it would be too overpowering, especially next to the bold background. I also like how sections of the letters are missing; this creates a modern feel but also presents vibes of enigma.

Star Name

As a group we needed to decide on a name for our star, after hours of debating and research we finally decided on the name Tomi. We felt this was a typical sort of name for a deep house artist. It's short, memorable, edgy and very unique.

Some of the other names that were considered:

• Gabi
• Amethyst
• Ava
• Elsie
• Peroxide
• Kallie
• Elly

Digipak Research - Rihanna

Rihanna has a very strong and apparent star image and one of the ways in which she conveys this is through her album covers. The image of her is at the centre of the album, this is done to draw attention to the album. She is looking down, this could represent shyness, but her facial expression suggests otherwise, the way she has her mouth slightly open is quite seductive. She is almost saying 'I'm an innocent girl with a bed streak', this is also shown in other areas of the digipak. 

The colour red is a main theme used in this digipak from her hair, lipstick and the red roses seen throughout. This has many connotations, the main one being red is known as the colour of 'love', and this is her saying this album is all about love furthermore, the colour red and pink represents the pop genre which is the genre of the album.   

The use of writing is very minimal in this digipak. It includes the artists name and the album name 'LOUD' which is found above and below the image of her, this is done so that nothing obstructs Rihanna's face. The text used is very subtle and a white colour is used, this is done so it stands out against the background. The colour white and the pink rose used as the image on the CD represents pureness, this links back to the the idea of innocence created from the digipak cover. Moreover, the roses also connote romance, love and femininity and this makes it apparent that it is aimed at a female audience. 

This has influenced me to use a central image of my star on my digipak, and it has shown me the importance of colours. I don't have to use lots of different colours, rather I can find one colour with a strong symbol and apply it to different situations.

Digipak Templates

Digipaks have conventional styles, they mostly have either 4, 6 or 8 panels. Right now I am considering creating a 4 panel digipak. I feel this would be better as my digipak will be filled with a lot of colour and vibrancy and too much of it can be too overwhelming and look tacky, so I am going to keep it simple. Below are images of the different templates that I can use. I am also going to include the booklet, this way I can still use the images I want without it looking cluttered.

4 panel digipak template with booklet slot 

6 panel digipak template

Conventions of a Digipak

Digipaks are used as a promotional tool by record companies to increase the awareness of a new artist or as a collectible item for a popular artist. Digipaks consist of a front cover, back cover, spine, inside CD tray, CD as well as some form of text/image pages that either fold out or is in booklet form.
Below are possible templates for digipaks.

What is used on a digipak:

Front Cover: This usually consists of a dominant image of the star, along with the name of the album and the name of the star. The front cover often features something that is easily recognisable, that could either be representative of the artist or representative of the genre of music.

Back Cover: This contains the track list for that album, the name and logo of the record company, any awards or quotes from magazines or newspapers, copyright information a barcode, artist website information, links to social networking sites etc. 

Spine: This mostly has the name of the album or artist, sometimes even both.

Taylor Swifts digipak for the album 'RED'.

The digipak for 'RED' follows the typical conventions of a digipak. The front cover has an very prominent image of Taylor Swift, who is wearing her iconic red lipstick that is she well know for, as she wears it in all her videos and appearances, this emphasizes the artist brand image which can increase the popularity of the artist. Both the title and name of the star are made very apparent on the cover, this is done for marketing purposes. Inside is the CD and a booklet that contains the lyrics to the songs featured on the album as well as other images of Taylor. Everything about this digipak makes it apparent that Taylor is a pop artist. This is done through the use of images; Taylor is portrayed in an innocent light, it's subtle yet striking enough to catch your attention. The mainstream clothing worn by Taylor is also an indication of the pop genre.