Advertisement - Ideas for the Advert

We have decided to gather some ideas for our magazine advert, as this will help us in the future, when we come to design it. All of the images shown were taken by me.

This first image is one which we could recreate if needed, as we feel that the image is emotive and congruous to our music video. The natural lighting is dramatic and effective, as there is an obvious bond between the two subjects. Moreover, we could easily place text over the image, meaning that we have a number of options when creating the advert, as we could include the photo as part of it.

This image is the my favourite, and would seek to recreate it for our advertisement. The photograph is strong and eye-catching, and would fit the relationship portrayed in our music video. White text could be placed over the top of the image, or place around it.

This image is the weakest out of the three in terms of us being able to use it. The image looks too happy, and therefore would not mirror our music video. As a consequence, we would not look to capture an image that's similar.
Overall, it would beneficial for us to take a variety of different images, all capturing the same mood, and then decide as a group which is most suitable for our advertisement.

Advertisement - Further Analysis

To gain a further idea of advertisement in the music industry, I have decided to look at one more advert, with this one promoting an album rather than a tour.

The advertisement is for the Kings of Leon album Come Around Sundown and features a series of neutral colours and tones which provoke ideas of stained photographs and spoilt paintings; the wash of colour looks as though it did not begin that way, but has a faded over time. This may suggest that the album is being released after a lengthy period of time, or that the music is reminiscent of a past era or musical movement. Additionally, the inclusion of tropical leaves at the top of the advert infer that the music will take the audience on a journey; to a better place.
The font is not entirely congruous with the background as it is sharp and contrasts the darker areas of the advert, thus making it stand out, as well as highlighting the potential fusion of genres in the band's work. The name of the album and its release date is lost slightly in the darker tones of the background.
The advertisement includes a HMV logo, which shows that it will be stocked there, as well as the logo for their record label.
Overall, I feel that this is an effective advert as the vastness draws the audience to it, and the message of it is simple and easy to understand. I feel this is something we would like to include in our own advert, as we intend to create our digipak in a similar manner.

Advertisement - Analysis

As part of our coursework, we are expected to create an advertisement promoting the artist and their music. Therefore, researching various advertisements will help us gain an understanding into how an effective advert is made and why they are successful.

I think this advertisement for a performance by Bjork is particularly effective. As Bjork has copious amounts of stage presence and uses elaborate costumes, hair and make-up for many of her performances and music video, it seems fitting that her advert should be unique and abstract. The colours used both clash and are complimentary; the mixture of warm and cold colours creates an interesting juxtaposition - something that is usually prominnt in her performances. Additionally, these colours help to grab the attention of the audience, which is an obvious advantage. The use of a peach-coloured background again underlines the artist individuality; most artist wold have chose a black, white or grey background.
The advertisement contains a face which resembles that of Bjork, thus making the piece personal to that artist and her fans, whilst simultaneously marketing her as a brand. This is useful as it displays the iconic face of Bjork to a mass audience, potentially expanding her fan base and making her more widely known.
The font used reflect the other areas of the advertisement as a number of bold colours are used. Moreover, the name of Bjork is in the largest font, which will most likely mean that it is read the most. Other details such as the date and location of the performance are included on the advert, which serves its purpose.
Overall, I think this advertisement is effective as it reflects the artist it is promoting whilst still being interesting and able to grab the attention of the audience.
Link to Own Project
This advertisement has given us a standard we should meet when creating our own advert. We want our work to both reflect Allie Moss, as well as providing her fan base with something new, fresh and different. Furthermore, we now understand that the advert can also be simplistic and doesn't have to be overcrowded with information. This is something we would like to include in our work.

Advertisement - Components of an Advert

To make sure our magazine advertisement is of a professional standard, we must ensure that we include the correct information and follow the codes and conventions set by other adverts. We are undecided, as of yet, whether our advert will be for the artist's album, or their tour.
The things we feel we must include are:

• The name of the artist
• The name of the album/tour
• The date(s) of release/tour
• The location of tour dates (if appropriate)
• An image associated with the artist
• A logo or piece of text of a branded company that would sell the product
• The URL of the artist's website
• The artist's record label logo
• A star rating with a suitable source

If we include these, we are confident that we can create a professional-looking advertisement.

Digipak: Inside Cover - Second Draft

For the inside cover of our digipak, we felt that the central panel was slightly bare, as it only included the image that also featured on the other two panels. As a consequence, we felt that we should place something onto this panel, but were unsure what we should add.
After searching the internet for inspiration, I came across an interview with Allie Moss posted on a music website. I then paraphrased a quote from her, and wrote it on a piece of paper, which I then photographed. Below is the photograph.

Using the Lasso Tool in Photoshop, I then selected the area I wanted, copy and pasted it into the template, and rescaled it accordingly. After altering the brightness and contrast, I then placed it into position and saved the draft. Below is the second draft.

I really like this additional feature, and feel that it adds a more personal element to our digipak - something that we was aiming to achieve. If we have enough time, we decided that we will design the front cover of a booklet that would be placed over the top of the central panel, revealing the quote when removed from the digipak. Some booklets include the lyrics to the songs, which is what we would expect to include if we made the inside pages too.

Digipak: Inside Cover - First Draft

Today we began to design the inside cover for digipak. After looking back at our previous posts regarding the digipak, we decided to use the image we intended to choose. We edited the photograph in a different way than before, brightening the photograph and making the image seem less harsh and overwhelming. Below is the new edited image.

We then applied the photograph to our template, and added disk impressions in two of the three sides of the digipak. We decided for two discs, as the digipak is primarily for a DVD of our music video, but we will also include a second disk that would feature additional footage or music for the consumer. Below is the complete first draft.

We may create a design for the disks themselves, and may add some text onto the inside cover in the future.

Digipak: Outside Cover - Fifth Draft

Hopefully, we have finished the final draft of the outside cover of our digipak. We have added text to the spines, which we feel works well with the continued image from the central panel.

The font we have used is the same as for the tracklisting, and the size has remained the same.

We feel as though the spines are the final touch to our digipak, and are very happy with the overall result.

Digipak: Outside Cover - Fourth Draft

To further complete our digipak, we needed to add the tracklisting and the barcode to the central panel of the outside cover.
In order to make a convincing barcode, I followed a tutorial I found online, which can be viewed here. After placing that into our template, I created a picture showing several potential fonts that we may use for our digipak. The picture is shown below.

I then asked a series of people which font they preferred, which was the seventh option.
I then used this font to insert the tracklisting for the digipak. I used the tracklisting from Moss' Passerby EP, and added two songs which she has released as separate singles. I also added a subtitle of 'bonus features', which included the music video and a live performance from the BT Tower. The performance can be found below.

After looking at Adele's 21 album cover in this blogpost, we knew that we must include a small section regarding copyright in order for our digipak to be of a professional quality. Therefore, we mirrored the tet on Adele's album art and included her website URL and created the fictional 'AM Recordings Ltd.' This text was made using a smaller font and one which did not use the stroke feature in Photoshop, meaning that it is not instantly obvious, yet still visible to the audience. The other text on this panel utilises the stroke feature of photoshop, which adds a border to the text, making it stand out more than before.

To use the stroke feature, we needed to create a text layer and then select the fx button at the bottom of the layers window. We then had to select the bottom option of stroke, which opened a new window.

In the window shown below, we could alter the size of the stroke by pixels, as well as the colour. For this example, the size was 3 pixels and the colour was black.

Below is an example of the same piece of text both with and without the effects of the stroke tool. It is obvious that the stroke tool allows the text to stand out from the background, and draws the audience's attention away from other areas of the image and to the text. The writing without the stroke tool appears lost in the image as a whole, and isn't as striking at the writing with the stroke tool.

Below is the fourth draft of our digipak's outside cover. The only thing left to complete are the two spines.

Digipak: Outside Cover - Third Draft

There is not much improvement between our second and third draft. The only thing we added was the title and the artist's name. To do this, I used by Wacom Bamboo Tablet in Photoshop, which allowed me to write directly on screen. This meant that the writing on the panel is authentic and unique, which makes the entire digipak seem more personal. We felt this was a necessary aspect to include, as it will show that more thought and effort has been placed into our project which would, in theory, make it more appealing to consumers. Below is the third draft.

The other panels will most likely include text, but this will be using a font, rather than being written using the tablet.

Digipak: Outside Cover - Second Draft

After brainstorming some ideas for one of our panels, we settled on using polaroids showing two screen grabs we made. We would then take a photograph of a surface, and place it under the polaroids, making it seem as though it was all one image.
We decided to take a photograph of a wooden surface as our music video contains a lot of natural elements, such as lighting, settings and scenery. Additionally, the Polaroid photographs make the digipak feel mroe 'vintage', consequently placing it into the same bracket of album art/covers as other music and music videos that mirror our own. Therefore, we feel that we will be targeting the same audience that we focused on in our music video, as well as creating a universal product. Below is the second draft of the outside cover of our digipak.

We feel as though this draft is an improvement on our first, as therefore is a continuation of the colour palette throughout, with earthy colours evident in all panels. Additionally, we feel each panel is now equally as strong as the next, whilst still providing a different element. This is important, as we do not want the digipak to be repetitive and boring.

Digipak: Outside Cover - First Draft

As our coursework requires us to create a six-sided digipak, we must also design the outside cover, thus having six sides in total.
As a group, we decided that we would use screen grabs for the three outside panels as it would show a clear link between our music video and our digipak. Below is a selection of screen grabs we took that we thought we may use.

Using the template we designed, we were able to place our screen grabs into our digipak and begin to piece our design together. Below is the first draft.

We decided to increase the contrast and saturation of the photographs, thus making them more dramatic and striking; something which will help draw the audience into our product. However, we felt that the design was consequently too bold and was not congruous to our music video. We then applied fill layers with a low opacity to soften the images and make them appear less overwhelming.
After looking at the design as a group, we decided that the panel on the right was the weakest and did not fit the idea we were aiming for. We then brainstormed some ideas for the front cover. Below is the brainstorm. (We are still undecided regarding the choosing of an idea).

Digipak - Creating a Template

In order to make a successful digipak, we need to create a template that is to scale and contains all the aspects of a digipak.
After measuring a digipak, I managed to gain the correct dimensions, and could therefore begin to create the template.
Using the pen tool in Adobe Photoshop, I was able to draw straight lines of the length I needed. I then duplicated these lines and placed them into the right area, creating a six-sided digipak template. Below is the template.

Digipak - Taking Stills From the Music Video

In order for us to create a digipak that is congruent to our music video, we have decided to take some stills from our video and place them into our design.
Below are a selection of stills which we feel could work.

 The above image could work well, although the face may be slightly too large to fit into one panel. The background is also overexposed, which is of detriment to the image.

 This image is my favourite and the lighting is interesting. This would make an effective panel, although it might not work as the central panel, as the track listing would have to go across the face.

The silhouette is effective and eye-catching, although the contrast would need to be increased.
We feel that with these images, amongst others, we could create a professional standard digipak that would match our music video.

Digipak - Detailed Analysis

To understand the construction of a digipak regarding the images selected, fonts used and overall layout, I have decided to analyse a digipak in detail. Using slideshare, I am able to present my powerpoint, which I have done below.

Fleetwood Mac

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Digipak - Collecting and Analysing Images

After researching what our group needed to include on our digipak, we have decided to experiment and take pictures for this part of our project. We have also decided to analyse this images, and see whether they are suitable for our digipak.

The above image is of some love heart shaped sweets which I photographed over the summer. I thought we could potentially use this image for our digipak, as the three sweets in the centre of the image would each take up a panel. This would allow us to have a continuous image on our digipak, which would help it look more professional. However, I feel as though this image is slightly irrelevant as the sweets do not feature in our plans for the music video. Also, it would be hard to include them and make them the focal point of the video; if they were, this image would be the ideal choice for the digipak.

I think this image is more relevant than the previous, as we could easily make one of the characters in our music video wear this piece of jewellery. Moreover, it is possible for us to include several shots of this necklace, thus making it significant and memorable. This will show a clear connection between our music video and the digipak, which is something we would hope to achieve. A problem with this image is the empty, uninteresting space to the left of the necklace. As I do not think the image would be effective if placed on one panel, the image would consequently be placed across three panels. This would mean that two of the panel would be uninteresting, which therefore means that a third of our entire digipak is unattractive.

I like this image as it features one of the characters from our music video, as well as providing an interesting and aesthetically pleasing backdrop for our digipak and possibly our advertisement. Moreover, this image looks relevant to the kind of music video we are hoping to create, which means that our digipak and music video will show a connection between one another. To see what the image would look like when cropped to the dimensions of a digipak I measured, I used photoshop to edit the picture. The cropped photograph is below.

I think this image is still effective when cropped to the correct dimensions, which therefore means that we may use it for our digipak.

This is another image we are consider, but feel as though this would only be effective if we include some shots where the lights is blurred in our music video.

Digipak - What to Include

In class, we discussed what things we should include on our digipak; by putting all these elements onto our product, we are making sure our work is of a professional standard.
We came up with five essential things what must include. These were:

• Six panels
• A spine
• A barcode
• The track list
• The disk impression

We also had a few more elements we could include, but decided we would only do these if we had the time.

• Band info section/booklet
• Free image/poster
• Membership postcard/flyer

The image below show supports my previous points.

Digipak - Collecting Ideas

As part of our coursework, we have to create a digipak; a digipak is the packaging for the CD. The digipak needs to be a visual representation of the song/album, whilst also being eye-catching and memorable. Additionally, the digipak should have similar aesthetic qualities to the music video of the song featured on the CD. Therefore, we have decided to obtain some ideas for our digipak, as this will help us in the long term, and also in the short term; by having an idea of what we want to include, we can take the necessary photographs on location and even begin to piece together the elements of the digipak prior to the completion of our music video.
One source of images that we hope to inspire us is coverdude.com. This website is an online resource that hosts numerous pieces of artworks of not only CDs, but DVDs, video games and other media.
One cover that is classic, and therefore potentially iconic, is Adele's artwork for her album '21'.

The front and back cover of the digipak is stunning and consequently intriguing. This is something my group will be hoping to achieve. The bold colour used on the disk differs from the remainder of the digipak, showing that continuity is not fundamental to a successful product.
A further source of inspiration we used was deviantart.com, which is an art-based social networking site, where people upload their art work for all to see.

The above image is an idea we could take into consideration. The simplicity of the image is striking and it could be interpreted several ways. Additionally, the image is replicable, meaning that we would not have to gain expensive resources or travel to a specific location to recreate this image or something similar.

The above two images are beautiful in both subject matter and composition. Using photographs similar to these would be in keeping with our music video, as we aim to shoot using this vintage-esque style.

Digipak - Video Analysis

To gain further insight into what makes a successful digipak, we decided to record ourselves analysing Ellie Goulding's Bright Lights digipak as a group. The video is below.