A2 Media

1. ANCILLARY TEXTS
“In what way does your product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products”

2. OVERVIEW
 As part of my project, I created two ancillary texts, one being the
creation of digipak album artwork and the other being a magazine
advertisement for promotion of this digipak. These are presented
below:

3. DIGIPAK
 Prior to creation of my product, much background research was
carried out giving me insight into the conventions and expectations
expected for these particular products.
 ‘Digipak’ is defined as being ‘a particular house style maintained
across a series of various visual graphics placed together to
construct album artwork’. This will vary for each artist, building
identity, critical to the success of the product.
 These conventions are as follows: house style, memorability and
individuality (creation of identity), meaning and interpretation,
general quality and inclusion of conventional aspects.
 Analysis of conventional form seen throughout my digipak is
presented across the following slides.

4. GENRAL CONVENTIONS
Features a dual
colour scheme
across both interior
and exterior panels,
providing a certain
conflict between
pigmentation and
colour range; a
deliberate clash in
warm/ cool tones is
provided for
contrasting effect.
Imagery is suggestive of
theme, giving hidden
meaning open for the
audiences interpretation.
This works primarily upon
the use of semiotics,
providing connotation
and denotation for
specific elements through
signified ideas and
ideologies.
Memorable and recognisable
imagery
Feature of a consistent house style across all sectional components. This includes: colour usage, typographic choices, editorial
strategies and image manipulation processes, photography usage (subject, framing, exposure, etc), tonal balance, delicacy and
general stylisation as a whole.
As clearly seen above, my product successfully follows an obvious house style, improving the aesthetic qualities and
professionalism of the final outcome.

5. FRONT COVER
(conventional analysis)
Striking use of photography
Is an immediate noticeability
upon review of this cover. This
is achieved through
photography exaggerated by
editorial and manipulative
effects. The actual content of
the image is individual and
recognisable following a
conventional approach,
creating identity for the artist.
Framing and positioning of my
subject within this image is
aligned to the right side. This is
deliberate to create a sense
drama through negative space.
This also induces balance when
the album name is overlaid on
the left.
Artist Name
Imagery of the artist
Production Logo
Album Name
Concealed Identity:
A deliberate, unconventional
choice in an album cover. However
strengthens the message my main
visual product imposes, where
building of meaning and message
holds more value than commercial
appearance. Reflecting upon the
fact that the artist cares more
about her music and media
products than the publicity of her
appearance.
Typographic choices of the artist name reflects directly upon the nature of the album,
representing imperfectness and individuality to be an essential aspect to success. The
boldness of the typeface reflects upon the confidence of the artist and product.

6. BACK COVER AND SPINE
(conventional analysis)
Album Name
Artist Name
Production Company
Logo
Legal Legislation
and ownership
rights
Barcode
External Links
Album Name and
Track Listings
Continuation of
previously constructed
house style within the
front cover is replicated
in this graphic
outcome. Similar
colours, typographic
choices and editorial
techniques have been
used to induce
consistency and make
the product feel like it
belongs with the front
cover, critical for
creation of a
conventional, and
therefore, successful
front cover.
Spine: Colour scheme
and typographic
choices selected
relative to those used
within the rest of the
product, inducing
continuity and
verisimilitude.

7. EXTERIOR LYRIC PANEL
Conventions of this element are
hard to analyse as this space is
not always filled with lyrics,
however using the knowledge I
have generated throughout
studying media, I made aesthetic
choices based upon what I think
would create the most effective
visual outcome.
Typography stylisation is one of
these choices made based upon
personal knowledge. A bold and
contrasting typeface was selected
for use to make the text stand out
above background graphics,
enabling for high noticeability and
ease when reading.
Background graphics were
created through the
process of layering
imagery to create semi-
abstraction. This attracts
the viewers attention, while
creating an aesthetically
strong outcome for the
backdrop of the main text.
Colour scheme here was
manipulated to correlate a
similar visual quality as
seen within my front cover
and back cover, essential
for creation of house style,
this being an essential
conventional aspect to the
effectivity and
professionalism of any
digipak outcome..

8. DISC IMAGERY
Artist Name
Album Name
Disc number
Track listings/ content
Clear link between aesthetics of each disc –
It is very obvious that the two items belong together in a single product,
achieved through replication of stylisation and content compositional values.
Opposition of tonal values is effective, inducing a certain boldness making the
graphics stand out, where the typographic content is clear to the eye of the
potential consumer. This is essential and conventional for understanding and to
avoid any confusion of disc content.
Design principles follow an
extremely basic visual as this is
a conventional theme seen
across a majority of existing
products. This provides a
minimalist aesthetic, creating
simplicity and obvious clarity.

9. INTERIOR IMAGERY
Assigned Disc
Space for
obvious disc
placement,
conventional for
this aspect of
the design.
A consistent house style is presented across these three panels, offering differentiation in
scenery to that contained on the exterior regions of the product. This is deliberate to provide
new ideas and iconography, improving the attractiveness and diversity of the product.
The imagery contained within these regions links more directly with themes seen within my
music video, referencing California and summer. This gives positive and intriguing insight into
the content of the DVD disc, making the potential consumer want to watch it, working to
promote this product in an indirect format. This is commonly seen in existing products and is
therefore a conventional aspect replicated within my own design for effectivity.

10. MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT
 Following construction of this digipak outcome, I began researching into the
conventions of this media text. Result of this research led me to the following
findings:
 Effectivity of any product is generally dependent upon the quality of three
aspects – house style, composition and actual components.
 Inclusion of conventional components proves essential to the success of any
product; these provide essential information, and so therefore, without these
the media product would be ineffective. Some of these conventions prove
more essential than others, yet all aid persuasion of purchase. The
collaboration of these is created though establishment of compositional
layouts, where these aspects will be displayed differently dependent upon
their importance.
 House style and general quality is the ultimate decider of whether a product is
successful; well edited material chosen relative to the aesthetics of the
advertised product proves essential in terms of conventional approach.

11. MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT
Feature of the artist’s name,
presented through dominating
stylisation used to create a
certain prominence, making it
immediately obvious who is
being advertised.
Album name and Iconic Imagery
taken directly from the previously
constructed digipak. The fact this
album name is double exposed
presented in a bold format gives
the component a certain
dominance, making it known to
the audience which product by
AI Chika is being advertised.
The replication of imagery taken
from the digipak creates a clear,
obvious link between product
and advertisement, this being a
conventional aspect.
Conventional informative information
with regards to release of the product.
This is persuasive and promotional,
included with intention of encouraging
purchase and consumption. These
components include:
Release Date, Media Form Availability,
Feature songs, External Links and the
Production Company Logo.
House-style follows a collaboration
of variant themes contrasted within
the digipak outcome, inducing
subtle use of complimentary
colours. Typographic choices and
imagery usage are replicated
aspects taken directly from the
digipak. This induces consistency
between products, linking these
together, following conventions of
existing media products.