2. This is the template that I
have chosen to use for my
digipak. The way that it
unfolds means that I can
place the photos in a way
that will be the most visually
appealing to the audience. To
decide what kinds of images I
will use, Iâm going to research
existing albums and digipaks,
specifically ones in similar
genres, in order to examine
the conventions and apply
any that are necessary to my
work.
3. Cover research â Area 11
Modern Synthesis, 2016 All the Lights in the Sky, 2013
These are the covers of the two full length
albums by Area 11. The album that my
chosen song is from is Modern Synthesis.
The two albums donât follow the same
theme visually, and in my audience
research, I had a response saying that
they liked when album covers follow a
similar theme. This is something that I
wonât be able to apply to my digipak, as I
the previous albums by the artist would
need to follow a similar theme.
Interestingly, neither cover has a photo of
the actual band. Both are designed just as
artwork that represent the album. The
font used for the name of the band is the
same. This creates a recognisable logo for the audience, as they will associate this font with the band. I will need to use this font
on my own album, to continue this cohesion. Only Modern Synthesis uses the band logo image of the eye. This is also
recognisable for an audience, so I will include this somewhere in my digipak too. The colour schemes of both albums are very
different, with All the Lights in the Sky using a range of brighter colour, as Modern Synthesis sticking to white, dark grey and
black. This suggests that the band design the covers based on the inspirations of the songs and the album, rather than having an
overall image for themselves. Therefore for my album cover, I will need to do the same thing, and design the cover based on the
songs that I have chosen for the track list.
4. Cover research â Mallory Knox
Signals, 2013Asymmetry, 2014
These are the three
full length albums
released by the band
Mallory Knox. Two of
these covers are
similar to those of
Area 11, in that
neither of them use a
photo of the band on
the cover, instead
using artwork. They
also follow the same
pattern of not having
a visual theme from
album to album, as they use different colour schemes and have different designs. Like with Area 11, one album (Signals) uses a
black and white colour scheme, and the other (Asymmetry) uses more colour. However, Wired combines the black and white
colour scheme with colour, as well as being their first cover to use a photograph, although it still isnât of the band.
The first album differs from the style used by Area 11, as they donât use the same font for the name of the band. This could be
because Mallory Knox are a slightly larger band than Area 11 are, and they therefore have less need for the recognisable font.
However, Asymmetry and Wired have the cohesion of using the same font. It is possible that they hadnât found their style
when releasing their debut, but are more confident with who they are as a band now. Asymmetry uses an MK logo as the main
image, and this is also used as a sub image on Wired. This logo will become recognisable for the band, as it can be used on
merchandise and for promotion. Again, the absence of this logo from Signals suggests that they hadnât yet found their style as
a band.
Wired, 2017
5. Cover research â Kids in Glass Houses
Peace, 2013 In Gold Blood, 2011 Dirt, 2010 Smart Casual, 2008
These are the four
full length albums
released by Kids in
Glass Houses. Just
like with the
previous two
bands, none of the
covers use band
photos, instead
using artwork, or
in the case of In
Gold Blood a photo of a different subject, that represents the album. Also like with the other albums, they donât follow a theme
from album to album, with each cover being very different. The colour schemes on all four albums are completely different to
each other, and different images are used. Also interesting to note is the fonts, and how they donât remain the same from album
to album like the previous artists, breaking the convention of using a logo for marketing and promotion. The reason for this
could be that they wanted to create a distinctive look for each album. This will appeal more to the fans than a wider audience,
as they will recognise the different styles and associate them with each album.
Although each cover has a different layout, they all follow a similar style of having the main image be the focal point, with the
text smaller. With Dirt, the main image is also the name of the album, but it still follows this same idea. In Gold Blood also makes
the title stand out as it is in a contrasting colour to the background and is placed near the top of the cover. However, the main
image still takes up 75% of the cover, making this the focal point. This could be because the image will be used on merchandise
and for promotion of the album, like in magazine adverts. If the audience remember the image, they will recognise it when they
next see it. This links to my magazine advert, as it suggests that I should make my main image the focal point of both my cover
and my magazine advert.
6. Conventions
These are some of the conventions that I found in my analysis of album covers in this genre.
⢠Band photos tend not to be used. Instead, artwork or an artistically styled photograph are used as the main image.
⢠Fonts are often kept the same from album to album, though some bands choose to break this. The fonts are usually easy
to read, but arenât the focal point of the cover, instead giving way to the main image.
⢠Colour schemes are followed on individual albums, but not from album to album. Cohesion isnât created through an image
for the band. The covers are designed to reflect the individual album.
Surprisingly there isnât as many conventions as I would have thought. The artists seem to do their own thing and create the
album cover that they want, not paying much attention to what is popular or what will help them to sell. This could be related
to the genre. These bands are all a part of the alternative rock genre, a genre known for being different and trying to oppose
the norm. In his paper A Theory of Musical Genres: Two Applications, Franco Fabbri defined genre âas a set of musical events
(real or possible) whose course is governed by a definite set of socially accepted rules.â In the case of alternative rock, these
rules are often an intent on opposing whatâs popular in the media. The term originated in around the mid-1980âs to describe
bands who rejected the mainstream, and this continues to be the case today. Therefore, the reason that the album covers
donât seem to follow many patterns or conventions is because they are all on a mission for individuality. The artwork is
designed to reflect the album, with little consideration to what is frequently used or popular.
The artwork seems to fall into one of two categories â photography or graphic art. Sometimes these categories overlap, as
can be seen with the cover art for Wired, but usually theyâre kept separate. The photography is interpretive and
representative of the album, rather than simply showing the band. This could be another example of rejecting the
mainstream. Artists put themselves on album covers as theyâre recognisable, and it increases their popularity. The alternative
genre rejects this idea, therefore not putting themselves on the cover suggests a protest against the idea of mainstream
popularity or âcelebrityâ.
7. Ideas for my cover - sketches
These sketches are the initial ideas for the digipak cover. The first idea is of two teddies
hanging from a tree branch by some rope, and the second is a shot of a teddy buried in
leaves on the floor of the forest.
Both include the use of a teddy as a prop. This links to the shot in the music video where
Sue throws a teddy at Ben. The teddy represents their relationship, and the fact that the
teddies here look like theyâre in trouble represents how Ben and Sueâs relationship was in
trouble during the memory in the music video. Similar to how the ghost of Sue is haunting
Ben, it almost seems like the ghost of the teddy is too.
This cover idea follows the conventions that I identified during my research and analysis of
album covers. The main convention that I noticed was that the covers didnât use a photo
of the band as the main cover image, instead using artwork of some kind to represent the
music on the album. Iâm following this convention, as the use of the teddy represents the
music video. I also noticed that bands often donât follow a theme from album to album, so
this album design is different to the previous albums by the band.
The idea which I am going to use for my album cover is the first, with the teddies hanging
from a branch on the tree, as I feel that this looks more like an album cover. I also think
that I will be able to have more choice with the layout options of the album name and
band name, as thereâs more space around the focal point of the teddies.
8. Ideas for my cover â mock up
This is a mock up of the front cover idea that weâre going to use. This was made
on Photoshop with images found online, just to create a better idea of the layout
and framing. We added one more teddy to this than in the sketch, as 3 felt like a
better number to use than 2, however now we have decided to only use 1 teddy
â the one from the music video. This is because the other teddies may feel out of
place and disconnected from the other teddy and the video, as theyâre not seen
in the video. Our reason for using the same teddy as the one in the music video
was to create coherence and a link between the album and the video. The extra
teddies donât have the same meaning as the teddy from the music video, so to
include them doesnât enhance the cover for the audience.
This mock up includes the band name, where the sketch didnât. The album name
will be just below the band name, so that both are in the top corner together.
This isnât the font that weâll be using as, to follow conventions, the band name
will be in the same font as the band logo, as this will be recognisable for the audience and will therefore aid with marketing
the band and the album. However, the album name will be in a different font. From my research, I found that Area 11 donât
use the same font for their album name from album to album, though the fonts are similar by being all in capital letters, and
being quite simplistic. This is the kind of font that I will use for the album name on my cover.
In the bottom right corner is the band logo. When making the final product, the white square background will be removed,
leaving only the logo. The inclusion of the logo is also to help with promotion of the album and the band. Area 11 also used
this logo on their second album Modern Synthesis, so including it on this album cover will create a link between albums.
9. Photography planning
Location
The location of the photo will be Brayton Barff, the same place that we are using
for our music video. This way, we are able to shoot the cover photo at the same
time that we shoot the music video, helping with time management. It will also
create cohesion if the location is recognisable, as it will create a link between the
music video and the album that the audience will be able to see clearly. This way,
they will feel like theyâre one whole rather than individual things. We will also be
able to use natural lighting for the photo.
Shot
The shot will be a medium-long shot, in order to make the teddy look quite small
against the background, creating the idea that both it and the main character of the
music video (Ben) are being overpowered. I will use a deep focus so that the
background is all in focus too, again to portray the idea of being overpowered. The
camera will be at eye-level.
Props
The teddy is the same as the one that we will use in the music video. This
creates a link between the video and album cover, so that thereâs coherence,
and the audience donât feel like theyâre two separate things. We will also
need a rope to tie the teddy to the tree. The rope will be a plain brown rope
rather than brightly coloured, so that it fits more with the colour scheme.
10. Back cover research â Area 11
Modern Synthesis, 2016 All the Lights in the Sky, 2013
These are the back covers for the full length
albums by the band Area 11. Clearly, their
designs follow the same idea as the front
covers â that they donât need to have a
theme from album to album, but are
designed to fit with the individual album
and messages. The back cover of All the
Lights in the Sky is a part of the same
artwork as the front cover, and Modern
Synthesis uses the same background as its
cover, creating cohesion within the
individual albums
Both albums use white text for the track lists, as it stands out against the darker coloured background image and makes the track
list the focal point of the back cover. The track lists are also both written in capital letters, making the song titles easier to read,
and are both numbered down the left side, which is useful for the audience. These are all things that I will consider for my own
digipak, as this could create a small link between the albums, to show that theyâre all by the same band. The positioning of the
track list is different on each album, with Modern Synthesis central and All the Lights in the Sky to the left. I will need to do more
research of other back covers to see if there is a convention here. On Modern Synthesis, the length of the song is included in a
smaller text to the side of each song title, so this is something that I could also consider, as itâs helpful for the audience. The back
cover for Modern Synthesis also includes the band name and album name, which All the Lights in the Sky doesnât. This could be
for marketing, so that if the person looking at the album isnât familiar with the band, they are reminded of the name when they
look at the back cover, after finding it out from the front. Repetition increases the likelihood of something getting stuck in
someoneâs mind, so the aim of this is to encourage the audience to remember the name of the band and album.
11. Back cover research â Arctic Monkeys
AM, 2013 Suck It and See, 2011 Humbug, 2009
Favourite Worst Nightmare, 2007 Whatever People Say I Am,
That's What I'm Not, 2006
The are the back covers for the full length
albums by British rock band Arctic Monkeys.
While they donât all follow the exact same
style, they do all have similarities. With
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm
Not as the exception, the covers donât use
photographs. Instead, the background is a
solid colour that follows the colour scheme
for that particular album. The colour schemes
are often quite dark, with lots of the colour
black in use. The exception to this is Humbug, which uses different
shades of the colour pink as the main colour, though it still uses black
text for the track list. This supports my idea that albums are often
designed to suit the album, rather than to follow a theme for the
artists as, while a similar colour scheme is used on multiple albums,
theyâre not the same style. The most recent two albums, AM and Suck
It and See do both follow the same style and layout, suggesting that
thereâs a link between these two albums. Like with the previous
albums, the back covers all show the track list of the songs on the
album. This is extremely important for the audience. They also all have a barcode on them somewhere, so that they can be
easily scanned when the audience is trying to purchase them. At the bottom of each cover is legal information, including
copyright, information about the record company (e.g. address) and websites for both the record company and the band. The
text for this is much smaller, as itâs lower down on the hierarchy. While this information isnât very important for the audience,
itâs still an important part of the cover overall, and therefore will need to be included on my back cover.
12. Back cover research â Don Broco
These are the back covers for the full
length albums by the band Don Broco.
Similar to what Iâve seen before, the back
covers follow the same colour scheme
and design as the front covers. The
images used on the back covers here are
very similar to the ones used on the front
covers, supporting my idea that bands
donât aim for coherence from album to
album, just within in a single album alone.
Both albums follow the convention of
including the track list on the back cover.
Here, the two albums use a similar styleAutomatic, 2015 Priorities, 2012
for the track lists. Both are coloured white so that they stand out against the darker colours on the background, and they are
both positioned central, making them the focal point of the back cover. This suggests that the band are trying to push the
songs forward as being the most important part of the album, and they therefore want the track list to stand out to the
audience so that they can see what theyâre getting for their money.
The albums both follow the conventions of including a barcode and legal information. The legal information is positioned in
the same place from album to album, which is at the bottom. This isnât intended as the focal point for the album as it isnât that
important for the audience, so itâs placed at the bottom where itâs less likely to be noticed. The barcodes are in different places
on each album. This could be for convenience rather than style, and where there is space for it to be positioned.
13. Conventions
These are the main conventions that I identified on the back covers.
⢠The back cover of the album is always where the track list is. The track list is very
important to the audience, as it allows people to know what theyâre buying. The
audience may recognise songs on the album from any that were released prior to the
album, like singles releases. It also allows for easier navigation of the songs, so that they
can skip to a song that they want to listen to with more ease. Therefore, the track list
needs to be the focal point of the back cover, as itâs the most important part. To do this, I
will need to choose my layout, font and colour carefully, or there is a risk that it will
blend in with the background image.
⢠A barcode is often included on the back cover, so that when the audience purchases the
album in store, it can be scanned through. This is necessary on all products, so this is
something that I will need to include on my back cover too.
⢠Legal information is written in smaller print at the bottom of the back cover, as it isnât
necessary for the audience to be able to see it. This is definitely important for the album,
as it includes things like copyright, so I will need to ensure that I include this on my back
cover. I will take inspiration from the covers from my research and position this
information at the bottom of the back cover, so that it isnât the focal point of the album.
⢠The images used on the back covers are similar to those used on the front covers. When
photography is used on the front cover, a similar image is also used on the back cover, to
create coherence in the style. If this isnât the case, the cohesion is created through the
colour scheme instead, with similar colours being used throughout the design of the
album. Iâve found that itâs important to create this coherence, as it allows for the album
to feel like a complete whole.
14. Ideas for my back cover
Background
image
CD track list
DVD track list
Legal
information
This is a quick mock up of a layout idea for the back cover of the digipak. The
text for the track list is central, as it is the focal point of the album, and
therefore needs to stand out for the audience. Placing it central gives it this
importance. The CD track list will be first, as this will be disk 1, then the DVD
track list will be beneath it. They will be in the same font and size, but will be
separated slightly to show that they are different disks. The text will also be
white, as both Area 11 albums use white text, so this album will fit with their
style. Each track will be on a new line, so that the track list is easy to read.
Although not all track lists are numbered, both Area 11 albums are, so I will be
numbering mine, to follow their style.
The legal information will be at the bottom of the cover. Unlike how the track
list stays central, this will span the width of the cover, as it doesnât need to
stand out or be as easy to read. The text will be much smaller, as itâs lower
down on the hierarchy. This text will also be white, so that it fits with the track
list.
The background image will be a low angle shot looking up at the treetops of
the woods. This fits with the rest of the digipak, as many of our photos are of
trees and woods, creating cohesion within the digipak. It also creates a link
between the music video and the digipak, as we plan to have a similar shot to
this at the start of the music video, which the fans may recognise when they
see the digipak.
Legal info Legal info Legal info
Barcode
15. Photography planning
Location
Like with the photo for the cover image, the location of the photo will be Brayton
Barff, so that we are able to shoot the photos in one photo shoot. This will aid
with creating cohesion as the location will still be recognisable, and the link
between the album and the music video will still be established. We will also be
able to use natural lighting for the photo.
Shot
The shot will be a long shot, so that lots of the trees and branches will be visible
in the shot, portraying a sense of being small and trapped in a large place, which
represents how Ben is feeling. I will also use a low angle shot, so that the
treetops look like theyâre towering over the camera, and therefore Ben, adding
to the sense of being trapped and feeling overwhelmed.
Mise-en-scene
As this is only a shot of the treetops, no props will be needed. Deep space will
be used for this shot, as a lot of trees will help add to the feeling of being
trapped.
16. Disk research â Area 11
Modern Synthesis, 2016 All the Lights in the Sky, 2013
These are the disks from the albums by Area 11.
This is the only area of the two albums where
they appear to both follow a similar style. Both
disks are black and white, and both use the band
logo on them. This is something that I will
definitely use for my own digipak, as I want my
album to fit with their previous ones.
The disk for Modern Synthesis links with the
design of the front cover, as it uses the same
image. This isnât the same for All the Lights in the
Sky, as it doesnât follow the same colour scheme,
nor does the cover include the band logo for this
album. However, the design of the disk is less important than the rest of the album. While it needs to fit with the bandâs style,
its main purpose is functional, whereas the covers are to attract attention and aid with marketing. Therefore, the design can be
slightly different and more simplistic, as the audience will pay less attention to the design here.
The only text on the disk for Modern Synthesis is the name of the band and the album name, which is positioned in the same
place as it is on the cover, and All the Lights in the Sky contains no text at all. This suggests that the text is much lower down on
the hierarchy for the disk that it is on the cover, and is only included on the disk for Modern Synthesis as it is a part of the main
image on the cover, and the band wanted to keep the coherence between them. I think that for my digipak I should consider
the inclusion of text on my album, as with Modern Synthesis, but if it doesnât fit in with the style, it isnât a necessity. However,
Iâm definitely going to consider the inclusion of the bandâs logo, as this is used on both disks.
17. Disk research â Arctic Monkeys
AM, 2013 Suck It and See, 2011
Humbug, 2009
Favourite Worst Nightmare,
2007
Whatever People Say I Am,
That's What I'm Not, 2006
These are the disks for the full length albums released by
Arctic Monkeys. Like with the other areas of the album
that I analysed, the disks follow the colour scheme and
design of the rest of album, to keep with the coherence
trying to be created. Even here, there is no band photo,
instead relying on artwork.
With AM and Suck It and See, the artwork is directly taken
from one of the covers. The disk for AM uses the same
artwork as the albumâs front cover, and Suck It and See
Thatâs What Iâm Not is information about copyright. This isnât included on all of the disks, so itâs not something that I definitely
need to include on mine. The design of all of the disks is kept quite simple. Only Suck It and See includes the band name, with
Humbug including the bandâs initials, and none of them include the album name. This could be because itâs not as important,
as the disk wonât be seen when the album is being bought. The disk only needs to be functional and play, so the design is only
a bonus. The album will have already been purchased when the audience see the disk, so it doesnât need to have any
marketing techniques on it like the covers do.
uses the logo of the bandâs name from the back cover. As this isnât followed on all
of the albums, it appears that my idea of each album being designed as itâs own
individual thing still works. The design of the disks is intended to do the same as
the rest of the album â to convey the albumâs messages and to represent the
themes presented in the songs.
There is no other text on most of these disks. Suck It and See has a small logo of
the record label on the bottom, however this is barely noticeable so is definitely
not intended to be the focal point. Around the edge of Whatever People Say I Am,
18. Conventions
These are the main conventions that I noticed for the album disks.
⢠The colour scheme and design of the disk is often the same, or extremely
similar, to that of the rest of the album, to keep with the idea of cohesion. The
design is also kept simple, usually just being a piece of artwork or a photograph
that isnât a standout part of the whole album design, as the disk isnât intended
to be a focal point for the way that it looks. The band name and album name
are usually not included, as theyâre not considered as necessary as they are on
the cover of the album. Their inclusion is only when they are a main part of the
cover artwork, and are therefore used to fit in with the overall design of the
album.
⢠Any other information is usually included elsewhere on the album case. Some
albums break this by including the copyright information or a record label logo
on the disk, but this usually isnât the case.
Iâve found that there isnât many conventions of the album disks. They donât have
intricate patterns as itâs considered unnecessary. Putting a design on the disk is
only intended as a small enhancement to the album as a whole, and isnât
considered a major feature of the overall intended effect for the audience. I think
that, while my disk needs to fit with my album design, it doesnât need to be a
complicated design.
19. Ideas for my disk
Disk 2
These are the ideas for the disks in the digipak. We decided to use the band logos, with the colours reversed, so that the
audience can differentiate between the disks. The only text on the disks will be âdisk 1â and âdisk 2â so that the audience
donât get them confused. My research showed that the disks often just use artwork, so these disks follow the conventions.
By using the logo, which Iâve also used on the front cover, the design of the disks fits in with the overall album style.
Disk 1
20. Spines I looked at a range of album spines, one from Area 11, and
the others from bands of the same genre and from artists
of a different genre, to see what conventions I could
identify. Some photos I found online and one I took myself.
All of them follow the same conventions, which I will need
to follow on my digipak. The colour scheme follows that of
the rest of the album to create cohesion. They all show the
name of the artist and the name of the album . These are
the main conventions, and itâs vital that I include these on
my digipak spine.
Thereâs also conventions which are common, but not
always followed. For example, some of the albums show
the record label name/logo, as promotion for the company
and to establish a copyright. Some also have the serial
number of the album on the spine. These are conventions
that I will need to consider when designing my own album
spine.
Albums Shown
Area 11 â All the Lights in the Sky, 2013
Arctic Monkeys â Suck It and See, 2011
Arctic Monkeys â Whatever People Say I Am, Thatâs What Iâm Not, 2006
McFly â Above the Noise, 2010
Kids In Glass Houses â Smart Casual, 2008
Take That â Progress, 2010
Taylor Swift â Taylor Swift, 2006
McFly â Radio:Active, 2008
21. Full digipak research
This is a digipak from the band McFly which
uses the same layout as the one that we have
chosen to use. I have decided to use this for
research so that I can see what kinds of images
and design the digipak has used. I can then
use this for my own digipak to decide what
images I will use where.
The inside left of the
digipak is an image that fits
with the style of the
digipak, in this case graphic
art. The colour scheme is
the same as the other areas
of the digipak, and the
image is similar to that of
the ones used behind the
disks. This image is simple,
and isnât intended to be the
focal point of the digipak.
As this is behind the cover,
when the audience open
the first side of the digipak,
this image will be to the
left, so their eye wonât be
immediately drawn here. I
can apply this to my own
digipak. This image should
be one that relates to the
rest of the album to create
a cohesion in style, but
shouldnât be a standout
image or focal point.
The right of the
digipak is a band
shot. When the
digipak is first
opened, this is the
image that the
audience will see
first, as it will be in
the centre. Having
this be a band image
reinforces the fact
that theyâre a band,
as well as putting a
face to a music for
the audience. For this side of my
digipak, I will also use a band photo,
as I think that this works really well
and will be effective for the audience.
I also found that my audience like to
see band photos in my survey, so
using a band photo follow the
response that I received and keeps
my audienceâs needs in mind.
22. Digipak plan We have decided to
use the second idea for
the cover for the inside
left. Although we
preferred the first
design for the cover,
we liked the second
design and the
repeated use of the
teddy as a motif
throughout both the
album and video.
Therefore we have
decided to use the
design of the teddy in
the leaves as the photo
for the inside left. The
positioning is good, as
itâs not going to be a
focal point, but it will
be a side point that
enhances the effect for
the audience.
The disk in the centre
will be the CD. This
makes it the focal point
when the album is
opened. As the CD is the
main thing that the
audience will be buying
the digipak for, making it
the focal point when the
digipak is opened makes
it stand out, and makes
it obviousthat itâs disk 1.
The disk to the right will
be disk 2, the bonus
The right side of the digipak will be a photo of the band. When
folded together, this will be the first thing that the audience sees
when they open the left side of the digipak. As there wonât be a
band photo on the covers, putting a band photo here still makes
them a focal point, and allows the audience to see the band before
they listen to the music, so that they have more of an image to put
with the songs. This photo will be in the studio and I will put a
black and white filter over it in Photoshop, so that it looks like itâs
directly from the music video, creating a link between the two.
DVD disk. As this is the bonus disk,
itâs positioned to the side rather
than in the middle. Itâs not the
main part of the album, so I didnât
want to make it the focus point.
The images in the background of
the disks will be photos of the
trees, so that they fit in with the
theme of the rest of the digipak.
24. Photography planning â Left inside
Location
The location for the photo will be Brayton Barff, like with the other photos, as it
keeps the coherence throughout the album and creates ease with the photo shoot
since we can shoot everything at once. Like with the previous shots, we can use
natural lighting, so we donât need extra lighting equipment.
Shot
The shot will be a medium close up, so that the teddy will take up most of the
frame, therefore making it the focal point of the shot. The camera will be at a
high angle looking down on the teddy, portraying the idea of the teddy being
powerless against the trees, representing Ben being powerless to his memories.
Props
The only prop that we will need to bring for the shot is the teddy,
which will be the same as the one from the music video and the other
photos. There will also be leaves in the photo, however these we can
collect from the ground and position where we need them, so we
donât need to bring these with us.
25. Photography planning â Band shot
Location
The band shot will be taken in the media studio in college when we do
the filming for the music video. The studio will already be set up with a
background and lighting equipment, so we will just need to set the
camera up on the tripod, as we arenât using it for the music video.
Shot
The shot will be a long shot, so that we can fit the whole band into
frame. I will take the photo at eye-level, so that the band can look
directly into the camera, seemingly making eye contact with the
audience and making the shot feel more intimate and personal.
Props
The props will be the bandâs instruments. These are important,
as the instruments are important to the genre. Including the
instruments in the photo therefore follows genre conventions,
and represents the band with the image that they want to be
seen with.
26. Fonts
For the band name, we will be using the logo in the font that is used on all of their
albums. The same font is used from album to album so that the audience begins
to associate it with the band, and it therefore is more recognisable. This aids with
marketing and promotion. Therefore, itâs important to include this on my album.
As the background image is going to have a darker tone, this logo will be changed so that itâs white, and will stand out against
the darker colours. In my research, I found that the bandâs previous albums use white text, so using white text on mine will
also help to create a link between the albums.
The font for the album name and the track list will both be the same, to create the cohesion in the album design. This font
needs to be simple, and in block capitals, so that it fits with the bandâs previous albums, and so that itâs easy for the audience
to read. I also plan on making this font white, so that it fits with the band logo, as well as fitting in with the bandâs previous
albums, as they use white text. Below, I tested out a few fonts on Photoshop to see what would work and what wouldnât for
my digipak.
