3. Our Aims
The final design of our digipack and album advert had to be
accordant with:
Our music video- This could be in terms of the narrative and
the binary opposites seen such as black and white and
happiness and sadness.
The pop genre- This means being bold and creative with the
designs and dramatic. But also for the design to still be simple
by having a consistent theme
Promote the star image- This is one of Goodwin’s conventions
for a music video. Which is why keeping this in mind, for the
digipack and album advert poster is vital. For example having
a website of the artists on the poster and having close ups of
the face.
4. Album Advert
• Our final design is based off the draft design I created
off a photo editing site called PicMonkey.
• When I started the design I didn’t know how I
wanted it to look and developed it as I went along.
But I kept in mind the binary opposites e.g.
happiness and sadness and the juxtaposition
between them.
5. ALBUM ADVERT
IMAGES
This was taken during the photoshoot for the
digipack and album advert poster. We decided to
go with this medium shot which I later cropped,
as it was a simple shot that I could do a lot with.
Their body positions denotes the bond between
the pair as they’re touching and they’re also
back to back connoting they’re there for each
other. Which is something seen in the video as
they’re featured together in every scene minus
the balcony scene. This links into our narrative of
having fun with your best friend. As Beth
essentially helps Christina to get over the break
up. Their facial expressions are quite open to
suggest that Christina’s still hurting and as a
result so is Beth.
6. ALBUM ADVERT IMAGES
The concept of binary opposites conflicting in music videos was something I wanted to
portray from our music video, to our album advert poster and digipack. For this reason I
went on effects and changed the image to ‘black and white’. This could represent the
juxtaposition of Christina feeling mixed emotions, from feeling happy being with Beth but
at the same time sad from the break up and also the black and white effect features in our
music video, when the girls are lip synching and the lyrics come on screen.
I decided to add the overlay of the triangles as I was going off my draft design. But changed
it so only a portion of it was in colour (the area around Christina and Beth), the purpose
being to promote the star image and to connote the fun and happiness expressed in the
music video through the club scene, holiday scenes and ultimately the pairs friendship I did
this by using the effect called ‘focal black and white’ (choosing an area you want in black
and white) which I reversed to get the colour on Christina and Beth.
7. As explained in my draft
analysis I decide to do 3
sections to create a
balance by having a
sandwich effect with the
triangulation image
being in between the
image of Christina and
Beth.
I decided on the banners firstly
so it made the text stand out
more. But also to continue the
theme of juxtaposition as I used
a white banner (which I
changed the opacity for) for the
artists name. Then below used
a black banner again changing
the opacity so you can still see
the foundation of the design
beneath it as the banner is an
overlay. I also did this with the
engraved banner with the song
title ‘I Love It’.
My other reason was to link the
sections with the positioning of
the banner. For example the
black banner flows from the
second section onto the third
section.
I decided to have the same
image at the top and bottom,
as I thought it gave an edge to
the outlook of the album
advert poster. But also the pop
genre in music is about being
bold, so I felt it was a justified
choice.
I decided to have the close up
image of their faces at the
bottom as it was something
different , again adding to the
bold and dynamic design. Also
because the image is rotated
Christina’s head is below
Beth’s body and vice versa. I
felt that this could show the
bond between the pair and
that they make up each other,
connoting the strength of their
friendship.
I created these sections by
doing a collage on
PicMonkey and then
picking the Facebook cover
option and rotating it so it
was vertical and then
resizing.
8. From the previous slide
you can see that I have
increased the size of the
fonts and banners to fill
up any blank space (in the
second section under the
engraved banner). As this
will help attract attention
meaning the poster is
more likely to get noticed
and so it will help
promote the star image. It
also makes the design
look more bolder again
linking to he pop genre.
Originally on the draft design
there wasn’t a third banner at
the bottom but because the
text wasn’t visible otherwise
and the background for our
image is much darker than on
the draft design, I added the
banner. Also having the white
banner, creates a theme
between the banner colours
going: white, black, white. It
also continues the theme off
juxtaposition between black
and white and the mixed
feelings alongside the fun
aspect, portrayed in the
music video.
I’ve added the release date as
it helps by creating
anticipation. Also the date
links to the review at the
bottom, which says
‘SUMMER TUNE OF 2013’ as
that’s a couple of weeks
before the summer holidays
which will also add to the
anticipation, again helping to
promote the star image. Also
having the review from a
reputable source (Ellie
Goulding) who is also a pop
artist shows credibility
towards the review.
Also the The Times, is a
reputable source again
promoting the star image.
This wasn’t a feature on the
draft design but I added in
the logo for Atlantic Records
as they are a well known
record company. But also it
was a feature that I
identified through my
research od album advert
poster’s for e.g. Jessie J, has
the logos of record
companies as well. It’s
cross-promotion, as it’s
promoting the song as well
as the company boosting
their reputation.
9. LOGOS
The HMV and iTunes logo was a feature of cross promotion
between the companies and the artist. It also informs the
audience of where to purchase or download the song
from.
Also the positioning of these two logos was on purpose as I
placed them above the banner with the release date
instead of at the bottom and one on each side to create a
balance. By including a website, it also promotes the
artists and allows the audience to find out more about the
artist such as: other singles and albums, background
history, tour dates etc. Which will all add to the
anticipation of the release.
As mentioned previously having the record
companies names on the album advert is an
example of cross promotion. But also is a way
for the Artist/ band to thanks the record
company as the are an integral component in
the process but also these two record
companies are reputable ones again promoting
the star image. I placed them on the bottom
banner alongside the reviews. As when a person
reads the review they’ll see the record
companies and are more likely to get noticed.
After checking on ITunes (see screenshots on the
left) several songs contain explicit as well as the
song we chose (I Love It). Also the PAL logo was
on the ITunes website for the album. So keeping
to the music industry’s guidelines I added the
parental advisory logo on the poster, so the
audience are aware before they purchase the
album.
12. Our Aims
I created the album advert poster first and so had to continue with a
accordant theme to go with the digipack. This means keeping in mind
feature such as:
Font style
Colour scheme
Effects
The logos used on the album advert poster
The draft design for the digipack has changed twice (see ‘digipack draft
design’ post). As, as a group we felt that the first designs theme wouldn’t be
accordant the album advert design and that we needed something simpler,
instead of the intermittent images on the first draft design.
13. FORMAT
This was the brief we were given. I took
this screenshot off the Loreto A2 Music
Video Blog.
This was the brief we were given and as I produced these
designs on PicMonkey, I resized the images after. I went on
Google and located a converter for centimetres to pixels,
(see screenshot on left ). I then edited them on Paint and
rounded the pixel figure to a whole number as Paint doesn’t
take decimals. So for 12cm I did 454 x 454 pixels and for
12.5cm I did 472 x 472 pixels. The screenshot on the right
shows me resizing the inside cover where the CD will go.
14. FRONT PANEL
In terms of the pop genre,
this image is simplistic.
Which is why it was
important for the effects
and overlays to make the
front cover come alive and
stand out.
We didn’t want to have a
complex and bold image as
the overlays and effects
were already striking,
making them clash.
Making sure they were
compatible was essential
for the front cover.
In terms of rule of thirds
Beth’s eye Is in line with the
intersection point this is
important because the eyes
are a natural focus point for
when looking at an image
and Christina’s face also
intersects with an
intersection point. This is
vital, as we want the
audience to pay attention to
the artists and want the
image to grab their attention
to promote the star image.
Originally for the photoshoot for the digipack and album advert we took over 100 images. The reason being the
more material we had, the bigger the range of images we had in terms of quality and images we all agreed on as
a group. We then went on to narrow down our selection into two folders ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.
This image ironically was in the ‘No’ folder, but after reviewing the selection in the ‘Yes’ folder I felt that there
wasn’t anything I felt would make a good front cover for the album.
My selection criteria for the above image was that it’s a medium shot which shows a good portion of Christina
and Beth, promoting the star image. Body language and positioning is crucial for a front cover and I felt this
portrayed them in a candid way and doesn’t look posed. Also the fact that their subtly touching suggests a
friendship bond, something which is predominant in the music video in various scenes for e.g. in the holiday
scenes. As Christina looks relaxed, and the fact she isn’t looking at the camera and is looking at Beth could
foreshadow the narrative (her break up with her boyfriend) but also the strong bond between her and Beth as
Beth helps her through it.
15. FRONT PANEL
I changed the
original image of
Christina and Beth
to black and white
as I did the same
on the album
advert poster.
Instead of having
colour on them to
promote the star
image I felt having
it in the
background would
walk in a similar
way.
Additionally,
having the colour
in the background
draws attention to
the artist name in
white. Which I
centred in the
middle in between
Beth and
Christina’s head.
I used the same
font from the
album advert
poster for the
artist name and
the album name.
‘This Is… Icona
Pop’, is layered in
a black and white
font as it links to
the binary
opposite theme.
This layered font
also features on
the back cover
continuing the
theme.
Even though
the PAL logo
isn’t
compulsory I
felt it was
necessary to
inform the
audience.
16. INSIDE PANEL
POLAROID PICTURES
Here are several pictures, which I
edited and framed on PicMonkey
with the polaroid effect. I got the
images from our music video and
cropped them. After formatting
them to look like polaroid images,
I added the lyric that was said in
the music video from the image
used. On some of the polaroid
images I added additional effects
for example; the second polaroid
image on the left I added a heart
around ‘I’, also I added a space
overlay and an arrow on the third
polaroid image.
I added in symbols such as the
arrow and heart as I felt it related
back to the music video where the
lyrics come up on screen and
would be a good approach to take.
After saving each polaroid image individually,
I then opened a new tab and did a collage.
The polaroid images go in lyric order from
different parts of the song in a clockwise
direction.
I then edited the triangulation image on
Paint, so it was without the white
background and then opened it in a new tab
on PicMonkey, and used the black and white
focal effect , (which I used on the inside
cover on the opposite panel) to incorporate
the colour of the image alongside the black
and white (as seen above). After which, I
added it to the collage.
17. The font I used for
the lyrics is one
that features on
the album advert
poster, for the
release date and
reviews. I felt this
was a good choice
as it’s bold where
as the one I had
been using for the
album name/ I
Love It, wouldn’t
have been as bold
and as a result less
effective in
grabbing the
audiences
attention.
I used an overlay,
but instead of a
banner like I did on
the album advert, I
thought using a
square shape would
fit the lyrics in as it’s
like a text box.
However the opacity
is similar to the one I
used on the album
advert poster.
INSIDE PANEL
The lyrics go clockwise
from different parts of
the song. I felt that using
images from the music
video and incorporating
it into the digipack, was a
good approach. It’s a
common feature in
digipacks but since we
don’t make a booklet to
insert into the sleeve ,
this idea I came up with
was a good alternative.
Also as I chose to frame
the images with a
polaroid frame as a retro
TV features at the
beginning and end of our
music video, so I thought
this would coincide well .
I incorporated the
engraved banner as
it features on the
panel opposite this
one where the CD
goes. I also utilised
the same font as
I’ve used
throughout for the
single title/ album
name.
18. Instead of having a plain
CD with or a plain
background. I decided to
have the background with
the triangulation image
but to have it in black and
white and made the
image softer to make it
look less busy.
Furthermore when you
put the CD back in place it
fits with the background
triangulation image like a
jigsaw, so the CD
completes the image.
Which in terms of the
music video could relate
to how Beth and Christina
make up each other (an
idea I mentioned on the
Album Advert Poster
design/ draft design.
Also the colour on the CD
juxtaposes with the black
and white triangulation
image.
The engraved banner
featured on the album
advert poster and I
incorporated it to make
the font stand out.
INSIDE PANEL CD
I included the record
companies, as when
designing the CD I
realised it was a
common feature
amongst well known
Artists in the music
industry but the logos
had also featured on
the album advert. I
added on the compact
disc logo as it’s a
standard feature and
make it look more
authentic.
I felt including the
track names of the
album on the CD was a
practical feature to
have. As CD cases can
become misplaced so
it’s useful to know the
order of the tracks. The
font is the same font
used on the album
name portraying a
continuity in theme.
The black background
on the lower portion
of the CD is the same
banner I used on the
album poster but
without changing the
opacity.
19. BACK PANEL
ORIGINAL IMAGES
Both of these images featured in the ‘Yes’ folder, from the digipack and album
advert poster photoshoot at colleges studio. Ann photoshopped the images,
which meant getting rid of Christina’s hand so we just had a simple body profile
and removing the backgrounds leaving just the images. After which she placed
them on a new layer (the grey background).
Ann had to also resize Christina and Beth once she’d removed the background;
Beth’s image is a medium close up where as Christina’s is a medium long shot. So
it was important to match their eyeline and their proportions, but allow some
differentiations. Due to the subtle differences between the two in terms of height
again adding to the authenticity.
20. THE SPINE
I was struggling to get the same shade of grey as the back cover and
since that’s where the pine would be it would look odd and effect the
visual presentation of the digipack. So after trying several approaches
to no avail. I got the CD back cover (without the spine) and used it as an
overlay so I could erase all but the top where it was free of any writing.
Which left me with the spine, i.e. the left screenshot.
I then opened a new tab and opened the spine up as an image and
added the font in (the third screenshot). After saving the image I went
on paint and cropped it to make it look more presentable (the image on
the top right)
I then went back to PicMonkey and opened up a collage (screenshot on
the right) and placed them into the allotted boxes.
21. Unlike the front cover
which was bold and
striking. I felt that the
image choice for the
back cover, portrayed a
more serious tone. As
Anne on Photoshop
placed them on the
edge of the cover facing
towards each other,
giving it a soul searching
look.
This is the reason I felt
no colour was needed as
the images themselves
present a complex
dynamic. So adding any
effects or colours would
clash with the images
and take the attention
away from the meaning
behind the images.
Which in a way keeps
the attention on
Christina and Beth i.e.
‘star image’ (a
convention Goodwin
proposed for music
videos. However is
something I’ve kept in
mid in the design of the
digipack and album
advert poster)
BACK PANEL & SPINE
Ann added the bar code and the QR code to add to the authenticity. As a QR code can hold
a lot of information and can inform the audience of information on the Artist etc. Which is
why I included a copyright legislation paragraph at the bottom.
The same fonts have
been used showing a
continuity in theme
and like on the front
cover there is the
layered effect of the
black and white fonts.
I included the layered
effect again on the
spine as it connects the
front and back cover.
Also the black and
white font, as I felt it
relates to the motif of
binary opposites of the
black and white theme
which juxtaposes with
the colour which
features throughout
(the digipack and
album advert). But also
the imagery behind it
i.e. happiness and
sadness or mixed
feelings Christina may
feel.
The record company logos
are present as they’re an
essential feature.
22. SUMMARY
The designing process was vital as it adds to the Music Video and compliments it and develops it. I used
PicMonkey (a free photo online editor), which I had not been familiar with before. However through
designing the digipack and album advert poster I am now familiar with the program which is a useful skill I
have gained.
I have kept an accordant theme throughout the digipack and album advert as mentioned through the various
slides.
The black and white theme relating to the binary opposites of happiness and sadness but also black and
white which could symbolise that. We also have used the black and white effect in the music video.
The juxtaposition of colour with black and white. As this is predominant on the digipack and album
advert and again in the music video. For example, the scene where Christina and Beth are lip synching
(which is in black and white) and then you have the pink bokeh shapes. The continuous use of colour
featured in the digipack and album advert alongside the black and white denote the fun, portrayed in
our music video.
The use of the same font style for the artist name and album title. As the font used for the artist name is
quite bold and daring which juxtaposes with the simpler design of the font used for the album name.
The images used such as the triangulation image which I found off the Internet, I used in the album
advert poster and digipack and justified my reasons for doing so. Also the engraved banner/ banners, I
have continued through both pieces.
