2. INTRODUCTION
Here I will be evaluating three different student ancillary tasks, this will allow me to see
what is typically included within the ancillaries.. This also allowed me to see whether they
fitted in with their genre and what I liked and disliked about the products.
Also, this has given me ideas about what I could do for my digipak to make it look like a
real media text and so that mine looks as professional as possible. Also, this will allow me
to be more creative as I can develop the ideas used here.
3. ARCTIC MONKEYS – SUCK IT AND SEE
Likes:
-Like the fonts because they look like the fonts Arctic Monkeys would use and they are continued throughout the digipak
-I like the dark colour scheme of it because again it is something Arctic Monkeys would use as they tend to us dark colours
Dislikes:
-There seems like there is too many different colours for the fonts (red, white, black)
-The image on the back is hard to make out and the image on the front could have been framed better
-I think the image in blue needs to be black and white to make it look more professional
MISE-EN-SCENE
Costume : The costume on the digipak seems very casual which would fit with the genre of the band as they are indie rock. This
makes it easy for the audience to relate to the characters if they are wearing everyday clothes. In most indie rock music videos, the
artist/actor is usually wearing normal/casual clothes so the audience can relate to their character.
Lighting : The lighting in the picture on the front is very natural but because it has been put in black and white it looks more indie as
it looks different and makes certain things stand out more than others. The picture on the back is very low key which makes it hard
make out which could fit with the genre as the audience can have their own interpretation as to what it is.
Actors : The actor on the front image looks like a “thug” as he has his hood up and this is typically what you would stereotype a thug
to do to hide their identity. The actor on the back is not easy to identify which again could suggest they are trying to hide their
to add enigma to the music video.
Make up : You cannot see any make up being used on the front/back cover of this digipak. However, I do not think much make up
would be used since indie rock artists want to look as plain as possible – including Arctic Monkeys – so they do not distract the
audience with extravagant make up which means the audience will focus fully on the music/video meaning.
Props : The only prop shown here is the drum kit which is typical for an indie rock genre as they tend to use instruments in their
videos to show the performance side of the artist and to promote the artist. This fits with that convention as it shows a shadow of the
drum kit and performer so it adds mystery for the audience.
Setting : For the front picture, the setting could have been more thought about but in some ways, it fits with the indie rock genre as
it is an alleyway and is a normal everyday setting that people could access so this makes it more relatable. However, I think this
look better if the van was not in the shot as it takes away from the actor.
LAYOUT : I think the layout is a bit messy since the artist name does not look right in a filled in circle and looks a bit unprofessional –
I think this would look better without the shape behind it. Also, I think the lyrics on the back cover could have been spread out better
it looks very cluttered up and looks more like legal information – but I don’t really think the back cover needed the lyrics and
they could have been on the CD or behind it to add something to that to make it look less plain.
AUDIENCE / REPRESENTATION : I think the target audience for this digipak would be teenagers (16-19). This is because it cannot be
any lower since there is a parental advisory so I think that this is aimed at late teenagers more. Also, from the image on the front I
it would be more relatable to teenagers as you see someone who looks a bit like a thug and teenagers are typically stereotyped as
thugs and deviant so this suggests that the social group being represented here is teenagers. This is why the demographic would be
teenagers as the image on the front is relatable.
FONTS: The font is the same throughout the digipak which is professional. I also think
that the font looks like it would be used for this band which is effective. I think the
colours of the fonts are a bit random as there are three different font colours which
makes the audience confused as it feels like there is too much going on. I think the
name of the band should have been a bit bigger to make it stand out more and to
promote them more. I also think the legal information should have been in a
different font as it looks unprofessional in the same font.
COLOURS: As said previously, the different colours of the fonts looks wrong and I
think it would look better all in one colour. I think the whole digipak in black and
white would look better because it would all look the same whereas the blue on the
back and the black and white on the front do not really go together but I think in
black and white it would look more professional because the same theme is kept
throughout. I think the red font could have been white instead which would have
matched with a black and white theme but when it is red it takes away from the rest
of the digipak and the images because it is such a bold colour. The information at
4. ARCTIC MONKEYS – SUCK IT AND SEE
Likes:
- I like the image on the poster as it is more clear as to what it is now
- I like the font of the album name
Dislikes:
- I think the artist name could be a little bigger even if they do not want to be promoted as much – it looks too small and out of
place
- I think the social media at the bottom could have been cropped so there isn’t a white background behind them which looks
unprofessional
MISE-EN-SCENE
COSTUME : The costume on the poster is not clear as the person is a silhouette/shadow so we cannot see the costume they are
wearing. Since it is an indie rock band, the audience would assume that the costume is casual/indie (leather jacket, black jeans). This
adds enigma to the poster and the digipak because the same picture is used.
LIGHTING : The lighting on this magazine advert is low key and the lighting is very clever because they have specifically played with
the lighting so that the person playing the drums is a shadow so the audience cannot see them and this again adds enigma. This is
creative shot done with the lighting and entices the audience as it is unique and different.
ACTORS : The actor here is playing the drums which is a typical indie rock convention as in their music videos they usually show the
artist playing the instrument – drums/guitar etc. This follows conventions and promotes the artist.
MAKE UP : As you can see, the magazine advert does not include any make up but since the genre is indie rock – we would not
expect to see bright and bold make up but rather subtle make up or none at all. This means that the audience focuses solely on the
music rather than the artists make up.
PROPS : The props in this poster is the drum kit – this is a very important prop since it shows the audience that the actor is the
artist in this video/poster/digipak and this promotes the artist as they can clearly see them performing.
SETTING : The setting in this magazine advert looks like they are in a studio or on stage which would be typical of the genre as the
artist is usually shown performing in this kind of setting. Again, generic conventions are being shown throughout this advert.
LAYOUT : The layout of this magazine advert is a bit messy in my opinion. I think that the social media pictures at the bottom are
needed and the artist name could have gone there instead rather than having it in the top corner barely noticeable. The picture is
good position and has been framed well and I think the positioning of the fonts is also good.
AUDIENCE / REPRESENTATION : Again, I think the target audience for this magazine advert is teenagers but maybe a bit older
than the digipak because you cannot tell what the age of this person is. However, since the digipak shows a teenager which
that this picture is still of a teenager.
FONT : I think the fonts for this advert are good and look
professional and these fonts have also been used on the
digipak which shows good continuity and consideration. I think
the artist name could be in a bigger font to promote the artist
more as it is hidden away and not as noticeable at a first
glance. The fonts match the genre but I think if the artist name
was bigger and the album name was smaller it would look
more professional.
COLOURS : I think the colours are effective since the fonts are
white and are put on a black background which makes them
stand out more since they are bold. This is a generic
convention of indie rock magazine adverts – they usually put
white text on black backgrounds. I think the blue and black go
well together on the poster
5. SUM 41 – ALL KILLER NO FILLER
Likes:
-I like the image on the front as it is visually interesting and entices the audience as soon as they see it
-I like the picture of the band on the inside cover as it promotes the artist
Dislikes:
-I think the font is very hard to read for the album name
-The image of the band needs to be upside down
MISE-EN-SCENE
COSTUME : I think the costume of the band matches the genre and looks very rock. The costume is mainly black which is
what you would expect from this genre as it is very dark and the music is dark too and suggests sadness. The costume goes
with this genre.
LIGHTING : The lighting on the inside cover is very natural which you would not expect from this genre – I think it would look
better being a bit more low key to add enigma and so you cannot see the bands face as clear. The image on the back is low
and matches the genre and it adds a scary feel to it
ACTING : The acting on this digipak is what you would expect for a band – not looking directly into the camera so it adds
enigma.
MAKE UP : There is no make up from what I can see on the actors in this digipak which matches the genre as the make up
would be natural and subtle so it would not take away from the music so this fits with the generic conventions.
PROPS : There are also no props in this digipak which suggests that they want the audience to focus on the band and the
rather than any props
SETTING : The setting for this looks very typical for the genre – the band are against a brick wall which makes them stand out
and this is a normal every day setting. On the other image, the setting is down a dark alley which matches the genre as it is
and this also adds enigma since the audience will not know why they have chosen this setting until they watch the video
LAYOUT : I think the layout for this is generally good but the pictures at the top need to be upside down so it would look
more professional. The framing of shots is good and the positioning of white fonts onto the darkest place makes it easier for
audience to read which shows they have considered their audience. I think the layout of the copyright information doesn’t
as professional since it is not as spread out. Overall, the layout is good and professional.
AUDIENCE/REPRESENTATION : I think the audience for this digipak would be 16-20 year olds as there is a parental advisory
so people under 16 may not watch this. I think the imagery is more suited at older teenagers since the band on the front
like older teens so this will entice that age of audience. This image does not show a particularly bad view of teenagers as they
not being stereotypical teenagers – this will make people want to buy this digipak.
FONTS : The fonts for the digipak are very hard to read,
especially the album name. I think this would put
people off buying this digipak as they can barely read
what is on the front of it as it is very bunched up. The
band name is easier to read though which will help the
audience to establish the genre. The font matches the
genre and it looks like the image on the front – the font
is broken up and has bits missing like the glass on the
front which is clever.
COLOURS : The colours are very dark which matches
the genre and the songs on this digipak. The contrast
of black and white catches the audiences eye which
shows that the colours have been considered carefully
to suit the genre.
6. SUM 41 – ALL KILLER NO FILLER
LIKES :
-I think the idea is really clever and catches the audiences eye
-The idea matches with the digipak design
DISLIKES :
-The font is different from the digipak and looks unprofessional and hard to read
MISE-EN-SCENE
COSTUME : There is no costume in this magazine advert as there are no actors in the shot. This shows that the band would rather
promote the music than the band as they did not put themselves on the front of it.
LIGHTING : The lighting in this advert is low key which is a generic convention. The hand is lighter than the rest of the advert which
suggests that this is what you need to look at to see the hand holding the album. This is a clever way of getting the audience to focus
the album itself in the advert.
ACTORS : There are no actors in this advert which again suggests that the band wants their music to be promoted before
themselves.
MAKE UP : The make up here would be the blood that has been inserted into the image which is clever because it looks like it is
coming from the hand that has gone through glass – this is important for this poster as it stands out a lot as it is a bold colour
PROPS : The prop here is the digipak – this is a clever way to interpret the digipak into the advert and it catches the audiences eye
SETTING : There is no identifiable setting in this advert which means the audience focuses solely on the images so they can see what
is being promoted
LAYOUT : I think the layout for this advert looks neat because most things are in a good place. I do not like the placement of the text
because it is very close together and spaced out in a weird way. I like the placement of the hand with the digipak in it because it is
central which catches the audiences eye immediately.
AUDIENCE / REPRESENTATION : I think the audience for this magazine advert is 16+ year olds because of the violent imagery on the
front e.g. broken glass and blood. I don’t think a younger audience would like this advert because it is not friendly. This does not
represent anyone or any particular audience but it looks like a stereotypical teenager poster because they like to see violence.
COLOURS : I think the colours for this advert
fit the genre because it is very dark and low
key and this contrasts well with the dark red.
The colours are a generic convention
because this genre is typically related with
black. Also, the colours of the text at the
bottom are all different reds which looks
unprofessional because it distracts the
audience. If the reds were all the same then it
would look a lot better.
FONTS : The fonts here are all very different, I
think this makes this advert look
unprofessional because it lacks continuity and
confuses the audience. The font at the top
matches the font on the digipak which is
7. CANOPY CLIMBERS - STUCK
LIKES :
I like the use of plain colours on the front and back of the digipak and the use of pictures on the inside
I like the images on the inside
DISLIKES :
I don’t like the fonts on the front of the digipak because they feel unprofessional
I think the name of the song should be in a bigger font
MISE-EN-SCENE :
COSTUME : There is only a slight bit of costume in this digipak but it is very hard to recognise – the costume is
typical of a teenager. The costume is also very ordinary from what I can see, showing that the audience could easily
relate to this as it is typical every day clothing.
LIGHTING : The lighting on the inside images is very low key and this fits the generic conventions. The lighting
matches the mood of the video which adds continuity from the music video.
ACTORS : The actor is barely noticeable in this digipak but from the video and the costume, the actor is a
teenager. This shows what type of audience the digipak is trying to draw in.
MAKE UP : Make up is not shown in this digipak which suggests that make up is not used and is not extravagant
which makes the audience focus more on the video than the make up/costume.
PROPS : The prop here is the sparkler and fire which catch the audiences eye because it is bright and bold and also
matches the music video which adds continuity
SETTING : The setting here is in a forest or garden which adds enigma to the digipak because the audience don’t
know why they are there and this is also a relatable setting for the audience and often is related with teenagers
fits the audience they are trying to entice
LAYOUT : The layout for this digipak looks professional and I think the font is set out well and everything looks very
neat. I like the way the track list on the back is set out because it is original and unique. I think the legal information
set out very well and the whole layout of the digipak makes it look better.
AUDIENCE / REPRESENTATION : I think the audience that is being represented here is teenagers because of the
actor on the front and the whole design of the digipak. I think this is eye catching for teenagers because of the
and the imagery of fire. I also think the image on the front is very simple and would entice teenagers because it is
too complicated.
8. CANOPY CLIMBERS - STUCK
LIKES:
-I like the continuity with the digipak
-I like the fact that there are ratings on the front of it
-I like the professional feel of it
DISLIKES:
-I don’t like the font because it feels unprofessional
-I think that the title of the song should be a bit bigger because the date of release is almost the same size as it
MISE-EN-SCENE:
COSTUME : There is no costume on this magazine advert as such because the image is just of the logo to promote the band so
costume is not really needed since their goal seems to be to promote the artist
LIGHTING : Lighting is not used in this advert since it is a logo created on a computer rather than an actual image but the colours are
very dark.
ACTORS : Again, no actors in this advert because the main image is of the logo and this means that they don’t need a picture of
themselves but they still manage to promote themselves through the use of their logo
MAKE UP : No make up, like the digipak. There are no actors on this advert so no make up is shown at all.
PROPS : The symbol of the band could be considered a prop which is very significant because it shows they are promoting the artist and
band rather than anything else – this is the main focus of the advert
SETTING : The setting here is non-existent because as mentioned this advert has been made on a computer including the logo meaning
the setting is not necessary
LAYOUT : The layout of this advert looks professional and everything is spaced out well and looks the same. I like the way the logo is the
main focus as it is in the middle meaning that the audience will look at that straight away. I also like the way the social media is at the
bottom showing that it is less important but the audience still notices it. The reviews are also good because they do not clutter up the
advert and there are just enough on the advert.
AUDIENCE / REPRESENTATION : I think the audience for this magazine advert is teenagers because of the simplicity of the advert and
the digipak. Also, the social media links at the bottom suggest that this is aimed at teenagers as they use social media a lot.
9. CONCLUSION
Overall, what worked well in each ancillary tasks was the colour schemes, e.g. light colours on
dark colours. I think that this is something that would be used in my genre so this would be
useful to add to my own digipak. Also, I think that putting an image behind where the CD is
is very effective since it wont be seen until the CD is taken out of the digipak. I also think that
in some cases, not using pictures of the artist is still effective as the images chosen still
represent the genre.
I think the positioning on some of the ancillaries were not as effective because they were very
unconventional and did not suit the genre. It looks very messy when the positioning is not
considered carefully.
Overall, the ideas this has given me is that I think we should put an image behind the CD
because it is very creative, I also think we should use light fonts on top of dark colours
because it would fit with the genre better. We also need to consider the positioning of our
titles for our own digipak so it does not look messy and looks professional.
