1. LACEY’S REPERTOIRE
OF ELEMENTS
• Characters
• Narrative Events
• Iconography
• Setting (mise-en-scene)
• Technical and audio codes
2. Characters
• Rihanna is the only character on the album artwork. She
is represented in three very different images which display
her body and her looks, a stereotypical theme of the pop
genre. Some poses are romantic and artistic whereas
other images on the Digi pack are more sexualised and
suggestive. Her expressive behaviour in conjunction with
the colours used on the pack such as reds and inks
suggests that she is in love.
3. Narrative Events
• Rihanna’s behaviour and expressive posing suggests that
she is experiencing emotions of love or lust. The first two
images on the cover and he inside are both romantic
images, in which Rihanna is gazing into space or down to
the floor. She appears to be consumed with a form of
thought or emotion and this creates a narrative enigma as
the audience wonders what she is thinking and what has
happened to her to make her behave in this way. The
third image shows her looking away directly into the
camera in a different situation. The direct mode of
address and suggestive pose sexualises the image and is
evocative of the R&B genre. The combination of these
three images successfully represents the genre of the
album.
4. Iconography
• Rihanna’s costumes in the images all link to the theme
she is trying to represent. Her first costume is a pale pink
tulle ballerina style dress which links to the romantic
wistful imagery on the first two photographs. Her bright
red hair and lips make her unique and also connate love
and passion. Other iconography used is the rose feature
on the CD disk, again representing love and beauty. The
second image features Rihanna wearing more
provocative and modern clothing which fit well with her
contemporary R&B genre. This representation adds a
more unique and striking dimension to the theme of the
Digi pack. Her tattoos are clearly on show which link to
this genre and display her alternative style.
5. Setting (mise-en-scene)
• Part of the mise-en-scene appears to be set in a field or
garden of roses in which Rihanna lies appearing wistful
and relaxed. This setting suggests that this environment
reflects Rihanna’s feelings of love in the image. In the
second image, Rihanna sits on a stool in a near empty
room, bringing the focus onto her. In the background we
see long think curtains typical of a stage, perhaps to refer
to Rihanna’s life as a celebrity and performer. The
American flag in the background is evocative of the R&B
genre as quintessentially American and patriotic.
6. Technical and audio codes
• The high-key lighting in the first two images arguably suggest
her happiness and freedom in being in the field of flowers. The
low key lighting in the following image may suggest a sense of
unhappiness in being ‘on the stage’ that the room represents,
an idea which in not stereotypical of a famous singer. The
simplistic sans serif font used on the cover leaves attention on
the main images which take up the majority of free space in the
frame. The Gutenberg design principle is used effectively in all
the images. On the cover, Rihanna’s face fills he frame entirely.
With the inside image, her upper body ad face are present in
the primary optical area and strong fallow area. On the final
image, the primary optical area is filled with track listings, an
important component of the Digi pack. Her face is in the strong
fallow area, again during attention towards Rihanna.
