The document discusses how synergy was created between the main and ancillary texts produced for the band The Crystal Whites. Synergy was achieved through consistent use of band imagery, location, fonts, colors and clothing across a music video, album digipak and magazine poster. Specific techniques included using the same photo on the front and back of the digipak, incorporating video stills into the digipak and poster, and aligning the visual style and layouts of all pieces. Reflection is made on how the CD design could have better achieved synergy and how influence was drawn from professional examples.

1. 2. How effective is the2. How effective is the
combination of yourcombination of your
main and ancillarymain and ancillary
texts?texts?

2. I have developed three products for The Crystal
Whites including a music video for the song ‘To
Anyone’ as well as a complete digipak for their first
album and finally a magazine poster promoting the
album.
Throughout the development of all three products I
have created synergy believing this to be key in
peoples relation between products and their
association with the band. Through research I found
that synergy was a vital element to any professional
work and so therefore I took time to make sure my
products interlinked and helped to develop each
product as a unit and individually also.
Synergy between the main and ancillary texts was
produced through aligning all products with the
Indie-rock genre, as well as maintaining originality
and individuality through creativity. Overall the
relationship between the main and ancillary texts
was essential in creating realistic/professional looking
products.

3. How are the main and ancillary texts connected?How are the main and ancillary texts connected?
The first key way in which all three products are connected is through images of the band, I felt using
images of the band was an ideal way of creating synergy between the products because it also alluded to
conventions of the Indie-rock genre. All three products show image of the band I felt this synergy was
essential furthermore because the band are unsigned which would allow people to visually connect with
the band members. The key aspect of the band shots comes from the main text (the music video) which for
the most part shows the band playing the song ‘To Anyone’ which is also the name of the album and is
furthermore promoted by the magazine poster.

4. The still image for the front of the digipak was taken on set
when filming the band scenes of our video – the park
bench can be seen to link with scenes of the park seen
within the video. The fact that the video and still images for
the magazine poster and digipak were all taken in the same
place adds to the synergy of the products and their
interrelation.
The digipak cover photo
was taken in front of a
brick wall which can briefly
be seen in the music video.

5. The digipak is mostly made up of images of the band, however the CD disk
within the digipak is taken from the narrative element of the video. I decided
that an image of Adam smoking, taken when on a break in shots firstly in my
opinion visually looked very good, secondly I felt that the shot fitted the
round CD shape better than others which we had trialled and finally the
image of Big Ben as well as the cigarette filled conventions of the indie-rock
genre covered in Q1 of the evaluation.
When reflecting on how I could have improved synergy I feel that the CD is
the main issue and the only part of all the products we have made which
stands out. When seen in relation to the magazine poster and furthermore
other elements of the digipak, although the CD still image is taken from the
narrative sequence it does not help to create synergy between the products.
Furthermore the dark colour of the CD does not match the light/faded
pattern of the rest of the digipak. On reflection I felt that synergy between
our products is strong but if I were to improve the synergy then I would base
the CD image around the band rather than the narrative sequence and just
the lead singer.

6. Synergy between the music
video and the digipak was
formed through using
imagery of the band playing
within the video and using
the faded images for pages
in the lyric booklet. Most
lyric booklets contain
images separate from the
text or provide no image at
all, however I felt that the
lyric booklet created
another opportunity to
create synergy between the
products.

7. The placement of the digipak front cover upon
a magazine poster is in my opinion an ideal
form of synergy and one that is often under
looked. I chose to use this from of synergy
because it allows a connection to be formed
directly between the two products. Two bands
which I took influence from were Conduit and
their album ‘Funeral for a friend’ and also the
Kooks and their album ‘Inside In Inside Out’
both of which use this formation of synergy.

8. • The first thing to notice about the titles I used is that they are in the same font
which adds to the synergy of the products, the only difference is that they are in
different colours to stand out from varying backgrounds.
• The title of the album ‘To Anyone’ is once again in the same font adding to synergy
and is also in the same colour of red helping it to stand out.
• I took influence again from Conduit’s album similarly to my own products the font and pattern is
the same for both the digipak and magazine poster and the colour only changes due to
differing background colours.
• Once again another example of synergy through text is the Kooks and their album
‘Inside In Inside Out’ which uses the same font type and colouration throughout
both the digipak and poster making their connectedness easily noticeable .

9. Synergy between the music video and magazine poster was created through using a still image
of the band in the same scene where the band scenes of the video were recorded. Synergy is
generated through the visuals of instruments and furthermore the band members in the same
order on the magazine cover as when they are playing in the music video.
Another way in which synergy could have been improved would to have set the
band out in the same formation in all three products they are organised from
left to right in the same order apart from the digipak. However we did not
intend nor plan the order of the band and I feel if the band were organised in
the same fashion for all three products it would look too organised and artificial
not alluding to the indie-rock genre.

10. Drake – ‘nothing was the same’
To create further synergy within my digipak I decided to use the same still
image on the front and back cover of the digipak this means that the band
and album is easily recognisable from both sides of the digipak. I used a faded
image on the back of the digipak to allow me to place the song list on top
allowing it to stand out. I took influence for such a style of synergy from
Drake and his album ‘Nothing was the same’ which unlike my product does
not use exactly the same image but very similar imagery with the same text
and colouration.

11. Another major influence for the synergy of my products was the Arctic Monkeys, this digipak reveals synergy between the
front cover, CD and back cover. The main feature of the front cover is the ambiguous man smoking a cigarette, aligning
with synergy and interconnectedness the man smoking a cigarette also appears on the back cover, however this time at a
different angle. Where the CD creates synergy is the imagery of the ashtray and cigarettes which alludes to the man
smoking on both the front and back cover of the digipak.

12. Another key point of synergy is colour, this Drake digipak consists of three
main colours throughout the front and back cover and CD of the digipak.
Another example of synergy through colour is the Kooks digipak for
their album ‘Inside In Inside Out’ which consists of white, black and
red colouration similar to my own products. Furthermore like the
Drake digipak an extremely similar image is used on the front and
back cover, I feel I take synergy to the next level by using the same
image on the front and back cover with just slight variation. The
colouration
Through seeing synergy within professional work I felt it
necessary to produce a relationship between my products to
such a standard. Similarly to both Drake and The Kooks
examples given my magazine poster and digipak followed a
distinct pattern. Firstly the colour scheme of black, white and
red remained the same and furthermore the same distinct font
type was used throughout the products for both the name of
the band and name of the album/song. Furthermore the same
type of images, all featuring the band were seen across all
products in particular the exact same photograph on the front
and back cover of the digipak.

13. Another key aspect which created synergy between the main and ancillary texts is the
clothes worn by the band, on the day of filming the band scenes for the music video I was
able to use breaks in between scenes to shoot still images of the band for both the digipak
and magazine poster. The image on the magazine poster is easily recognisable from scenes
of the ‘To Anyone’ video. Furthermore the digipak front cover was shot in the same
location however on a park bench allowing a landscape shot, ideal for the shape of the
front cover, a faded version of this image was also used on the back cover of the digipak.
The clothes worn by the band helped to create synergy as all members of the band look
the same on each product alluding to the connection between the products providing
fluidity and synergy.

14. On reflection I must say I am extremely pleased with the products we as a group have produced, I think in the
short time frame we had we have done a superb job. I believe that all three of our products look very
professional and align with real market products. My personal favourite product is the video because of the
sheer effort that went into producing it, having to travel to central London various times in the freezing cold,
and transporting guitars and drum kits to rural areas however I think the effort was well worthwhile and I am
very proud of our pieces.
One piece of feedback which was particularly outstanding stated ‘I have never heard of The Crystal Whites but
your extremely professional products would entice me to listen or buy their music instantly’.