Digipack analysis

I chose Katy Perry as she is a huge player in the mainstream music market having many hits throughout her career. Therefore this 'Teenage dream' album digipack seemed appropriate.

Front:

The front cover of this digipack almost goes against conventions in the aspect of it being so plain and lacking in text. In fact, the only text is a parental advisory sticker. The pink cloud which Katy Perry is laid naked on reflects the albums name 'Teenage Dream' where your dreams are in the clouds and surreal and in one sense, out of reach from you and a little wild. Katy Perry will have probably been photo shopped in this photo to fit the stereotypical 'perfect' pop singing mould for most record labels. This colour scheme and the image of her being 'perfect' reflects the record labels ideology and them as an institution trying to give themselves a brand for producing the perfect popstar which always sells. The fact that the singer is only covered by a towel is also a sexy type of photo which teenagers obviously like and the record label acknowledges that.

Back:
The back of the digipack is fairly conventional with a very basic lay out using two coloured texts (Red and blue). These are easily visible across the pink clouds which flow from the front of the digipack.The barcode is clearly visible and is a necessity if it is to be sold, which of course is the predominant aim of the record label. The list of tracks can easily be seen due to contrasting coloured fonts. Red and Blue (Text colours) and both boyish colours and reflect the ideology of women wanting males in their teenage years to re enforce 'Teenage Dreams'. Another conventional element to the back of the digipack is the acknowledgments of making at the bottom under all the titles. The back and front of the digipack open out to create a spread out pink cloud which looks like candyfloss, a sugary sweet which teenagers associate with fun and fairs, stereotypical of teenagers.

Side:
The side compartment of this digipack connotes the idea of a perfect popstar again. No text, focusing only on the beauty of a naked woman holding one of her breasts almost teasing the male teenage audience and offering women the attraction of looking up to people who other teenage boys admire and like. Similarly to the front cover, Katy Perry has probably been photo shopped to look 'perfect' and had all blemishes cleared to appear to have perfect skin making her more desirable, the focus of the artists face also allows potential buyers to know who the album is made by which will narrow down who does and doesn't want to buy it automatically when browisng through albums on shops shelves.

CD Compartments:
Both CD'S are made to look like a doughnut and a lollipop. Again presenting the ideology behind a 'Teenage Dream' full of sweets and attractive women who look perfect.No text again allowing the message behind the visual on the CD's too attract you.These simple, yet effective designs attract the target audience and are very mainstream re presenting consumers with what they know and love. Although the CD's aren't a huge selling point they can make a difference if a consumer is undecided and looking through based purely on album designs and pictures. These pictures allow anyone passing by to take a good guess at this album being from the pop genre.

Ed Sheeran- Drunk effect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2fOum_KWQU
The effect used on 1 minute where a woman throws water off her hands which then cuts to Ed Sheeran on a bed in another room, i like this effect and may incorporate it into my video.

Digipack

Digipacks usually consist of a gate fold or book style paperboard or card outer binder with one or more plastic trays which hold a CD or DVD that's attached to the inside. The MPAC Group first owned the digipak trademark. Atlas Holdings owned rights to the digipak from 2010. CD Digipacks were first seen as limited edition products but improvements in CD production and CD packaging and printing techniques meant they were available at much lower prices and produced on a larger scale. The most common CD digipacks is the 4 panel digipack which opens like a book. 6 panel CD digipack's are also popular, providing a larger area for CD pictures and text about the CD. 8 panel and 10 panel CD digipack's are also on the market. 
Here is an image of a digipak:

Website home page brief and draft

Not only do i have to produce a digipak to accompany my music video, but a home page layout for the artist/s. The use of websites in modern times can dramatically increase thigns such as ticket sales which can be ordered, paid for and arranged delivery via the internet in minutes meaning increased convenience for consumers. Convenience is everything for the modern consumer who wants it at the clock of a finger without much effort. In particular teenagers, this age group pave the way for major changes in digitization and look online first instead of a directory book or go outside to find sources of information and contact. The home page to a website must be easy to follow to avoid viewers becoming lost or confused with how to get to what they want. Website's play a huge role on advertising and use synergy to cross promote artists/companies or products. Advertising is a key way to increase revenue of a company/artist and gains recognisation from the public. Links to twitter and/or Facebook also allow an instant connection to social networking sites which are used by millions of people who are in tune with mainstream music. Similarly to the digipak, this service can offer an outlook to consumers through clothing stores, videos and pictures uploaded, colour schemes and even style or size of text. All of which contribute towards the creation of an image or style conveyed from the artist through something as simple as a website. Similarly to the digipak, i also looked at existing home pages for artists to give me an idea and some inspiration for my own. I will be using Photoshop to manipulate the image of the home screen with all links indicated.

After looking at various website home pages and evaluating one, I modelled my page around Ed Sheeran's who i thought was the most effectvie for the genre of music i am targeting. It has a main focus of social media which dictates a lot of peoples opinions and thoughts on music. This is my first draft which I drew by hand:

Digipak brief

Another task i was set alongside creating a music video was to produce a digipak. Before i plan or create one, i chose to investigate some currently produced digipak's for artists on the market. This gave me inspiration for my own and gave me a model in parts to shape and develop one of my own. A digipak plays a big role in improving the name of an artist as not only is it a CD but a video and another digital media product associated with the artist. It plays a massive role in promoting the artist whilst selling records. The increase in globalisation means that demands for not only a CD but a digipak are on the increase. Not only the product, but the cover pictures and design can help to create and sell a brand/artist image which is wanted by the professional. Choice of photos, colours and designs all contribute to this as what an artist is doing/wearing can impact a stereotype attached to artists along with the style of music they create. I will be using Photoshop again to manipulate a product image which i will use for the digipak.

Andy Warhol

This is a famous picture from the post modern artist named Andy Warhol who created many paintings based around iconic items/products or people from different eras. This particular painting was based around Marilyn Monroe who was a key figure to media in the 50's. Other work includes a similar style of coke cans from modern years and a focus for both is on simulacrum with the boxes being an exact copy of one another with different colours on each. I particularly like this painting and tried re creating my own version of this for my digipack:

So much to do and so little people available!

As i prepare myself for more filming to get myself ahead in my coursework people cancel on me and prevent me getting more footage to build up my video and piece it together. Gets annoying but can't help peoples social lives, starting to consider making myself the main character but would it be too much to do?