Research and planning: Generic conventions and analysing exisiting digipaks

Generic conventions and analysing existing digipaks

Purpose 

• Marketing tool that sells/promotes the album
• Displays indirect information such as the ideologies of the artist
• Creates, adapts or feeds into the representation of the 'star image'
• A product to keep hold of, can be a collectors item
• Attract a particular target audience
• Buy into artist lifestyle and ideas
• An everlasting product that will symbolise the artist and the album. 
• Form of synergy- advertising and promotion
• Creates a relationship between the artist and audience

What are the generic conventions? 

The generic conventions of a digipak includes: 

• Artist image
• Tracklist 
• Parental advisory label
• Record label
• Barcode 
• Album title 
• Company details
• Critical sticker

Analyse two examples that are similar to your genre/artist

Ideas we will also use:

- Make the artist appealing to the popular culture and subcultures, so she can appeal to  a mass audience
- Include sub images that are similar to the main image, and evoke similar/same themes.
- Ensure the layout is neat with the text neatly placed next to the main image
- Make the title of the album suitable by making it link with the main image and themes.
- Include conventional information, such as the artist name, album title, main image, barcode, small print regarding the production company, parental advisory label if necessary.

How has this research given your group ideas on what to include in your digipak? 

This research has been extremely beneficial to our planning process as we now have a clearer understanding regarding digipaks as we are able to identify their purpose which is that they are a marketing tool used to sell and promote the album to the audience and are what determines the successful of the album as the audience use this as an indication when deciding whether to purchase the album or not. We have also dissevered what the generic conventions of digi-paks are. As a result, we will be following the generic conventions in order to secure the success of our digi-pak, ensuring that it looks professional and can be portrayed in this way by the audience, encouraging them to buy the product. After analysing the existing products from similar artists to ours, we have identified that these digi-paks consistently use dark colours and simple yet important information that the audience should be aware of. It is also important to ensure that the four images used are similar, to maintain consistence throughout. Similarly, when creating our digi-pak we will also use dark colours to promote the dark mood and unique persona of the artist, and only include relevant information to prevent boring the audience. By following generic conventions and being influenced by digi-paks from similar artists/genres we are hoping the digi-pak we create is relevant and successful drawing the audience in to buy the album. 

Research and planning: Generic conventions and analysing existing adverts

Generic conventions and analysing existing adverts

Purpose 

• Includes key information such as release dates for the audience to be aware of
• Promotes the album for the artist
• A form of synergy to promote the artist and album
• Reminds the audience of the artists existence and the album, especially if they are an artist who is not regularly in the public eye, for example, Michael Buble, who only creates an album every christmas, therefore the advert is a reminder for the audience. 

What are the generic conventions? 

• Album title 
• Artist name 
• Release date
• Key singles
• Where you can buy and stream 
• artist image 
• parental advisory logo if required. 

Analyse three examples that are similar to your genre/artist

Ideas we intend on using: 

• Keep the information simple, yet ensure all relevant information is included.
• Simple language to avoid confusion or difficulty.
• Bold and large typography to make it appealing.
• Low key lighting to create a mysterious atmosphere. 
• Medium, close up shot of the artist who shoes little emotion for the main image of the advert to get the audiences attention.
• Neat and structured layout that makes the advert look more appealing .
• No use of sub images as it could make the advert look tacky or create confusion for the audience.
• Popular culture: Make it appealing to the masses by making it modern and giving it an urban look.
• Star motifs: We will present the artist as promoting her values and beliefs through her image and body language. 
• Portray the artist as mysterious by through dark and unique costume, hair and makeup, evoking suspense from the audience.

How has this research given your group ideas on what to include in your advert? 

This reseach has been beneficial for my group and I as we are now clear on how an advert should be portrayed to and audience and what is included within an advert to ensure the artists newest album receives ultimate success. We are also aware of the importance of an advert as it is form of synergy that advertises and promotes the album to the audience before the album is released. Therefore, it is almost like a taster of the final product. As a result, it is important to make an advert stand out to a mass audience to ensure they are intrugued and they await impatiently for the album. We have decided that we are going to follow generic conventions to ensure our advert meets the audiences needs and make it suitable to our target audience through the way in which we portray the information, the colours we use and the layout of the advert. Like the existing adverts we analysed, we will also use dark colours revolving our main image as it is more effective and creates tension and suspense which is what we want our audience to experience when they read the advert. 

Research and planning: Drafts of adverts

Drafts of adverts

After identifying the details associated with our music video and advert, such as the artist name, album title, key singles and generic conventions associated with the advert, we created drafts of our advert. This allowed us to make numerous changes after receiving feedback from our target audience, making the final advert effective and suitable to meet the target audiences standards, encouraging them to build tension and awareness of the albums existence, allowing them to buy it as a result. We identified the importance of a advert, which is the fact that it is exposed to a mass audience and is used to encouraged them to buy the product. Therefore, we understand that the presentation of it and use of conventions are vital in ensuring the album and artist's success.


Draft 1: 

Analyse your use of conventions using PEER

• I have included an image of the main artist who is not facing the camera, instead she is looking away wearing all black which is captured through a medium close up shot. This is conventional as it makes the artist look mysterious and unknown to the audience. 
• Low key lighting and dark colours including reds and blacks have been used on the advert to reflect the dark and mysterious atmosphere and mood. This is conventional as it encourages the audience to want to find our more, making them want to buy the album. 
• The mysterious nature is further reinforced through the typography which differs and contrasts with the dark colours as it is white promoting the artists innocence and vulnerability. This is also conventional as it is expected for the typography to reflect the mood and the artists persona through the colours and shapes. 
• The overall layout is neat and consistent as the information is spaced out revolving the main image. This is conventional as it draws in the audience to the advert. The layout is also simple as it only includes simple information. 
• The information I have included on the advert includes the name of the artist in the top left corner, key singles, the album name, the release date, the artist name, and a parental advisory lyrics label. I have only included relevant information on the advert to  make the audience aware of the details, however, I have prevented over complicating the advert to avoid confusion or misunderstanding. 
• The language I have used is simple and lacks formality as I want the audience to be  able to relate to the album and artist and be able to understand that it is aimed at them which is conventional as the information should reflect the audience and their social class. 
• There are no sub images added to avoid confusion. 
• Adorno and popular culture- The advert follows hegemony through the information, as the advert generally follows conventions to appeal to a mass audience, however, the image of the artist resits conventions as the female artist is dresses as a character and does not look relatable to the target audience or like a role model. According to Adorno's popular culture theory, the advert is targeted at 'The masses' as the genres within the album include alternative R&B, hip hop and electronic which is not appealing to the 'bourgeoisie', also, the advert reflects this through its modern and urban look. 
• Through this advert, NYX is promoting her differing ideologies and values as she is dressed against conventions which is supported by her body language. 

Audience feedback- Luke- 20

• What do you like about it?

- Includes most the literal information
- Like the typography of the album name
- Like the typography of the artist name

• What did you not like about it? 

- The artist looks lost in the image
- The lighting is not effective

• How can it be improved?

- The shape of the advert should not be square, therefore, should be looked at.

- Lighting needs to be improved

- The layout needs to be improved

Draft  2

Analyse your use of conventions using PEER

• I have included an image of the main artist who is not facing the camera, instead she is looking away wearing all black which is captured through a medium shot. This is conventional as it makes the artist look mysterious and  unknown to the audience. 
• Low key lighting and dark colours including black and purple have been used on the advert with a blurry effect overpowering it, to reflect the dark and mysterious atmosphere and mood. This is conventional as it encourages the audience to want to find our more, making them want to buy the album. 
• The mysterious nature is further reinforced through the typography which is in black, bold font. This is also conventional as it is expected for the typography to reflect the mood and the artists persona through the colours and shapes. 
• The overall layout is neat and consistent as the information is spaced out revolving the main image. This is conventional as it draws in the audience to the advert. The layout is also simple as it only includes simple yet relevant information. 
• The information I have included on the advert includes the name of the artist in the top right corner under the main title, key singles, the album name, the release date, the artist name, and download availabilities. I have included little information to ensure I do not confuse the audience, and to promote the most important information to them. 
• The language I have used is simple and lacks formality as I want the audience to be  able to relate to the album and artist and be able to understand that it is aimed at them which is conventional as the information should reflect the audience and their social class. 
• There are no sub images added to avoid confusion. 
• Adorno and popular culture- The advert follows hegemony through the information, as the advert generally follows conventions to appeal to a mass audience, however, the image of the artist resits conventions as the female artist is dresses as a character and does not look relatable to the target audience or like a role model. According to Adorno's popular culture theory, the advert is targeted at 'The masses' as the genres within the album include alternative R&B, hip hop and electronic which is not appealing to the 'bourgeoisie', also, the advert reflects this through its modern and urban look. 
• Through this advert, NYX is promoting her differing ideologies and values as she is dressed against conventions which is supported by her body language. 

Audience feedback- Gemma: 21 

• What do you like about it?

- Includes most the relevant information
- Like the typography 
- Like the colour scheme 

• What did you not like about it? 

- The artist looks lost in the image
- The The filter used on the artist distorts star status

• How can it be improved?

- Clearer image of the artist 
- Name of the artist should be clearer 
- The layout  should be organised better


Draft 3:

Audience feedback- James: 20

Strengths:

- Image is photo shopped well
- All the key information has been included and clearly laid out 
- Looks consistent with the digipak 
- Background works well with the main image

Weaknesses:

- Add (") around the key singles

- The typography other than the title and artist name needs work 

- The background should have more effects. 


Draft 4:

Audience feedback: Linda- 21

Strengths:

- All the key information has been included
- The layout is neat and works well 
- Looks consistent with the digipak 

Weaknesses:

- The typography for the date needs to be changed
- The typography for the 'Available to download' also needs to be changed.

- The background should be darker to reinforce the dark atmosphere. 
- Try to make the edges around the main image smoother. 

Conclusion: 

Overall, the drafting process has been extremely beneficial for my group and I as we have managed to create our final advert as a result of the feedback we have received along the way. This feedback has encouraged us to make the key changes that are necessary in order to make our final advert conventional to the genre and consistent with our music video and digipak. Some of the main changes we made were changing the main image in order to make it as effective as possible and promote the star image of the artist in an efficient way. Moreover, we also changed the background making it more mysterious, rather than overtly dark taking the attention away from the artist. Other minor changes included the typography and the information included on the advert. Without drafting it would have put us at a disadvantage as we would not have any feedback to work from, resulting in us creating an advert that could potentially lack reflecting it's genre and potential target audience.  

Research and planning: Drafts of digipak

Drafts of digipak

After identfiying the details associated with our music video and digipak, such as the artist name, album title, track list, generic conventions associated with a digipak, we created drafts of our digipak. This allowed us to be creative, and receive feedback from our target audience, allowing us to make the suitable changes, making the final digipak suitable to meet the target audiences standards, drawing them to want to purchase the album as a result. We identified the importance of a digipak, as the presentation of it and use of conventions are vital in ensuring the album and artist's success.

Draft 1:

Analyse your use of conventions using PEER

• I have included an image of the main artist on each cover who is looking away from the camera, she is wearing all black which is captured through a medium close up shots and medium shots. This is conventional as it makes the artist look mysterious and unknown to the audience. 

• The title of the album is 'Reaction' which highlights the differing nature of the album and artist which will evoke a reaction from the audience.

• Low key lighting and dark colours including reds, purples  and blacks have been used on the each cover to reflect the dark and mysterious atmosphere and mood. This is conventional as it encourages the audience to want to find our more, making them want to buy the album. 

• The mysterious nature is further reinforced through the typography which differs and contrasts with the dark colours as it is white promoting the artists innocence and vulnerability. This is also conventional as it is expected for the typography to reflect the mood and the artists persona through the colours and shapes. 

• The overall layout is neat and consistent as the information is spaced out revolving the main image. This is conventional as it draws in the audience to the digipak. The layout is also simple as it only includes simple information. 

• The information I have included on the digipak includes the title of the album on each cover expect the inside cover which is simply of the artist, in order to reinforce the name allowing the audience to memorise it. On the back cover however, there is a list of singles that will be on the album, a barcode and a parental advisory lyrics label. 
• The language I have used is simple and lacks formality as I want the audience to be  able to relate to the album and artist and be able to understand that it is aimed at them which is conventional as the information should reflect the audience and their social class. 

• The sub images I have included on the covers also promote the artists unique nature as she is looking away from the camera and is intrigued in her activity. 

• Adorno and popular culture- The digipak goes against hegemony as it goes against conventions appealing more to a niche audience. The images of the artist also resits conventions as the female artist is dressed as a character and does not look relatable to the target audience or like a role model. According to Adorno's popular culture theory, the digipak is targeted at 'The masses' as the genres within the album include alternative R&B, hip hop and electronic which is not appealing to the 'bourgeoise', also, the digpak reflects this through its modern and urban look. 

• Through this digipak, NYX is promoting her differing ideologies and values as she is dressed against conventions which is supported by her body language. 

• Hebdige's subcultres : The digipak goes against hegemony suggesting that it may not appeal to a mainstream audience due to the dark mood created through the dark colours. 

Audience Feedback: Katie- 19

What do you like about it?

• Front cover

- The title is clear 
- Looks consistent to the rest of the campaign 
- Artist image is relatively clear 

• Back cover

- The image is complementary of the front cover 

- Most of the conventions are evident 

• Inside cover

- Edited well, enhancing the star image. Consider using the same editing technique on all the covers

• CD insert

- Good image, all images work well with eachother

What did you not like about it?

• Front cover

- The artist looks lost within the image
- The lighting is to dark 

• Back cover

- The artist looks lost in the image and therefore the star image needs to be enhanced

• CD insert

- The artist looks upset in the image, so consider changing the image.
- The editing technique looks different to the one used on the inside cover and the one used on the inside cover should be the one you go with. 

How can it be improved?

• Front cover

- The artists name needs to be put onto the front cover
- The layout of the title and spacing needs to be reconsidered 
- Parental advisory logo should be put onto the front 

Back cover

- The title does not need to be repeated onto the back cover 
- Typography of the songs should be consistent with the tile 
- One more song should be added to the track list 
- Production details need to be added onto the back cover

CD insert

- The title does not need to be included on the CD cover


Draft 2:

Analyse your use of conventions using PEER

• I have included an image of the main artist on each cover wearing all black which is captured through a medium close up shots, medium shots and medium long shots. This is conventional as it makes the artist look 

• The title of the album is 'Reaction' which highlights the differing nature of the album and artist which will evoke a reaction from the audience.

• Dark colours including purples and blacks have been used on the each cover to reflect the dark and mysterious atmosphere and mood. This is conventional as it encourages the audience to want to find our more, making them want to buy the album. 

• The mysterious nature is further reinforced through the white, bold typography which differs and contrasts with the dark colours as it promotes the artists innocence and vulnerability. This is also conventional as it is expected for the typography to reflect the mood and the artists persona through the colours and shapes. 

• The overall layout is neat and consistent as the information is spaced out revolving the main image. This is conventional as it draws in the audience to the digipak. The layout is also simple as it only includes the vital information that is necessary. 

• The information I have included on the digipak includes various images of the artist, the title of the album on the front cover, the artist name on all covers in order to reinforce the artist's name allowing the audience to memorise it. On the back cover however, there is a list of singles that will be on the album, a barcode, production details and a parental advisory lyrics label. 

• The language I have used is simple and lacks formality as I want the audience to be able to relate to the album and artist and be able to understand that it is aimed at them which is conventional as the information should reflect the audience and their social class. 

• The sub images I have included on the covers also promote the artists unique nature as she is looking away from the camera in most images and is intrigued in her activity. 

• Adorno and popular culture- The digipak goes against hegemony in a way as it fails to appeal to a mass audience as it goes against some conventions. According to Adorno's popular culture theory, the digipak is targeted at 'The masses' as the genres within the album include alternative R&B, hip hop and electronic which is not appealing to the 'bourgeoise', also, the digipak reflects this through its modern and urban look. 

• Through this digipak, NYX is promoting her differing ideologies and values as she is dressed against conventions. 

• Hebdige's subcultres : The digipak goes against hegemony suggesting that it may not appeal to a mainstream audience due to the mysterious mood that is created through the dark backgorunds. 

Audience Feedback: Amy- 20

• Strengths: 

- Clear consistency among all panels

- Good use of image manipulation

- Artist representation is good

• Weaknesses: 

- Bit of an artist overload

- Inside panel should outline name with more images of artist

- Parental advisory logo to be placed elsewhere

- Production information should be added

- Consider removing name from the back 

Draft 3:

Audience feedback: Sam: 21

Strengths: 

- All panels are consistent and reflective of one another

- Good use of image manipulation

- The artist has been represented in a clever way as she poses differerently. 

- I like the way the inside image is portrayed in an effective way as the artist name is made up of a collage of images of the artist. 

Weaknesses: 

- Inside panel should outline name with more images of artist

- Consider removing name from the back cover and CD insert cover.

- The skeleton should be changed, with a different colour of effect placed on it. 

Conclusion:

The drafting process has allowed us to create our final digipak which has been due to us receiving numerous feedback on each draft, and applying the changes to each cover in order to make it as effective and conventional as possible. Some of the main changes we made included the images we took of the artist, as we realised that the images we took were too dark and did not enhance the star image to the standard that was necessary. We also changed the background of each panel to make it more mysterious and effective. Other changes included us changing the typography to make it complement the images, and changing the layout to make it more professional and efficient. Without the drafting process, we may not have been able to make our product as effective due to not understanding or identifying small things that has an impact on the quality of the digipak.