Inspirational Cover

I also got inspiration from the Eminem album 'Curtain Call'. Although this album is not related with my genre it contradicts its Hip/Hop genre in many ways. For example this genre is known for vulgarity and excess however this cover is very basic with a simple concept. Also the costume in the Hip/Hop genre is generally based on baggy clothing and tracksuits. By doing this the artist has contradicted his own genre and created an album cover that may better fit in the R'n'B genre. I liked the concept of the stage from this album cover to use on my own. However I believe as it would be the artists first album I would prefer to have my artist on a bare stage without the roses as a prop. I also thought that it would be better to use a similar concept but have a close-up shop of the artist rather than a shot from the waste down.

Digipack on Cover Flow

Inspirational Cover

For my Digipak I looked at the usher album "My Way". The reason I choose usher to look at is because he is one of the worlds largest R'n'B artist who largely uses the stereotypical conventions of the genre. by looking at this cover i realised that the conventions for this genre is to have close ups of the artist. I also noticed that the lettering used is very elegant and sophisticated largely using the serif style font

Magazine Advert Analysis 2

In this image the artist is shown in front of a typical council estate. The fact that the artist is shown in front of the estate suggests that this shows the artists past. This could suggest that the artist is showing that he has moved on from his poor or hard life and he is now got past that and is moving on to his future. It also shows the artist looking back at the block of flats which could show that although his successes has moved him on from his previous life he still has not forgot about where he has come from. The image also shows the artist in a plain white t-shirt and baggy trousers with rosemary beads hanging out of his left pocket. This is traditional of the Hip/Hop genre that the artist is associated with as they are all fashion icons that are stereotypical of the Hip/Hop genre. The image also shows the arms and part of the artist’s neck being blacked out. This accompanied by the artist’s white t-shirt brings emphasis to the artist face. As he is a new artist this could be to make the artist more recognisable to a new audience and also establish the artist’s star image. The arms and neck of the artist have also been blacked out to give the effect of graffiti art. This also establishes the artist’s star image as it is further helping him to conform to the Hip/Hop genre.  

The colouring of the advert is in black and white. This has been done to emphasis the important parts of the advert such as the text, the artist and the building in the background. Also by using this colour scheme it makes the effect of the graffiti abundantly clear which continues the recurring urban, inner city theme. The brightness behind the artist also seems to increase to the right of the image. This could further show how the future of the artist seems to be bright and successful. The black and white theme has also been continued to the text. The advert shows white text in front of a black box. This has been done to make the text clearer whilst still keeping the main focus on the image of the artist.

The combination of all these factors shows an accurate interpretation of the artist. The advert is purposely untidy which gives an indication of the music that the audience should expect when listening to the artist. Also with the artist’s costume, setting and the effect of the graffiti clearly show that the artist is likely to belong to the Hip/Hop genre as all of these factors have key codes and conventions conform to the genre. It also shows through the use of the setting the artist may not have had the most privileged upbringing which could reflect on the artist’s music and his star image. Also the poster shows the featured artist’s on his album. As they all belong to the Hip/Hop or Grime genre this also suggests to the audience what the artist is like and what genre he belongs to.

The advert also has well known and obvious brands in the bottom right hand corner. This break from the them obviously shows to the audience where they can buy a copy of the artist’s album. The poster also shows a smaller image of the actual album that the poster is advertising. This makes it shows the audience what to look for when purchasing the album.

Magazine Advert Analysis

In this image the artist is faded in the background over a backdrop of New York City. This has been done to show the artist as the typical representation of a 20^th century gangster. The artist’s costume is not typical of the Hip/Hop genre as the artist is in a suit and tie which contradicts traditional Hip/Hop costumes which are usually of baggy clothing or tracksuits. However the smart dress wear that the artist wears reinforces the stereotype of a gangster as it shows a sign of wealth. This does conform to the traditional conventions of Hip/Hop as crime and displaying wealth is something that is usually associated with the Hip/Hop genre. The backdrop of New York City could be seen as a representation of the control and the power that the artist holds over the city. By showing this the artist seems to be boasting about his power which also conforms to the Hip/Hop genre as this type of arrogance is also associated with the Hip/Hop genre. This is supported by the intertextual references to the film `American Gangster` as the artist is representing the character Frank Lucas who, through corruption was highly influential in New York City. However as the artist is from Brooklyn, New York he may be showing his pride and support for his hometown which is also associated with this genre as many.

The colouring on this advert is black and white as the image has seemed to have been desaturated. This continues to create an intimidating theme over the image as the image is very dark. The connotations of the colour black and darker shades are that of death and sin this both supports the intimidating feel that the artist is trying to create and also to continue to support the artists attempt to be represented as a gangster. The colour red is also used to underline the title in this image. This brings attention to the title but also continues the theme of this advertisement. This is done through the connotations that the colour red represents which are connotations of blood danger and pain. This maintains the artists theme of intimidation and crime. Also the darker shades which show the artist combined with the faded effect given make him seem like a Benevolent, Godlike figure as the image of the artist is hovering over the city.

The design/layout of this advertisement is an accurate representation of his artist for a number of different reasons. One reason for why this advert it an accurate reflection of the artist is because he known for making many references to crime and the concept of a `gangster` in his music. Therefore the theme of this advertisement seems to be appropriate for such an artist. Also, the artist costume also has connotations of wealth and success. This being the artists 10^th solo and widely successful album makes him one of the most successful artists in his genre which is represented through this magazine advert.  

This advert is showing the release of the artist’s album. From the way that the artist is represented it shows that this album is likely to conform to the traditional Hip/Hop stereotype. It also suggests that this album is going to be similar to the artists other albums.   

Digipak Summary

I have decided to analysis these two digipak’s to give me an idea of the codes and conventions I should use for my own. I firstly analysed the digipak of Chris Brown’s album `F.A.M.E`. I did this to see the usual codes and conventions of an R&B album as that is the genre of my song. However after looking at other R&B albums such as Usher’s `My Way` it showed that Chris Browns digipak does not conform to the R&B genre. Due to the largely edited front cover this digipak conforms more to the Hip/Hop genre. This showed me that especially in recent years these two genres of music have become far more related. This helped me understand both the new and the old codes and conventions for the R&B genre. I also analysed Katy Perry’s `Teenage Dream` digipak. I did this to explore the codes and conventions of other genres of music. I did this to see if I could incorporate different genres into my digipak and to also make sure that I did not mistakenly design a digipak that does not fit the codes and conventions of my genre.      

DigiPack Analysis

_{The main image on the front cover of this digipack is a close up of the artist. This highlights the expression on the artist is showing to the audience which here seems to be a very serious and focused look. This could reflect the recent experiences that the artist has gone through, as he had previously been out casted from the public eye.  It could reflect the fact that this is the artist’s first fully focused project since his previous ordeal and he is showing that he has matured as an artist and as a person. There are also two separate images of the artist looking to the east and the west of the cover just above the artists shoulder.  This could be a symbol that the artist has different sides to his music and he has taken his traditional musical style which is upbeat and positive and mixing it with a new found darker and deeper side to his music. The two faces could also represent the artist’s conflict in conscience as one is a darker shade and the other is lighter. There are also a number of different smaller images on the front cover of the artist. This could show that this album is all about him and his musical ability and he is not depending on guest appearances to make the album a success. Furthermore the several different images of the artist could show the many different sides of his character and he is using this album to explore and reveal these many different sides. The back of the digipack shows the artist dressed in black in front of a blank background. The artist is shown in a long shot here which accompanied with his stance makes him seem powerful and in control.}      

_{To the left of the cover there seems to be a darker shadier colour which could be a representation of the darker side of the artist’s music. Also this accompanied with the fact that the image to the left is looking backwards suggests that the artist is looking back on his dark past and is looking to forget it and move on with his career. This is further symbolised by the lighter shades used on the right of the screen. Similarly this could be the artist’s way of showing that he is going to explore all sides of his music and this simply symbolises the lighter side of his music. However it could also be seen as the future for the artist being bright and positive.  The main image of the artist seems to show a spectrum like colouring on the artist as it shows a number of colours on the artists clothing. This may have been done to show how the two musical styles of the artist have been merged together. The colours also seem to get progressively lighter as you go from the left to the right of the cover. This could be in keeping with the theme of the cover that the artist is looking to put his darker past behind him and concentrate on his future projects’. The background of the front cover also conforms to the chaotic colouring system. This further supports the idea that the artist has many different variations to his character and to his music. The back of the Digipack is very basic as it just shows the artist dressed in black with a white shirt. The use of such bold colours continues to make the artist seem like a powerful in control figure and the use of such a plain background draws the audiences’ attention solely to the artist.}

_{The design of this digipak to some extent contradicts the style of the artist. Chris Browns albums have previously had a design that conformed to the traditional conventions of an R&B digipack. For example one of the artists previous works `Exclusive` showed the artist in a suit and tie with a background of the city with very little, clear artificial effects . This is typical of an R&B album cover as it makes the artist seem suave and sophisticated whereas this DigiPack seems to use clear computerised effects to bring attention to the colour contrast. Although this is not typical of a traditional R&B artist, as Chris Brown has progressed through his career it mirrors his own personal style. Through mirroring his own style it forces the digipack to conform more to the hip/hop genre as hip/hop album covers usually use these types of effects. For example the lettering for the title on the cover resembles graffiti art. This type of lettering is usually linked with rap or hip/hop albums as it gives the design a more rugged and gritty feel. The costume that the artist wears on the back of the digipak also goes against R&B conventions. The artist is wearing a suit which is traditional to the R&B genre as it is seen as smart and sophisticated clothing however the artist is also wearing a protective helmet which completely contrasts the conventions of the R&B genre.}       

_{The Digipack is laid out with the title at the bottom and a small signature of the artist in the bottom left corner. This creates a larger focus on both the title of the album but also on the images of the artist. This continues to conform to the theme that this album is fully focused on the artist and the many sides of his character. On the back of the Digipack the basic image and background draws the attention towards the track list.}

_{The name of this album is F.A.M.E which stands for Forgive All My Enemies. This would fit in with the theory that the artist is using this album to move on from his previous actions that showed him in a negative light with the media. This would be linked with the images on the front cover in the sense that the image to the right seems to be a metaphor for the artist leaving his past behind him and the image on the right being a metaphor for the artist looking ahead at his career in the future.}

_{Through the packing Chris Brown is promoted as an artist that has many sides to his character. It shows focused on his career and shows him as apologetic about his past as well as looking forward to proving himself in the future. This is backed up by the images on the front cover but also through the title the album. The lettering of the title also separates this artist from over artists in his genre.}     

Digipak Analysis

In this digipack the artist creates a feeling of innocence, as the digipack seems to have a candy theme based around it. This immediately creates a feel of naivety and innocents as these connotations are generally associated with the theme that the artist is displaying. This is shown on the front cover as the artist lays naked on a pink cloud. This further creates innocence as laying on a cloud shows heavenly connotations and makes the artist look like an angel. Also the pink cloud continues the theme of a `candy world` as the clouds are made to look similar as candy floss. This theme is maintained throughout the digipack as on the back it shows a close up of the artist again laying on a pink cloud. The image inside the digipack also continues the candy theme as the artist is leaning over a cake behind a blank background. This candy theme seems to be a consistent theme over her recent career as this is the basis of her `California Girls` music video and is also heavily featured in here teenage dream tour.

The artist is seen on a background, which is mainly coloured pink due to the cloud she is laying on. This colour has been chosen to create a feminine fell throughout the digipack which is further emphasised through the constant candy theme. This also continues to create an innocent, naive feeling to the digipak as pink has connotations of being a compassionate and nurturing colour.  On the actual two CD’s of this album the colours are red and white on one disc and pink and blue on the other. This, paired with the design of the discs reinforces the candy theme further as they are made to look like a doughnut and a candy cane. This continues to create a child-like innocence throughout the digipak.

This digipak in many ways accurately represents the style of the artist. One reason for why the design reflects the style of the artist is because she has used this theme before in the previously mentioned teenage dream tour and the music video California Girls music video. Also this artist is known for being eccentric and pushing the style boundaries’. This therefore would be suitable for this artist as creating a ‘candy world’ or ‘candyfornia’ as she named it would reflect the personality and style of this artist.

From the packaging it is clear to see that this artist belongs to the pop genre. This is shown through the bright colours used on the packaging and the innocence that is conveyed through this digipak as these are all common convention seen in pop music. Furthermore the eccentric nature of this packaging also conforms to the common stereotypes associated with pop. For example other artists that belong to this genre also have an eccentric style such as Madonna and Lady Gaga. Also the artist is shown as very glamorous on this digipak, which is also something that is typical in the conventions of pop music.

The way that the packing has been laid out suggests that this album is aiming to target a younger audience. Thus is shown through the simplicity of the packaging. The packaging is highly image based which suggests a younger audience unlike other digipak’s, which would include more text for the audience.

The title of this album is named teenage dream, which supports the idea that this album is aimed at a younger audience. This title is also linked with the image on the front cover in the as the image shows the artist laying on a cloud. This creates a ‘dreamy’ atmosphere, which also is linked with the title of the album.

Production Day 5

These are today’s whether condition’s that we have researched to see when the most appropriate time of day to film will be.

Today’s filming will consist of us going to Southbank at the beginning of the day as we film the flashback scenes from the date. We are planning to do this earlier in the day so that it is still daylight.

We will then be using a house in Wapping later on in the day to film the final scene of our video which is the scene that has the intertextual reference to love actually. We decided to film this in the early evening as we would prefer to film this scene when it is darker out.   

Production Day 4

Today we re-filmed the performance scene as the artist had know studied the lyrics. This time we decided to take an I-pod and an I-pod dock so that we could hear the song when watching it back to see if the miming is in sync with the song. As it was dark we decided to use well lit areas in the new location (Wapping) and a portable high powered light so that the audience can clearly see the artist. We also used this location to film the scene of realisation as the main artist decided to go back to the female lead.       

Placards

Placards

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Photostrip

This is the photostrip that we are going to use for our photo booth idea. We used our school theater to imitate  a real photo booth and then filmed the the two actors as whilst posing for a photo. We then print screened the film at the point of which a photo would have been taken. We then edited the photos using Adobe Illustrater so that they looked similar to a traditional photo strip. In our actual video we will add flashes at the appropriate time to imitate a photo booth.    

Ice-Rink Response

This is the second response we received from Westfield ice-rink. Unfortunately they could not meet our requests.    

E-mail to Canary Wharf Ice-Rink

This is another attempt at asking Canary Wharf ice-rink to use their premises. This time we have chosen a more detailed description of our request. 

Southbank Arcade Photo Booth

This is the email which we sent to the Southbank arcade in an attempt to get permission to use their photo booth. 

Response to Westfield Ice Rink

This is my response to westfield ice rink regarding their inquires over the details of our video