CD Artwork and Digipack's of Analysed Artists

I have found the CD artwork of the artists that I have previously analysed and I am now going to look at the way they're:

- Branded
- Imagery used
- Logo used
- Relevent Context

And as a result of this, I will create my presentation of how I plan to have my album artwork.

You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

I have always loved this album, as it is designed like a fairy tale and even the music video that I analysed is. The way that the 'prince' meets the 'princess', it's just so lovely. Taylor Swift doesn't really have much of logo, however during her concerts and on her platinum edition album of Fearless, she makes a heart with both hands: 

The name is extremely similar to Sara Bareilles', as they both connote the inability to be yourself and do what you want to and not to be scared of other people's thoughts. The colour of this album is very fairytale like, with the creaminess of the corset that Taylor is wearing on the back cover and there is a hint of browns within the album cover. The writing on most of the albums that i've chosen is mainly white on the front of it, so I think that's what i'll use for my text colour and then on the back of Taylor's album, the text is brown on a light cream background, which complements the picture of Taylor on the back next to the song names. This is what I could do for my album - choose the back colour scheme to fit with the image. 

The text seems to be the opposite to what the rest are: the artist name is in handwritten style text, yet the actual album title in clear and in capitals, which is strange as the rest of the albums that i've analysed are mainly the other way round, so I guess during the designing of my piece, I can choose.

The overall mood of this album is happy and positive, due to the warm colour scheme with the browns and creams. I like this effect, however I think I will go for more the colours of the forest that I filmed in, as it fits in with my video

Invisible Empire - KT Tunstall

KT Tunstall's Invisible Empire album is much different to her other albums, however she has grown as an artist and has made the album based on the passing of her father. I wouldn't say that she particular has a logo to brand herself, however on this album the main feature would be the colour and the environment, with the red and white stripes featuring in between her text and also on the actual CD, keeping a fluent, flowing range of colours throughout. I think the stripes link in with the whole 'warrior feeling' of the album, which is also shown in her music video, with links both the CD and the music video together, meaning that I could do that for my piece. The white and black is also apparent within her clothing that she has on, which again draws up another link.

The text that has been used is extremely simplistic and again, white. I think this is extremely ironic because the topic which she is singing about and basing her album around is very deep and complex, yet the front cover of the album and the text is rather simple. This may link to how laid back and well she is coping with the whole passing of her father and how this album will outline her thoughts and feelings clearly. The whole background of the album cover is really nice, as the front and back link together. This is much like a previous album that i've already made. The colour scheme and idea links together. I think KT's images that she's used show the nature of her reflection of events and how there is rather a lot of thoughts going on during her life. The text is also shown at a slight slant, much like it is done it italics. This is interesting, as I wouldn't have normally gone for the italic look for both the title and the sub title of the album, however it really works for this one. On the back cover, all of the song titles are shown at the bottom centre in quite a small font, bringing the main focus to KT's image. I really like the way this album has been done, as it's very simple and in a way, the simplicity does brand KT as a laid back artist would enjoys making music and isn't afraid to do so.

The sign/symbol that is branding this album would the stripes, however this isn't apparent through all of her albums, just this one. This shows that KT doesn't have a particlar sign to brand her music, however she has the ability to change the style of her artwork, depending on the style of her album which is a really nice idea. This would be a nice way to create my piece.

The tone of the album is quite 'breezy'. I don't know why I have described it like this, it just feels very laid back and reflective, which gives a lovely feel to the album. This is done through the use of the colours and the imagery that has been used on the album cover. The CD is also very simplistic, which allows the audience to just listen to the music and really take in what she has to say and the message that she is trying to get across.

Colbie Caillat - Bubbly

In Colbie's album 'Coco' there is a clear logo which is the flower. Colbie uses the flower on most of her album covers, which brands her as an artist. There are a range of different colours, however the front of the album seems to be very cooler, bright colours, yet the back and the CD seems to very warm colours. The whole album works very well together, with the the main colour being white on the front cover, with a range of teals, browns and yellows coming through from the text and the flower and also her skin tone and hair colour. The back cover is more browny colours, with hints of yellow coming through in the text (times of the songs). The white colour has been repeated within the song titles and the text which is on the spine. The flower is also apparent on the back of the album and also the CD. The CD however, is a completely different colour to the rest of the album colours, as it's red. There isn't red shown anywhere else. I think this really connotes the warmness of the album and the humble feel in which the songs create towards the target audience.

The text seems to be very personal, as it's more like handwriting with it being slightly curly and uneven. I do like this text, however I don't think i'd personally choose this. Although the rest of the songs that feature on my album will be very much love based, I think Colbie's songs are more acoustic and soft, which allows the text to complement the song style. My songs however are more rock/pop, probably linking in more with KT's text style.

The main background of the front and back cover is taken up by an image of Colbie and I think this add's to the innocent and humble feel to the album. I think I would like my album to have an image of me on the front and back, however I would like it to link together like the KT Tunstall album, much like an image of me on the front facing the camera in the woods and the back cover an image of me facing away and walking away like I do in the end of my video.

The overal mood of the album is very 'warm' and inviting, leading to her fan base and target audience wanting to buy the album.

I think the front cover links more to the music video that I analysed, so there is a link shown between one of the songs on the album and the whole album.

The Blessed Unrest - Sara Bareilles



This album links directly to the video I think, as Sara is shown being 'Brave' in her album, linking in with the music video that I analysed. This shows that almost all of the albums that I have analysed show a link between the album and the music video. There isn't a clear logo that is shown on this album, or in any of her other albums, so I guess her logo is just herself, as she appears on the front of every one of her albums. The colour of the album links very well with my product, as some of my music video is in black and white, linking my research in with my product. 'The Blessed Unrest' is a really nice name for this album, as it connotes that people shouldn't rest and they should go out and conquer their dreams, much like my album is like as I call it 'My New Dreams' and also it links in very well with the video that I analysed 'Brave'. The imagery that is used is very similar to the KT and Colbie album because all of the artists have featured on the front and the back cover, which I think is particularly nice. Sara's album however links in more with KT's, as the front and back do have a link, as the net that is shown on the front cover is also shown on the back cover. I like the idea that the both sides should link.

The text is really a mixture between straight forward and handwritten, much like a mix between KT and Colbie's albums texts. I like this, as her target audience is able to be clear that it is her music, however the personal feel is brought into it through the use of the handwritten typography style. Now that I see a link between them both and not just one or the other, I like the way they work together and I think this could be an option for my album.

Although the colours of the album are quite dark and mysterious, with the use of the black and white and the contrast, I think the overall tone and mood of the album is particularly positive, as Sara is shown smiling on the album front cover and an expression of reflection is shown on her face on the back cover, which is quite nice. The bottom picture shows part of the digipack and there is an image of Sara walking along a tightrope  possibly trying to imply to her target audience that they should be 'Brave' and go out and be who they want to be. 

Please Don't Say You Love Me - Gabrielle Aplin

I absolutely love this album the most. I think it is beautiful. There isn't a clear logo that can be identified from this album, as it is her first album, however I think her 'brand' is basically herself and her songwriting skills. I love the connotations that come of the album, as it is named 'English Rain' and Gabrielle is shown on a beach in black and white, however the only thing in colour is her umbrella. This highlights that although the English weather is bleak where she lives, it is her hometown and there are bright aspects to the 'English Rain'. This is the most artistic album that i've analysed so far, with the imagery of herself and then the colourful umbrella and the back of the album cover just showing an arrangement of colourful flowers, which is very unique and unusual. The use of the black and white really links in well with my work, as my narrative scenes appear in black and white, which is good as there is a link between her album and my work. On the other hand, her album is different to the previous 4 albums that i've analysed, as she doesn't appear on the front and back cover, which is unusual for this genre, however I think I will be going for the look that I appear on both covers and they link together, as that what the majority of this genre and research has shown and I love the idea of it. 

The text is extremely similar to Sara's album as title and the artist name is shown in exactly the same way and a similar text. I do like this idea as it brings a sense of personality into the album, as the album title does look hand written, which I think is unique to this genre as most of the artists within it do write their own music and lyrics, so it all links in great with my piece.

As I mentioned previously, the use of the black and white and then the colourful umbrella does bring out a happy side to the bleak weather and I think that the overall tone of this album is cheery and unique. I think this because Gabrielle isn't shown to be unhappy on the front cover and also not in the digipak. I really do like the digipak and it was a similar idea to what I had in mind for my album, to show images of me doing gigs and playing my guitar. The Taylor Swift album also includes lyrics within her digipak like Gabrielle does.

Components of a CD

Before I design my CD and digipak, I want to see how they all work and what is actually involved in the process of making these. This website tells you a step by step guide on how to create a digipak, with a range of materials and images: How To Make A Digipak

CD digipack's can come in all different sizes and include many different components. You can have a simple one with just a CD and a 1 page digipak, where nothing opens up:

However, you can go for a more adventurous idea with an 8 panel, 4 tray digipak but this is when you'd have 4 CD's, so could use this for like a reunion album or something:

I think i'd rather go for the more normal digipak, with a 1 CD tray and a 6-8 page digipak, including different images etc, depending on the research that I do into my chosen genre. This website explains more on the type of CD's that you can get: Disc Factory

This is the kind of thing that I was meaning. A normal approach to a cd, however with an added digipak inside:

I think that this research shows a strong development from AS to A2 because now I am focusing on how components of things actually work, rather than just being told how they work. This shows that I am developing my research skills, enabling me to be more independent and show a better understanding of how pieces of the industry work. 

Action Plan

Well, I have just found a fantastic link on Mr Earl's blog to get CD covers and digipaks! Mega Search

I will certainly be using this for my research!

So, I do have an action plan, with different things that i'd like to complete. After receiving feedback from my rough music video edit, I am now planning on making my next shoot to focus on the narrative and make it feel more coherent. I was told that the colour parts of my singing in the woods should act as a commentary on the narrative, but the narrative should be more flowing and follow a continuous root in a way. I think this would be easy enough to do, however i'd have to film my black and white parts again as I couldn't swap and change locations like I did before. I was told that I should do this to develop the audience's engagement more so they're left questioning:

- Why should we care able the girl? 
- Why should we want to watch her story again

The pre-production planning and branding development needs to be finished by September, so this is my first focus.

By Tuesday 10th September I will make sure that I have researched the components that make up a CD, to gain a better understanding of how they work before I design it. 

By Friday 13th September I will have a clear plan drawn up of what I will need to film and how I will make the narrative flow.

As we haven't yet started the Brand Development in class, I will analyse the Digipacks of the artists that I have looked at because I know have the website which gives me access to those. I will do this by Friday 20th September.

By Tuesday 24th September I will have looked at the pictures that I had taken whilst I was shooting my rough music video and from my research I will decide how to have my album cover and digipack, whether it be an image from the main single or not, it will all depend on my research.

By Sunday 29th September, I will make sure that I have sufficient information on my blog about links to both parts of the exam, section A and B. I will also have completed my research into magazine adverts that are promoting CD's. I have found a great website on Mr Earl's blog for this as well.

After my plan is made, I will start to think about location scouting, borrowing a HD camera, looking at different props that I made and outfits etc. This will be done by the very latest, Friday 11th October. This will give me plenty of time to get my music video edited and filmed as I have already got the main bulk of my video filmed already. I will also make sure that I have a storyboard up on my blog by the 11th as well.

After everything is complete, I will make sure that I have a call sheet for Joanne Dowson, my camera operator, explaining how I would like my shots filmed and how I would like the Depth of Field. This will hopefully be done by Saturday 12th October. 

Throughout these steps, I will ensure that I link back to the exam and talk about how I have developed from AS to A2 in terms of the skills that I have picked up over the year.

Comparisons and How I've Applied My Research

So, from my research to filming my rough music video, there are numerous comparisons that I can make between the artists and music videos that I focussed on and my own piece that I produced. 

I don't think there is that much to compare between You Belong With Me and my piece, as Taylor's video was very much a long story with an ongoing storyline throughout, however once I shoot my final piece, I will have more of an ongoing storyline which will link in well with her video. I don't think i'll go with the style that she sings during the narrative. Although there isn't much I could compare it with, there is something actually. Taylor plays all of the roles of the girl, including the sweet innocent 'girl next door', the 'evil girlfriend' and the singer and I also play the singer and the 'rebellious teenager'. 

This is extremely hard to play different roles, as you have to change your acting style, however I really enjoyed playing two different roles within my video.

I previously had the idea to show the narrative in black and white and also the jewellery box, however it just so happened that actually KT Tunstall's acoustic video Invisible Empire also allowed me to link it in with my research. I absolutely loved the way that was shot and the black and white effect worked so well with the guitar and it really allowed the audience to focus on the lyrics. As I mentioned in a previous post, the black and white in KT's video links with the mourning/sadness of her fathers death, however there is a similar kind of feel to mine with the rebellious teenage doing things she shouldn't and regretting it, showing the audience that she isn't in a great place due to the darkness of it all. At the start, I find the jewellery box looks quite ironic in the black and white theme because those kind of jewellery boxes link to children and innocence, and this is totally contradicted throughout my video. I really wanted to go for this effect as the start of the song does start off quite 'ghost-like/horror film style', yet it links to a merry-go-round/jewellery box and it works really well I think. So yes, the black and white effect was slightly influenced by the KT Tunstall video.

Then my video works well in black and white:

Another part of my video was highly influenced by KT's video and this was the CU of the guitar strumming. I did film a lot more of this as I really loved the way that it was filmed in KT's, however there wasn't really anywhere else that I could use it effectively. I just love the how the focus is on her hand as she changed her chords:

Although I didn't use black and white, I do use a CU:

Along with Colbie Caillat's video, Gabrielle Aplin's video Please Don't Say You Love Me really influenced the poppy field scene, as I really enjoyed both of the scenes in their music videos. I think it gave the video a very 'pretty' feel in a way and I have also always wanted to film in a corn/poppy field. It sounds strange, but it's always been on my to do list!

Colbie's field shots influenced me a lot more because she was playing guitar and I really liked the way the shots jumped from different shots/angles, such as LS to CU, which I tried to replicate. The thing that I really liked in Gabrielle's was the lens flares from the sun, however I wasn't able to create those, yet I still got the same 'warm sunset feel' to my video. Although Colbie doesn't the play the guitar standing up in the field like I do, the whole standing up and playing the guitar was influenced by KT's video.

This is the part of Colbie's video that influenced my the most:

These are the parts of Gabrielle's video that influenced me the most:

 This is how they both influenced me:

In terms of Sara's video Brave, I think that rather than the music video as a whole, the actual deeper meaning of the song related more to my music video. Her's was all about being 'brave' and being yourself and being afraid to do so and my music video was all about 'reaching out' and not being afraid to talk to others about problems that you've never shared before, because it's ok to do that. Linking to the music video, I think the different shots were similar more than anything. Much like the influence from Colbie's video, the use of the different CU's/LS's influenced me the most from Sara's video, as it just varied the video throughout.

So, overall, my research has been highly successful and has really managed to influence me for my rough edit and my final piece.