RESEARCH & PLANNING- DIGIPAK: DRAFTS OF DIGIPAK

RESEARCH AND PLANNING DIGIPAK: DRAFTS OF DIGIPAK

Introduction:

After researching into generic conventions of a digipak and looking at specific indie products, we have come up with a digipak design, which would fulfill the audiences’ expectation and fit with our overall campaign. In order to create a successful product our digipak underwent the drafting process, which allowed us to constantly receive feedback on our work and improve. We received feedback from the supposed target audience, in order to meet their expectation and sell well, as well as other media students who have an accurate idea of what is required for the product. This allowed us to create a successful product which is fit for purpose.

DRAFT 1

Analysing the use of Conventions:

• ·         We have included the image of our main artist on the cover of the digipak. She is looking away from the camera. The medium close up shows the side of artist’s face, which is conventional as it makes the singer look mysterious and unknown to the audience rather than glamourises her. The image is also professionally edited as it is grey on a white background and a smoke effects is applied on the picture of the artist. This is conventional because the white backgrounds allow the image to stands out and the smoke effect representing the abuse of substances as well, as how these drugs consume her, which the audience can relate to. In addition, the manipulation of the image is common among the indie genre because niche artist do not try to sell their image but can be unique. The smoke fits the theme of drugs.
•  
• ·         The title of the album is ‘China White’ which is located on the bottom right corner of the cover, on top of the CD as well as the spine of the album. The one on the album cover is bold and black representing the bad side of artist. Whereas, the one on top on the CD and on the spine is in white with a black background. This represents the good life of the artist and shows consistency of our work. Moreover, the artist name, Sarsha, is placed on the album cover, on the CD and after the quote. The one on the cover is in white with black shadows symbolising the good side of the artist and foreshadowing her depression and substance abuse.  The name of our album is less obvious and foreshadows drugs, which relates to all the songs on the album.
•  
• ·         The main colours we used in our album are black, white and light grey. We believe that these colours complement each other as well as conventional for the Alternative/Jazz genre. We also chose these colours because they connote the struggle between the ‘good & evil’ as well as provoking mysteriousness for the audience. The grey smoke also works well with the theme of drugs.
•  
• ·         The mysterious nature is further reinforced through the typography which differs and contrast with the background. The white colour promotes the artist innocence and vulnerability, whereas the black colour representing the lonely and depressed side of the main artist.  We believe that the use of typography and colours are conventional because it reflects the mood and the artist persona through the colours and shapes.
•  
• ·         The overall layout is neat and consistent as the information are spaced out revolving the main image. Also the use of the smoke effect will be seen on the outside of the album, whereas the CD and the quote of the main artist will be will be located on the inside of the digipak. This is conventional as it draws in the audience to the digipak and allows some contrast.
•  
• ·         The information we have included in our digipak are the title of the album, the artist name, the company details and the barcode. This is necessary information and legally every product needs to have the manufacturer name and barcode.
•  
• ·         The language we have utilised is simple and formal, as we want the audience to be able to relate to the main artist and the maturity of the issues the artist is surrounded by.
•  
• ·         We did not include sub images, instead we corporate a quote from the main artist to promote her ideologies and persona to the audience who mainly fights with drugs and alcohol on a daily basis as well as people who struggle with other personal issues.  We believe that this is conventional because we are not only promoting the main artist as a successful and happy figure but show her problems and difficulties thus allowing the audience to feel familiar with her.
•  
• ·         The digipak would appeal to subcultures, which supports Hebdige’s theory. This is because it has a unique and unusual design, especially with the smoke manipulation. The artist has a distorted face which doesn’t place her at the centre of attention, unlike artist from popular culture. In mainstream music the artists are often the centre of attention and try to ‘lure’ audiences and sell their music through looks. However, by making the smoke the main look of our digipak we are more likely to appeal to subcultures who reject the mainstream values (hegemony) because our product does not follow the mainstream culture.
•  
• ·         According to Dyer the star should be ordinary and extraordinary and should have own character and personality in order to allow the audience to feel familiar and connect to them. Sarsha has a sense of familiarity due to her struggles, which draws in audiences.

Audience Feedback:

What do you like about it?

Front Cover:

• ·         Excellent manipulation of image, especially on the front cover
• ·         The use of font is appropriate to the genre and consistent throughout the product. It is also easy to read
• ·         The predominant grey reflects the genre and theme of the product well

Back Cover:

• ·         Clearly consistent with the front cover
• ·         There is relevant information about the distributors and it includes all necessary information, including the copyright formation.

The Inside:

• ·         The quote helps to make the artist familiar and allows the consumer to connect with her, despite she’s an upcoming artist.
• ·         The colours work well alongside the CD
• ·         There is font consistency.

The CD:

• ·         Has relevant information
• ·         Compliments the inside
• ·         The font is consistent

What do you dislike about it?

Front Cover:

• ·         The image resolution is not as sharp as it could have been.
• ·         It is a bit too bright, I think a darker shade would work more effectively due to the daunting theme of the product

Back Cover:

• ·         Similarly, to the front cover, the back should be a bit darker

The Inside:

• ·         The inside looks a bit empty. I would recommend adding a small image to make it look fuller and complete
• ·         The signature is hard to read and doesn’t look authentic.
• ·         Considering adding some smoke for a more consistent look

The CD:

• ·         I would add some smoke too in order to show more consistency

Further action plan:

From the feedback we have received we plan to do the following in order to improve:

Front Cover:

• ·         We will recreate the digipak on Photoshop for a better resolution
• ·         In Photoshop we will be able to manipulate the contrast and tone of the digipak which will allow us to create a darker image.

Back Cover:

• We will create an additional design which will fulfill the theme of the digipak and overall campaign. We aim to make it simple so it doesn't distract too much but will be a good addition to the product. 

The Inside:

• ·         The inside looks a bit empty. I would recommend adding a small image to make it look fuller and complete
• ·         The signature is hard to read
• ·         Considering adding some smoke for a more consistent look

The CD:

• ·         I would add some smoke too in order to show more consistency

DRAFT 2

Analysing the use of Conventions:

After following the feedback and criticism from the viewers, we made changes to our digipak to meet the audience expectations. We have included a hand-drawing image of a bottle of wine and a smoking cigarette on top of the ashtray, which connotes to the addiction the artist is victim of. The drawing is coloured in white with a black background, which makes the image stands out as well as connotes to the ‘good vs evil’ theme.  We believe that this is conventional and will meet the audience expectation because it links to one of the hit singles as well as is consistent throughout the album. We have also digitally added the smoking effect on the CD as well as on top of the smoking cigarette. This not only shows regular consistency but also makes it eye catchy and relate to the theme we chose. Lastly, we have also changed the layout position in order to fit industry purpose such as for professional printings etc. 

Audience Feedback:

Strengths:

• ·         The darker highlights on the front and back cover correspond with the theme of drugs within the album
• ·         The names of the soundtracks are intriguing and show exactly what the album is about which evokes a sense of familiarity for the consumer
• ·         The image in the inside is suits the theme and the overall theme of the product
• ·         Overall the digipak is suited for purpose and has realistic measurements
• ·         The digipak corresponds with the advert and the video
• ·         The little uses of smoke on the CD and the inside work well
• ·         There is not an overload of information which is effective

Weaknesses:

• ·         The inside panel should have the artist’s name on it to show that the quote belongs to her and help to create a bond between the artist and audience.

Conclusion:

Overall the drafting process allowed us to create a sophisticated product due to the development process and useful feedback which enabled us to progress. The drafting showed us the amount of progress we went through and allowed to taste how real designers work on products in the industry and how much they rely on the audience in order to create a successful and proficient product which will bring profit and sell well to the intended target audience. Some of the main changes we have made was to darken the tone of the digipak and enhance the idea of ‘Good vs Evil’, which plays out in the artist life. The smoke effect is consistent and continues to feature in our advert and video, which allows the audience to recognize our work.

RESEARCH & PLANNING- DIGIPAK: DIGIPAK INFORMATION

RESEARCH AND PLANNING: DIGIPAK INFORMATION

Artist name:

When deciding on an artist name we wanted to ensure we promoted originality therefore we choose the name; Sarsha for our artist. Sarsha is a different kind of name that stands out from the norm. We chose this name as it is simple to write and say, and is catchy. Therefore, we believe this name is suitable for our artist as it is reflective of her unique persona and establishes her ideologies too. Its originality matches the alternative style of our product.

Album name:

We have decided to name our album, ‘China White’ as we believe that it reflects the music genre and also because it’s a universal idea because some people will react on this title individually. In addition, it is not obvious as to its content and will evoke a sense of mystery in our audiences. In reality China White refers to drugs which shows that the artist addresses upon the theme of addictions and important issues which is conventional of the indie genre. Furthermore, we can connote China White with porcelain which is a fragile material just like the victims of drugs. These connotations will enhance the album.

Therefore, we believe this album name is suitable and encourage a wider audience to buy it. It is important that the album name is catchy and appealing to the target audience as it is one of the first things as well as the picture that draws the audience to the album, and determines whether they will buy the album. We have also decided to name the album ‘China White’ as the simplicity of it is suitable for the target audience who will be from working class backgrounds, aged 15+.

Track list:

The track list we have chosen includes nine songs and one bonus track, which are all similar in that they all draw upon similar themes, including, self-disruption, loneliness and addiction. These are common themes associated with the Alternative/Jazz genre and appeal to the target audience who are most likely to be able to relate to these themes as a result of them being the right age group who are likely to experience love and relationships most. In addition, the tracks all relate to drugs in some sense to help the artist address an important issues of addictions which is prominent within today’s society.

The tracks on the track list include:

1)      Dying Whisper

2)      Lost in Wonderland

3)      Wine & Cigarettes

4)      Black Beauties

5)      Cloud 9

6)      Poor Man’s Ecstasy

7)      Happy Pills

8)      China White

9)      You Complete Me

-Bonus Track-

10)  I didn’t think enough

We have chosen various different track names, which do not all promote the themes through their title, instead certain track names such as ‘Black Beauties’ and ‘Dying Whisper' reinforce suspense and interest, which we done intentionally to create this impact from the audience. By using less obvious track names we gain a sense of mystery and can be individualistic for the audience.

Music Institution

We decided to use Polydor Records who are part of the Universal Music Group. This institution in an American worldwide music conglomerate. It is a subsidiary of a French company, Vivendi. They own a number of different record labels such as Capitol Records. Universal specializes in the mainstream and current artists. However, their subsidiary record labels sign up indie artist which gives them a mass appeal. Polydor Records work alongside Lana Del Rey who is a successful indie performer. By using the same music institution, I will be able to gain some attention through below the line marketing. In addition, Shura is also part of the company which is another popular female indie artist that our artist will associate with. The institution is already established which gives us more financial stability and security which will aid us when trying to debut an artist.

Production Company

Our production company is called ‘The UnknOwn Duo’. We decided that it is mysterious and catchy to remember therefore is likely to sell. In addition, our logo is simple and not ‘flashy’ which matches the alternative and indie genre of our product.  

Explicit Lyrics Label

We decided to leave out the ‘Explicit Lyrics’ label because the song and our overall product is unlikely to upset anyone. In addition, indie/ jazz genre doesn’t associate with swearing or explicit language therefore there is no need to insert the label as this type of music avoids such content due to its mature feel. 

RESEARCH & PLANNING- DIGIPAK: IDENTIFYING CONVENTIONS AND ANALYSING EXISTING DIGIPAKS

RESEARCH AND PLANNING DIGIPAK: GENERIC CONVENTION 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

Catfish and the Bottlemen: The Balcony

• ·         Title of the Album: The Balcony: The album name is not very specific nor does link with the image therefore it is hard for the audience to tell exactly what the artist means. However, this vagueness allows the audience to look into the album themselves and possibly research more which engages them with the band and product more. This is common for indie bands who often use unique names for their album in order to convey an ‘inside’ message for their audience.
• ·         Star Motif: The vague album shows that the artist might want their audience to explore their music and album but at the same time conveys a sense of mystery. They value minimalism and show that audience that sometimes ‘less is more’.
• ·         Overall layout: In general, the layout of the album is neat. The design and the writing correspond well and don’t interfere with each other spacing. The album is not overcrowded which allows the audience to ‘breathe’.
• ·         Popular Culture/ Hebdige Subculture: Catfish and the Bottlemen are a British indie-rock band. This makes their style to be very distinct and unique which appeals to a minority rather than a global mainstream audience. The album has some explicit language and shows a true expression from the artist and their point of view on different ideas, whether political, cultural or societal. They are not afraid to be who they’re and cause controversy around their style of thinking which makes them a niche band. This allows subcultures to identify with the band as they have their own unique style and like to express themselves and stay true to their lifestyles. Therefore, as a minority they can identify with the niche band who is also not afraid to stand out. The design itself is also appealing to subcultures due to its simplicity, which the subcultures can decode themselves and find somehow familiar. In addition, the explicit illustration is controversial and provocative and subcultures often cause controversy due to their rejections of mainstream values and repelling hegemony.
• ·         Typography: The typography of this design is simple and easy to read. The band’s name is written in a consistent typography which they use on all of their previous works and merchandise. This allows the audience to familiarize with one design and recognize it amongst many other products. The simplicity of the typography shows the consumer that the band isn’t trying to glamourize itself but simply supply their fans with good music.
• ·         Information: The digipak includes generic information like a barcode, which is a necessity. It also has the logos of its production company/ music label which is also necessary due to the bands contract and legal reasons. There is a track list which informs the audience of the music available and the copyright information at the back of the album.
• ·         Main Image/ Artist: The main image of the album is a simple illustration of headless figures who have their hands touching one another’s genitals. The simple line image allows the audience for an individualistic response basing on their own memories or experiences. They are able to decode the image for themselves. By using such illustration, the artist is able to show their niche appeal due to its unique design but at the same time shows that they don’t glamourize themselves. It can also convey they sense of humor which is appealing for the audience and allows the consumer to familiarize with their personality.
• ·         Lighting and Colour: The black and white helps to convey the indie rock genre due to its heavy contrast. It will attract the correct target audience who are familiar with the common conventions of rock. The simple colours show that the band values their music more than expensive advertisement.

                          

Shura: Nothing’s Real

• ·         Title of the Album: The album is titled ‘Nothing’s Real’ which reflects the creative and ambiguous side of the album and the artist. It is also easy to read and understand as it is short and snappy, making it more appealing as it is also an intertextual reference to one of John Lennon’s quote which broadens the appeal.
• ·         Star Motif: The artist’s ideologies and values are evident through the image, portraying the two side of her persona. This can make the audience feel curious about her character and her beliefs. The image is also professionally edited, as it divides the artist picture into two. The first one, which is colourful and dominant, suggesting reality, whereas the second one, which is black and white to represent a fantasy world, something surreal.  These two images juxtaposed each other in a delightful way.
• ·         Overall layout: The layout is neat and the information are placed onto the page is a structured manner, with the artist name placed onto the top-left corner and the album title under it.  The track list is listed on the back cover with a simple font, just as the album title. However, the back cover seems empty but it looks professional and it is conventional for its music genre due to the audience expecting simple designs but good music.  This lead to mysteriousness which makes the viewers want to purchase the album.
• ·         Popular Culture/ Hebdige Subculture: Although she fits in with popular culture due to her image, she also appeals to subcultures as she is not the ‘ideal’, girly female artist that all females can relate to. Therefore, she appeals to both hegemonic community and subcultures which broadens her appeal.
• ·         Typography: The typography used is simple and bold. The small size of the writing infers that the blue connotes loneliness where the main artist is trying to show her emotions. The blue shows that empty space is hard to fill, which allows people to relate to as today many of us experience burdens in some way or another.
• ·         Information: The information included in the digipak is conventional as it includes the artist name, album title, barcode, track list and small print regarding the production company.
• ·         Main Image/ Artist: The main image portrays the main artist who is looking away from the camera. Her facial expression suggest that she is thoughtful and serious. Despite the close up, the image doesn’t glamourize or sexualise her which conveys the indie genre.
• ·         Lighting and Colour: The lighting used in this digipak is high key lighting which corresponds to the light colours and helps to show her facial expression. The colours used are dull green and blues which connotes to her deep emotions as well as the theme of fantasy and non-realistic vision.  

Ideas we plan to use:

• ·         Consistent typography which will be recognizable for our audience and allow them to always distinguish our artist amongst others.
• ·         Create an album name that is not too obvious but something that will link to the overall message and theme of the product. Something that will intrigue the consumer and want them to find out more about the album or artist.
• ·         Have a simple layout and images which will not interfere with the writing too much. We will try to avoid overcrowding information in order to create a professional product which will be easy to look at for the audience.
• ·         Include the key information which are necessary on every product.
• ·         Use colours that will link to our genre in order to grab our target audience attention and make sure we appeal to the right consumer. This will help to increase the number of our sales and we will have a satisfied audience.
• ·         The idea of altering the artist image, just like Shura did in her album.

Conclusion

This research task was very beneficial to our understanding of digipaks. It helped us to see what successful products have in common and how they use conventions effectively in order to attract their target audience successfully. This is important because by using incorrect conventions you are at risk of not selling your product and making a loss, thus not breaking to the global audience. In order to secure our success, we have identified key features that our product will include and therefore began to plan what our digipak will look like. By planning this beforehand we are able to create drafts of our design and keep on consulting our audience for their feedback which will ensure we fit their expectations. Some of the conventions we settled on was a name that will be vague but link to the theme of self-disruption and work alongside our video, track list and image which shows consistency and convey the meaning of our products effectively. 

RESEARCH & PLANNING- DIGIPAK: CREATIVE BRIEF

RESEARCH AND PLANNING: CREATIVE BRIEF FOR DIGIPAK

Oasis Academy Hadley

5 South Street

EN3 4PX

Bibi.Noshib@oasishadley.org

Date: 16/12/2016    

Album Title/artist: ‘China White’ by Sarsha

Project Manager: Bibi Noshib

Release Date: 14th February 2017

Product Overview:

Sarsha is a British performer who began her singing career at a very young age. By the age of 6 she fluently played guitar and began her piano lessons. During the development of her passion for instruments she began singing and writing small tracks. At the age of 13 she signed up for an amateur artist group where she met people with similar interest and hobbies. This helped her to realise that music is her call. She uploaded a few covers on social media however her true breakthrough began after she created her own song ‘Red Rash’ which gained her mass popularity, especially amongst the alternative audiences who are attracted to her quirky song writing style and acoustic sounds. She quickly began working on more products and at last was invited to perform in prestigious indie clubs across London, including Cargo in Shoreditch. Over time she signed up to independent record labels which led her to finally work with a major record label, Polydor Records and become a part of the Universal Group.

The Album concept: 

What is it?

We aim to create a product that will introduce an artist and help her establish a credible fan base for her career. We will try to appeal to a wide audience of mixed genders, various ethnic background and of age 15 and above because the indie genre can appeal to anyone who is interested in alternative music and sounds which means we will have to create a unique digipak that will appeal to different people. We also need to follow the common conventions of indie jazz as we need to attract jazz fans in order to establish Sarsha as such artist within the wide range of audience.  Despite the digipak being of a niche genre we will make sure it includes the key elements that could appeal to the mainstream audience and gain Sarsha more popularity.

Why are we doing it?

The reason we are trying to do this is because Sarsha’s debut will need to bring success to an international and possibly a global audience, and the creation of the digipak will support her in doing so. Therefore, the design of the digipak is crucial as it determinates the success of it. We must ensure the pictures, colours and typography used will be conventional for the genre and visually appealing to our audience and will establish Sarsha’s values and ideologies as well as promoting the themes and mood evident in her music video to the consumers. The themes within the album will include, love, addiction and self-disruption, with the mood reflecting this. Therefore, the consumers will be able to understand the Alternative/Jazz genre through the album, encouraging them to listen to her music. This breakthrough will show audiences her style and attract appropriate target audience.

Comparable products

We believe that these products are comparable to our production. Shura is a successful British alternative artist, therefore we looked at her recent digipak to gain ideas of what makes her so successful. We like her experimental use of effects as they enhance her simple album covers which is something we would like to achieve to engage our audience. In addition, we looked at Catfish and the Bottlemen because they are an indie British band who use simple designs and interesting colours to suit the indie genre. We think the white outline drawings are effective and allow for individualistic responses from the audience. Lastly the recent Lady Gaga album has also inspired us. Gaga is known for her unconventional designs however lately her works have been ‘toned’ down and we like the simple products. Therefore, we decided to use her as an influence.

What is the reaction we want?

The demographics of our target audience includes, skilled working class people of different ethnic backgrounds, particularly female, aged 15 and above who can relate to the artist and the music video. We expect the audience and consumers to feel they have a clearer understanding about the artist, enjoying her music and being able to relate to the certain themes and ideologies she portrays throughout. In a way we want our audience to listen to Sarsha and use her as a method of portraying realism, allowing them to be aware of different mental health problems. We are also hoping the target audience can build a different relationship with our artist, one that differs from other mainstream artists, as Sarsha is original and should be recognised for maintaining this quality.

How will we know it worked?

The number of sales, and the sale figures the album receives will determine the success of the album, but also the views from social media such as YouTube, Facebook etc. will allow us to decide if the album is popular and appealing to a mass audience. We will also host a focus group allowing a group of consumers that reflect our target audience (aged 15+, different ethnic groups, working class/ skilled working class) to look at our first drafts of our album designs and provide us with feedback, which will allow us to make the required changes and develop on the criticisms, making the final draft appealing and suitable to our target audience meeting their expectations and interests. This is crucial, as this factor determines the ultimate success of the album, therefore, we will ensure we are fully aware of the information revolving around our audience, including similar products they like and what they like about it, their average earnings, their hobbies/ interests etc. Understanding these factors will help us to make an album that the audience will like and will be able to afford.

Launch dates;

Sarsha’s campaign dates:

Press campaign: 30th January 2017

TV Launch: 16th February 2017

Album Release: 14th February 2017

Limitations:

We may struggle with consistency as we are responsible for creating three products and must ensure all items have similarities to ensure consistency throughout. In order to overcome this and ensure there is consistency, we will keep editing the products and keep the lighting and typography similar.

We will also try to find appropriate images across our ancillary products so there is no repetition and we will avoid artist overload or lack Sarsha image.