Evaluation Q4

Use of digital media and technology to create my final products. 

Evaluation Q2

Evaluation Q3

Evaluation Video, discussing question 3.

Ancilary products for viewing

Evaluation Q1

In what way does your media challenge use develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 

Digipak

Whilst researching Digipaks from my chosen genre I noticed the lack of iconography within each pack. For example the Arctic monkeys digipak only included a single photo inside the cover with the band on. Being that the digipaks I researched were from very famous bands I thought this was due to their already established brand image and their lack of need to identify themselves due to having a large fan base. This is a convention I used when designing my digipak, using symbols for the album identity rather than the band its self. This would then allow a buyer to not get confused between albums due to a similar aesthetic. I used the symbol of the car for both the front cover and CD its self. I also used a similar layout design to the Arctic Monkeys digipak. All 3 digipaks I looked at steered away from iconography of the band for what I assumed was for this reason. 

In order to create distinction to my album I wanted to develop and challenge existing genre conventions. I felt less inclined however to challenge conventions for my digipak as it is important for the aesthetic of the album to fit the genre to prevent confusion. Often indie groups will use graphic design to develop their album cover and will not really use photos. I wanted to use photos in order to create a link between the video for the "star" song of the album and this would be the symbol for the whole campaign and would be something evident in all three elements of my marketing campaign. I also decided to place band photos on 3 of the 4 covers which is quite controversial within the Indie genre. I did this due to the bands lack of brand identity due to their niche audience at the moment. I felt in this case it was appropriate to place the identity of the band across the digipak as their audience will only know them from live performance due to the video I made for them being their first music video. I did not try link to Goodwin's theories with my ancillary products as the buyer potentially has not heard the music yet so a striking aesthetic, I felt would be more appropriate for the commercial nature of these products.

I didn't feel the need to challenge existing genre conventions for my digipak due to the bands lack of identity within the genre its self. I felt it would be too risky to implement a controversial design as it could be interpreted by the audience as confusing and would not be clear as to who made the album or what was inside. This uncertainty could have a negative impact on sales limiting the success of the album. 

Magazine Advert

Once again I didn't want to steer too far off track with challenging genre conventions for my magazine advert for the same reasons as my digipak. My main aim was to create continuity across all 3 products, the way I did this primarily was through colouring and the physical subjects within each piece. By using a gig photo as the primary image for my magazine advert I was creating a link between the band and their album, directly addressing the audience who will have most likely seen the band live. The fact the drum kit is abandoned suggests that the music has migrated from the live set and into the album which is conveniently placed centrally in the advert. This persuades viewers to purchase the album as they want to hear the sound that has potentially left the stage and been put into the album. It is also common within my genre for the magazine to take on a minimalist concept. To use this within my product I made sure to use minimal information about the album its self. This means the image has a greater impact on the audience causing them to be more taken in and interested in the advert which would then make them want to look further into the album its self helping market it. 

By not including any direct photos of the band I am slightly steering away from the genre conventions I researched as some of the magazine adverts researched included face shots of the artist or band. By not including an image of the band however I feel I am putting a greater focus on the album its self leaving the viewer the opportunity or hopefully the inclination to want to research the band for themselves. 

Digipak ideas.

For my Digipak I wanted to establish a connection between the album and the music video so my marketing campaign would focus equally on the narrative the video establishes helping iconise the car as a symbol of the album. This is controversial within most small indie groups as they often wish to focus more on iconography and establishing an image of the band. To help implement this element into my Digipak I would also use photos I have acquired of the band performing in order to create a balance between the iconography of the band and link to the music video. By creating a link between the Digipak and narrative element of the video I felt it would carry across the meaning of the song to the whole album giving it a more emotional connection which could mean people are more inclined to purchase the album. On the back of the album I used shots from the end of a gig (crowd surfing) to almost create a story through the Digipak. Being that you would chronologically look at the back as the final part of the Digipak it made sense to have this being created as like the end of the performance. I felt it also would give a greater emotional enhancement to the songs listed on the back cover. Inside the album I wanted to show mid performance as I thought with the case being open there would be a strong chance the CD would then be played so being able to reference the band mid performance whilst listening to the music. Creating a more direct link between the band and music its self. I may experiment with outlining some elements of the Digipak using a similar tracing method to that used in the actual video which would further create a link between the two, creating continuity across my marketing campaign. 

Magazine ad 2

Revising my previous magazine idea I decided to completely redesign my initial idea. Despite the main photo being taken directly from a shoot for the video I did not feel it suited the band identity as much as it could have done. Being that the band mainly posts photos on social media of their band gigs there is often coloured lighting throughout their existing identity so I thought it would be more effective to incorporate this aspect into my magazine advert as it was more likely to relate to their existing brand image. I chose not to focus on iconography of the band and instead focused on the iconography of the album its self. By using a central photo of the album cover this would draw the attention of the piece towards the album. This is another reason for using a background image that would not distract from the main cover. By using the same minimalist concept of my previous advert idea I was still able to achieve the striking appeal of the advert by using vibrant colours and minimal text and details of the advert which would lead to a greater enigma about the product. Encouraging people to research the album themselves and thus then create greater interest about the products. I also included appropriate logos to show where the music can be accessed online, including links to the bands main social media. Overall I feel this advert is better suited to the rest of the marketing campaign due to its aesthetic and focus, I feel it really suits the rest of the campaign, sustaining a similar brand image.