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.