Digipak and Magazine Advertisement Audience Feedback

Construction of Digipak

Over the last few weeks I have been constructing my digipak according to my research and planning. Above is a GIF of the final product and below is a break down of how each panel was constructed. 

The disc tray was simple to construct in terms of editorial work as I only added one photograph to the panel. I began with a blank canvas and altered the colour to the same as the other panels. I then added the disc circles to the panel using the custom shape tool and the circle. This meant that I needed to use Photoshop's inbuilt ruler tool to ensure that the circles were evenly spaced and that the cross went directly through the middle. After this I added the four circles around the outside of the disc which would be the parts of the tray holding the disc in place. I had to use the brush tool to hide the parts of the circles that I didn't want and tidy up any uneven edges. Emily's name and the album title was placed either side of the centre circles. Finally, I added the flame by adding a new layer and opting for the "lighten" effect. This was still too harsh so I lowered the opacity and blurred, burned and smudged the edges to create a softer look. If a CD was produced it would have the same imagery printed on it as the circular part of the disc tray it sits in. Overall, I'm pleased with how this panel looks as it's only a simple design but effective in continuing the theme of my digipak.

The first spare panel was slightly harder to edit as I had to ensure I was adding the correct effects but still keeping the quality of the photo. I began by getting rid of the original white background that Sophie was standing in front of by using the magnetic lasso and brush tools to colour the sections I wanted in the correct colour. I then noticed some white parts could be seen on the edges of the parts I had cut where the background was still visible. To rectify this I used the smudge and blur tool to ensure that it looked even and professional. I left a slight edge around Sophie as she was wearing a black dress and it was slightly hard to distinguish between her and the background. However, I don't feel that this compromises the quality of the photograph on the panel. Finally, I added the purple colour overlay and matched it to the same colours as the other panels.

The message panel was, again, slightly more complex to edit as I was adding more text. I began by cropping the photo down to the correct size and adding the correct colour layer. I felt that the colour layer made the flame look less bright so I used the magnetic lasso tool to select the flame and copy it onto another layer. I increased the brightness on the flame to ensure that it stood out on the panel. Following this I added the text and played around with the size and position. I settled on making the top row larger font and the bottom row a smaller font so I could fit in all the text I wanted. Finally, I added a line to separate the two lines of text and make it look more neat and constructed.

This spare panel was quite simple to edit as I only needed to make colour and brightness adjustments after cropping it. I began by adding the purple colour overlay which matched the rest of the colour scheme. However, the purple made the eye quite dark. Following my analysis of other digipaks I decided that having a direct mode of address would build the relationship with the audience and create a star image. Therefore, it's crucial that the eye doesn't blend in with the rest of the picture and stands out in some way. I used the magnetic lasso tool to cut around the eye and then increase the brightness and contrast. This left quite a harsh edge around the eye so I used the blur and smudge tools to fade this into the rest of the picture.

The back cover was one of the most complicated panels to edit due to all of the details that it had on it. I started off by cropping the photo and adding the purple colour overlay. I then typed up a list of Emily's songs in the order that they appear on her Soundcloud (her chosen track list order). I altered the font size and the position of the text until I was happy with where it was and what it looked like. Next, I added a line down the side of the tracks. This line follows the style that I had on one of my inside panels and makes the side look more neat and professional. I used the line tool to make a barcode at the bottom of the back cover because I was unable to find one that was white and was small enough to fit exactly where I wanted it. I used varying line sizes much like a normal bar code. I found a Parlophone records logo on Google and used a new Photoshop window to get ride of the white background (using the magnetic lasso tool) and make the letters white to match the colour scheme. Finally, I added Emily's social media links by getting the logos and using the same editing technique that I used for the Parlophone logo. I added her handle above the logos and a white line to separate them from the record logo. I'm really pleased with how the back cover looks because it's arranged in such a way that would appeal to the audience and it's easy to read. The blank space next to the candle allows enough room for there to be a lot of essential text which looks aesthetically pleasing.

The front cover was the most complicated panel to edit for many reasons. It was the first panel that I edited, therefore I was still getting to grips with using Photoshop and there were also a lot of components that meant it could have looked fake or tacky. I began by editing out the white background behind Sophie using the magnetic lasso tool. I changed it to black and used the blur and smudge tool to make the difference between the new background and Sophie's hair less obvious. I then added the purple colour overlay on the photo and used the magnetic lasso tool again to cut out her eyes and increase the brightness and contrast. In my plan I only put one flame on the cover, however when I was editing I thought it looked better with two and the use of the double flame created almost a reflective appearance. I created a new layer and added both flame pictures. The text layers were difficult due to the lack of blank space, meaning I had to opt to put the text over Sophie's forehead and along the side of the front cover. Although I don't think this looks visually distorted, I feel that they could have been positioned differently had there been more blank space. Having said that, I don't think the text isn't read-able or out of place.

Final Artist Feedback and Comment on Digipak

I emailed the final music video to Emily and this was her feedback:

"The final thing is great! Love the changes you've made, it's a lot more fluid throughout!"

I also asked her if she had any ideas for album names as I need it to be something related to her personality and music. She said:

"I'm working on a concept double album 1 acoustic based called, 'peace and prosper', and 1 an eclectic mix of electronic, heavy, full band etc called, 'roots and revolution'. Nothing set in stone of course but it's the way I've always wanted to present my work- I don't think I have a 'genre' other than acoustic at the moment because it's just me and my guitar".

Therefore I will experiment with the title 'peace and prosper' for the front of the digipak as it is something she already has in mind. It also forms a collective identity for all the songs so it fits well with the acoustic genre.

Digipak/Magazine Photos

Today I took photos of Sophie for my digipak and magazine advertisement. I styled her in such a way that would appeal to my target audience:
Clothes:
Sophie was wearing a black lace dress from Topshop. Topshop is a popular brand for teenage girls (the majority of my target audience), therefore her style will appeal to the people buying the album. I chose for her to be wearing a black dress again as this continued the theme from the music video and would make her easily recognisable. Black is associated with power and elegance - two connotations that would be positive to the teenage audience. At this stage in life they may be looking for a role model, or someone to base their own identity on. Thus, the power and elegance portrayed through Sophie's clothing would allow the audience to see her as a dominant, powerful female figure and therefore listen to her music.
Hair and Make-up:
Sophie had curly hair in the photos as it made her seem more natural and free, much like the acoustic music Emily Denton plays. I wanted to soften her look to reflect the soft tones in Emily's music. However, I wanted her eyes to be bold as they indicate her emotion so need to stand out.
Props:
Sophie bought her guitar and microphone with her. The guitar will indicate that it's an acoustic album and the microphone will indicate that it's music with lyrics not just a track. It also tells the audience that she is a solo artist who plays her own music and not part of a large corporation who would alter her sound for their gain. Again, this would appeal to the target audience as they want music that's purely acoustic and not processed by technology.
Pose/Expression:
I got Sophie to stand against a white wall as this will be easier when editing with Photoshop and also look better with the style of the digipak and magazine. I positioned the lights in front of her so her whole face would be well lit and easily recognisable for the audience as she's a new artist and needs to create her identity. I took some photos just of her face from her shoulders upwards - some smiling and some straight-faced. I got her to smile to represent her as a friendly and happy person who is almost encouraging the audience to buy her album by appearing inviting. The more serious expressions, suit the lyrics of some of the songs, however these may not appeal to the audience as much as they may see her as boring or uninteresting.

Digipak Plan and Idea Inspiration

Digipak Moodboard

Digipak Colours and Initial Design Idea

Digipak: Initial Ideas // Fonts, Artwork, Tracklist and Style

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