Making of Magazine Advert

For the backdrop, I decided to use this image I produced in Photoshop, originally for the music video. I chose this bearing in mind the continuity aspect. The colour scheme of the majority of my video is in shades of black, white and grey. So when producing the digipak, I did not want to disregard this decision I had thought about so early on in the production of my portfolio. However, I had to adapt the image for my advert for it was originally a landscape setting for a scene in my animated music video so I had to position each layer in a way which would not detract from the main feature of the advertisement, yet still look effective. I used the eraser tool in Photoshop with a low flow rate to produce the hazy moon effect. Having the position of the moon in centre frame would look unnatural and unrealisitic whereas having it to one side would unbalance the layout of the page so finding that equilibium was a matter I had not seen to be potentially problematic when I planned the design of my magazine advertisement.

I pulled the jpg file of the CD front cover onto a new layer. Having the cover of the album appear on the advert is an important factor I have gathered from my research into this field. I enlarged and centred the image to make it a prominent feature.

Next, I added the title of the band. There must be a clear distinction between the band name and the album title. The band name usually has it's own seperable font and format to the album name. So the font and colour scheme chosen for the band name on the album cover is the same as the title on the magazine advert. Having one word in black and one in colour relates to the chosen layout of the album cover with a definite distinction between two sets.

The sign next to the title has been drawn free-hand with a fine paint brush in Photoshop, then duplicated and flipped to have the design on either side of the band name. I added this feature to make the text stand out even more and could also be used later in other productions, almost like an iconic logo for the band.

 

The title of the album is in bold and capitals, different to how it is presented on the album cover. This decision was down to the fact that the white contrasts perfectly with black and therefore is more dynamic.

Having the text 'out now' in capitals is a common trait when advertising a product which is new on the market. This is done so people are aware that it has already been released and available to purchase. I added an inner shadow and outer glow to give the text some texture so it is less plain. The light blue colour of the writing relates to the title of the album on the album cover.

Making of CD Cover

These two images are shots from my music video. I originally planned to choses and feature one of them for the front cover and one from the back because, when researching album covers and digi-paks, there is always a sense of continuity, coherence and a relationship between the specific images chosen. I was working with images I had taken screen shots of when I realised I could go back to my original images and position them in a different way. Previously, I had produced the exact same image of the character in two contrasting styles so the idea of using both to create such a disparity was a design which could be done in many different ways, rather than keeping it simple and residing to one image which could potentially be more uninteresting. However, this concept did create much more of a challenge.

I began by drawing a jagged line down the centre of the page with a very thin, horizontal paint brush tool. Then, using blending options, I created an outline to make the shape more definite.

I added two separate borders to frame and enhance the image. The first image I added onto a new layer was a close up of the black and white character. I placed the head in the centre of the frame so the line would run directly down the middle of his face.

I then positioned the other colour image over this one and used the eraser tool on full opacity to remove one side of the face. I used the same technique to add the backgrounds - this just meant rearranging the layers on Photoshop so the main subject lays on top of the background instead of the other way round.

I designed the band name and format with a colour contrast to fit with the split cover. I duplicated the text and positioned it underneath with a lighter opacity rate. I did this again to make it look like it is fading away. I found this a nicer technique than changing the blending options of the text - when researching, I found the name of the band is normally presented more subtly than the name of the album. I then added the text 'feel to follow' after the single of the album. I changed the font and colour to create a contrast and make the album as a whole an independent product for the style of the band name can be the same on all their future products but the style of the album name will always change. I felt this font in particular fitted with the chilled out style of the music.

 

CD Digipaks - Examples

The Norah Jones Album Digipak has a running theme throughout: dogs. This idea is used on the front and back with the same colour and font which contributes to the continuity. There is little writing which makes the writing there stand out. The unusual font fits with the unusual scene which portrays the artist as quite up-market and elegant.

The artwork for the Black Keys' album 'El Camino' is also very simple. The title relates to the recurring image of an El Camino car. This relates to the vehicle the band used to tour in their earlier days - it does not relate to the music they produce which is very much blues rock. I like the idea of using the same type of image but altering it each time.

These examples of successful album artwork show that it does not need to feature a completely different image each time. Having a running theme while keeping it simple is much more attractive.

Conventions of a Magazine Advertisement

The purpose of a magazine promo advert is to promote a new album release by a band or artist. These are usually features in magazines, newspapers and the band/artist's official website. Using different platforms to promote an album makes a wider audience aware of the album, resulting in increased record sales and fan base. 

The type of format is usually included in the advertisement so people can purchase their ideal copy - they are usually available as digital downloads, CD or vinyl (which is becoming more popular).

These advertisements are simple and easy for the reader to understand straight away by a moments glance. Information is kept to a minimum: the band/artist name, title of the album, release date, and often, where it is available to purchase.

The style of the advert will be an extension of the album cover and style of the band - shown through the colour scheme, layout, and font face.

Magazine Album Advertisements - Examples

In this advert, they are quoted to be the 'the band of the summer' by the observer. This relates to their light indie rock music. The fact they are giving the illusion they are sat on a beach makes use of visual imagery. relating to their single from this album 'Hawaiian Air'. The text is kept simple with no other information than the band name, a quote from a review, and the date. To promote the album further, the mercury prize award nomination is mentioned to show people that is a successful album. All three band members are featured on the advert and are all sat in a relaxed way which reflects the relaxing nature of the music, a positive image is being put across to give the impression that their music is fun. 

This advert also features a medium close up of the artist. The lungs are presented on the outside of her body to relate to the title of the album, which is placed boldly under the image so it does not blend in with the colourful portrait - contrasting with black background. The typography used at the bottom of the advertisement differs to the iconic writing at the top which is used on any  production of Florence and the Machine. The white writing stands out particularly well on the black background. 'LUNGS' and 'CD. DELUXE CD. VINYL. DIGITAL' are presented in capitals as well as minor sentences and an asyndectic list - emphasising the text and making the advert more visually interesting. The stance and the position of the subject reflects the Pop genre and the light style of her music. Using just the singer of a band is common when advertising a band for they are who the public are most interested in. There is usually a title-track on the album, the emotion of this song in particular can be expressed through the artwork. 

The album advert is usually closely linked to the album artwork. In this advertisement  certain elements of the album cover have been edited out to incorporate written text into the layout. The font style of 'The Cribs' has been taken from their second album 'The New Fellas' to create a link an audience can notice and respond to. The grainy texture and broken lettering of the band name relates to the punk/indie rock style of music. The fragmented and abstract artwork is constructed to be more visually interesting.
As most common for album titles, different fonts are used to help distinguish between the title and band name, this is particularly helpful for people who are not familiar with their music. 'Ignore the Ignorant' is written in white, like the other text, but like it has been scribbled down which links to the way 'cheat on me' is presented which is one of the singles from this album. 
Using lower-case to make a statement prominent is an unusual technique but effective for the phrase 'new album out now' - the titles are in capitals which creates a contrast; this phrase is usually found in capitals but there is an obvious subtlety to it here which feels more appealing and less forceful. It is close to the centre of the page just under the main image which attracts attention to it.
There is additional information included about various forms and the DVD feature available which is appealing to strong fans. It is easy to bypass this information if you are not interested so smaller formatting is used so the reader is not distracted from the essential material.
The iconic HMV logo is displayed to show where the album is available to purchase. The record label is also advertised subtly in the opposite corner. 
Some of the ratings the album has received from well-known institutions are featured in a gold font to contrast with the album information above and could relate to the idea of extreme quality.