Magazine Advert

Above is my completed magazine advert which i created using Photoshop. When I asked for feedback on this it was suggested that I added a glow or border around my album cover in the bottom right corner to make it stand out and establish it more.

Therefore, I added a white border which has most definitley made a visable difference to my magazine advert and helps the album to stand out. 

Magazine Advert Planning...

I created a plan of how I would like my magazine advert to look:

Influencing Magazine Adverts...

Shown alongside are a number of magazine adverts which are advertising CD albums. They all influence my ideas for a number of different reasons.

This 'Lana Del Ray' advert influences me because of how the features are positioned within the advert. I like the idea of having the artists name in bold, stand out typography as this immediately makes people aware who the album is by. The idea of having the title of the album further down the advert makes me focus on the main image first and then the title. This gives the advert a formal and professional feel also.

I am also influenced by the style and positioning of how the release date of the album is displayed immediately under the album's title. The production label logo is placed in the bottom right-hand corner and the 'amazon.com' logo in the bottom left. This has influenced how I want to position the conventions of a magazine advert on my advert.

This advert influences me due to its use of conventions it features. I really like how an image of the actual album is included in the bottom right corner, this lets audiences know what the album looks like.

I also quite like how the outlets of where the album can be purchased are displayed in the bottom left of the corner. This gives a clear indication where you can go if you wish to buy the album.

There is a consistent colour scheme throughout the advert which makes it appealing and is consistent in its presentation and style.

This album for Madonna's album stands out to me as it has an interesting and unique main image. The image is of Madonna herself with a montage of images of her within it. This gives the audience a slight glimpse into the narrative of some of her songs perhaps, making us want to listen to the album.

I like how there is an evident colour scheme which runs throughout the advert, this makes it look appealing and professional. The typography used for the artist's name at the top of the advert is bold, helping the name to stand out.

The positioning within this magazine advert is an aspect which stands out to me. The use of the landscape main image is not a typical feature of advertisements as it can be seen from the other adverts that they predominately use portrait main images. I am considering using a landscape image on my magazine advert as I would like to use one of the establishing shots which I took at Southerndown. This would be the same image I used on the cover of my digipak; creating a consistent theme throughout both products.

The colours used in this advert also help it to stand out. The contrast of the light and dark typography is an interesting feature of this advert; making the titles and artist name stand out. The darker typography is used effectively as the background consists of grey clouds, therefore, white typography would've faded into the background.

This advert for an album by Jessie J is very bold and effective in my opinion. The medium, profile shot of Jessie J herself takes up the majority of the cover creating a very dominating feel.

The gold typography is placed in the lower centre of the advert and the boldness of it makes it very visible and easy to notice. There is a consistent colour theme of gold and white for the typography which appeals to me as it does not make the advert too complicated and it looks professional and well designed.

The boldness of this magazine advert could be an indication of the style and feelings behind the songs within this new album. It could also suggest that Jessie J is bringing an album which symbolises power and determination.

Final Digipak...

Shown below is the final version of my digipak:

I have used a variety of effects on the images to create a professional and stylised look. The front cover features an image of rain which is a layer behind the main image. This gives the impression that even though the sun is breaking through there is a darker tone and atmosphere to the album. 

I have also conformed to the typical conventions of a digipak by including a barcode and the production company logo on the back cover. I have conveyed to the conventions as these are placed in the two bottom corners of the cover, which is where they are most commonly found on digipaks and album covers. 

I have kept the sunset image behind the image of Jade and Alex (which I discussed from one of my drafts) to add a nostalgic feeling to this image. It creates the feeling that Alex is looking back and reminiscing on his memories with Jade. 

Drafts of my Digipak...

Shown below are 3 drafts of my digipak which all differ slightly. Each one has a slightly different effect on certain images as I was trying to work out which one was most effective. 

The first digipak below features all the pictures I would like to use with an image of rain behind my main cover image, this makes it stand out and creates a darker tone and feeling for the album. I have included a drone image from above the cliffs behind my disk area which completes the feel of the album. Something which is missing from this digipak is typical conventions such as a barcode and the production label information. 

The draft below includes a barcode which I added to the back cover of my digipak. I have also worked on including an image on my disk; this took quite a while to achieve as I had to erase the parts of the image I did not need which was rather time-consuming as I had to make sure I did not erase any parts of the image which were within in the circular disk area. I have also included a sunset image which is a layer underneath the image of Jade and Alex walking up the cliff, this creates a rather nostalgic feel and in my opinion, it enhances the narrative as we can assume that the effect represents Alex's mind looking back at his and Jades relationship. 

My 3rd digipak draft below features the sunset image behind the image on the back cover, this was to create a more closing feel on the narrative as it would be on the back page. I also have not included the disk image in this draft because I was still considering which image I was going to use. 

 For my final draft, I have to ensure that I have included the disk image on my digipak and added the album title and artist typography to the disk. I also need to make sure that I have both the barcode and production label logo on the back cover, along with adding typography to the spines of the digipak.

Digipak planning...

Imagery For My Digipak...

In this post, I will take a look at the possible images I could use for my digipak. As mentioned before, I would like to include both scenic images and images of the protagonist of our music video, Alex. I am also considering including images of Jade on the digipak too in order to highlight some form of relationship and connection between Alex & Jade.

Possible image for my front cover:

I am considering using this image for the front cover of my digipak. This still image was taken by myself on one of our filming days at Southerndown beach. I think it is a good image to use for my front cover as it clearly establishes the scene of where the song we have used for our music video is set. It is also a simple but  effective image to grab attention if it was placed on the front cover. This image also gives me enough space to add the album title and artist's name without disturbing the majority of the image.





I was inspired to use the image above by the album I took the most inspiration from, it is simple but effective. The sea-side and beach location used in Passengers album cover creates a really appealing front cover for the album and makes the title stand out it also provides an insight to what the context of the album songs may be and where the album/songs may be set, this is what influenced my decision to consider the image above for my front cover.








Possible images for the inside of my digipak:

 Shown here are a mixture of still images which I took during our filming days and a few screen shots of footage from our actual music video. These are the images which I am considering to use for the inside covers of my digipak. They further enhance the narrative and show the relationship between Alex & Jade. A few of these images also highlight Alex's loneliness and feelings of isolation as he is shown looking out at the sea with an empty expression on his face. I believe that these images would be best placed on the inside covers as whoever consumes/views our digipak would be able to understand more about the album as they open up and read on. I think it would be most effective if there were scenic images on the outside of the cover to set the tone of the album and then include photos of the characters involved on the inside which are revealed when the digipak is opened. 

 I will be using a 6 sided digipak template so I will not be able to use all these images as there will only be 4 sides on the inside, therefore, I will have to experiment with them and see which ones work best together.

Possible images for the back cover of my digipak:

I am considering using this still image for the back cover of my digipak. It was taken at an area of Southerndown - our main filming location. I think that this image would fit rather well on the back cover of my digipak as the way in which the waves are positioned would look effective on the back cover. This image also fits in with the end of our music video. The last shot is a point of view from Alex, looking down the cliffs at the crashing waves below; this is what could be beneath the cliffs fitting quite well on the back cover of my digipak.

If the above image is not suitable I will consider using this on show here - A drone shot taken over the cliffs of Southerndown. It is similar to the image above but it is slightly darker. This is slightly more of a benefit to me as I will be including the track list on the album on the back cover ( a typical convention of a digipak) this means that the typography will be more easily seen on a darker background if I use a lighter coloured font, which is what I am planning to do.




I will experiment with these images whilst designing my digipak to see which ones fit best and would be most beneficial for me to use.

Typography & Titles...

Typography can be used in a variety of ways to make titles/ artists stand out on album covers and digipaks. There are a wide range of styles and many effects which can assist in producing unique and inspiring pieces of typography.

An example of an album cover which has used only typography styles and effects for it's cover is the cover for "No Doubt: Rock Steady".

Placed on a black background, the large white and red typography stands out and is eye catching. The use of the colour red emphasises the album name and artist as it is only used on those key phrases. This has also been done to add some variety to the cover and make it stand out compared to other albums.

Most often, the typography found on digipaks and advertisements for albums is related and/or iconic to the artist/band, for example, many artists use the same style of typography for everything they produce, making it easy for an audience to recognise their work. (See image below)

This above image shows some examples of typography which is iconic to specific artists/bands. 

The Vamps are known for branding all their music/merchandise with the typography shown in the image. The bands name is also capitalised on their albums with the oversized 'V' being prominent throughout them all. The style of the typography they use has a 'stamped' feel to it, like it has been placed by a stamp - bold, strong and large. This can be seen on the image below:

The main typography (titles) on digipaks and albums is often placed in the centre of the cover and most often at the top, this gives it priority as being the main focus point. This can be seen in practise on the album covers below: 

However, album covers do not always feature the title in top centre, there are some album covers which take a different approach with titles and positioning, as show below: 

This makes the attention shift from the title to the main image in my opinion. The titles to Pinks' latest album (shown above) are placed in the top, left corner of the album cover, just above her shoulder. This makes Pink herself the main focus of the album cover with a medium shot of her. The typography used on Taylor Swifts latest album, 'repuation', features a newspaper style print and font. It is quite old fashioned and bold making it stand out. 

In my opinion, I be live that it is very important to consider the typography of the titles and wear they will will be positioned as this is what the audience will read in order to see who the album is by and what it is called. These aspects also add to the feel of the album, giving the audience an insight to what style of music might be on the album. I personally prefer titles to be the main focus point of an album cover so it is clear to see who the album is by. When I come to design my digipak, I will experiment with various typography and positioning of my titles to see what fits best and fits in with the narrative and tone of the album. 

Influencing Album Covers / Digipaks...

An album cover which I found influencing was 'Passenger's' seventh studio album, "Young as the morning Old as the sea." 

I found this album cover influencing as it had a very simplistic style and the mise-en-scene of the covers location was near the sea with cliffs in view, similarly to the locations used in my music video.  In my opinion, the simplistic style of this album cover is an advantage, making it stand out. The distant, mist-covered cliffs, set on a light, sunset background provides the perfect backdrop for the single male figure who is walking along the beach.

The uncomplicated typography for the artist's name and album name is placed in the top centre of this album cover making it the first focus point before looking at the imagery. It is very clear to see what the album is called and who the artist is; this is something which appeals to me from a viewers point as I would want to know who the artist of the album is before listening to it/purchasing the album.

I was also influenced by the colours used on this album cover, they are rather calming and fit in well with the mise-en-scene. I would like to use these pastel type colours on my digipak as they would tie in the beach/sea location and the sunset.


Another album cover which I found inspiring was 'Coldplay's' cover for 'A Head Full of Dreams' which was realised towards the end of 2015.

The bright, striking colours on this album covered appealed to me as they were heavily used and stood out boldly. This made the cover really eye-catching compared to other albums which were released at the time.

Another stand out feature of this album cover is the non-existent typography (album name/artist) the cover is pure imagery and colour. The colourful symbol used in the centre of this cover is an iconic symbol which Coldplay released with the first single before the release of this album, therefore, audiences would be able to recognise which band/artist the album belongs to due to the iconic symbol, however, if audiences haven't seen this symbol previously they will not know which artist this album belongs to.

The artwork of this cover relates to the title of the album, 'A Head Full of Dreams' as it displays various objects such as planets, clouds and animals which are examples of the typical imagery associated with dreams.


An album cover which is similar to Coldplay's' above is the cover for 'Mika's Life in Cartoon Motion'.

This album also includes lots of colour and 'dreamy' imagery, However, it does include a title and the artist's name. The name of this album is displayed in a different typography and is much smaller than the artist's name, however, this still links the ideas on the cover rather well as it fits with the whole cartoonish image/aesthetic. 

Both of these covers above use a large number of bright colours to represent that the genre of these albums is 'pop'. In addition, the colours also highlight happiness and fun adding to the connotations of the 'pop' genre. 

The various images and colours suggest that the album is trying to attract a wide, mainstream audience of both elder and younger listeners which suggests that the style of music may be quite fun and easy to listen to - typical conventions of the pop genre. 

An album cover which is also rather inspiring and an antithesis to the others previously discussed is 'Rihanna's Rated R' which was released in 2009.

This album cover stood out to me because it is in full black and white, standing out as having a rather dark mood and tone which is not as often seen on the cover of many albums. A medium shot of Rihanna herself takes up the majority of the cover looking toward the camera with a direct gaze.

This album also does not feature any titles or the artist's name. As Rihanna is a well-known artist who has released many albums previous to this audiences can recognise who she is from her iconic image.

The monochromatic colour of this album cover allows it to stand out and grab attention. This also highlights how this album has a darker and more foreboding tone than Rihanna's previous albums. I do not think I will use this idea as an influence for my digipak as I would like to create a different tone throughout the colours and images that I plan to use on my digipak.



The cover which influences me the most:

Passenger's,"Young as the morning Old as the sea." 



This album cover influences me the most because I think the imagery is the most relevant to the narrative in my music video production and the images which I plan to use. The effectiveness of the simple cliff landscape along with the soft colours and top centred titles make it a really appealing and easy viewing album cover.

Conventions of a Digipak...

Whilst I was conducting research into digipak's, I found a useful PowerPoint on Slide Share which highlighted the typical conventions found within a CD digipak.

Link to Original Source

As the PowerPoint states, finding the song/album title on the front cover is a typical convention of a digipak. I will place the album title on the front cover of my digipak as this will make it easy for an audience/listeners to see what the album is called and conforms to the conventions of a digipak. I will also try and include a 'large eye-catching picture' that is mentioned in the PowerPoint, on the front cover of my digipak. 

The PowerPoint continues to describe what is typically found on the back cover of a digipak; I will include a track list of the songs on the album in the foreground of a rather simplistic, scenic image. I will also include a barcode and the production label information. 

Within the inside of my digipak I will include, images that relate to the narrative of the music video, both scenic pictures and pictures of Alex & Jade. I am also considering a page of lyrics for the main album song on one of the inside covers, this is part of the conventions of a digipak as most often, digipaks will include additional information about the songs/album and sometimes include lyrics. 

Hyperlapse...

This is the hyperlapse in our music video: 

Overall, we were happy with the outcome of the hyperlpase. I think it is effective when Jade is removed leaving only Alex, this adds emphasis to him being lonely and isolated. 

The one thing which we would like to improve regrading this aspect of our music video would be the steadiness of the footage; due to the location we were filming in, it was difficult to find both a large and flat surface which we could use. We worked with what was available and still managed to achieve what we wanted, however, to add professionalism to this hyperlapse we would have liked to use a more even surface similarly to what we took inspiration from ( Human by Rag n Bone Man).

Hyperlapse...

We were inspired by the music video for 'Human' by Rag'N'Bone Man to include a hyperlapse in our music video. This would include taking many photos and editing them together with a quick speed. We thought that this would be a really effective addition to our music video.

This is what we were influenced by: 

This is the filming process of our version:

We had to mark out a large circle around the area where Jade and Alex were standing to ensure Ollie kept the same width between himself and Jade and Alex the whole way around. Once Ollie got behind the tree Jade moved and left just Alex standing there, this was effective and it really portrayed how Alex once had company but now he is isolated and lonely. 

This proved quite a challenge for Rhys and Ollie when it came to editing this together and each of the photos did not import in the order which we shot them in, therefore, they had to go through each one and establish what order they needed to go in. The speed of each shot also had to be calculated to see how much time of the song it would fill. 

It took Rhys a while to perfect the hyperlapse sequence as there were about 60 pictures in total which had to be imported and changed to a size to fit the video. Each picture was imported at 5 seconds long also, therefore, Rhys had to change each one to 0.5 seconds in order to fill the gap which we had in our music video.