Taking our Original Images

On Friday 30th, January, Romina and I went through with organising a photo shoot with our artist for our Digipak. We went through with this by texting her, and when this was confirmed we decided to book the appropriate equipment (digital camera, tripod) with Mrs Excell. In order to give ourself a range of choices to choose from, we spent around half an hour taking pictures from multiple angles (close ups, full body/long shots,), and instructed her to do a range of girly poses (jumping, twirling and laughing), keeping in mind our target audience which is young pre-teens - teenagers. Here are a few examples of the images we took, both good and bad: 

Overall, Romina and I are happy with the results of our photo shoot and are enthusiastic to make a clear decision between the 4 pictures we wish to choose from. 

Digipak Mood Board

ADJECTIVE WORD: CHEEKY 

Here is a mood board I created in order to illustrate the theme Romina and I wanted to portray to the audience. Our given word was 'Cheeky' and I gathered pictures, words and font in order to show this.

Album Cover Research

I have chosen 5 album covers to research and the common theme within all these covers is that colour plays a very important part in communicating 'synth pop'. For instance, although 'Florrie's' album, 'Introduction' is black and white, her red lipstick and green and gold necklace are the two features that stand out the most. Red lipstick could symbolise her power as a woman, this is also shown through her posture, her head is held high and she looks in authority.

A similarity between the covers is that lights are used in order to communicate a feeling of being in space or 'out of this world'. For example, Ellie Goulding and Kesha's album appears to have blurred lights covering the album, adding a sense of girliness and fun. Also a similar factor between all albums is that the artist is the main attraction on all covers. For instance, La Roux's cover is a close up of her face and quirky hair. This helps illustrate the artists brand image to the public by amplifying their look. There's also something different about each artist that separates them from everyone else and makes them different. For instance, La Roux's special feature is her hair, whereas with Kesha and Florrie, it's their bright lipstick.

Charli XCX Digipak Analysis

For my own Digipak analysis, I have chosen to look at Charli XCX with her album 'True Romance', released in 2013. I chose this album because it represents a similar sound to our own artist's, 'CHVRCHES'. The album is led by a synth/electro pop genre, which corresponds to our own artist's genre.

Colour plays a very important part in this cover, as the artist is seen surrounded by what appears to be neon lights, almost looking like electricity. Her body is also encompassed with stars and glitter. This could be symbolic of being quirky or 'out of this world'. Her style also appears to be very quirky and unique. She has a large silver chain hanging from her neck and her hair has been backcombed making it appear large, curly and grungy. This shows the audience her trademark brand, which is dark and quirky. Her sheer top and ripped jeans also tells the audience that she has an attitude and isn't afraid to stand out.

Her posture also communicates a lot to the audience; she appears to be hunched over, cradling herself in a child-like fashion. This could tell the audience that the album shows a more vulnerable side to her. Although her outfit doesn't portray her as being necessarily 'held back' or shy, she shows the public that she does in fact have a more vulnerable side to her. As the album's main themes are love and heartbreak, this pose manages to reveal this to the audience. 

Michael Jackson Digipak Analysis

The Digipak I have chosen to analyse is Michael Jackson's album titled, 'Thriller', released in 1982. There is a large connection on the cover between his music and his brand image which he wished to portray to the world. For instance, the cover shows Jackson laying on what seems to be a stage, as a spotlight is shown shining directly on him. This signifies to the public that Michael is a natural performer, considering he is laying so comfortably on stage and has such a serene expression on his face, telling us the stage brings him a feeling of calmness and happiness. 

The fact that Jackson is wearing a white jacket, which seems to amplify the spotlight shone on him, also portrays him as almost a 'God-like' figure, as white symbolizes purity, perfection and connotes to being angelic. However this is contrasted with the black shirt he is wearing on the inside, also reminding the audience that he's a cool or 'smooth'. In terms of the font cover, Jackson has chosen to use his own signature, something synonymous to being famous or a 'star'. This tells the audience that this is the image that Jackson wants to portray to the world.

Conventions of the Digipak form

What is a Digipak and how is it similar/different to an album cover?

A digipak is a type of packaging for CDs or DVDs, typically made from cardboard with an internal plastic holder for one or more discs.


What does a Digipak net look like and how many faces are usual?

A digipak often contains 4-8 panel nets, that is eventually folded.


What do we usually find on the various faces of a Digipak?

Often you'll find for instance, a list of tracks on the back, the name of the artist on the front and a picture establishing the artist and their image.


Does there need to be a connection between the faces on the Digipak?

Yes, a digipak usually contains images of the artist in order to create a brand or theme to communicate to the audience. It is important to make this clear first hand so that the audience are immediately familiar with the artist and their brand.

Spice Girls, 'Let Love Lead The Way' Digipak

Music Video Feedback

During our last lesson we were given the opportunity to assess other students' pop videos, write down our thoughts and vice-versa. I found this to be a great experience, as it helped Romina and I evaluate our own piece of work and see what we could've done to improve it, although it also highlighted what shots we were particularly proud of. For instance question 3 asks the viewer to note what their favourite shot in the video was, and this particular question made Romina and I happy that we decided to use these shots. However it was also important to note the last question (5), which gives us 'even better ifs'. It was really useful for us to reflect on these points and it made us see where we could've improved.