DIGIPAKS

Conventions of Digipaks

All digipaks include the following: • A visual image Album title- this can be place on the main cover

and along the spine • Track list- so what is on the DVD• Basic background information about the artist/bad• ( maybe reviews from companies e.g NME, News Of The World

etc )• Bar code and the name and logo of the music label

What should a digipak include?

• Front Panel- there should be a main image. This image is usually of the artist/band or something that is symbolic of them. The name of the artist/band and the album should be written in big font in order to catch the attention of audiences.

• Spine- on the spine the name of the artists/band and album should be written.

• Back panel- The back panel usually contains the track list and a bar code. We will also often see logos for record labels contribution to the album as well as a CD identification number. The image on the back panel of the digipack almost always reflects the front or the ongoing theme throughout.

• Fold in panel- in this panel there is usually an image of the artist/band

Representation

There are usually images or a colour scheme that reflects the mood of the album or the genre of the track/songs on the disc

Analysing Digipacks

Mumford and Sons

Text • Like many other digipak covers,Mumford and Sons album cover includes

the album and band name. The band name is also in bigger font than the album name. This is probably in order to make it recognisable for consumers as they are likely to recognise an artist/group name rather than the album title

• The font of the title doesn’t distract from the total theme of the album cover and fits in with the whole cheerful/folk theme.

Design• The bands name has been printed and positioned in the center of

the digipaks disk. This makes it the main focal point and will be one of the main thing that is consumed by the buyer when they open the digipak

• This digipak has a unique and recognisable theme which is reflected in its design. The text on the back of the digipak varies in font. The font on the front is recognisable and easy to read. It has a scripted look to it which is used to carry out this ongoing medieval theme that is presented throughout the whole digipak.

Representation of imagery and colours • The imagery that is used for this album represents a particular

genre of music ( folk/indie) • This is represented through the background and imagery of the

album cover. The clothing that the band are wearing also represents this medieval style as they are dress in boots, blazers and trousers. The background also reflects this theme through the imagery of horses, flagsand and brick walls.

• The lively, upbeat and animated design of the cover reflects their genre and style of music. The brick buildings in the background represents a vintage and classical look which represents and compliments the folk genre.

• The cheerful and vibrant colors on the cover instantly attracts the viewers attention. However, despite everything going on in the image, the band members are clearly outline through sharp focus which immediately attracts the consumers attention.

CD• The CD also represents this house style theme that is

portrayed in the rest of the digipak. The lines on the CD is to create ‘bricks’ that is present on both the front and back cover of the digipak.

• The bright blue colour of the CD has not been featured in the rest of the digipak, and allows the CD to stand out from the rest of the Digipak.

Bon iver

Representation of imagery and colours

• The front cover of the album features artwork by Gregory Euclide. The imagery depicts country side scenes which represents the roots of the band and where it originated from.

• The front cover contains no text which is unusual in a digipak cover. The art work by Gregory is all that is on the cover. This draws attention to the artwork and the cover.

• The reason for this is because each song of the album refers to a particular place. The artwork of the countryside on the front cover reflects the music, with particular songs refering to particular land marks such as Minnesota and Perth ( both song titles form the album)

Text/font – back cover• The back cover of the digipakis very simple and contains all the

track listings. The song listings is written in a hand written script. This gives the design a personalised rather than commercialised feel.

• Rather than having the name of the album and the name of the artist on the front cover, instead it is written on the digipak spine. The text is the consistent and is the same hand written script used to write the track listings. This font links in with the folk music genre as it is traditional rather than a modern text.

• Websites are listed on the back of the digipak in small font. This is for the fans and is a way of marketing the band.

• The production company is also listed above the website information. Its in small font so it doesn’t draw the consumers attention away from the more important information such as the track listings

Rihanna- Loud

Front• There is a close up of Rihannas face on the front of the

didipak. Her perfect glowing skin, vibrant red lips and red hair are ‘stand out’ features which are used to help sell the album.

• The close up is very seductive and flattering which works to her advantage. She also appears to be wearing no clothes on.

• Her red hair and bright lips are the most vocal part of the album and is used to attract audiences – the red hair is also part of her ‘star image’ and expresses a ‘female fatale’ iconography and a strong woman. You can also see part of her tattoo which can be argued is part of her ‘star image’ as a pop artist.

• The font on both the back and front of the digipak is strained and defined. This is to ensure that the consumers attention is not diverted from the ‘meat shot’ of the artist.

• The font of the text is simple. The texts are written at the top and bottom of the page so that the image is centrally anchored

CD insert pages • The main image on the inside page is of Rihanna laying across

a bed of roses. The red roses symbolise love, romance and relationships. This reflects and represents the nature of her music which is about love and heartbreak. The natural scene also portrays feminity and a sense of vulnerability as Rihanna is portrayed laying against roses; flowers which typically symbolise love

• Her outfit is innocent and playful, however the sharp redness of her hair and lips is what maintains her strong character profile.

BACK • This seductive, voyeuristic treatment of Rihanna is reflected

on the back of the album• In this image Rihanna has a very enticing, confident and

dominant star image which is reflected in her position and gaze of the camera. By looking directly into the camera it makes the audience feel as though the artist is giving an insight into their life. This follows Goodwins theory of notions of looking.

• The use of colour for the digipak works well. Red is the most dominant colour and is effective as it connotes feelings such as lust, companionship, compassion and love. These emotions are what Rihanna wants to display to the audience through her music.