CD DIGIPACK

Research & Planning: THE HISTORY OF MUSIC RECORDING

• First sound recording made by Thomas Edison in 1877. 
• Edison Phonograph released in 1887 - initial recordings were made using wax cylinders
• Gramophone invented in 1887 (2 months after the Edison Phonograph); it played recordings via flat disks, not wax cylinders
• First records were played at different speeds - between 60 and 120 RPM; the gramophones had to be adjusted to each record
• 1928 - 78 RPM became the standard record speed; the records were incredibly thick and brittle
• 1930 - 33 1/3 RPM records were released and became standard for a LP (Long Playing); made out of vinyl
• 1949 - 45 RPM record was released, became standard RPM for a single song to be recorded on (that's why individual records are called singles) 
• 1963 - Philips (Dutch company) invented the cassette tape 
• One of the most common formats of prerecorded music between the 70s and the early 00s 
• Contained two miniature spools, between which a magnetically coated polyester-type plastic film is passed and wound 
• 1979 - Sony released the revolutionary Sony Walkman
• 1981 - CD invented as a result of a collaboration between Sony and Philips; better sound quality than vinyl and cassettes
• 1984 - CD Walkman was released
• Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) established in 1988 - set standard formats for audio and video compression/transmission
• MPEG-1: used with video CDs
• MPEG-2: used in DVDs
• MPEG-3 (MP3): audio compression codec of choice for music (1989)
• MPEG-4: standard for multimedia online 
• iPod released in 2001, iTunes in 2003
• YouTube launched in 2005, most popular music platform 
• Before YT, other ways to share music (such as Napster, a P2P platform; shut down because of copyright lawsuits) 
• Deezer: 2007, Spotify: 2008

Research & Planning: INITIAL RESEARCH - CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF CD COVERS

Our group's task was to analyse the codes and conventions of four existing CD covers and look for patterns within them. We looked at Paolo Nutini's These Streets, The Bible's eponymous album, The Staple Singers' Somebody Saved Me and Everything But the Girl's Eden. 

Below are the recurring features of an album cover we have noticed: 

FRONT COVER: 

• Name of the artist and the album; usually, the artist's name is bigger than the title of the album, however that could vary as seen on the cover of Eden
• The font used both for the name of the artist and that of the album is always clear, big and easy to read/notice
• Either a photograph of an artist or some form of artwork appears on the cover, often setting a general tone for the music contained

BACK COVER:

• A tracklist - this is an essential feature of the back cover; it presents the audience with the music contained on the CD
• The colour scheme/artistic theme is the same as that of the front cover 
• 'Legalese' text in small print, usually at the bottom 
• Record label logo may be featured 
• Barcode is always featured 
• Social media information usually included on newer albums

INSIDE FRONT/INSIDE BACK: 

• There are so set rules as to how the inside covers must look
• Colour scheme usually follows that of the outside covers
• There may be a circular image beneath the disc tray; occasionally, credits and copyright information may be included 
• Aspects of the back cover could be repeated on the inside front cover (such as tracklist or the 'legalese') 

Research & Planning: CD DIGIPACK ANALYSIS

The task given to us was to analyse a few existing digipacks, focusing on particular codes and conventions used in each one and the way they are decoded by the audience.

In the future, this analysis will certainly prove itself useful; by knowing the essential features of a digipack and the ways particular elements such as typography or colour scheme can be used to convey the messages about the theme and tone of the album will be an incescribeable help with the task.

Below is the analysis of the artwork for the album I'll Keep Calling by J P Harris and The Tough Choices. 

  

  

Below are the analysis of my albums (unfortunately only one was a digipack) of choice: Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling, Night Visions by Imagine Dragons and Crystal Castles by Crystal Castles:

    
    
    

From completing this task I have learned some essential information about the design of digipacks, such as that: every single digipack has some essential elements to it, such as the title of the album and the name of the artist on the front cover. Additionally, there is a trackless present on the back cover, as well as there being a recurring colour scheme throughout the whole product. Colours and typography are also important elements, with the certain shades and hues often being used to convey the tone of the album. Information such as this will be extremely useful while designing my own product, since now I am aware of what the audiences expect to see and how I could challenge those expectations. 

Research & Planning: CD DIGIPACK INITIAL IDEAS, AUDIENCE FEEDBACK + FINAL CHOICE

Just like with the MMA initial ideas, I have hand drawn all of these in Photoshop, and put them into Google Docs for easy feedback obtainability. The designs and the feedback I have received can be seen below: 

  

As it can be seen above, certain ideas have been more acclaimed than the others, with the second one being the most liked one. After some consideration, I have decided to follow through with that particular design, possibly incorporating the first one somewhere else on the digipack layout. I think the second project gives me a lot of artistic freedom, as well as being a good promotional product for the artist and a nice tie between the music video and the CD design. Furthermore, it gives me a great opportunity to experiment with different skills, such as photography or putting illustration-esque and realistic elements together. 

Research & Planning: TYPOGRAPHY CONSIDERATION

After choosing the idea for the product came the time to consider the element of typography; which is quite an important factor of the promotional design. Since Vagabon is an indie artist, I decided to look at fonts that reflected that: sans serif, sometimes quite messy and free spirited - just like the genre she's a part of. 








 
After looking at a selection of fonts, I had particularly liked the messy, handwritten one - I thought it went really well with the very emotional, raw atmosphere of the album. After choosing the two, I looked at how the album name presented itself in both - so that I could choose the one that worked the best. 

For the final typography plan, I decided to use both! The name of the artist looked the best in the messier font, and the free spirited symbolism behind it was also quite nice. For the name of the album I used slightly squished PW Chalk font, because the elongated letters were simply more aesthetically pleasing. 

Research & Planning: COLOUR SCHEME!

I decided to take a closer look at the colour scheme I was going to use for the product; so I could have the colours at hand, always. Warm tones will be the dominant ones in the whole design, making the album and the artist feel very 'homely', cosy even. The blues and the greens in particular elements will contrast well with the reds and oranges, making the overall design rather pleasing to the eye.

Research & Planning: PHOTOGRAPHY PRACTICE

Below are a few shots of Emma, who I casted as the main character in the music video, and therefore the model I will be using for the digipack design. Since everything will be drawn, the quality of the photographs will not be the most crucial thing - they will simply provide reference. The most important thing about the shots is the pose; without good anatomy base, the whole project will just look slightly wrong. The photographs below are the best ones from the practice shoot; with the one in the middle being my favourite pose, which we will attempt to replicate during the 'official' costume photoshoot.

  

Construction: MAKING OF MY DIGIPACK

The first step to constructing my digipack was taking some photographs with the main actor in my production - Emma. At that point, I did not have the costume that I was going to use for my music video (the oversized white t-shirt), but since I was planning to draw my product anyway, I thought that any oversized t-shirt would do, and I would just change the colour later. 

Below is the (sped up) recording of my screen during the creation of my final product. My idea has changed considerably from the initial one I had - the style was not so 'cartoony' anymore. That is because I felt way more comfortable sticking to realism - it was easier to execute and, since as a more traditional artist I was not incredibly comfortable with digital art, I thought it would make the final product much better quality. As well as that, the artist herself incorporated an artwork in similar style on her webpage; so my digipack would be a good tribute towards the artist without looking like the original album cover. 

During the making of the product, I have encountered some software and hardware issues that I managed to overcome after quite considerable struggle. The major one was Adobe Photoshop freezing throughout almost the whole process of creating the tracklist; as you are able to see in the video. 



As far as audience feedback goes, since I constructed the digipack after I already finished the MMA, I've decided to incorporate a lot of the elements that I have used in the other product in this one - such as the colourful ellipses. I have consulted a few people about their placement and opacity though, so that they would not look overly obnoxious. 

I also asked which way round the tracklist should go - from the inside to the outside or the other way round. After Photoshop struggle and collecting a few opinions, I have decided to go with the first option; it was clearer to read and understand, and easier to create. Still regarding the tracklist, I have been advised by one of my friends that numbers would make it appear far less aesthetically pleasing; and as you can see, I decided to honour his opinion in my finished product. 

What you can't see in the video is that I later on decided to play about with the placement of elements on the inside covers. When I was making them at first, I foolishly did not account for the horizontal flip; hence why, when I simply tilted my head upside down, the product did not look quite down. That proved to be quite a handful later on, due to the necessary change of colours and placements (especially with the Statue of Liberty), but I like to believe that I made it work pretty well. 

Construction: FINISHED PRODUCT