Conventions of Music Posters

I have researched the conventions of Music Posters in order to create a realistic PRoduct to promote my Music Video. Posters are often used on the sides of buses, bus stops, on TV, in magazines and online. This is to promote the song and inform the intended audience of when a song is to be released etc. It also opens up the promotion to a larger audience in the hope that more people will buy the song or album.

Conventions:

A main image: This image needs to be eye catching and recognisable in order to create as many saled as possible. The image will be the first thing the audience sees and needs to identify the band or artist.

Band name and song/album name: The name of the band and album or even a logo, need to be clear so that the audience can easily identify the band or artist if the image used is abstract.

Release date of the album: This informs the audience of what the poster is for and when they can purchase what is being advertised. It is an important part of a poster as it creates demand for the product.

Website: It is conventional to include a website, either of the band or artist or of the record label they are signed to. This provides the audience with extra information that wont be found on the poster and also promotes the artist or label through the internet and web 2.0

Colour scheme: The colour scheme should reflect that of the album or what is ideological of the artist or band. This creates a certain mood or tone that is conveyed to the audience and should also reflect the mood and tone of the song.

Font and Text: Like the colour scheme, the font and text should also reflect the artist or band and also the song or album it is advertising. It should also be recognisable for your genre.

Layout: The layout for the poster, like the album cover should reflect the genre and should comply with some media theories like voyeurism or uses and gratification theory for the maximum appeal to the audience.

Where to purchase: Shops where the product can be purchased like HMV or online stores like iTunes.

Reviews: Posters should include a star rating or short quotation from a review to give the audience some reassurance that what they are purchasing is of a good quality.

Filming: Day Two

The second day of filming was at my friend’s band room. I was very pleased with this shoot as it is my shortest scene and probably the easiest to film. The footage produced doesn’t exactly match my story board but I think the footage I have looks a lot more natural and un-rehearsed and this in my opinion makes it look a lot more professional.

One problem I had with the band room was that it was very small and was difficult to get all the shots I wanted, however I think we made it work the best we could and the footage I have is probably the best I have gotten so far. A problem I seemed to half overcome was keeping the camera steady while panning. I found that tightening the tripod made the cameras movements less flexible which allowed me to pan the camera without it wobbling. On the other hand, the problem this created was the camera sticking in some parts; however it is a great improvement from the last filming day.

The benefit of working in the band room also meant we didn’t have to worry about the weather which made us work more efficiently and happily which I think shows through the footage.

Overall, I am most pleased with this filming day so far as I believe I am overcoming the small problems we have faced and I feel that my skills and also the footage gained if progressing well.

Usable Images - Album cover

The First idea for an album cover resembles the Spring Standards' album cover for 'Yellow//Gold'

I really liked how the faces were blurred in the image. This technique is used a lot in indie folk by artists such as Daughter (who's song I am using) however her whole body is blurred. It is a convention for indie folk artists to not show their faces in album covers or sometimes even their music videos as it shows a rebellion to the conventions. It also shows that they are trying to sell their music instead of their image or face.

 I created this effect by increasing the shutter time and making Lily shake her head. I think it is a really good effect and draws attention to the background, reinforcing the idea of nature and simplicity.

Another idea for my album cover came from seeing the new Warpaint album.

 I really like how the different images are superimposed on top of each other and the opacity is lowered to give a ghostly effect. I also like the use of neutral colours and the simple text at the top.

These are my images that I will place on top of each other in different sizes and opacities. This effect is similar to the blurred effect in the sense that it gives a confused or lost feel to the image. It also resembles the artist wanting the promotion to surround their talent and not their looks. 

Location: Woodland scene

The location I have settled on for the woodland scene is an area in Thwaites gardens in Cottingham. I thought this was the perfect place to shoot at it is an untended part of the gardens that looks wild and natural. It also has a running stream, further highlighting the ideologies of nature in Indie Folk videos. This location was also highly convenient as it is very near to Lily’s house where we do the costume changes and also is where the next location is held.  

Filming: Day One

I think my first day of filming went rather well. Throughout the day I managed to test run the costume and make up for both my main characters and choose a suitable location to film the ‘woodland’ scene. After this we then filmed what should be the first thirty five seconds or so of my music video. The majority of filming was rather easy, particularly the still shots and framing which weren’t too difficult or took too long to complete. I found the movement shots particularly hard to film. For example, my first shots are a tilt downwards then a pan. I struggled with keeping the camera steady while moving it on the tripod and also moving it at a continuous pace. The combination of the two movements was particularly difficult. I had the idea of doing each movement separately and then editing both shots together, however this created a continuity issue as the two shots weren’t necessarily linked up correctly. I think I will re-shoot this sequence after getting a bit more practice in camera movement.

Another problem we encountered was the weather. The weather was fantastic for filming, a clear day with good natural light but no glares on the camera, however the temperature was very cold which was uncomfortable for most of us, especially lily who’s costume did not retain heat at all. To overcome this, we have decided future filming outside should include more intervals and hot drinks to keep warm.

Along with filming, I also took the photos that I will use for my ancillary texts. I am very happy with these images, specifically a shot where we increased the shutter time to make Lily’s face blurry. This is my favourite shot and will hopefully be used on my album cover.

 Overall I think the day was a major success and I got done more than I thought I would. We had a few issues with movement and the inevitable issue of the weather but I feel that I have thought of ways to overcome them. Progress was definitely made.

Continuity issue

My main character in my video, Lily has spontaneously dyed her hair red/ginger from her original blonde. This could have been a problem in keeping continuity in the music video which it is important to keep verisimilitude, however luckily we haven't filmed any footage that is going to be included in the music video previous to her changing her hair. I have told her that she now needs to keep this colour to avoid any continuity issues in the future.

Aside from this, I think she has made a good decision about her hair in regards to my video. Ginger hair on girls is very fashionable at the moment within all genres. As the colour is fading, it looks a lot more natural which coincides with the natural beauty look that indie folk genre are going for. Ginger is also a stereotype of the Irish which is where folk is renowned for in the UK.

Conventions of a Digipak

In order to make a realistic Digipak for my CD album, I have researched existing Digipaks from other artists and bands. Digipaks are often used for special edition discs or for live footage and sound after gigs or festivals where it makes more economic and practical sense to use a cardboard digipak instead of a plastic album.

The following information is used in all digipaks:

• A main image - Usually a mid shot or close up of the band or artist. This promotes the artist and makes them more recognisable to the audience. In more alternative genres, artwork is used more frequently. This is to appeal to a more alternative audience, often associated with being creative and loving art. Some main images can be completely abstract. This portrays the mood of the album as a sales technique instead of attempting to sell the artist.
• Band/Artist's name - This allows the audience to quickly identify the band or artist with the use of their name, band name or logo. This makes it stand out on a shelf of CDs. Located on the front cover of the CD and the spine.
• Album Title - This is usually located on the front cover of the CD and the spine. Usually contain a pun or wit. In other cases they usually mean something to the artist or are intended to portray the mood of the album to their audience.
• Track List - This is located on the back cover of the CD. It informs the listener of the content of the CD.
• Reviews/Stars - Most albums have a star rating or short review of the album from a magazine or music critique as a sales technique to promote the album.
• Information - Some albums contain information about the band or artist to inform potential new fans about themselves.
• Inside image or booklet - The inside panels often include a main image and/or a booklet including more information about the band and lyrics to the songs.
• Colour Scheme - A colour scheme is sued to portray the mood and tone of the artist and their album.

Digipak Measurements

Front + Back Cover : 140mm by 125mm
Spine : 6mm by 125mm
Inside Right and Left : 138mm by 125mm