IMAGES TO BE USED ON ALBUM ARTWORK

INITIAL DIGI-PACK IDEAS

I have chosen to go with a grey-scale themed cover art and album artwork in general, from my research the cover artwork is expected to reflect the content, to have a saturated picture colour suggests the content is sad and headed towards dark meanings via the lyrics. It features the locations in the music video and also the two characters suggesting the content is written by young people for young people, featuring love, loss and relationships and so on.

FRONT COVER

The front cover is almost a silhouette of the character in the music video Ava. It is a long, slightly low angle shot of her standing on top of Coombstone Tor. This shot is featured twice in our music videos.

INSIDE 1

This shot is again of Ava standing by a rock at the same location as the previous, again sticking with the locations featured in the music video, also the same saturation levels. The second image is a print screen of an image from the music video, in the video it is a focus pull, so the foreground is slightly out of focus which gives the picture more depth. It also gives the necklace some significance which relates back to the music video. 

INSIDE 2

The inside opened out introduces the other character, Nile, in the same location as the previous pictures. On the centre panel is another location but it is the Cobb at Lyme Regis, which holds the intertextual reference to The French Lieutenants Woman and Persuasion. 

BACK COVER

The back cover again is another screen shot from the credits sequence, just before the titles appear. It is a calm image and sets the scene for another location. 

BACK

COVER ART OF SIMILAR ARTISTS

Album Artwork and Digi-packs are more important than they first appear. As much as many people don't agree with the phrase 'Don't judge a book by its cover', people still do a majority of the time, it promotes the artist &  people are often drawn in by the design on the cover. 

The original album artwork for Kankouran is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EAm0zonI8o

It is a clever piece of artwork for their CD, Kankouran is a type of African dance and it features an African tribe symbol in yellow on the right of the cover, this being an obvious influence to the artwork. The tree involved in the dance is what they dress as when they perform the dance. it has great meaning behind it. It uses simple font, it co-ordinates with the other use of colour in the picture and fits together as a piece of art. Using a filter of colour in this artwork makes it look colder however contrasting with the yellow allows the attention/focus to be on the symbol, ultimately appealing to their individual audience. However with the targeted audience, piecing the puzzle together & the links between the name of the band and the artwork will not be instant, it will take time and genuine interest in the band for that link to be found.

I would rate this artwork 8/10

A band that I consider has a similar sound to parts of the Kankouran track is a band called 'Bleeding Knees Club' (BKC) and in particular a track/ single called 'Same Game'. This is their album artwork:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZCcd6c8TJw

The image that BKC portray from their attire is a skater boy image, baggy shirts, skinny jeans, vans, white socks, beanie/cap hats. This is reflected in their album artwork, the vans, skateboard and white socks are mounted on a paving stone with the album name on it in a graffiti-esq style, which could have been influenced by a band that they consider one of their main influences, a band called 'Nirvana'. In particular a piece of graffiti with the name of their best-selling album - featured above. Both pictures have been washed out to create an old-style feeling to it. It is a relaxed image, it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable as an audience, it's a calm picture, indicating the tracks will be similar. 

I would rate this artwork 7/10

The next sound I consider similar is produced and created by a local band called 'The Cads'. They use synthesisers, in a similar way that Kankouran do, this is what links their sounds together. This is their album artwork:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZd1jqEc36k

This was designed by one of the band members, Stefan Vincent, he is studying graphic design at university and creates prints and collages which are very innovative. This piece is based on symmetry, the colours are kept simple, much like the font. The complex design could be kept made looking simple because of the choice of colours, making it visually pleasing. This is an original piece of work meaning it probably doesn't have a big influence. It defines the unique aspect of the band, also somewhat justifying their sound. 

I would rate this artwork 7/10

A band called 'Wolf Gang' are the band that also have the futuristic style of sound. This is their album artwork: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqV3qki4XUY

Their sound has a beat that picks up pace in particular a song called 'Dancing With the Devil', and has the same structure as 'Rivers' by 'Kankouran', with similar meaning as well, it is an uplifting song but yet has a dark message about making a deal with the devil. The artwork has low saturation meaning there is wash of little colour but not quite black and white. It is similar artwork to 'Language - Zulu Winter' and 'Family' - 'The Cast of Cheers'. 

By involving an isolated person, it means that their young audience can relate to being alone, and possibly elements of being apart or separate, maybe feeling like they don't fit in somewhere, this is shown through the unique style the subject in the picture shows wearing the headdress. It exercises elements of exploring and finding new things through the location shown on the cover. This is something that all teenagers (their target audience) experience, whether it be themselves, a passion, or a style. (as an example) In those terms, it is a very representative piece of album artwork.

I would rate this artwork 6/10

'ODD BLOOD' by 'Yeasayer' is a very unique piece of artwork for a cover of a CD case and unlike anything I've seen before, also the sound they produce is somewhat similar in my opinion to 'Kankouran':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvUaK_MWkDg

In my opinion this isn't a very inspiring piece of artwork, it is in fact slightly confusing and not quite understandable. It is a graphically enhanced piece of work and is quite pixelated. (assuming that is on purpose) Their target audience as a band would be similar to Kankouran as it is a similar style of music, and the current zeitgeist is to be an individual and have your own style which this image suggests. It is unlike any other album artwork I have seen and owned and it is a truly unique piece. However, as much as this is an individual piece of cover work, it doesn't suggest what to expect from the album. The highly pixelated background could suggest that it becomes an electro album including many synthesisers but how can the audience know that? Personally I am not impressed with the album artwork and if I was judging what I bought on the way it looked, I would not buy this.
I would rate this artwork 3/10

'Chairlift' are a band that are again, similar to Kankouran. However their artwork is one of the most simple from the selection I have picked;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e8Ql9qFA2o

The simplicity of the design by Chairlift is most effective, by colour co-ordinating their clothes to the frame of the picture featured, it keeps the attention on the band themselves. The frame features maybe ripples in a sandy area, possibly a desert, with noise a what looks like crumpled of screwed up paper layered over the top t give a vintage effect on the cover work. This suggests that the band have a vintage like feel to their music, possibly inspired by some artists who are now vintage to their audience, this message is also portrayed from the way that they are dressed, in vintage style, tea-dress attire. Possibly those in their audience who have an interest in the vintage era, may give this band a listen. However their music tell otherwise, it is electro pop-esp and a alternative to 'indie' music. Despite the misleading artwork, this is one of my favourite covers and will take that into consideration when planning my cover artwork/digi-pack.

I would rate this artwork 9/10

The nest piece of cover work is by a band called 'Of Monsters and Men' (OMAM);

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I

The image of the beach that is featured in this album artwork is the main focus of this piece, despite the main subject being the male character in the picture. The beach is the location and when you look at the picture, it makes you feel relaxed and calm, almost suggesting that is what you should expect the album to be like, in this case, it is a relaxed album and the cover work reflects the general sound of OMAM. Young people (16-25) are most likely this band's target audience, and young people see the beach as a place of holidaying, to rest and unwind, this image is very fitting to those feelings. Despite it not being the most exciting piece of artwork, it sends the message of the sound of their music to the audience clearly and is a peaceful and visually pleasing image to have on the front of their CD. 

I would rate this artwork 8/10.

'The Naked and Famous' (TNAF) album cover for 'Passive Me, Aggressive You' is a colourful and visually challenging image;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YuSg4mts9E

It challenges your opinion on what the image actually is of, at first glance, obviously, the world but there is no recognisable pattern of the continents on the globe shape, however what they have done is layer alternate images over what could initially have started off as being planet earth. The image has been placed onto hills and a rocky mountain which could be representative of where the female vocalist is from: New Zealand. The image portrays the band personally and reaches a new level in terms of their fans accessing information bout the band members they may not have known otherwise. It is a controversial image that represents their unusual collective sound. The colours used are bold and eye catching again ideal for attracting more of their target audience. (16-25)
I would rate this artwork 7/10

In conclusion, using controversial images like the Yeasayer image for promoting a band like Kankouran via Digi-packs is not a good way of engaging with the audience. Using something that the audience can relate to have emotional attachment to is key, that is what will make people pick it off the shelf and possibly give it a listen, it is also directly targeting the band's target audience.

Portrayal of 'Rivers - Kankouran'

The brief for this task was to find a British unsigned band who would allow us to use their song in a music video created by us the students. I became interested in the song Rivers when watching a Skins Series 6 trailer on the TV. The dramatic sound of the song attracted me to look into it further and download the track. This automatically gives Kankouran (the band) a target audience of the demographic who watch Skins, 16-25 year olds, the golden group. In a way Skins has had a slight influence over our music video, in terms of making it about young people and their relationships with each other, which is what we have planned to create. There is also a common theme of death in series 6, as a character Grace dies in a car crash, similarly Ava in our music video, attempts to kill herself, there is a low key link.

Ultimately the portrayal of Kankouran in this trailer is about youg people having fun and being mischevious, it's about love and friendship also.

“Rivers for me personally is about life and death. growing up, things changing. nothing stays the same. life is always changing, there is no certainty from day to day. that kinda vibe... its also about sharing that with somebody. that whole experience...its really a dark song, but its been done in a uplifting way.”

-Tarek Musa -Kankouran

However a slightly different portrayal comes from their live official video for the song 'Rivers', they come accross as calm, relaxed and passioante, which is slightly unlike the Skins implications. Their live video is a one take vidoe (during the performance section) and the camera still manages to make it an interesting video, often all in one takes can drag on and become boring, but this is an exception. This makes them appear interetsing and something really special. I think we can expect big things from Kankouran.

Editing

After editing about 1 minute of a 3.5 minutes music video, we showed it to people from our target audience (16-25 year olds) and asked them if they understood the story line so far. To some it was slightly confusing, although the shots were well transitioned, we had not introduced the storyline quick enough, which for only a short video, needed to be changed.
We swapped some shots about to make the story be introduced quicker, then showed it to the same people and some other people who hadn't seen it before. We got them to tell us what they thought had happened and what they replied with was the story plan, which was positive feedback.
We got carried away with putting in shots that we didn't ned yet, giving them no significance in the place they were irginally in, whereas if we moved them, they held great significance. This just highlights the importance of editing and recieving feedback.

Montage

Montage is featured in a variety of different films/music videos/TV programmes. It is an effective way of getting messages to audiences, setting the atmosphere/tone of the proceedings/good opening sequence.

For example, in the opening sequence of 'This Is England' there is a montage of clips from the 1980's, setting the tone of the film, it has political, popular, influencing and urban aspects of the introduction. Layered over the top of the montage is a song by Toots and the Maytals called "54-56 was my number". In an interview Shane Meadows said that they picked the music before they planned the shots. So using this song was decided before they even thought about using montage.

This is effective as the film has not started yet, but you get a feel for what is to come and what to expect. It is a foreshadowing method. It is also a very specific way to target audiences. For example, people with an interest in Politics, music, war, dancing etc, will take interest in this montage.

Another example is in 'The Killing' and 'Homeland', 2 TV dramas, they both use montage as a way of introducing charters and setting the tone of the rest of the hour of the show. This is an effective way of opening what is going to happen because it manages to show you enough of what has happened and what is going to happen in the montage.
The Killing's montage is edited in a slightly more edgy way than Homeland's, it is a little more distorted and the music that lays over the top is more mysterious and concerning also. It does not reveal as much information as for example Homeland does, it is more suggestive rather than just showing the audience.

 

Recently in a music video by Sub Focus ft. Alpines called 'Tidal Wave' it features patches of montage which has inspired us to use montage in our music video because of the effectiveness of 'Tidal Wave'.
This music video is similar to ours due to the fact that a majority is filmed either at a beach, or on cliffs over-looking the beach. Montage in this video is edited to the beat of the song, enhancing the effectiveness of the continuous beat in the song. It also sets a scene for the video, almost like a title sequence. It introduces the surroundings by flashing shots of the location.

In our music video we plan to create a montage on the instrumental section about half way through the song. It will be edited to the beat, but as it is a fast-paced song, maybe every other beat as we are going to use some iconic shots linking in with our inter-textual references. (The French Lieutenants Woman) This links in with Goodwin's theory - There is often intertextual refernces.This is the element we are trying to highlight. The use of montage in our video will (hopefully) be effective, and the end result will fit with the rest of the video.

Cyber Goth Research

Cyber Goth is a subculture that takes elements from punk, goth, raver and rivet-heading. Unlike traditional goths, Cyber Goths follow electric dance music instead of Rock music. Cyber Goths also focus on the future unlike traditional Goths who base their style on the past. This is the generic image of a Cyber Goth. This style has been said to originate from the David Bowie craze, it is a fairly new and underground style and genre of music, yet to explode onto the streets. The unusual look of David Bowie has inspired so many. For example, Lady Gaga and other contemporary artists.

Cyber Goths tend to wear mainly black with hints of neon, bright colours or reflective material. Glossy materials give a plastic artificial look. Also huge platform boots. The girls especially have big hair, using hair extensions, or falls to exaggerate their look. Falls can be made out of yarn, fluorescent tubing, electrical wiring, also synthetic dreadlocks are popular. Piercings are all part of the entire look, they are a typical aspect of the outfit. Goggles are often worn also gas masks or doctors masks, to imply a medical fetish. Sometimes Cyber Goths mutate their faces and bodies, with implants to disfigure themselves and de-humanising look. Despite the look of the girl in the picture, Cyber Goths can sometimes dress androgyny it is also a uni-sex style. Their make-up can also be quite shocking, bright colours often matching hair or clothes. A trend is often that they shave off their eyebrows are draw them back on with a coloured pencil.

Cyber Goths take part in social acts like dancing
meet ups in a park for example. Music is also a big part of their identity, clubbing is a hobby or activity that they take part in regularly.  Mixing only really with other Cyber Goths, they are people they can identify with and who have similar interests. Also, they are quite an unusual sight because the genre and style is still underground, like with any unusual group, they feel like more of a community when together and in a group.