Choosing a Design

In order to decide how I want my album to look, I researched into different types of digipak:

I have decided that my favourite design is the 4 panel digipak with slot pocket, therefore I will be using it to create the album for my band, DCR.
This is the template for the digipak I will be using.

Digipak Deconstruction Analysis

From deconstructing existing digipaks I have found that there are several generic conventions. I deconstructed "Arctic Monkeys- AM", "Kings of Leon- Come Around Sundown" and "Tame Impala- Lonerism".

All of the digipaks had a clear house style. For example, the Arctic Monkeys digipak had the same black and white graphics running through the whole digipak and similar colours throughout reinforcing the house style. From deconstructing my digipaks and looking at others both online and in stores, I have found that nearly all of them have a house style, meaning my digipak needs to have a house style to fit in with generic conventions.  My house style needs to be attractive and suitable to my target audience.

Another generic convention that I have discovered is that on the spine and usually on the back of a digipak is a symbol representing what record label the band/artist is signed to. Therefore, before I start making my digipak, I need to research different record labels and decide which one would be best for my artist so I can use their symbol on my digipak to make my work look as realistic and professional as possible. 

On the front of the digipak, the band/artist name and album name were usually featured however this was not the case with "Arctic Monkeys- AM". The artists name was displayed however the album name was hidden within an image. The style of the presentation of the band/artist name and album name varied widely from position to font style and colour because of the changing house styles from digipak to digipak.  Coldplays album subverted these conventions. The  band/artist name and album name are usually repeated on the spine of the digipak in the same colour and font style to help enforce the house style.

I have found that the CD's are nearly always part of the artwork of a digipak and not just a plain CD. They are decorated in a style which fits in and compliments the house style. This shows that I need to design the CD of my artist as well in order to have a fully designed digipak and to follow conventions.

On the back of the digipak, the album tracklist is displayed, another generic convention. The layout of these differ due to varying house styles. The tracks are always listed in the order they are played on the album. 

Before deconstructing existing didpaks I assumed that an image/images of the band/artist would feature on the front of the album however I found that my assumption was wrong. Especially within the indie genre it is not typical to see the band/artist on the front of the digipak. I found this was true with all three of my deconstructions. This shows that I do not have to have an image of my band on the front of the album.

I will consider all of these conventions when creating my own digipak in order to make it look as professional and realistic as possible.

Tame Impala Digipak Deconstruction

Kings of Leon Digipak Deconstruction

Arctic Monkeys Digipak Deconstruction

Ancillary Tasks Introduction

In order to promote my music video and band I need to make a a digipak album and promotional poster. I have already decided that I am not going to give the album a visible name. It is quite conventional that a band or artist's first album is self titled.
In order to help me create ideas and to understand the conventions of digipak albums and posters I am going to deconstruct some existing ones.

Choosing a Record Label

After researching into different types of record labels I have decided that the record label that suits my band the most is 'Domino Recording Company' commonly known as 'Domino'. Domino is an independent record label based in London that was founded in 1993. There is also a small wing of the label based in Brooklyn, NY. 

Domino manages mostly Indie Rock and Indie Pop artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand. This is the main reason why I thought my band Dutch Criminal Record would be signed to them. Also the fact that the label is based in London will help give my band a platform and get them more known in a bigger place than just their hometown.

Record Label Research

In the music industry each band/artist is signed to a record label. A record label is a company which is associated with managing a music artist. For example, it would manage the marketing and the production of music and video recordings of the artist that it manages. It also manages the advertisements and promotion of the artists as well as enforcing copyright protection of the band/artists music recordings and videos. They also do things such as marketing albums and singles, promoting album and single releasing by different means such as radio airplay, billboards, flyers, posters etc.

Many artists/bands are extremely reliant on their record label (management) as they do almost everything for them to help them in their careers.

Each artist/band is “signed” to a record label. This means that there is a contract between the management and the artist/band. By signing the contract the record label agrees to invest time and money into the band or artist to get them noticed and out into the spotlight.

There are major record labels and what we call independent record labels. The major record labels are a lot more well-known and usually sign main stream artists, whereas other record labels may be smaller, localized, and known as independent or “indie” record labels. Also major record labels have smaller record labels working within them, for example ‘Epic’ with ‘SONY’.

Major record labels are usually under the management of something called a ‘Music Group’. This is just the larger management that is the ‘boss’ of all the other record labels under its name.

Major Record Labels:

Sony Music Entertainment- Some artists signed to this record label are Olly Murs, Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Pitbull and Willow Smith.
 

EMI Group- Some artists signed to this record label are The Beatles, Coldplay, David Guetta, Katy Perry and The Kooks.
 

Warner Music Group- Some artists signed to this record label are Jason Mraz, Estelle, Bruno Mars and Paolo Nutini.
 

Universal Music Group- Some artists signed to this record label are Billy Ray Cyrus, Black Eyed Peas, Lionel Richie and LMFAO.
 

Independent Record Labels:

• Beatroute Records
• Go! Discs Records
• Launchpad Records
• Pantone Music

Final Music Video: DCR- One Day

Actor Release Forms

The following are my signed actor release forms showing that I have permission to use the footage of each band member in my video.

Costumes

Although I do not have much control over costumes as I will be filming the band live as I can, I have planned what I would like them to wear and what I think they will wear.

Storyboards

As I am going to be filming live and only when the band have a gig it is very difficult for me to plan the whole video exactly. Therefore I have planned some shots and a few key sequences that I need to film and the rest will depend on the access I can get at the gig on the day.

This is my storyboard for the opening sequence of the song:

This is my storyboard for the middle section of the song:

Finally, this is my storyboard for the very last section of the song:

Inspiration

Whilst deconstructing existing music videos similar to the one I want to create, I have found a few shots that have inspired me. For example this shot from Mumford and Sons- I Will Wait:

It shows the whole crowd, emphasising it's size and the popularity of the band. Although I may not be able to film a crowd of the same size as this I want to try and use the same angle and height in a shot for my video in order to get the same sort of effect that this shot has.

Another example is this shot from Muse- Resistance:

This shot shows just one member of the band playing their instrument. I want to have singular shots of each the members in my band as well as all them together. This will help to create an individuality for each of my band members as well as making them look like a band. It will also keep my video interesting and exciting and appeal to my target audience.

The lighting in this shot from Coldplay- Fix You has also inspired me:

I want to try and recreate this bright lighting effect but change it to suit my video. My aim is to use a stage light behind my band members in order to make a shadowy, silhouette shot of one of my members playing guitar. I think it will add a lot of value to my music video and will look physically appealing to the audience.

Finally, this shot from 3 Doors Down- Every time You Go has given me an idea of how I can be filming when I film my band live. This low angle shot puts the audience in the postition of the crowd watching the band, something that I wish to recreate in my music video.

Dutch Criminal Record Lyric Annotations

In order to plan my music video and to get a feel or the lyrics and timings of the song, I wrote out the lyrics and worked out the timings of each section.

Asking for Song Permission

I emailed the band Dutch Criminal Record to ask for permission to use their songs and themselves in my music video. As they manage themselves I was able to speak to them directly and also as I know them quite well I was able to keep the emails quite informal.

The band replied almost immediately and were very happy for me to use their song and create a music video for their song 'One Day'.

Band Name

I have considered changing the name of the band for the purposes of my music video.
I considered names such as:
                                          -The Criminals
                                          - Run for Sun
                                          - Backward Criminal

However, I decided to keep the band's name as Dutch Criminal Record or DCR for short. I think the name suits them perfectly and the abbreviation of Dutch Criminal Record to DCR is something that my target audience will pick up on and enjoy.

Arctic Monkeys Video Deconstruction

Arctic Monkeys- One for the Road                   Signed to Domino              Genre: Indie Rock

SHOT: Mid

LYRICS: ‘One for the road’

EDIT: Slowly zooms in then cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: In the establishing shot we see a girl stood in a leather jacket with the song name ‘One for the Road’ written on the back. This along with the black and white edit and strange location of what looks like a field at night with a tractor in it, is meant to confuse the audience. It tempts them to watch more to find out what the video and song is about. This is very typical of an indie genre music video.

SHOT: Medium Close Up

LYRICS: Music

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: After the establishing shot, there is then a quick series of 4 cuts to medium close ups of each band member in time to the beat of the music. The final member to be shown is Alex Turner, the main singer and lead guitarist of the band. He has been kept last as he is likely to be the one that most people will want to see as he is the face of the band. The close ups of each band member is very conventional of a band music video as their fans will have favourites that they want to see and it gives each member a sense of individuality as well as showing them as a band. The lead singer is not looking into the camera in this shot, he is looking slightly away from it giving the impression that he is either looking at something else or is too self-righteous to look at the audience which adds to his arrogant image in the band.

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: ‘The cracks in black out blinds’

EDIT: Tracks the vehicle from the front then cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot shows one of the band members driving a tractor through a country location on a dirt track. This shot does not reflect the lyrics at all and will completely confuse the audience. There is no storyline or relevance to the song at this point in the video. This purposeful confusion is a very typical convention of an indie genre music video. Indie bands/artists often like to make videos that don’t make sense and confuse the audience which is what Arctic Monkeys have chosen to do with this video.

SHOT: Medium Close Up, Wide

LYRICS: ‘I knew this would be on the cards’

EDIT:  Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This is the first time we see one of the band members actually sing along with the lyrics of this song. It is the lead singer that we see sing, again showing that he is the front man of the band. We can see the rest of the band behind Alex Turner, but his positioning in the middle of the shot and infront of the others gives the impression that he is more important; he is the main focus of attention. Their outfits also show that Alex is the lead member of the band. The other 3 are in black suits that are slightly altered to each person, whereas Alex Turner is in a silver blazer, making him stand out from the others. In this shot he uses direct mode of address, involving the audience. 

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: ‘One for the road’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot again is confusing. We see girls emerge from the fog in what the audience can only assume is the same location the rest of the video has been set in. We have not seen anyone else in the video other than the band and the girl at the very beginning up until this point. The girls don’t really have any relevance to the video, again going along with the convention of indie genre videos not making sense.

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: Instrumental

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot is the climax of the music video. We finally see the entire band playing their instruments. The whole video has built up this this point, including the song. This is the break down in the song. The front man Alex Turner is at the front of this shot; again to show off his talents and we can see the drummer raised at the back. The 2 other members are shown throughout the breakdown in the song. The smoke and girls keep the convention of indie music videos not making sense whereas the band playing live is also another typical convention of an indie music video. The fireworks emphasise the part of the song that is playing and make it more interesting. The song ends quite bluntly and so this is the last few shots that we see, leaving it fresh in the audience’s minds and creating an impression, something that the band like to do.

Mumford and Sons Video Deconstruction

Mumford and Sons- I Will Wait      Signed to Island Records       Genre: Folk Rock

SHOT: Extreme Wide

LYRICS: Music intro

EDIT: Fades into next shot

ANALYSIS: The establishing shot sets the location of the video which is a live performance. We can see the band on the stage and they are all together, showing that they are together as a band. The wide shot is used to show the enormity of the crowd which is meant to reflect the band’s popularity and success. The crowd are all stood up, adding realism to the music video as they are watching the band live. The lighting has also been used to the band’s advantage. The lighting gets darker towards the top of the shot so that we can’t see the back of the crowd, making it looks bigger and almost never ending. This again emphasises the success and popularity of the band.

SHOT: Close up

LYRICS: ‘Well I came home’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This next shot is the first close up we see of any of the band. It cuts in time with the music to this shot where we can see the lead singer as the lyrics begin. This allows the audience to see who is singing so they can put a face to the voice. The fan will recognise this band member. Close ups are typical of a music video for a band as they give each member of the band a sense of individuality rather than them just being known as the band. This is also for the fans benefit as well as they are likely to have a favourite member so will appreciate the single shot of them. The dark shadowy lighting in this shot contrasts the bright, open light in the previous shot. This is to reflect the change in music. In the first shot the musical intro was loud and upbeat and so they lights were bright, whereas in this shot the tempo of the music slows slightly and becomes quieter which is replicated by the dimming of the lights.

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: ‘I will wait for you’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: Very much like the first shot, this is used to emphasise the size of the crowd. A wide shot has been used to make the crowd seem bigger, again to show how popular the band are. The lighting in this shot has gone back to being brighter as it is in the chorus when the tempo speeds up again. This shot fits with the lyrics of the song as it cuts to the crowd (the band’s fans’ as the band sings ‘I will wait for you’ which gives the audience the impression that they may be talking about their fans, giving them a link to the video. Also shots like these are slightly promotional. It is likely the band was on tour or had gigs at the time of the music video’s release and so these shots of the crowd enjoying themselves will encourage people to buy tickets to one of the bands shows. 

Muse Video Deconstruction

Muse- Resistance      Signed to Warner Brothers Records        Genre: Rock

SHOT: Wide

LYRICS: Music Intro

EDIT: Panning

ANALYSIS: The establishing shot shows fans waiting outside a venue for one of the bands shows. Fans will be able to relate to this as they are likely to have been waiting outside one of their shows before and so will remember the time they had. The panning is used to make the crowd of people seem never ending. It is to emphasise the amount of people there and therefore emphasises the success and popularity of the band.

SHOT: Close Up

LYRICS: ‘Is our secret safe tonight?’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: This is a very conventional shot for a band music video. This close up allows the audience to see who is singing so they can put a face to the voice. The fan will recognise this band member. Close ups are conventional of a music video for a band as they give each member of the band a sense of individuality rather than them just being known as the band. This is also for the fans benefit as well as they are likely to have a favourite member so will appreciate the single shot of them.

SHOT: Mid

LYRICS: ‘It could be wrong, could be wrong’

EDIT: Cuts to next shot

ANALYSIS: It is extremely conventional of a rock genre music video that we see the artists playing instruments. Throughout this live performance music video we see the band playing each of their instruments. It shows that they can actually play their instruments and they often see it as a way of showing that they care about the music more than the popularity of being famous.  

3 Doors Down Video Deconstruction

3 Doors Down- Every Time You Go   Signed to Universal Republic Records   Genre: Rock

SHOT: Low Angle Wide

LYRICS: Intro

EDIT: Cuts quickly to next shot

ANALYSIS: This low angle shot shows the artists on stage at a live gig. They are performing the song live, showing that they actually play the instruments. The low angle gives the artists on stage a sense of power, making them most important as we are looking up at them. This also creates realism, putting the viewer into the audience, making it seem as if we are actually watching them live. The lighting is dark, highlighting the artists on stage and making the concert scene realistic.

SHOT: Wide Angle Long

LYRICS: Music

EDIT: Quick cut to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot puts us in the position of the band themselves, involving the audience. This will appeal to a fan as it will make them feel closer to the band; they will feel more involved. This shot also shows the crowd the band is performing to. These shots are repeated throughout the video showing various different locations and venues the band has performed in. This also appeals to the fan as they can recognise the show they attended, reminding them of the time they had there, giving them a personal link to the video and the band. Again the lighting is quite dark with shadows, making the concert location realistic.

SHOT: Medium (hand held)

LYRICS: You take a part of me, a part of me with you’

EDIT: Cuts to a montage of backstage footage

ANALYSIS: This shot shows the band backstage. This is very much a fan video as this allows the fans to see the band backstage, letting them feel more of a part of the band. The lighting here is quite bright, setting it apart from the rest of the video, emphasising the change of location and scene. We can see a member of the band signing something in this shot. This along with the size of the crowds in the rest of the video show how popular the band is. It is almost showing off how well they are doing.

SHOT: Medium Close Up

LYRICS: ‘You take a part of me with you’

EDIT: Fades to next shot

ANALYSIS: This shot stands out from the rest of the video as it is in black and white. These types of shots are repeated throughout the video in short montages. They are pictures of the band put together. As the song gets faster and more upbeat these pictures are shown, cut together at a faster pace than the rest of the music video. They have purposely done this to keep the video exciting and interesting for the audience.