This article is about an agency called The Intro Partnership, and they design cd covers for artists. Julian House is the designer of the The Intro and he gives us an understanding of what the agency is about and how it works. They firstly give alot of flexibility letting the client have alot of input into the design, not just the record company. There is less demand for cd cover designs as their is new technology such as ipods and itunes, however there is still demand for visual accompaniment.
When they have a client they will first find out from the record company key things to be on the cover. They will then sit down with the client and find out the ideas they have for the cover, and sketch ideas. The album is not only premotion for the cd album it tells us about the music and the artist themself.
Activity Two - Online research - This weeks album chart
1. Calvin Harris - 18 months
Thia albums is very simplistic with its image being in a plain setting with the artist in the picture. This can let the audience to relate to the artist on what his appearance and image looks like. The colours of the cd cover are very sunny and bright which could connote that the album is lively and fun.
2. Kylie Minogue - The Abbey road sessions
This album is in black and white and has the artist on the front cover with the iconography of a microphone to signify she is the artist. The black and white of the album could also suggest the album is a classic.
3. Emeli Sande - Our version of events
The artist is on the front cover of this cd, with a rose outfit to signify the prettiness and clarity of the album. The background is unclear what is is, with a slightly misty/galaxy feel to it, which could signify the album having a slight twist to it with a rocky feel.
4. Fun. - Some nights
This album is very intreging as it is difficult to work out what it is about from the image. The bold font of the title represents the abum is quite a loud album with a quirky indie twist, as the images give that sense of genre off.
5. Taylor Swift - Red
This album is very like the artists music, being very pretty and sweet. Using the artist in the album cover connotes she suits her style of music being quite country pop, and she seems a very femine girl which this cover is very girly.
6. Mick Hucknall - American Soul
The most effective part of this cd cover is the artist on the front cover. As the artist is in the studio it shows he is a very classic artist, with the title of the album maybe signifying what the music genre is. He seems like he has a twist with the hippy style he has with the bracelets and rings.
7. Mumford and Sons - Babel
This album is very bright and colourful with the flags around the building in the image. The band is sat at the front of the image and they connote a quirky indie style which could suggest their type of music. The album looks very british and old fashioned.
8. Matt Cardle - The fire
The image of the artist is him looking towards the title of the album, but also looks like hes looking into the fire, from the red, yellow and orange colours. He looks very laid back with no smart clothes and messy hair which could make an everyday audience relate to him easily.
9. Paloma Faith - Fall to grace
This is a very bright and colourful album, with the artist being in a costume very much like a parrot as their is a parrot in the album cover. The strong red colours could connote the album is very firery and loud. The album seems very graceful and so does the artist, which connotes the title.
10. Madness - oui oui si si ja ja da da
This front cover is very confusing and i'm not sure what it is about, but I do think its in another language. I also think because its so confusing and slightly weird, it signifies the bands name.
Activity three - Textual analysis
This album cover is The xx's first album, it is very plain and simplistic. The cover of the album doesn't connote a lot about the genre of the music. The first point that could connote the genre of music is the black and white colours. These black and white colours connote an indie style of genre and the colours are seen as classical and vintage. The album has X on the front cover, which instantly represents the band and the audience would recognise the artist straight away.
The cover is very simplistic and this could signify the music inside is very simplistic and calm. The black and white colours could represent a depressing, sad type of music. The colour, image and font don't seem to construct the artists image as their is nothing to see apart from bold colouring and a letter X.
In albums you usually find an image of the artist on the front cover of the album. However in the xx's album you dont as this could construct the indie image of being different and individual. Also they want to get the message across the music is more important than the image.
Activity four - the best and worse album covers in the world
Best album cover
I really like this album cover because of the way its arty features come across. I like the symmetry between the two metal built heads as i think it is very different and unique. The heads seem to look like real people with the characteristics and their facial expressions. I also like the distance of the image with the scenery of the skyscrapers in the background.
Worst album cover
I think this album is just hilarious and awful all at the same time. First theres nudity which is definitely not suitable for all audiences and no one except men want to see this on a cd cover, they just want to listen to music. Secondly 'My pussy belongs to daddy' gives a very wrong impression of what it actually means. She means her cat but people will automatically think of a totally different meaning and it wrong and disgusting, no one wants to hear this. The fact she is posing topless with a cat sat on her lap is just awkward and embarrassing for her because she needs to get another day job..
Homework:Activity five - collecting images
The xx
No comments:
Post a Comment