Digipak research

In todays lesson I researched a couple of digipaks to gain inspiration for our own. 

A Digipak typically consists of a book-style paperboard and plastic trays to hold the CD inside.

A traditional Digipak often contains a booklet inside consisting of the names and lyrics of the songs. Their may also be information about the artist and the inspiration behind each song. This allows the audience to relate more with the artist. Digipaks used to be a key method of giving exclusive information to fans, however they are less important now due to the proliferation of social media. Various photos of the artist also appear in the pack which makes it interesting for the consumer. Some Digipaks contain a 'Thankyou page' which makes it more personal and easy for the viewer to recognise who helped them on their journey. 

A track list often appears on the back of the pack, along with the name of the record label and a barcode. A scan code is sometimes featured which means fans are able to scan the code and be taken to a specific website or media text. This means they will have access to the artist on various parts of the web, therefore widening he artists fan base. 

Here are some examples of Digipaks to understand the layout:

Paramore: Riot

Mcfly: Motion in the ocean

These digipaks may not be completely suitable to compare with our artist as they make a different genre of music. 

Birdy: Fire within

Unlike many contemporary female artists, Birdy's album cover portrays her as pure and natural and does not attempt to sexualise her. Her chests and shoulders are covered and her makeup is relatively natural. Her dark eyes however make her appear slightly troubled, which mimics the melancholy undertones of her music. The use of a faded brown colour is effective as it portrays how her songs are mostly about past experiences.  The use of black and white also portrays the simplicity of her songs. Her name is written in surprisingly small font, however this may be showing that for Birdy it is less about the promotion of herself, but the promotion of her music. 

The back page features a list of her songs against a simple backdrop. This draws the readers attention to the track list, again emphasising the importance of her music. 

Social Media

In todays lesson we created an Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for Isla's website. 

I was given the task of creating the Twitter page, whilst Chloe made the Instagram and Paul made the Facebook. We then linked all the pages so the viewer has easy access to all forms of social media.

Chloe also made the youtube channel so we are now able to 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IslaGoldMusic
Instagram: https://instagram.com/islagold/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcZCdkBUixAhpHM2jtKUaw
Facebook: 

Edited photos (18/09/15)

Here are the final edited photos!

Edited photos

Photos

In todays lesson we looked through the photos and decided which ones were our favourite. There were lots of photos so narrowing them down proved slightly tricky, however we managed to pick a select few  which we all mutually loved. Using Photoshop we then edited them. We cropped them and changed the contrast/exposure of some of the photos, we then added a sepia tint making them appear more melancholic.


Here our some of my favourites:

I particularly like this photo, the mis-en-scene with the armchair and blanket give the impression she is comforting herself and the way she has her hand running through her hair vividly portrays her despair. I think this would be a suitable photo for the album cover.







When looking back at the mood board I created in summer, I am extremely satisfied with what we have achieved so far. Holly is the perfect person to be in the music video as she has the boho/indie look I envisioned. The rain which can be seen in the photos also creates a gloomy atmosphere and depicts her sorrowful, heartfelt music.

Planning: Test shoot (16/09/15)

Today we took photos of Holly to test how comfortable she is in front of the camera, this also gave us the opportunity to asses her performing ability. We used two locations; the photography room and outside on the school grounds. 

Unfortunately the heavy rain did prove slightly troublesome however it did create a sense of gloom which is communicated through the photos. Whilst shooting outside we needed umbrellas to cover the camera but we were able to use the dismal sky and puddles to our advantage by getting them in the shot. 

 Holly was a natural in front of the camera and needed little direction. We were able to film her singing some of the song which we can also use in our video. Overall we were shooting for approximately two hours, this time included location and costume changes. Overall I believe the shoot was successful and I am confident we have enough photos for the Digipak and website. 

Planning - Artist

We have decided to use Holly Aldridge Ball in our music video. 

She is 17 and attends the same 6th form as us, this is useful from a practical point of view as we are able to check her availability and frequently communicate with her. Holly has experience in front of the camera due to being a model, this experience means she is comfortable performing in front of the camera. Her physical appearance also suits the sound of our artist. 

Planning Test Shoot - (15/09/15)

Tomorrow we have planned to do a test shoot with our potential artist, Holly Aldridge Ball. By taking some test shots we can see how she reacts to the camera and how comfortable she is performing.

We have checked the weather forecast for tomorrow and discovered it will be raining. This may benefit us as we can create a sultry, melancholy atmosphere which will help communicate the type of artist Isla Gold is. We have also booked the photography room in case we want to do some indoor shots as well as outdoor.

Prop list for shoot

Camera

Tripod

Costumes x2

Umbrellas

Yellow flowers 

Website Analysis (14/09/15)

In order to make a website suitable for Isla I looked at a couple of websites of existing artists. 

Birdy

Birdy's website is relatively minimalist to reflect her simple music. 

Homepage
Birdy's name is written in large black font in the centre of the homepage and the background is simply a photograph of her.Their are various links attached to the homepage including her Twitter, Spotify, Facebook and Youtube. This provides the viewer easy access to her other sites. Below her name is a number of subheadings which directs the viewer to separate pages: videos, news, music, store and live. 

News page: Birdys latest singles, albums and performances.
Store: Birdys limited edition box set.
Live: Past and upcoming performances












Nina Nesbitt

Nina's website is very sheek and contemporary.

Homepage
Pastel purple and white are the dominant colours used. The image used of Nina  is also used to promote her latest single. There are links to her soundcloud, facebook, instagram and youtube. The main column includes a tour countdown and information about her meet and greets.The subheadings include news, bio, gallery, video, shop, music and live. 

News page: Tour announcements and meet and greets
Music: Ninas latest album
Shop: Hoodies, T-shirts, CD album, pillowcase and wrist band.
  

Institutional Research Evaluation

After some deliberation we decided Rough Trade would be the best record label to distribute Isla's music. Due to its history of marketing alternative artists we felt they would be the most experienced and would know how to reach the specific audience suitable fore Isla. The label also has connotations of the alternative genre so music-lovers would immediately know the type of artist Isla is simply through association with the label, this could potentially work in her favor. In addition to this the record store attached to the label would be a useful platform to sell her albums and increases the potential for synergy.  

Website

In today's lesson we distributed tasks to each member of the group. Anna and Chloe have experience using Photoshop therefore they are going to focus on the Digipak, whilst Paul and I have chosen to focus on the Website.

The website is an integral part of creating Isla's image as this is where all the information about her will be.  Paul and I started using www. wix.com to create the website.

Despite not knowing who our artist is going to be we decided to commence the creation of the website. After some deliberation we chose the Indie Folk template, this can easily be altered to fit the style of Isla. 

We made basic changes and familiarized ourselves with how to use the website as both Paul and I had never used it before. 

Institutional research- Record companies (10/09/15)

Record Label
Record labels are responsible for the marketing of music recordings and music videos. 
Record labels used to play a vital part in kick-starting an artists career. However through the proliferation of sites such as Youtube and Spotify many artists are able to showcase their musical talent without the reliance on record labels for marketing and financial backing. 


Universal Music Group: UMG is the worlds leading music company. Founded in 1934 and currently owned by Lucian grainge, UMG accounts for 80% of all the worlds music. Through horizontal integration they own labels such as Island Records, Capital Records and Virgin EMI records. Artists associated with them include Sam Smith, Jessi J, Nicki Minaj and Maroon 5. Despite Universal having an overwhelming influence on the success of artists, they may not be an appropriate institution to promote Isla Gold.  We envisioned her as an independent artist solely dedicated to the music, therefore we want to steer away from the dominant record labels who create a fantasised image of the artist and focus more on generating money than good music. Also our target audience would prefer an artist emerging from an independent record label as they would be more relatable and inspirational. 

Cherry Red Records: This independent record company has over 35 years of experience and has signed a wide range of artists including Hawk Wind, The Fall and Suzi Quatro. Cherry Red would be an appropriate company for Isla to be signed to as they are a British company based in London. This is an advantage as Isla is a British artist herself, therefore she could have lots of meetings with the label and consolidate a good relationship. This relationship would prove helpful in her career as they would get to know her personality and preferences ensuring she is marketed in the best possible way.They also have more alternative artists on their books which is the genre of music Isla creates. 


Rough Trade Records: This is another independent record label founded in 1978. Rough Trade is based in West London and has offices in London and New York. Similarly to Cherry Red Records, a decent relationship could be established with Isla and the record label due to their offices in London. Rough Trade have artists such as Palma violets, SOAK, and Warpaint.  All of these artists create alternative music, similar to Isla, therefore Rough Trade would be experienced in marketing non-mainstream artists and would know how to attract the correct target audience. Rough Trade is also a record store , therefore Isla's music could be sold in the shop in the form of records helping to publicise her music.

The impact of technology on the distribution and exhibition of Isla

The proliferation of technology in recent years has led to a growth in sites such as Youtube and Spotify. Youtube is a key method of increasing Isla's fan base as it is easily accessible globally and free of charge. Sites such as Spotify have resulted in less people buying CD's and records as the music is available to them   on the internet. Therefore we need to utilise the internet to market and distribute Isla by creating a website solely dedicated to promoting Islas music and image. The website would also be a good opportunity to sell merchandise and tour tickets, ensuring synergy is created. The website could also have links to her Instagram, twitter, and Facebook which makes her easily accessible to her fans. 

08/09/15

Planning: Artist Name

We came up with the name of our artist today. We collectively agreed our artist needed to have a unique name that hints the genre of music the artist sings. Names such as Aria, Fleur and Adriana were discussed however after some debate we came up with the name Isla. Initially we thought having a one word name sounded better and more memorable. 
We thought Isla Grey however sounded rather striking. After googling the name we realised it was the name of a famous writer, therefore we settled for Isla Gold which we felt was equally as good. Gold symbolises prosperity and success, therefore giving positive connotations for the artist. We also learnt that Isla Golds are flowers that grow in the sides of ditches and railroads, this means the name is symbolic as it shows how the artist, Isla Gold, is growing and blossoming like the flower. The yellow buds of the flower visually indicate Islas beauty despite the heartbreak and sense of abandoment she speaks of in the song Lost.

We then discussed  the name of Islas album. Chloe immediately suggested "Gold Dust". We all loved this name due to it matching the name of the artist herself. It also suggests the songs on the album are beauiful, or as the name of the album suggests 'gold dust'.

07/09/15

Planning: Artist name

Creating a name for the artist was vital in order to build a clearer image of her in our minds. Whilst looking at other artists such as Birdy, Nina Nesbbitt and Gabrielle Aplin i noticed they all have rather whimsical, unique names. Personally I find Birdy's name has a large impact due to it being singular and relatively short. Therfore I would love my artist to have a not have a common name but a name more individual.

 

7/09/15

As a group we were finding it difficult to envision the artist of the music video. Therefore we did a quick exercise where I fired questions at Chloe such as "brunette or blonde", "rural and urban" and she had to pick one answer without pausing.

Results
BRUNETTE, YOUNG, FLOWERS, BOOTS, SKIRT, MINIMAL MAKEUP,  JEWELLERY, SAD, BOYFRIEND, LONG JACKET, CASUAL, CLOUDS, FEILD, WINTER, RURAL

By the end we had a clearer vision of the personality/appearance of our artist. We agreed the girl should be naturally pretty with minimal makeup, we also want to base the video in winter in order to create the gloomy atmosphere. This exercise means we are now ready to commence our search for the actor in the video.

Audience Research- Target audience profile

Leanne

Leanne is a classic example of who our artists needs to cater for. Leanne is an individual who is exposed to the work of up-and-coming indie artists and thus would have different expectations of music videos than that of a fan of the RnB genre

This is Leanne. She is 18 years old and lives in suburban London with her parents and younger sister. Her parents are office workers and she is currently a full time student.

She prides herself in her individual nature and discovering new artists and supporting them through till they hit the mainstream. A romantic at heart, Leanne loves a good indie love song among the likes of 'Vance Joy', 'Birdy' and 'Ed Sheeran'.

In her spare time, Leanne enjoys reading novels, attending the theatre to watch musicals and plays as well as going to concerts of the latest bands and artists at the local social club. She is an active member of the online communiy (twitter and tumblr) from which she tweets and blogs about the gigs she attends. Her reviews online are highly regarded by the fan bases of the aritsts as she manages to attend as many gigs and concerts as possible.


She tends to discover new acts through the wonderful world of the internet and specifically through Soundcloud and Youtube. Due to the amateur nature of these newly discovered artists, Leannes access to their music is often restricted to the online and download channel rather than the traditional concept of hard physical CD copy.

Audience Research- Psychographic/demographic profile

Core Audience - 16-19 year olds

Interests/hobbies
Most 16-19 year olds are still in some form of education, whether that be school/college or university. Our core audience is mostly those labelled as 'indie' or 'alternative', those who come under this category often enjoy non-mainstream music and relish in discovering new artists. They enjoy attending gigs and concerts of their favorite artists, often using this as an opportunity to meet new people who have the same interests as themselves. 

Media consumption habits
The youth of society are stereotypically obsessed with social media and sites such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Tweeting comes as second nature to many people of this age and fan behavior is prominent , especially among teenage girls. Social media allows people to keep up to date with their favorite artists and gives them a platform to voice their opinions on a variety of issues.  

Audience Research- Survey analysis

 These are some of the results from the online survey we conducted:

Music tastes

 


These results show music is an important part of our target audiences daily routine (94%). They generally listen to music through streaming online (56%), therefore we need to ensure our artists music is made available on sites such as Spotify and Youtube. Youtube is specifically important as 44% of those asked stated that's the method they use to discover new artists. The alternative genre also appears to be the most popular amongst those questioned (50%).

Artists

Our target audience appear to like a wide range of music from rap (Wiz Kalifa) to pop (Little Mix) to indie (Lana Del Ray). Their flexibility in terms of music genres is extremely beneficial as this means they will easily accept our artists indie vibe. Most of these artists also appear on the charts so we need to ensure our artist has a wide appeal.

Artists in order of popularity (alternative genre)
1) Ed Sheeran
2) Birdy
3) Gabrielle Aplin
4) Imagine Dragons
5) Frank Turner
6) Coldplay
7) Ben Howard
8) Nina Nesbitt
9) Vance Joy
10) Lorde
11) Diana Vickers


Ordering the artists in terms of popularity is useful as we can gain inspiration for our own artist by looking at the existing artists. We can also research the marketing techniques of these artists and incorporate them into Islas promotion.


Hobbies and Interests

Their responses show that our target audience is mostly outgoing and enjoy a wide range of things inluding music, films, concerts and parties. This suggests that we should market our artist as likeable and fun to give her the relatability factor. Their love of concerts also means our artist should do a concert tour as it gives our audience the opportunity to
see them live.



Our target audience expects to see a wide range of things in a music video. This includes dancers,a strong narrative and a variety of costumes. These responses have reassured us that we must avoid the predictable video of a girl simply singing with a guitar. Despite the song being slow we can still have a fast- cutting rhythm and a number of different locations/costumes.

Audience Research- Oral Survey

Interviewees- Nikita Brown (17 years old), Emily Allen (17 years old), Saskia Ortiz (17 years old)

Today we interviewed a group of females who are within the age bracket of our target audience (17 years old). Interviewing them proved very interesting as they informed us of their preferences in terms of music and music videos. They all stated they enjoyed RnB music and artists such as The Weekend and Drake. However when we asked them about their thoughts on Ed Sheeran, who is a more similar artist to who we would be creating, they all stated they disliked his videos which were simply him singing with a guitar. Nikita stated she enjoys videos with a strong narrative and which feature dance.

When questioned about how they discover new artists they all said through spotify, youtube and on the radio. They also said they often stream free music using the internet rather than paying and buying the album.

This interview has proved useful as we know we want to steer away from the conventional video of a girl with a guitar due to our target demographic seeing it as tedious. Instead we could have a narrative based video featuring an element of dance. We need to do an online survey in order to gain more information about our target audience.

Audience Research- Survey questions

In order to gain a greater knowledge of our target audience

Audience survey:

• What artists do you currently listen to?
• What genre would you say you listen to the most?
• Where do you usually discover artists?
• How do you generally listen to music? (streaming etc)
• What do you expect to see/experience when you watch a music video?
• Do you buy your music? If so, how much do you pay?
• How often do you listen to music?
• What would you say is the most important thing about music?

Audience Research- Online Survey

We created an online survey which we then sent to people who we perceived to be our target audience. This helped us gain more information about preferences of our audience.

Survey:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X35HWH9

Audience Research

We decided that the artist we will create will have a similar audience to Ed Sheeran. He is a highly successful musician who has a wide range of fans who are all different ages and cover multiple socio-economic statuses. His core audience (first wave audience) would have perhaps been 16-19 yr olds due the genre of music he creates and his contemporary take on music. However after his initial establishment in the music industry they would have branched out and attracted a greater range of people, therefore creating a two wave audience.

Ed Sheeran has a similar target audience to the artist singing Lost as his songs often involve themes and ideas that many people can relate to. Similarly Lost has a widely relatable theme meaning it is not exclusive to a restricted audience.

Audience Research

In today's lesson we examined the vitality of audience research pre-production and how our video needs to cater for a specific audience.

Demographic profiling looks at the socio-economic background of an individual and is divided into groups A,B,C1,C2,D,E.

Group A
These individuals are considered the wealthiest and highly educated. The exclusivity of this group means they are marketed rarely. People worthy of this group include chief executives and those who have managerial roles.

Group B
This group includes the "professionals"; upper middle class people and those who have been educated at university. For example dentists, doctors and teachers.

Group C1
This group includes "white collar workers", those who are educated but do not hold a high position. For examply senior office workers.

Group C2
This group includes "Blue collar workers" who are semi skilled. For example those on the retail floor or factory line.

Group D
These individuals are unskilled such as manual workers.

Group E
This group includes pensioners, students are those unemployed

Psycho-graphic profiling refers to the behavioral patterns of potential audiences. For example their hobbies, consumption habbits and interests. This also refers to what they are as labelled as; indie, armchair rebels, mainstream, leaders.

Potential questions for audience research:
Where would you market the artist?
What are the expectations of a music video?
Which sites would you use as a platform to find the artist? (Spotify, Itunes,Youtube)
How is music played?

01/08/15- Initial mood board for 'Lost'

Over the Summer holidays I started thinking of initial ideas for the music video. Through creating a mood board i was able to ease myself into the creative process and have a visual idea of the genre of video it will be.

Vision for music video

When listening to the song I see a melancholic atmosphere, slightly gloomy and dark. The song appears to be about feeling isolated and lost, therefore the video could involve a storyline of heartbreak.

Initial thoughts

-Variety of locations, mostly rural landscape

-Lyrical dancers, use of light to create silhouettes and shadow

- Artist could appear Boho/ indie, long hair, free-spirited

-Sunsets or gloomy skies