Within this blog post, I will be analysing digipacks from my chosen pop genre, I will also be looking into the typical codes and conventions which are stereotypically seen on a pop digipack.
When researching into digipacks I noticed that the titles and fonts used in pop tended to consist of a bold eye-catching font which was displayed in large font sizing. On some CD covers, the artists name overlapped the focus image, giving the indication the digipack designer wanted the pop artists name to be the first thing they see, this could be because some artists appear to look different in their photographs due to an over touch up in photoshop. However, on the other hand, this could've been done because the artist is already widely known worldwide and therefore their fan base would already know what the artists look like. In some female pop artists cd covers the font comes across more girly with a curly and flowy feel which reminds me of a hand signature layout. Whereas in contrast the male artists such as Justin Bieber have the font which is more basic and block printed, in neutral colours such as white.
The camera shot and composition of pop artists on their digipacks is important as it is the way in which the artist is portrayed and comes across to their fan base. in the majority of pop, cd covers the photographer uses the composition in the framing to leave the artist looking directly at the person holding the CD. When looking at the album covers the artists are positioned in the centre of the image, they have also been creative and used visual lines to give a leading eye effect, this allows you to direct the attention of the buyer to the point of interest. The typical mise en scene for a pop digipack means that for costumes things such as high street shops and trend within the modern day. However, some artists subvert the stereotypical pop clothing and go for more extravagant clothing pieces such as Nicki Minaj and Lady Ga Ga. the makeup tends to have no limit, some pop artists have suitable and naturally makeup whereas others use vibrant eye shadows and bold lip tints to show off their unique appearance. Other things such a the lighting tends to be preferably high key, by doing this is illuminates the singer's faces and overall brings more light and cancels out any shadowing from their face, making there appear more airbrushed and perfect.
The colouring for a pop album tends to be bright and vibrant bold colours, normally primary colours are used either in the front or within the outfit or background of the photograph. For example, Jason Derulo's album colour is shown with a yellow background, this is a prime example of how primary colours are used, however y using this colouring it contrasts with his tattoos and makes them appear more vibrant and rich coloured. a pop album is designed to stand out from genres such as country and rock.
Katie Perry Digi Pack
This front cover for this Katie Perrie digipack shows her laying very provocatively across cotton candy clouds. No clothing is worn symbolising she's trying to be very sexual and show off her slim figure, the way she is laying emphasises her assets and will, therefore, appeal to the male audience also she looks very seductive with the positioning. This would also appeal to female audiences, as they would aspire to look like her. The use of having her hair curled and bright red lipstick almost represents her trying to copy Maroline Monroe signature look with her bold lipstick and very tight slick back curls.this could be to target audiences in their late teens and early twenties as well as her typical younger audiences. By using a wide shot camera angle it shows her laying across cotton candy, this symbolises that the theme of the songs on the album is around sweets and candy. The candy appears to be covering her down below to give her some privacy even tho she comes across as being exposed and vulnerable. The title's font also suggests the theme is candy due to it being in the style of handwriting which has been written in strawberry laces, and candy sticks have been laid out in a formation to write the 'teenage dream' line. The pastel colours used emphasises her girly side but also the whole overall colouring and filters create a cartoony pop art feel with the unrealistic candy clouds and someone laying naked on them.
The second picture shows the Cd disks and the remaining part of the Cd cover, the overall theme of the digipack are candy, we can again tell this because every time the letter 'o'is used a lolly pop swirl is used to replace it. This also follows through on the cd disks, they have a lolly pop image imprinted onto them and also the left cd has a pink and blue doughnut embedded onto the disk, this has been done to again symbolise the song's theme being a candy shop. All of the copy write information has been printed in a small font at the bottom of the cd cover, they have chosen to use a rich red colour so that it blends in with the candy floss pink colour and doesn't override the main focus to the cover. Also the rich red colour links to the coloured font that is being used to show what songs there are within the album. the recurring theme of sweets and candy is deliberately used to target the younger audience.
The close up camera shot used in the second photograph of Katie perry laying there resting on her arm comes across as her being very confident and strong. The eye contact she makes with the camera traps the audience but it also gives across a day dreamy effect, due to the soft clouds she is laying on it makes her appear as being very comfortable giving a safe and subtle look to the photograph. the makeup she has on has been used to emphasise her eyes and make them stand out more, which attracts the audience as she has very dreamy and dazzling eyes. There is a typical convention of her using her body within the cd cover, this is stereotypical for women to do to appeal to a more mass audience.
Little Mix -Wings
This little mix digi pack has an extreme pop look to it, the bold and vibrant colours used are stereotypical conventions of a girly pop band. The images use to show the different members of the band to separate each image white grid template has been used, this has been done to divide the group and represent that each member of the group bring something to the band, for example their personalities aren't all the same and they enjoy doing different thing as they have different hobbies, however when it comes to singing they work well together and support each other forming a girly band friendship. The sizing of each photograph is the same to show that none of them is better than each other and that they all obtain the same fame and success. By using the bright eye-catching pink purples and yellows is contrasts with the girl's makeup, for example, the pink lips and blue nailvarsh complement the different background and clothing colours. Also, the colour choice is given a pop art feel especially because of the white dotted pattern background behind each artist. There is a theme of colour scheme throughout the digipack pieces. By using vibrant tones it makes it more visually appealing for the viewer.
The image which is created for the artists comes across very modern, although we can't see all of their clothes on the front cover, we can still tell that their fashion is very trendy due to that being their public image. The hairstyles are also very glamorous and perfected for example Perries slick back hair is perfect and no wispy hairs are visible, this emphasises that they like to look glamorous and do care about how they look. The overall representation of their hairstyles would be that they have done this to link to their fan base, it's typically known for younger people to have hairstyles like this and actually like to experiment with different looks.
The font used throughout the digipack is very simplistic and all block capitals, this could be to make the cd look more interesting and different, but also add a sense of boldness and it's a unique way to catch the viewers attention. By using these colour scheme throughout the digipack it gives a cheerful and fun representation, it emphasises that the songs within the album are going to be happy and upbeat songs to match the pop genre.
The visual narrative of this digipack is that the consumer can relate to whichever person with the little mix band is their favourite because of the way they have used single shots.
