Magazine Advertisement

Within this blog post I will be showing the design sketches we produced as the starting base to creating our magazine advertisement. We produced two hand drawn drafts which we labelled and annotated, trying to give across our ideas and thoughts on what should be stereotypically added to the magazine. 

We feel these designs show off the bands image and we used typical conventions of an advertisement to produce some well thought out designs. 

Magazine Design 1

This is our first initial draft, when looking at codes and conventions of a magazine advertisement we noticed that a number of artists had a trademark logo to represent the band. Therefore we wanted to produce and advertisement which would be easily recognizable for fans to know the magazine post was about Fifth harmony. Therefore to represent the trademark we used a bold number '5' to symbolise the amount of band members the group has.  Our target market for this advertisement is female teenagers, therefore we chose to add a girly aspect to the design, incorporating flowers and flowey swirly font we found foreshadowed this. By also using smooth pastel colours it added a girly vibe and represented the magazine advertisement as being very innocent and pretty. However we also wanted to make sure the font was still bold and eye catching, we wanted the text to standout and give across a clear and readable awareness of the realise dates and the other important aspects of promoting the bands image and tour dates.  The only thing we feel this advertisement draft didn't include was a photograph of the band, this is something that as a group we felt needed to be on the advertisement because it shows the fans and the audience who the members of the group are.  We also found that when researching into magazine advertisements the majority we came across had the artists face on the magazine page, it overall put a face to the advertisement. 

Magazine Design 2

When doing this draft we took into consideration what wasn't so successful in our first initial draft. Therefore within this magazine advertisement we decided to add a group photograph, we felt that this made the advertisement page was interesting and eye catching as the fans are then able to know that the page is about Fifth Harmony. When looking at previous magazines and seeing how other artists advertised their realise dates we found that having a text piece such as ' out now' was a key convention. Therefore we chose to carry this through and added the line 'Out Now' in bold font to draw the audiences attention in to reading the whole promotion. We kept the colours very pastel and girly shades of colour, with also incorporated a boarder to the surrounding group photograph, this was to emphasises a Polaroid type image. We found this is a very pop theme at the moment to take photograph on Polaroid's and therefore we decided to add this effect to appeal to our teenage target market, so they could relate to how we took the image. 

Final Magazine Design 
This is our final magazine advertisement design. After taking into consideration all the codes and conventions a stereotypical advertisement has we chose to use this as our final design. we combined different elements and sections for both of our drafts, incorporating the could photograph of the band in a bordered outline and placing the writing in bold font onto a black solid fill background.  By having a purple themed colour it appeals to a female target market, the tones effect provides an interesting and eye catching colour filter attracting the audiences attention. We decided to place a date on the advertisement so it resembled more of a teaser poster, giving the audience and fan base an opportunity to have something to count down to and mark on their calendar. By also advertising the song we used for our music video it in forms the audience that particular  song will be featured in the new album. The reasoning for having a black background was to make the white font more vibrant, due to the colour contrast this made a perfect advertisement section to the magazine page, as the font is easily readable. By having this type of group shot on the advertisement it created a good band profile, due to the clothing being very casual it portrays the band members being very down to earth who live very relatable lives. Our reasoning for also wearing high street brand clothing was to target the fan base and connect with the type of clothing they could purchase and wear, this we felt created a bond between the target market. 

Digi Pack Designs

For this blogpost we took into consideration the research we had gathered from analysing and researching into different digi packs, we then came up with a few designs which we felt would be best way to portray our bands music in a digi pack form. We took inspiration from other bands digi packs and created a couple of designs which we fell promote fifth harmony but also are very interesting and would be very eye catching on a shops shelving. 

The first this we started todo was look into different style fonts which represent the artists image. We used Da Font to collect different styled texts and become influenced on which designs to use within our digi pack. 

Digi Pack Design 1

This digi pack design is very vibrant, the colours used are extremely feminine and therefore link to are female target market. The pastel tones complement each other and create a happy theme throughout the digi pack. We tried to show continuity throughout the digipack and keep to the theme of having the same colours which were used in the music video. By using a triangle theme throughout the background and inside cover of the cd case it foreshadows the triangles which the artists drew on their face in the music video. The idea behind this was to have a symbol  which represented the band, for example because there is three people in the group each line of the triangle has been drawn to symbolise the forming and friendship they have. Within the inside of the Cd cover there are three triangles which are linked together, this shows that each member of the band brings something different to the group and that overall they work together as a team. On the main front cover we came to the decision of using basic font which wasn't too bold and eye catching, instead we wanted to make sure the artists single shot photographers were clear and the centre focus of the cd cover. This is because when researching into different digi packs we found that if the artists picture is on the front cover then the fan base and target market already know who that group is and can easily identify the name. Therefore we took this into consideration and make the text very basic and not too brightly coloured.

Final Digi Pack Design 

For this Digi Pack we decided to go with a group photograph, this was to resemble the friendship and closeness the band has. The positioning of the artists was done in a random way to show that they are all equal but however different in the purpose of what they bring to the group. This type of shot is stereotypical within a pop bands digi pack, as it shows the bands closeness and friendship. By Using the same photograph which is used on the magazine advertisement it showed continuity throughout the whole advertising process, by the artists wearing very high street brands and affordable clothing it overall would appeal to their target market. This is because their fan base are teenage girls who don't necessary have the money to spend on expensive clothing. Therefore by wearing everyday and casual clothing is portrays the band as being down to earth and very relatable. Perhaps even someone their fan base could look up to and aspire to be like as the girls are being typical females and not exposing themselves in an bad ways, which makes them very good role models to young teenagers. We came to the decision of placing the bands name and song title in black and white coloured font, this was because this type of colour theme is shown on the back and inside section of the digi pack. Therefore by using these colours in the font on the front cover it tied in and made the CD cover more whole as the colours were consistent throughout the whole of the digi pack. We did however add a splash of purple in the background of the group image, this was to add a girly vibe to the digi pack, by adding this pop of colour it made the front cover seem more interesting and eye catching. By using the type writer script style font to show the artists names it would appeal to a female audience, as the curly flowey text is stereotypically seen on female artists digi packs. This overall theme the digi pack has is very vintage, the use of the old traditional film strip pattern printed on the CD disk is very unique and quirky. Also the ripped edging on the back of the casing adds a very interesting and intriguing effect, by placing the white flowey font onto a black background its enabled the font to stand out due to the colours having a high contrast. To add a quirky effect to the inside cover of the digi pack we chose to take a portrait photograph of each band member and produce a weaved effect, this is to symbolise that the girls form one image and they all individually bring something different to the group to form a close and well formed band. To then achieve a more professional look we added the copy write details and record label we used to the back of the CD cover, a barcode was also added to give it that realistic effect of being a real digi pack. 

Magazine Advertisemnt Analysis

Jessie J advertisement in a magazine

On this Jessie J advertisement for a magazine a close up camera angle has been used to show the artists signature dark fringed hair. She's been positioned so her arms are fisted to the sides of her head, which may have been to signify a song within her album, or it could've been perceived as sexual. Due to her eyes been the direct focus of the image which has been done to try and engage with the consumer. The overall image with her mouth being open and arms raised gives off a sexual vibe imply she's wiping her hair away from her eyes . However on the other hand the firm and strong eye contact she makes and the raising of her arms may be to imply she a very strong women who isn't shy and quite dominate.

By dressing all in black mesh and see trough clothed fabric its represented as been very confident but also having a sexual representation from it due to stereotypically known for stripers to wear fishnet tights and mesh clothing. The contrast in the black and white colours used throughout the cover is interesting and makes the image pop even though its dull and basic colouring. The colour gold symbolises royalty and actually links to the song ‘ price tag’ on her album where she sings about having loads of money, the gold colouring therefore could've been included to represent her song titles. Jessie J has a very straight cut bob style, this is known as her key signature look and is what people identify her with. By her hair style covering the majority of her upper facial features like her forehead and eyebrows it shows that perhaps she uses this to hide her facial expressions. Her look is very serious and dramatic and perhaps by looking her eyebrows in her hair she feels it gives her completion are more aggressive and strong minded approach.

Katie Perry advertisement in a magazine

This is a advertisement of a new album Katie Perry is realising , this type of poster would be found within a magazine. Katie is a solo singer who's songs come under the pop genre, we can tell this because the type of colouring and clothing she wears is very pop based. The font is very interesting, the flowy italic themed bubble writing is her signature style, which is stereotypical to see on her digipacks and advertisement posters. Katie is represented very provocatively by the way she has positioned her body. The on her knees look represents her as very provocative , by placing her arm over her hair it frames her upper body, the director ha positioned her like this to give a leading eye effect. The clothes she wears tell us she is very confident about her body, it emphasises she's very outgoing and adventurous clothing . This is shown through her PVC material ballet and high wasted skimpy shorts. The geometric pattern is very stereotypical for a pop advertisement , therefore she matches the stereotype and representation of a female pop singer. By her giving across a very sexualised body image it attracts the male audience which is also very typical to see within pop genre, where females use there body and assists to appear to a mass audience rather than just a niche audience . The colours used within this advertisement also fit the pop genre, within her clothing there are pastel colours with a geometric patter, this outfit links to the floral repeated background. The purple tones within her outfit complements her purple pastel hair style, this may have been done to emphasises her songs as being fun and energetic. The make up is very plain and not to dramatic. The font used to display her name is the artists signature font used throughout all of her album covers and advertisements, this is stereotypical for an artists to have as it identity's them as an individual.

Analysis Of Pop Digipacks

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.

Behind The Scenes (Hollywood Bowl)

Within these behind the scene shoots we photographed the location of where we filmed our storyline aspect to the music video. Adding this section into our storyline wasn't what we had originally planned, however we aim to the conclusion that the music video was missing something. therefore we went back and brainstormed some more ideas regarding a good small interesting storyline we could incorporate into the song lyrics. After looking back at the Goodwin's Theory and getting influences from other pop music videos we came to the decision of using a couple to film them going on a date to a typical arcade and bowling location. We chose to use ' Hollywood Bowl' as the location for filming our narrative because it was local and easy to travel to. By choosing this area to film it meant we had access to arcade games and bowling alleys, unfortunately we didn't get the opportunity to film in the bowling section because of time and money we was restricted to what we had access to. However we have enough of the arcade and walking along the river filming footage to create an interesting narrative to the music video. The aim of this narrative was to create a realistic atmosphere of a couple meeting and spending the day together doing stereotypical teenager activities. By filming the couple walking to their location it created a very chilled atmosphere, and overall emphasise the love element more by having close up panning shots and over the shoulder views of the couple hugging and taking in the beautiful surroundings. 

To link this idea into the rest of the music video we chose to use one of the girls from the band to str in the couples narrative, due to the song being about love and friendship. By doing this it foreshadowed the band members singing about a relationship in away which reflected the support friends give when there close mates get in a relationship. Showing hose happy they are for that friend.

Behind The Scenes

When filming the studio performance to our music video we came to the decision that using a tripod would enable us to have the best stability for when it came to capturing a good angle and shot video clip. Also because we used some close up camera angled single shots it allowed us to achieve an even and same proportion shot for each member of the video. For example by placing the camera on a tripod it allowed us to angle the hight and make sure the positioning of the person lip syncing was in the same position and proportion in contrast which the other members to the band. Being tall myself we had to take into consideration the height of the band members and where they were positioned in the group shots. 

When filming the studio performances where the band members are seen wearing white clothing and neon triangle shapes across there face , we also used a tripod to level out the camera. Our idea behind using this triangle drawing over the face technique was taken through the influenced of ' somebody that I used to know' music video. We took the meaning of a three sided shape and used this to symbolise three friends having a special close bond which formed a group. By using this concept it also supported the theory Goodwin had of there being a relationship between the lyrics and video footage. As you can see in the behind the scenes the same colours were used in the face paints to link to the colours which were used in the powder paint video clips, this was to show continuity throughout the music video. The clothing we wore was to contrast with the background colour for example black and white are two contrasting colours which make the overall picture appear more intriguing and interesting, also we didn't want the clothing to distract away from the lip syncing within the studio scenes. 

When it came to the power paint filming we decided to wear a white top and black leggings, this was so the colours of the paint would be clear and vibrant when thrown onto a white material. we used a variety of different long,medium, wide and close up camera shots to show the location and surroundings of where we were throwing the paint. But also we decided to use a bunch of different camera angles to focus on the band members and them throwing the paint. The only disadvantage we gained from using powder paint was we was limited to the amount we had, and found that we could re-film a scenes on another day because we wouldn't have the paint on the exact same sections of our clothes and body which wouldn't show continuity.

Behind The Scenes Filming by meagn clements on Scribd

Operning scene with the type writer (Behind The Scenes)

 These images are the behind the scenes for our first few second opening, where we used the type writer to write the bands name ‘ Fifth Harmony’. In the photographs you can see that we didn’t use a tripod due to how close we had to get the camera to capture a close up angle which was clear and in focus. Therefore we found holding the camera a lot easier as we could get a good angle and we wasn’t in the way of the person typing the lettering.  Although we didn’t show that we had placed the type writer on top of a light box it , due to us just recording the words being printed onto the ink. However because we placed it onto of the light box it did make the type writer light up and created an extreme well lit location for the shot, also because the shot wasn’t dark it meant the camera pixels were better as  no dark light was causing the pixels to become fuzzy, which we would've faced if we used normal lighting . When we started filming we didn’t know what type of paper would be best to print onto , we tried cartridge paper , coloured card and brown parcel paper, in the end we found that the parcel paper worked the best and gave us the more interesting and quirky look we was going for.  We found that with the other types of paper they didn’t print out as successful and the black in on the brown paper seems to contrast well and looked the best especially when it came to reading the words.  We found this technique of filming very interesting and it turned out better than we had expected, by using different camera angles and experimenting with a variety of distances and heights when filming we found that our end pieces that we put together towards the beginning on the video worked well and linked to the overall message we found that fifth harmony were trying to give across by their write on me lyrics.