A digipak is typically made up of 4 or a 6 folds, the back and front visible and the rest being exposed when the CD case is opened. It promotes an album as it encourages the audience to purchase the CD as opposed to downloading its content. A digipak involves images of the artist as well as information regarding the album such as the track list which is a vital element. It also allows the audience to get an insight into the artist due to the welcome note which is highly personal.The digipak's predominant aim is to heighten the appeal of purchasing the artist's music. It must therefore be visually appealing by following conventions of the given genre. The target market must find all slides appealing and so the images of the artist, typography and colours must be carefully considered.
How is a digipak different from a CD album?
A digipak is slightly different to a CD album as it is more complex, consisting of a variety of slides. As opposed to being made out of a plastic case, a digipak is made out of a cardboard-like material. It provides the audience with more information which allows the audience to gain a better insight into the artist and music. It is achieved through the images of the artist which portray the artist in a given way; enabling the audience to build a relationship with the artist. CD albums are more simplistic and so provide less information regarding the artist which reduces the audience's ability to form a relationship. Digipaks often provide additional elements such as bonus tracks which aren't included in CD abums.
In order to gain a more thorough understanding of digipaks and the way they target the audience through the implementation of codes and conventions, a digipak will be analysed. Rihanna being a reknowned artist of the pop industry successfully appeals to the target market and so the analysis of one of her digipaks will assist in developing knowledge of what is required by the audience. This will therefore be valuable when creating a conventional digipak.
The genre is easily identifiable by individuals who are familiar with the artist. However to those that may not be aware, there are no predominant signs of the genre. The colours being vibrant potentially signify a pop vibe. However the image of the artist can be seen as subverting conventions due to the lack of eye contact. Eye contant is typically considered to be a conventional as it enables the audience to engage with the arist and build a relationship. However this may evoke curiosity as to what the artist is conveying which may encourage sales of the album. The facial expression visible may be to show the artist embracing the music or potentially to infer a sense of worry and distress.
There is limited typography on the digipak, solely the artist's name as well as the name of the album. Nevertheless the digipak is highly powerful due to the mise-en-scene and images of the artist. The audience is therefore able to infer certain aspects just by looking at the digipak. The name of the album 'LOUD' is in capitalised yet thin lettering which isn't highly emphasised however does create a contrast between this and the image in which the artist isn't speaking out.
The colours used in the digipak are vibrant and therefore visually engaging. The red roses are intense and convey a sense of love and lust. The colour red may also signify a sense of danger which may be what the album is about. Although the mise-en-scene is bold, the artist stands out due to a light coloured dress and her own red hair. The dress being of a white colour has a connotation of purity and innocence. The artist isn't' dressed sexually however her beauty is evident which makes her likable. The CD's are light pink roses which infers a feminine feel as well as suggesting other themes than solely love. The elements have varied connotations which encourages the audience to purchase the album to gain a better understanding of the artist.
Rihanna's star image is primarily achieved through her bold and bright hair. The star was almost re-branded when her hair changed to match her new style. This may potentially suggest how the style of the music has also been adapted to suit the star's outrageous look. The colour of the artist's hair makes her unique and different to other artists. Although red hair and lips give the artist an edge, the costume worn by Rihanna connotes purity.
The digipak allows the audience to form a relationship with the artist as they may be able to relate to the emotions expressed by the images. The artist's facial expression alongside the red roses which strongly symbolise love potentially suggests the distress the artist is feeling in a relationship. This therefore allows the audience to relate to the artist which encourages them to purchase the album.
The research will assist when creating an individual and group digipak as the knowledge I have gained can be incorporated. The digipak that will be created is therefore more likely to conform to the genre conventions which means it will appeal to the target audience and meet its overall aim. Images of the artist will be used on several slides in order to enable the audience to gain an insight into the style of the artist and his music. Certain conventions such as eye contact may also be subverted due to Rihanna's digipak being highly effective despite this.
Your analysis of the digipak demonstrates a good understanding of the codes and conventions and the main conventions, within the different slides. You have analysed the text well and you have considered the purpose of the colours, artist representation and audience relationship.
ReplyDeleteHowever, to develop your analysis, you need to relate your points back to the conventions of the music genre in more detail, to extend your understanding further.