Step by step construction of Digipak and Magazine Advert

Digipak front cover construction

I started off with cropping a picture of my models eye. The picture chosen shows off the definition of her eye and the heavily applied eye shadow and eye liner which is a key characteristic of the rock genre.

After cropping the image to size I began to position my band name. and played around in different positions before settling for the bottom right. I chose this position as it takes no attention away from the definition of the eye

Once the band name was in place I positioned the album name underneath in the space that creates a professional look and finish. I then began to edit the colour of the eye. The first step was adjusting the brightness and contrast of the eye. Through this I achieved a brighter more defined eye,

I then continued to edit the image using Photoshop where I adjusted the curve of the colour which resulted in a brighter and lighter finish around the eye,

As I continued to edit the image and play around with various different editing styles I added a black and white effect and then adjusted the gradient map that resulted in the eye becoming darker and standing out more on the cover album.

The final version of my digipak front cover includes a red tint applied over the various other layers. I added the red tint using colour balance. I decided that this would be my final front cover for my digipak as the red tint provides a vintage feel whilst the eye is striking and attractive to my audience.. The band name and album name is also easily visible that meets the demand of the record label.

Digipak back cover constructionTo start the back cover of my digipak I edited Edans right eye the same way I edited her left eye. This creates a strong visual effect when the digipak is spread out on its front as it it represents her face is an arty style.

After the editing of the eye was complete I proceeded to size and position the barcode in the let hand bottom corner of the back cover. I then added a black strip on the left where the spine of the digipak would go.

I began to write the song listings in the same font I used for the album name on the cover of the digipak to maintain a visual style. I began to try different positions and formats of the song listings before deciding that it worked best spread out central and above the eye.

I then began to put all the information on the spine that other existing digipaks have. This included the band name, the album name and the catalogue. Both band name and album name are in the same fonts as they were on the front to maintain a visual style throughout my digipak.

Next came the legal jargon that every digipak requires. To assist me to ensure all of the legal information was correct I researched various digipaks and the contents that they included. I then decided to put the legal jargon next to the barcode in a much smaller print to achieve a legitimized finish.

After completeting the legal jargon I added the record label (virgin) in its most well recgnised colour (red). Ithe final version of my digipak back cover maintains the same characteristics of my front cover. Meaning I have created a recurring motif across my work that my audience will recognise. The noticeability of the eye will help meet the demands of the record label as my audience will associate the the visual style with my album.

Digipak inside construction

I began to construct the inside of my digipak by firstly sizing and positioning the front cover and back cover of my digipak onto a digipak template I found on the internet.

I applied a black background across the bottom of my digipak using the shape tool on Photoshop. The black background will provide the colour for my lyric booklet insert. The lyric booklet will act as the front cover of my digipak.

Once the black background was in place, I then began to construct the CD imprint where my CD will be placed. I decided that I would go for a dark red/pink which I matched the red/pink colour of my image of the back and front cover of my digipak through using the eye drop tool on Photoshop. This colour is a recurring motif throughout my work that my audience will recognise.

I then continued to put a smaller circle in the bigger where my CD would clip in.

After the CD imprint layout and structure was complete I put the band name and album name at the bottom of the CD imprint, in the same style and font of white occurs across the rest of my digipak. This image is also a final and complete version of my digiapak. I have made the necessary improvements that my audience feedback have suggested and I feel I have made a far more successful digipak compared to my draft.

Magazine advert

I began creating my magazine advert through editing a picture of Amber. I did this my removing the background using the magic wand tool on Photoshot and then placing it on a white background.

After I positioned the image in the center of the magazine advert I placed a black rectangle shape at the bottom of the advert where key information will go. I then continued to position the band name and album name above Edan Pickering. Edan Pickering and the band name are the key most dominant focal points of the magazine advert that will attract the attention of my audience The same font I used on my digiipak for the band name and album name has been used in order to create recurring motifs across my work.

I then proceeded to put key information in the bottom black rectangle across the bottom. Firstly I added the main single that my album features which is the song on which I am creating my music video too.

I then in bigger text above the featured single put that the album was out now which would attract more attention due to the bigger text that would encourage my audience to purchase the album. I then put the record label of the album in the right bottom corner. I chose a white virgin logo to maintain the magazine adverts black and white colour scheme.

Finally in the bottom black text box I put social networking links to Twitter and Instagram to encourage fans to follow the band and keep up to date with the latest news. This was identified of one of the aspect I needed to include in my final music advert by my audience research.

Once the picture, the band name, album name and other information was in place I began to manipulate and edit the colour use Photoshop. After trying many different trials I decided on a black and white monochrome finish of the digipak that adds a retro rock look to my magazine. My final music magazine meets the conventions and characteristics of rock due to the dark colours used and the mise on scene of the model.