Guidance to the Practice digipack guide

1. Aim: Understand the role of album
artwork in music promotion; textual
analysis of an existing CD cover
STARTER: Be prepared to answer the following
questions:
- Do you have any original CDs? If so, can you
remember the cover or what was on the back?
- What different types of features do you expect to see
on an album cover?

2. From LP to Jpeg?
• Over 50 years the artwork has changed
massively from this 12” record sleeve.
Part of the appeal amongst
vinyl lovers is the album
artwork and many became
works of art in themselves.
It allowed designers a big
canvas to work on.
But it also gave more to the fans: who
played on what, notes from the artist ,
song lyrics etc!

3. The gatefold album

4. The long forgotten cassette album
cover

5. The CD and CD digipack
For A2 task:
Front and back
cover and 4
page insert
For this task:
Front and back
page of CD
artwork

6. …and now the itunes/download
artwork
Has artwork
become less
important?
How else
may it be
used in
today’s
technological
convergent
age?

7. Name the album from the famous
cover
1.

8. 2.

9. 3.

10. • 4

11. • 5.

12. 6.

13. 7.

14. 8.

15. • 9

16. • 10

17. Name the album from the famous
cover

19. Pink Floyd ‘Dark Side of the Moon’

20. • 4
Daft
Punk

21. • 5.

22. 6.

23. 7.

24. 8.

25. • 9

26. • 10

27. CD art and the world of art
Music is an aural art form (we listen to it!).
But the packaging for the recordings—the album
cover—has a distinct aesthetic, one that has
evolved along with distribution technologies
and formats. It has often been seen as an art
form in its own right: it has strong clear links
to the art world.
On the next slide…just one example of many!

29. Franz Ferdinand's cover was inspired by
Rodchenko's Poster (1924) and his photograph
of "Lilya Brik" (1924).

30. • Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (1891 -
1956) was a Russian artist, sculptor,
photographer and graphic designer. He was
one of the founders of constructivism and
Russian design.

31. What kind of music does this artist
make?
Marilyn Manson videos
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ybaiCgO
FUQ&feature=related
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypkv0HeU
vTc&feature=relmfu

32. CD covers can be read just like any other media
text.
So now try a reading of the representation in
the CD cover.

33. What do we
make of the
fonts used
here?
How might we
read this
representation
of the artist?
How might
we read the
background?
How do these features match the music made by the artist?
What do they suggest about the artist and his attitude?
Discuss your ideas and be prepared to share them with
the group

37. Your turn!
On your blog page, complete a textual analysis of a CD cover of your choice.
Remember to use your AS knowledge:
- Camera Shots
- Mise en Scene
- Synergy
- Cross Media Convergence
A new term:
Typography – choice of font, placement, size, how it works with the imagery etc.
Connotations?
Remember: all of this counts towards your marks for next year.

38. Previous Student work

39. Previous Student work

40. Previous Student Work