Individual Digipak Analysis - Miss Georgiou

I have created an individual digipak to display how I feel the artist can be promoted and portrayed through a product of their own. Digipak's allow the audience to have a better quality quality with more access to aspects created by the artist, for example, more exclusive pictures. An ordinary CD only has a front and back cover, however the digipak connects more with the audience through the particular elements that make it more personal to the fan, the artist's message to the purchaser, for example. I wanted ensure that the conventional soul artist that Amy is supposed to be is portrayed clearly across through elements within the digipak. I was very much inspired by Duffy's 'Rockferry' digipak through the way in which the colouring was consistent throughout, giving the digipak a running link but also, allowing it to display the artist's genre through this particular convention of the soul genre that is used to emphasise her style. The black and white really creates a sombre tone to the digipak, but also gives the audience a glimpse of what could be within the contents - negativity but raw, genuine emotion.  By using near enough the same colour theme through my digipak of black, white and red, I have displayed this soul convention also. 

This is my Digipak for Amy's album '18':

I have chosen to use certain elements within my digipak for particular reasons, baring in mind the representation that I want to give my artist and the genre they come from. The colour scheme that I have used throughout my digipak is black, white and red (mainly - the eyes are blue). The black and white is a consistent feature of colour throughout my digipak which reflects the past and a reflective nature of the songs and their content. This is very conventional to soul as the content of their material tend to be very personal and reflective of experiences of their own. Complimenting this black and white colour scheme, red is also a colour which is secondarily used as the next prominent use of colour, as it connotes love and passion. Having passion in their work and the industry as a whole, is conventional for an artist from the genre of soul. By having this 'splash' of the colour red, it helps to intertwine this idea and representation of the artist. From the input of this, the audience build a better relationship with the artist as they feel more appreciative at the fact that the artist doesn't take for granted the opportunity in which they have in the industry. Being passionate about their material and their work makes the music more genuine and raw to the artist, allowing the audience to understand the emotions of the artist a lot more easily. The audience are more likely to familiarise themselves with the situations and experiences that the artist writes about, which makes them more appealing. It also reinforces the monotone nature that mirrors the negative emotions portrayed within the content, showing how the experiences that the artist tends to write about is not positive - conventional to the genre of soul. The back cover includes a list of all the tracks on the CD. There is a small red heart that is overlapped by each track name as they are listed, which displays how personal to the tracks are to the artist. The hearts act as a way of demonstrating how each track has been created 'from the heart' and reinforcing the fact that the emotions portrayed within, are genuine and real. The redness of the hearts illustrate passion and love for the material that she has written and the way in which they are not full hearts (only outlined) could suggest that she feels there is part of her which is now missing due to the experiences that she is sharing on the album. This appeals to the target audience as it makes them feel as if the artist wants to be more open with them, giving them a better chance of building a relationship with the artist. The '18' and 'AMY' on the CD really stand out because of the black background against the contrast of white and red. By putting a white glow around the red '18', it makes it more prominent and gives the illusion that it is standing out closer. This ensures that the CD is simple, but also makes it effective and eye catching. On the front cover, I decided to enhance the artist's natural blue eye colour by altering the brightness and saturation of the colour and excluding it from the black and white filter affect. I included blue colouring of the eyes to not only contrast from the black and white but to also coincide with the experiences she wants to emotively express and share with the audience. Blue connotes sadness and upset, so having this colour emphasised for her eyes, illustrate the hurt and pain that she has been through, inferring literal tears in her eyes. It is also symbolic for the content and emotions felt by the artist within each song on the CD, giving the audience more of a better understanding of the artist and the emotions they are conveying. By including the blue feature here, it breaks up the strong theme of black, white and red, which actually makes its presence unexpected and pleasant. I slightly altered the black and white filter surrounding the blue by changing the contrast to 20% and the brightness to 30%, enhancing the features of the artist, and defining her stare more intensely. I have used the colour theme of black, white and red throughout all three of my products to link them in a visual way and allow the audience to acknowledge this link easily. Although the audience can then notice this link, it also means that they can recognise the consistency of the way in which the artist is represented and appreciate how they can feel relatable to her through not just one, but through all of her products. This is important because it means that audiences can feel satisfied in the way in which they see the artist and creates a better chance for the artist of becoming successful. It shows how they are just being themselves and are not changing the way hey are representing themselves just to satisfy every audience or fit into the industry. They are therefore more likely to hold a longer and more successful career from this by consistently featuring links between their products - here, my most prominent link is the colour scheme.

I believe that my digipak conforms to the conventions of the artist's genre - soul, through many different ways in relation to particular features that are included. For example, the artist is not looking into the camera in any of the images, apart from the front cover. This is very much a typical convention of a soul artist as they tend to display a lacking of confidence through insecurity. Not being able to look directly into the camera suggests a lacking of comfort in relation to eye contact. If you're talking to someone who doesn't make much eye contact, this shows a lacking of confidence - the same is applied here. Even though the front cover displays the artist looking directly into the camera, insecurity is still retrieved through the way that they are still covering up part of their face as if they feel the need to hide away or cover up. This conventional use of pose for the artist is appealing to the audience as it makes them feel empathetic towards them. Insecurity is a common feeling amongst many of the young target audience members, and so if someone famous demonstrates having the same feeling, it creates a common ground between the audience and the artist. Audiences feel more engaged and appreciative of the artist then, because they feel they can relate to how they are showing to feel. I have demonstrated this theme of insecurity through all of my products to carry this representation of the artist throughout, strengthening the relationship between the audience and the artist for they can feel that this is an ongoing emotion and one that could only heal overtime. In the music video, the artist is shown in an insecure way from breaking up with her friends and not displaying the confidence to heal the friendship. She is shown only to reminisce on the memories and become upset when thinking about the past. In my magazine advert, the artist is looking down which demonstrates how she is lacking the confidence to look at the camera. A further convention of the soul genre is the simplicity featured throughout the digipak, especially for the CD. Soul artist's tend to promote themselves in a plain and simplistic manner in their promotional materials. This allows them to be fully exposed in terms of emotion and for them as an artist, as well as allowing own interpretation to be transferred through. The audience therefore, can interpret the artist ihn their own way from the raw and exposed artist that is shown, rather than having influence from elaborated text, or major effects, etc that could scatter the digipak. The target audience is also a young one, meaning that they tend to be lazy in reference to reading elaborated texts. The way in which this digipak is simple means that it appeals to the target audience as well as conforming to the conventions of the genre because they are more likely to be engaged and take more notice of the visuals shown. This is important because the visuals are the part which will initally attract an audience member to pick up the digipak and draw their attention. 

Having a close up shot of the artist on the front cover, I think, helps to attract someone to the digipak because it 'stands out' against other digipaks. In compliment with the stare directly at the camera, the front engages the audience and tempts them into picking it up to see what it has to offer. The close up nature of the image also allows the audience to witness the intricate detailing of the artist, making them more familiar with them and feel more connected with them in terms of their relationship. Exposing the artist in such a way, suggests to the audience that the artist is trusting of the audience, allowing them to share the emotions and themselves as a whole with them. The target audience therefore, appeal to the artist because they appreciate how open the artist is being with them and respects the emotions in which they portray. The second slide of the digipak shows the artist in London with a typical London telephone box in the background. The way in which the artist is seen closer to the camera, with this feature blurred in the background, it reflects the past and the way in which London clearly has a personal reference to the artist. Having the telephone box behind her infers that they see this setting as part of their past now, or, in another way, it could show that she is not comfortable with being in this setting of London from the insecurity that is displayed from the fact that Amy is looking down. The personal nature of the setting is conventional to the genre of soul as the songs are normally based on personal experiences and meanings, which is mirrored within the visuals of this particular image. The audience tend to appeal to this because it's as if they are getting an insight into the personal life of the artist that is normally hidden or not mentioned by the media. In the fourth slide of the digipak, it demonstrates the message that the artist has personally wrote to the fans. The way in which the image shows a hand holding a piece of paper that the message is written on illustrates just how personal the message is. It gives the impression that the artist has just hand written the message themselves which has more of a meaning towards the audience. They feel as if the artist is more considerate of them and comes across in a way that the artist genuinely cares for the fans in which they have. This appeals to the audience too because the artist has dedicated time to them and time to appreciate them and all of the support that they have given the artist. The audience instantly feel to carry on supporting the artist from the appreciation that they have retrieved from their ongoing support already.

The layout and design of my digipak is that the first side is the front cover, the second is an exclusive image of the artist, at the third slide the CD is displayed, the fourth is a personal message from the artist to the fans, the fifth is another exclusive image of the artist and lastly, the sixth slide is the back cover. For the front cover, I placed the artist's name and album name at the top to ensure that the artist and album name still stand out but without taking attention away from the image. Having just the image and the simple 'AMY 18' is also conventional to the genre of soul as they tend to go for very plain designs. This also engages the audience into picking up the digipak as it intrigues them to find out more about the artist and what they have to offer. My CD shows a large '18' that is spread across and actually laps off the CD, however you can still see that it says '18'. At the side I have put the artist's name to clearly identify the link between the two. Having this layout still makes it simple but also ensures that it is effective and prevents it from looking boring or unprofessional. In one of the exclusive images (slide five), I have put a quote from the artist's debut single that is included on the album and placed it above the artist's head. This could inferably show that it is  thought of the artist's from the place it has been placed and still shows how the artist isn't looking at the camera. Having the telephone box behind the artist and the artist themselves central, means tat all the attention is on the artist and this is emphasised through the way the artist is in colour. Placing the artist at the bottom could also show the position of her emotions and reflect the fact that the content within could be about the 'low times' in her life and the negative emotions that she once felt. This is appealing to the artist as the quote gives them a glimpse of what the album has to offer and the positioning of the artist infers what type of emotion they will expect to find, especially as the artist is looking down - further reflecting insecurity. This intrigues the target audience and engages them enough to want to know more about the other songs of the album.

The typography is very simple throughout my digipak in order to comply with the typical plain conventions of the soul genre. For the artist's name and album name I have used the classic font of 'Times New Roman'. This is clear and simple that could reflect the relatable nature of the artist and show how she is plain and simple just like another audience. It also suggests how exposed the artist doesn't mind being, as the clearness of the font portrays the way in which the artist is open with their feelings and open with who they are. On the front cover the font is very large in order to seek the initial attention of a potential purchaser. On a shelf, the digipak needs to stand out against the rest of what is to offer. By using large font, complimented by a close up of the artist, this instantly attracts attention because of the boldness of the cover. For the personal message from the artist, the font is more hand written like, which shows how personal the message is. The audience appeal to this as it seems as though the artist has just written it themselves and doing it in a letter format makes it more personal to the audience member as it seems as if the artist is directly writing the artist to them. By having the 'Amy x' at the end of the message/letter in a more signatured font, it makes it seem as if the artist has generally signed it. As well as this, audiences are more likely to be familiar with the autograph of the artist and so by doing this, they familiarise themselves more with them.

The language used within my digipak is very simplistic. Soul artist's do not have much information in their promotional products due to the way that their music expresses how they feel and what they have to offer. The simplistic nature makes them seem more versatile and welcoming as an artist as it ensures they come across more genuine and not a forceful way through cramming lots of information in which sometimes can come across as needy. The only part of the digipak that is less simplistic in terms of language, is the personal letter to the fans. This is elaborated and demonstrates exactly how the artist feels towards them, expressing how much the fans mean to them. Soul artists are very expressive in their music and when it comes to the fans, they are very appreciative of the support they get - like any other artist. Soul artists tend to be more genuine and relatable which makes them also more appealing. When mentioning fans and support they tend to be more open with how they feel and very appreciative as the genre is such a wide variating one that not every soul artist is the same and therefore, different people will like or not like them depending on individual taste. 

Photo Shoot - Miss Georgiou

It is important to take pictures of the artist as they are used to help promote and market the artist and the material in which they create. The different ways in which an artist can come across can be helped by the way they are portrayed in a picture, for example, if they are looking down this could suggest insecurity and a lack of confidence. The images that are captured are used for the promotion of the artist through magazine/newspaper adverts, general single or album posters, albums, singles, digipaks or merchandise. Anything that the artist is mentioned on/in, images are most likely going to be included and so the pictures need to be taken in an effective way in order to seek the intended representation of the artist. A variety of different pictures of the artist is important to have as it demonstrates versatility, interest and adds a different mood, atmosphere or interpretation to them in an effective way. The audience can also witness the artist differently from the change of location or pose, for example.

I chose to take this particular image as I needed a conventional close up shot of my artist for my magazine advert. I wanted an image that would capture the audience's attention, engaging them into reading the advert and taking notice of the album that is being promoted. It is conventional due to the fact that it is a close up, but also the pose in which the artist is doing. They are looking down which demonstrates a lacking of confidence and a sense of insecurity that is often found in soul artists. The way in which they are also holding their coat up to slightly cover themselves demonstrates restriction and a feeling of wanted to cover themselves - which also supports the lacking of confidence in which they seem to face. I like the way that the image allows room for information to be placed without causing distraction from the main image itself. I feel that I could put the artist and album name at the top of the image, whilst leaving the other information on when the album is out, etc, at the bottom of the image. The way that the artist is not looking into the camera is what I think is most likely going to intrigue the audience as it makes the insecurity in which the artist infers, to be relatable to the audience. They are able to build a relationship with the artist from the empathetic connection that is created here. 

The next image in which I took was this one of the artist on stage, looking down. I wanted to show the artist in their 'natural setting' demonstrating the passion in which they are intended to have for the music they create and the industry itself. Having the artist 'dressed up' with a glamorous but classic red lip makeup look also compliments the black, white and red theme in which I intend to have across my products. I want to use this image for the back of my digipak, where the track list will be displayed. I think that I would place the names to the left of the image, on the curtain, whilst having the artist placed on the right hand side. This makes sure that the artist ca still be viewed, however, so can the song names. Using this for the back cover links the songs to the setting in which the artist is placed in as it is as it creates the connection between the songs and the way that they would be performed on stage. The pose is quite natural and still links into the conventional representation of the artist being insecure from the way they are not looking directly into the camera. As well as this, it is clear that they are also not looking into the audience either, which illustrates a further lacking of confidence but a sympathetic effect is created as a result which is a way that connects the audience with the artist and allows a relationship to be built.

I wanted to take a picture like this one as it displays the artist not looking at the camera and looking out into the 'open'. Soul artists tend to write songs on personal experiences that link to negative feelings in which they emotively express. By having a picture which shows them looking out, it almost creates the affect of longing for something better, or longing to feel better in themselves and the emotions in which they feel. It could infer to symbolise hope and want in reaching a place where the past is behind them and they are hopeful for what is to come. I thought this would be an effective image for the front cover of my digipak. This is because on a CD shelf, I think it would be attention grabbing and engaging as it is intriguing to find out what the artist is looking at, but still demonstrates them as being a typical soul artist in which they are. I like the use of a shallow focus on the artist as it ensures that attention is on them and that this is where the central point of focus is for the cover. I feel that if I change the background to something more simplistic, it would go more well with the simplistic theme featured throughout my work and promotion materials or the artist. 

I wanted to take a picture such as this one because the more rareness of a black telephone box, rather than the classic red one was quite intriguing and complimented the uniqueness of a typical soul artist.The artist, once again, appears to be looking away from the camera further demonstrating the feeling of insecurity within the representations of my artist. The way that the telephone box is black, as well as the artist's clothing, makes it seem as though no matter where the artist goes, the negative emotions of her past are still with her and affects what she comes near to. I like the more cold atmosphere it supplies and want to use this for one of the images featured in my digipak. It suggests that the artist is in London and therefore is conventional as it is a personal setting to the artist for it is supposed to act as somewhere close to them in relation to where they grew up. This helps build a relationship between the artist and the audience as they feel more familiar with the artist and retrieve more of an insight into the personal meaning of the photo to them.

I think finding the settings for the pictures in the photo shoot went quite well, mostly due to the fact the settings featured were fairly simplistic, apart from the ones in London. Finding good lighting was something I found quite difficult, as most of the images taken for my promoting materials were captured outside, meaning that the weather could affect the way in which the picture turned out. On a couple of occasions, pictures had to be retake in order to result in better and more intended looking pictures that would be more appropriate for what I wanted to use them for. Overall, I think that the way in which the artist is not looking directly into the camera for any of the images represents them in a typically conventional insecure way. This creates consistency throughout my promotion material for the artist as the feeling of insecurity and a relatable nature is clearly featured throughout. The audience appeal to this as they are able to feel empathetic towards the artist and build a relationship with them as a result. The way in which the artist has also been placed in a setting personal to them and many others for being a popular capital city - London, makes her also more relatable. Places seem to have different effects on people and can have a personal meaning to someone - likewise with our artist as it is her 'hometown'. This shows her for being relatable and genuine, likewise with any other audience member giving them someone to look up to and aspire to be like. It is also appealing being represented in this intended way as the audience are more likely going to want to buy al album off of someone who is genuine and passionate rather than someone who is in the industry for purely the fame and money, etc.

Individual Magazine Advert Analysis - Miss Georgiou

Magazine adverts can be very important in relation to the promotion of an artist's album/single. I have created an individual magazine album advert in order to seek attention from different media formats to ensure that the album has the recognition it deserves in order to become successful. By creating a magazine advert, it allows a further more mass audience to witness the advert and be aware of the artist's album release. This increases the sales of the artists album and also reaches out to intrigue and attract a different audience. 

There are many reasons as to why I have chosen to use particular aspects for my advert, mostly of which to ensure conventionality to the soul genre. Deciding how the elements of the advert are illustrated is important in attracting the target audience, as well as representing my artist in the appropriate and intended way.

There is a strong colour theme of black, white and red within my advert which not only complies with the genre of soul, but also connotes representations of my artist in which I want her to come across like. The black and white applied as a filter to the advert is very reflective and demonstrates how the artist is very reflective of the past. This gives the audience a glimpse as to what to find on the album and helps to infer how the songs included are based on her past and experiences that she has faced. Black and white, being very monotone in colour also releases a saddened atmosphere and represents the artist as a conventional soul artist for the content of the songs are based on negative experiences normally associated with love or heartbreak. The black and white helps to reinforce the fact that these experiences are in the past and that the negativity is also in the past with the experiences. I adapted this editing feature by altering the contrast by 70% and brightening the filter by 10%, meaning that the artist's features are more prominent and visible, ensuring she is the main focus when first laying eyes on the advert. There are red aspects within the advert which connote love and passion - illustrating the artist in a way that makes the audience appreciate their efforts in delivering material that is passionate and relatable. This is an attractive quality to an audience as they feel as if the artist is just a normal person like them, who goes through the same or similar experiences to any other person. Red lipstick worn by the artist in my advert is a classic look and is conventional to the genre of soul. It could also arguably suggest maturity and a more 'grown up' look that makes the artist appear more sophisticated. By using the colour on the lips whilst the rest of the image is black and white allows for a link to be created between the image and the text within the advert as there are other red aspects within that are not part of the image. I used a second layer on top of the image for the black and white filter and so used the rubber tool to erase the lips to demonstrate them being the only red feature in the image. I then enhanced the colouring of the red lips by changing the saturation to have a red tint. I did this so that all the red aspects would match to the same colour red, to coordinate together successfully. Having this red theme could also show how the artist has many stories to tell and experiences to share with the audience i relation to love and passion in particular. The red colouring being in contrast to the black and white, is used in my magazine advert to highlight and emphasise particular information within. For example, the artist's name is in white which connotes innocence and purity in relation to the artist, but next to the name is the album name '18' which is in red. This clearly indicates a separation between the artist's name and album name but also shows how the content within the album relates to the connotations of red such as love, passion and maybe even anger in some cases. Also having 'number 1' and 'Hometown Glory' in red helps to emphasise that these are important points to recognise within the advert. The last text that is on the advert is 'Out Now' which is also emphasised through the way it is coloured predominantly red with a white shadow (likewise with the album name). Being the last part of the advert that the audience would read, it needs to be memorable. By colouring it red, it highlights its importance and aids to linger the fact that the album is 'Out Now' for the audience to go and buy and ensures that they are more likely to go out and purchase it. The simplicity of the colouring also conforms to the soul genre as it doesn't distract attention away from the artist or from the information that is displayed within the advert. 

I have made important decisions within my advert to ensure that it conforms to the genre of soul in the most accurate way possible. For example, the image in which I have used is conventional to the soul genre as the artist isn't looking directly into the camera. This represents the artist as having insecurity within herself and a lack of confidence is also illustrated. This is conventional because soul artists tend to be less extravagant as opposed to artists from other genres such as pop. They tend to be less flashy and see themselves as more 'in the background' of the industry, however manage to achieve success due to this quality. Many people go through insecurity and a lacking of confidence including most, if not all of the target audience. This makes Amy more relatable to the audience and they can empathise with the way that she is being represented, also reassuring themselves that not just 'normal', less famous people that go through feelings such as this one, consequently making them feel better about their situation and feelings. Soul artists often write songs based on personal experiences that are very reflective of negative times in their life, making them emotive, but relatable. Having a close up image is symbolised the way that the artist is willing to be exposed in a motive to demonstrate their true emotions through the content of their material. The artist appears more genuine in this light and the close up nature of the image makes the content more personal to the audience. Having a close up means that the artist is willing to accept the flaws that they may have and/or feels that they want tot he artist to be more familiar with them. The black and white nature of the advert is a further convention that also helps to convey this exposed, relatable type of representation that is more explained in reference to the colours in which I have used for my advert. Typically conventional of the soul genre is having a simplistic advert, holding a limited amount of information within the content. The target audience for our artist, Amy, doesn't exceed the age of 35 - making the majority being the young generation. Younger people tend to be more lazy than older in relation to reading any sort of elaborated text. If something is more simpler, they are more likely to wait and read it as they know it won't take long and that they are able to remember it. Therefore, by having a simplistic advert not only complies with soul genre conventions, but also attracts the target audience in a way that will make people recognise and take notice of the advert more closely, ensuring the audience only acknowledge the information relevant to what they need such as when the album is out and what track my be featured on it.

The layout and design of my advert isn't complex, which matches the simplicity and chilled vibe of the advert. I have the image central so that the artist is the first thing that catches the eye of the audience and initially attracts them to the advert. This intrigues them into stopping and looking at the advert, taking care to read what is within. The first thing that the audience will read on the advert is the artist's name and then the album name which are placed next to each other at the top of the advert. This is where naturally we tend to look first and so this instantly familiarises the audience with who the advert is for and what it is promoting. The artist name and album, 'A M Y 18' does not however cause a distraction from the image of the artist as it doesn't interfere with the main focus of the image and only crosses over the artist's head. I have chosen to place the lasting information at the bottom such as the star rating reviews and what the album features on it. This acts as a way to intrigue the audience and promote the album in a attractive and successful way, also working like a climax to the 'OUT NOW' text featured as the very last thing on the advert. Making this central and at the bottom of the advert ensures that this is the last thing that will be read by the audience, meaning it is more likely to linger on their mind and leaves them reminded of the release of the album and the fact that they can get it now. This helps to make people more aware of the album and is more likely going to aid in increasing the number of purchases the album succeeds.

I have used different typography for different parts of the advert. For example, I have used a simple but classic style font of 'Times New Roman' for the artist's name, album name and 'OUT NOW'. This creates a link between the three aspects of the video, sending out the message that the album '18' by 'Amy' is in fact 'out now'. It also represents the artist in a way that makes them seem not too overcomplicated and complex, as well as the less extravagant appearance that they seem to have. The font is simple but leaves room for interpretation of the artist and so allows the audience to get the feeling of wanting to find out more on the artist as not much is given away. Then, by purchasing the album, they are able to learn more about the artist and the experiences that they have been through. For the mention of 'Hometown Glory' being included on the album, I have made this a different font ('Gadget') to create distinction and separation from the rest of the line in order to create emphasis on the name of the song. The advert describes the song for being the artist's 'number 1 debut single'  (which also stands out in the text from being coloured red, but uses the same font of 'Univers Condensed' as the sentence) and so by emphasising the song name, it creates familiarity with the audience. They are more likely to acknowledge and recognise the song, associating the success with the album and therefore making them want to purchase it. By promoting the album in a way that associates it with something already successful, ensures more sales as the audience believe that the album is likely to be successful too. This is attracting to the audience as it also creates interest within the advert, preventing it from being too simplistic to the extent where it is uninteresting an boring to look at/read. This general simplistic use of typography however, is conventional to the genre of soul as the artist is more elaborative and innovative which is demonstrated through their material, rather than their marketing. The audience feel more engaged and intrigued to find out who and what they are as an artist, seeking what uniqueness they provide to the industry. 

The language used throughout the advert is short and simplistic to match this simplistic soul genre style. For example, by keeping the reviews to uncommented ones, but as star ratings, this still proves the album to be successful and attracting to the audience however, doesn't mean that they have to read a lengthy review in order to find this. The star rating is a good way to create this effect as it allows for a visual and quick idea of how good the album is meant to be, especially when the ratings are from well known media sources, such as 'The Daily Telegraph' and 'Billboard' who are featured in my advert. This promotes the artist in an effective way as it shows it to be successful, consequently making it more attractive to the target audience, making them want to purchase the album.

When using photoshop I found it difficult at first to try and make the image black and white but change the colour of the lips to stay in colour. However, once changing around the layers and using the rubber tool, I found that I could complete the effect that I wanted to create. By zooming in on the image and also changing my brush size, I was able to rub out the black and white lips as accurately as possible, leaving a professional looking finish. The colour of the lips were slightly different to the colour of the red font features throughout. I wanted to ensure that all the reds were at a similar shade to improve the consistency within the advert and so I experimented with different colouring of the saturation, brightness and contrast in order to try and make the lip colour as close to the font colour as possible. Once exploring the different colour editing options available, I found a colour that coordinated with the font to an extent that I was satisfied with. I liked experimenting with the different fonts within Photoshop and the effects in which you can add to them. For example, on the artist's name and album name I added a black-based outer glow which made the name more evident and eye-catching within the advert. It gives the illusion that the text is slightly more forward in the advert, creating the same effect as a highlight would. This is important as it is the main promoting text that is features on the advert. 

I feel like the simplicity of my advert means that it conforms to the soul genre - the genre in which my artist is from. The room for interpretation of the artist is something that can be taken from a simple advert and allows personal interpretation from the audience. The audience also feel the need to find out more about the artist and the type of material in which they create, with the different experiences that they have faced. The representation of the artist as having a lack of self confidence and insecurity is also extremely conventional to the genre of soul as it links to the relatable nature of soul artists and also the negative feelings of which they base most of their material on. I therefore believe that this magazine album advert appeals to the target audience as the simplicity means that they are able to remember key information about the advert. In addition, they can feel empathetic towards the artist as they sing about experiences that audiences members would have likely been through such as heartbreak and insecurity. 

Planning Individual Digipak - Miss Georgiou

A digipak has many important properties for their extra information that is included within, as opposed to a general jewel CD. It allows for more of a relationship between the audience and the artist to be created as the audience has more access to material from the artist. Digipak's offer a more exclusive product of the artist's for the audience to access, even making it a possible collector's item. The audience feel special and appreciated as they feel as if the artist has taken into account their feelings and the appreciation in which they feel for exclusive products and material accessible to them. Digipak's also are better in relation to quality as opposed to a jewel CD case as the content within such as the images are of more high definition and the packaging is also more sturdy and sustainable. The jewel CD has flimsy and easily damageable plastic casing which is very much in contrast to the hardware more strong packaging of the Digipak. The artist is more exposed in the Digipak as it contains content such as a personal message from the artist to the purchaser. With this included, it makes the audience/fan feel more directly approached by the reader and adds a personal touch to the product. This creates a better relationship between them as it makes the audience feel more engaged with the artist and as if they are more familiar with them and who they are. It also allows the personality to of the artist to seem through, as well as the appreciation and love in which they feel towards their fans. This is important for the fans to realise because they feel more appreciated and can understand the passion that the artist feels towards them and their career. I have researched other Digipak's such as Duffy's and have recognised different content within that makes it appealing to the audience. This is actually where my inspiration came from, especially due to the fact that Duffy's Digipak complied with the soul genre conventions - one of these being the black and white filter used. I will eventually be creating a Digipak on photoshop for our artist, however, this is my drawn plan. I have considered the different colours, layout, typography, language, etc when designing my Digipak, and have tried to make it as realistic as possible. Planning the Digipak is important because it allows me to visually illustrate my ideas and gives me an opportunity to see what looks appealing and what doesn't. Furthermore, time is saved as my ideas are generally all covered and only minor alterations may be needed when creating the actual Digipak. This gives me more time to work on the quality of the Digipak to ensure that it is how I want it to look. Considering the aspects of the Digipak during the planning will help to ensure that my Digipak is successful and effective as it means that each aspect has been thoroughly thought of, not carelessly rushed or thought of in an unorganised way.

Below is my design for my Digipak:

Certain elements have been used within my Digipak for various reasons, whether that be to comply with genre conventions or to comply with the typical features within a Digipak. For example, the colours I have used within my Digipak are simply and basic. A black and white filter has been applied through the whole six sides of my digipak, however, aspects od red scatter the product in particular sides. I have chosen to use a black and white filter for my Digipak as it was inspired by Duffy's 'Rockferry' Digipak and created a negative, reflective effect which I also wanted to create for my own. Whilst the black symbolises negative, sadness and depression, it is balanced out by the white which connotes innocence and purity. The artist is shown as being a mirror of the white colouring whereas her surrounding and the situations in to which she falls are more associated with the black colouring. More obviously, the black and white filter shows the reflection on the past as most past videos or general situations are set in black and white. This reinforces the personal experiences that the artist sings about as it emphasises the exposure that the artist is allowing for the audience to seek into the artist's past and life. By having elements of red within the Digipak when complimented with the black and white filter, creates interest within. It also emphasises the connotations of the colour red as it is most prominently noticed from its contrast to the black and white displayed. Red connotes love and passion which is reflective of the contents of the songs included within the album. It allows for some insight into the artist's material before the audience proceeds to buy the Digipak. They are able to acknowledge whether they would feel that they would like the style of this artist's work or whether it is something that may not fully satisfy them and their taste in music. Love and passion are very much theme conventions of the soul genre as they are personal to the artist and are expressed in a way that may expose them into a different light than what the audience would originally associate with the artist. The red is used to emphasise certain aspects of the Digipak for example, the first letter of the artist's name. This makes the name more noticeable, eye-catching and different to others in the industry. This specific colouring makes the audience more aware of how the artist is being represented as it makes them seem as if they have experienced a lot of situations that have allowed them to express themselves through music. This further makes them seem creative, but also very emotive which allows them to be more relatable in particular situations. This therefore appeals to the target audience as they feel as if the artist is just like them and reinforces the fact that they are just like a normal person and any audience member. This is also why the artist is aided to be promoted effectively, as the audience feel relatable and empathetic towards Amy as the content of her material may express how other audience members are feeling about the same or a similar situation. 

Soul genre conventions have been conformed within my Digipak as the black and white in which I have discussed is conventional to the soul genre, for its meaning for reflecting on the past as well as connoting negative feelings or atmospheres. A further convention is the way in which throughout the images that have been used the artist is not looking directly into the camera at any point. In some images such as the 6th side, the artist's face isn't visible at all within the image. This conventional idea reflects the artist's insecurity and allows their lack of confidence to be illustrated through this visual aspect of the Digipak. This also compliments the inferring of content within some songs for example, the idea of Amy looking away from the camera makes her seem insecure which, when in relation to love, could also further reflect paranoia. From one of the song titles on the album 'Rumour Has It' supports this idea, as it makes the artist seem as if they have heard something that may be untrue, however, their paranoia has convinced them that it is the truth to an extent that they want to express it. Insecurity is a feeling that is widely and commonly experienced and that includes most, if not all, the target audience. Therefore, the artist expresses something that is relatable and makes them again seem normal, like the audience member witnessing these images of Amy. This makes the artist more appealing as it promotes them in an effective, relatable way which results them into being quite inspiring to some audience members. This is from the way that she is represented as being such a normal and relatable person and so, she is made to seem extraordinary from the way that she has reached so much success in her career. The audience instantly feel as if she is someone to look up to, as although she has faced struggles along her journey to where she is, she has still made herself to be a successful and genuine artist in which she is. This therefore, builds a stronger relationship between the artist and the audience as they become more appreciative of the successes of the artist and their work. 

The images used within the Digipak have been designed  and chosen especially in order to create intended effects. For the front cover of the Digipak, I decided for a close up of the artist to be evident due to the fact I have found in research that a close up attracts the audience a lot more easily. In my primary research of carrying out a questionnaire in relation to the content within my music video, the participants favoured the including of close up shots. I thought that I would maintain this idea within my Digipak, as, although it is different to the music video, it is obviously still an aspect of cinematography that attracts the audience to the product. The audience can also familiarise themselves better with the artist as the close up enables the intricate detail to be exposed. This makes the audience feel more connected to the artist as they can also witness their emotions and expressions a lot more clearly and therefore percept the artist in a more accurate and intended way. As well as this, another image in which I have used is an alternative to a simple text of personal message from the artist. Although I have still included a personal message from the artist, I have displayed it in a more creative way in relation to the representation of the artist. I have done this by having the image display the artist holding the message to make it more personal as if they have just written the note directly for the fans. By holding it, it makes the message seem more genuine and raw, creating a more strengthened relationship with the audience. This makes the audience/fans feel more special and noticed by the artist which also is appealing to them as they feel that the artist has considered how they feel and is appreciative of the support in which they display. This personal touch is very conventional to the genre of soul as it is often mirrored within the content of the artist's work. The 6th side shows an image of the artist playing the piano which shows the artist in an extraordinary light. This could be unconventional to the genre of soul as they are usually seen as being ordinary and relatable to any other audience member, where artists playing musical instruments are more conventional to the indie genre rather than soul. However, in some soul music videos, the artist is seen as being talented as it gives them a unique persona and gives them more of an impressive perception for the audience. It also displays them in a way that the audience may not have realised existed for example, they may not have realised that our artist could play piano. This outlines them from other artists in the industry as it illustrates their further talent and dedication to the music industry, strengthening the passion in which they have. Their unique representation promotes them as an individual artist which is conventional to the genre of soul as they are shown as being different and quirky. This makes the artist more successful as well, due to the fact that they give the impression that all of their music is written by themselves which makes them more appealing to an audience. 

The layout/design of the Digipak has fully been considered as the Digipak has 6 sides for the artist to access. The first box shown inn my drawing is of the front cover - this is important for being effective and eye-catching as this is the initial siting that the audience will witness and attract them into buying the Digipak. I chose to use a close up image of the artist for the front cover with the album name in the background of the artist, however allowing it to still be visible. This adds a slight hint of creativity to be reflected onto the artist which is also shown through the material of their work. The second side of the digipak displays the back cover, showing the track list, the third side shows the CD design, the fourth side shows the personal message and the fifth and sixth side shows extra exclusive images. On the front cover of the Digipak, I have chosen to place the artist's name underneath the image to clearly show familiarity and a labelling. It being quite large also attracts the audience to the Digipak as it clearly labels the artist and what they are about. Positioning the artist to the left in the front cover rather than central, promotes the artist in a way that they feel they do not want to be the centre of attention. When in compliment with the fact that the artist is looking away from the camera, this demonstrates insecurity and a seeking to hide into the background. The positioning of the album name behind the artist makes it seem as if the album is exposing the artist as it is making it appear to be pushing the artist more towards the audience. Having the artist seem as if they don't want to be in the limelight makes them seem less arrogant than how some artists can easily come across as. This makes them appeal to the target audience as they come across in a more genuine way, illustrating how fame has not got to them and changed them in a negative way. 

The typography is demonstrated in a way that helps to make the Digipak successful and effective in relation to our artist and the soul genre specifically. The personal message will be shown in a handwritten type of don't which makes the note seem personal and genuinely written from the artist. The way it is also in a letter format makes it more direct to the audience/fans who have the Digipak and makes it seem as if the artist has taken time to dedicate themselves to the fans to show their appreciation. The handwritten font also makes it mirror the way that the artist writes their own songs and illustrates them in a creative light. The simple font of the artist allows for interpretation of the audience and creativity of the artist to be portrayed in different ways. This makes them be promoted in a versatile but classic way, which is very conventional to the soul genre. This also makes them appeal to the target audience as they expect a classic representation from the way the artist is from the soul genre. This is effective because although the artist is shown to be versatile and different, they are also shown as being familiar and relatable. 

The language contained in my Digipak is very simple, which is what also makes it very conventional to the soul genre. This is demonstrated in Duffy's 'Rockferry' Digipak which is an aspect in which I wanted to include in my Digipak, especially as the target audience is a young one. The younger generations tend to be lazy when it comes to reading large content and so, by having simple language it not only allows them for a better understanding but makes them more likely want to read the Digipak because they don't have to read lengthy content. The simplicity also adds to the way in that the audience are able to make their own perception of the artist. This makes it more personal and direct also as the simple language ensure that only the important and main, relevant information is exposed to the audience. This is conventional as the audience feel as if the artist care more for the audience and what they want.

I found this planning useful in relation to taking pictures for my Digipak as well as preparing for the use of Photoshop as it has outlined how I want my Digipak to roughly look. It will now save me time as I will be able to focus on making the Digipak look professional, rather than worrying about what I want included in each side as I have already decided on this. This planning has also allowed me to recognise what aspects are needed where, for example the colouring - black and white filter but to ensure that the red aspects are illustrated within the Digipak. The images in which I need have also been demonstrated to me through the use of this planning as it has given me more of an idea as to how I would like the artist to look and pose in the pictures for my Digipak. As well as this, it enables me to prepare for these pictures to be taken for example, I need to make sure for side number 4 I have the artist holding a blank piece of paper and for side number 6 that I have access to a piano. I have tried to create a relationship between all of my three products in order to demonstrate similarity between them. The link is created through the consistent use of colour reference to a black and white filter, complimented with red aspects including red lipstick. I found that not only does this ensure that the soul genre is featured strongly throughout my products, but also allows the mood and atmosphere of a depressed, insecure and reflective artist representation to be displayed. The audience can recognise this and also recognise other products from the artist as the consistency of the features such as the colour use means that they will begin to make links between what they have seen before. Moreover, this is appealing to the audience as it shows that the artist is not changing their style and are 'sticking to what they know'. We want our artist to be very stereotypical in relation to soul and so by complying with conventions such as this one throughout the products, it helps to reinforce this particular representation in which we intend to show. The way in which the images show the artist looking away rom the camera also demonstrates her in an insecure light. This is portrayed throughout my three products as the images consistently include the artist looking down or not directly at the camera. In the digipak, the artist's face isn't featured at all in one of the images - side number 6. This illustrates her lack of confidence of looking into the camera and so makes the audience feel sympathetic towards the artist but also makes her relatable, which is consistent throughout the products. 

Planning Individual Magazine Advert - Miss Georgiou

Magazine adverts are important in relation to promoting and distributing an artist's album as they help to reach out to potential audiences that may not have been initially target ones. Our genre of soul may not attract particular audiences however, by having a magazine advert, it allows different types of audience to get a chance of seeing the advert and perhaps choosing to purchase it. As well as this, it allows the promoting of the album to be carried out successfully because it ensures the label that a definite audience will have seen it and so will attract to it. This is effective as it helps to enable the artist to reach and appeal to different types of audience, which will make them more successful from their growth in popularity. I will be creating a magazine advert to promote the artist, Amy's new album, '18', which will contain the 'new' single 'Hometown Glory'. Planning is important when making a magazine advert as it helps to outline the initial ideas that you feel would look good and appropriate for the type of advert you are creating. For example, the choice of image, colours and typography can all be considered to ensure that the final magazine advert looks effective and professional - as well as being conventional/unconventional to the genre. In this case, I have intended to create a conventional soul genre artist album advert to familiarise the audience with the features that would be included and what they would expect, but also make it interesting so slightly twisting some of the features that will be displayed within. Planning this is important in order to create an effective and successful magazine advert due to the fact that it allows me to see what aspects work and what don't. As well as this, I am able to identify the conventions of the soul genre and how to incorporate these codes and conventions into my advert. 

A few of the ideas that we discussed and thought of were noted down to ensure that we all included at least one element within our individual magazine advert to demonstrate some familiarity between the adverts and to illustrate the way in which we have worked together. These ideas are portrayed below:

I have decided to include certain elements within my advert in order for it to appeal to the target audience. The individual advert in which I have designed is illustrated below:

The colours used in my individual magazine advert are very significant as they are very much influenced from the research in which I have carried out to ensure success for my video and advert. A black and white filter will be applied to my magazine advert to develop the intended emotion in which I want to create. This lack of bright colouring means that it symbolises the artist's lacking of positivity within their life and within the emotions in which they feel. The song 'Hometown Glory' that is featured on the album reflects on the past and so black and white helps to also display this idea of the past. In addition to this, the black and white filter gives the audience an idea of what to expect from the album in terms of the style and mood of each song included. The audience are more easily connected to this as they are more likely to be able to acknowledge whether they would appreciate and appeal to this type of music. By including this filter on the advert, it also makes it stand out when a reader is reading through a magazine, as it acts as a contrast to the content of the magazine. The magazine would likely be full of resplendent colour, whereas, the advert being shown in such a way that lacks colour makes it more attention-seeking to a reader when flicking through the magazine. However, the black and white is not alone in terms of colour. As part of my research, I found that Adele's magazine advert for her album '21' was also in black and white which created this emotive and depressing effect. I wanted to create the same effect as this did and so, this inspired me to the point where I decided to apply this to my magazine advert in order to create the same effect. As a group, we decided that we would like the idea of having red as a prominent colour, for, its connotations fit within the genre conventions and also the theme displayed throughout the album - love and passion. This is illustrated within 'Hometown Glory' as the artist reflects on the love she has for her hometown and the people she met there - she does this by portraying passion and emotion within the lyrics and the vocal. By also adding in the colour of red to the advert, it allows emphasis on particular aspects such as in the way we will use it for the lipstick that the artist will be wearing and also the 'A' at the start of the artist's name. The audience seeing passion being reflected within the advert will make them feel satisfied and will appreciate how genuine and raw the artist is being represented. Having the 'A', the album name '18' and the 'out now' in red rather than white like the rest of the advert, it ensures that emphasis is attended to these aspects of the advert which show significant importance. I have also included the background as fully black which compliments the black and white filter/theme and also makes the artist appear more prominent within the advert. In another perspective, it also demonstrates how the artist feels that sadness and negativity surrounds them. Considering the opaque nature of the black background, it portrays how intense the emotions that she feels are, and how much is is affecting her. This appeals to the target audience as it makes them feel sympathetic for the artist however, still allows them to appreciate the rawness of their genuine emotion. Having this makes them connect and build a relationship with the artist more easily as they feel that the artist has exposed themselves more for the audience's benefit. The use of these colours also helps promote our artist, Amy, in a way that illustrates the content and atmosphere of her work and how she is, as being emotive and passionate. This is effective because this is a typical representation of a soul artist and so, this is what is intended to be put across to the audience in order for them to recognise whether the album is something they would be interested in. My magazine advert conforms to the conventions of the soul genre through specific aspects that are included. For example, the black and white filter in which I have already discussed. This aids to show how the artist is reflecting on the past, as well as illustrating how negative and sad they feel in reference to the content of their material. In a deeper connotations, the black connoting depression and sadness, you would think would balance out the white nature of the filter that connotes innocence and purity. However, due to the further more prominent uses of black within the advert, it's as though the artist feels that sadness and depression influences the innocence and purity in which she once had, making the audience feel more connected and sympathetic to her. The image used in the advert is also conventional for two reasons - the fact that it is a close up of the artist and also the fact that the artist isn't looking directly into the camera. I have chosen to use a close up of the artist as this is widely used by soul artists to display their fearless attitude in reference to sharing and exposing their emotions. This is mirrored within the music as the content of the songs on the album as well as the single, would be based on personal experience which makes the perception of the songs more personal to the artist. Close ups help to display this emotion effectively because the audience are able to see every expression in which the artist makes - even if this is a still image like this one. It also allows the audience to witness the intricate detail of the artist which familiarises them with them a lot more, giving them a more personal viewing of the artist. I have found in my previous research that a close up is a more effective way within the soul genre to demonstrate emotion in the most convincing way and so this inspired me to use an image of this cinematography style in my advert. Having the close up instead of a long shot or mid shot for example, means that the advert is prevented from just blending in with the magazine. If there was a shot other than a close up, sometimes I think it is possible for it to just blend in with whatever is already in the magazine, so when flicking through, it goes unnoticed because it doesn't catch the attention of the reader. This is obviously not the case with every magazine, however, with most, this tends to be. The fact that the artist is not looking into the camera displays how insecure they are. When someone cannot look at something or chooses not to, it is said to show a lacking of confidence, which links with insecurity. By looking away from the camera, you would also expect a lack of connection between the artist and audience, however, this is not evident here as it helps to portray the nature of the artist. Having them being represented as insecure makes them not only conventional to the soul genre but also makes the audience feel sympathetic to them. Additionally, the audience can also feel empathetic towards them because insecurity is a wide ranging emotion experienced by many people, including target audience members. The target audience of our artist being fairly young (16 - 30 years old) makes insecurity an even more prominent shared emotion as it tends to occur more in younger generations. This makes the artist appear more relatable to the audience and reassures them that they are just a normal person who expresses this particular emotion like any regular audience member could. Therefore, this promotes them in a genuine way as the audience feel like the content of their material is something that they could relate and engage themselves into. This also reassures the audience that fame hasn't got to the artist in a way that manipulates their content, their attitude and their level of relatability. Some artists do change due to the presence of fame within their life which can put audiences off them as it is unappealing from the way the artist is possibly then seen as being more fake and deceiving. The layout and design is overall quite simple, but still manages to appeal to the target audience and also help to promote the artist effectively. I have chosen to place the artist's name underneath their face as it prevents distraction being taken away from the most prominent feature of the advert - the close up image of the artist. It still manages to effectively label the artist and distinctly identify them. By making it central, it reflects the central position of the artist in the image and aids to attract the attention of the audience. Naturally, we tend to focus on the central area of something when looking at something as this is where the importance of something is commonly found. This ensures that the audience will acknowledge this and be familiar with the artist and what they're about. I have placed 'out now' at the bottom of the advert as this is going to be the last thing that the audience reads. This then means that it will be the last thing that lingers on the audience's mind and so, they will feel the urge to go and buy the album as they are constantly being reminded how it is 'out now'. This appeals to the target audience as it acts as a reminder and a good finish to the advert because they manage to retrieve interpretation of the content of the album but when they are told that it is 'out now' it gives them an opportunity to go and buy the album and find out what really is on the album. This design and layout of the artist promotes them as being dominant in the advert and creates them for being quite simplistic in their nature, giving the impression that there is more underlying connotations of their content beneath the initial appearance. This makes them intriguing and appealing as the audience feel the need to go and get the album in order to find out more about the artist. The typography used in the advert is quite simple but classic - which typically conforms to the conventions of the soul genre. The artist's name , 'Amy' is displayed in a simple font which allows room for the audience to interpret the artist in their own way. The simplicity of the font makes the artist seem exposed and genuine, as they don't feel the need to glamorise themselves in order to please certain audiences - conventional of the soul genre. The raw appearance of the font pleases and appeals to the target audience as it is clear, understandable and displays how the artist is quite simple in their manner. As well as this, it infers that there is more to the artist than what is seemed but also that the artist is versatile. 'Out now' displayed in capitals helps to create a lasting effect on the audience and tempts them to go out and buy the album. Likewise with the 'new single 'Hometown Glory' being capitalised it emphasises this which gives the audience more of a push to go and buy the album as it makes it sound more exclusive and personal by making it capitalised as it appears more direct. This overall simplicity of the typography aids to promote the artist in a way that makes them relatable and versatile. It shows how the artist is shown in a fairly neutral manner but beside this, beneath the surface deeper meanings and representations can be found - making her also more engaging and intriguing. The language used in the advert is also simple which helps to mirror particular features and aspects of the album, as well as the artist. I have found that in magazine adverts such as Adele's for '21', simplicity gains more as it allows the audience to interpret the advert in their own personal way. This inspired me to use simple language as I wanted to create the same effect and only include information that would be relevant for the audience to read. The simple nature of the language enables only main and important information to be shown only which appeals to the target audience as they are more likely to stop and read the advert for, they haven't got to spend time reading long parts of elaborated text. This prevents the audience from becoming disinterested and bored, which is something that a magazine advert is not intended to achieve. The main information being outlined is also satisfying for the audience as they don't have to pick out what is important themselves as it is already done for them. The target audience being young means that they are more likely not going to want to read elaborated or extensive text as they quickly will become distracted, feeling the need to leave the advert. As the artist's target audience is a young one, having simple language prevents them from feeling disinterested and maintains engagement within the audience. They are also more likely to pass information onto others with it being simple as it makes the information more memorable which by doing this also helps promote the artist and heir album to further audiences that may not have had the chance to witness the promotion. Simple words included in the advert aid it to appeal to the audience, such as 'new'. Although it is outlining how the new single will be featured on the album, it also portrays how the artist is new and fresh and possibly not like any other in the industry. Promoting them in this way makes them more appealing to the target audience as it makes them seem exclusive and unique, as well as being less repetitive from anything else they've heard or seen. This is conventional to the genre of soul as soul artists tend to have a unique and original nature about them, which makes them distinct and different from other artist's in the industry. Additionally, this makes them more appealing as they bring something new and different to the industry, making them seem unexpected and quirky. The overall simplicity of the language helps to reflect the aspects of the album, giving the audience a glimpse and idea of what is to come of the content. For example, the simplicity is reflected in the short and simple song names such as 'Hometown Glory' which allows elaboration of the artist to occur. In addition to this, it could also be seen as mirroring content such as the minimal instrumentation that is conventionally featured within soul genre songs. This allows the artist's vocal to be the prominent and a more noticeable feature of the material and so this is demonstrated to the audience from the particular style of language that is used within the advert.

I have found planning my individual magazine advert useful as it has helped me acknowledge what type of pictures need to be taken in order for the advert to be successful. The image used for the advert is going to be very important due to the fact that it is the most prominent and noticeable feature that will initially be used to capture the audience's attention. It is quite clearly abundant that the image will need to be close up and likely to be of the artist looking away from the camera to help maintain this conventional expression of insecurity. Moreover, having an image where the artist is positioned central ensures that all of the attention is based on her. This planning has also helped me to prepare for the use of photoshop as I can now recognise what looks effective in particular layouts and what font can be used to display the representation of the artist, etc. Not only this but the colour is also prominent so, I will be able to use photoshop in a way to enhance particular colours whilst making others less prominent and essentially faded or duller. I feel that I am more aware of the pictures that I need to take for my advert as it has allowed me to think about how much of the screen needs to be taken up by the artist, how I can add the background in to ensure that the blackness is still achievable to help display the negative emotions in which the artist expresses. It has also made me think about external aspects such as the mise-en-scene of the advert such as the costume where a fur coat is intended to reflect the complexity of the artist's life but also the glamourous and unique nature. Additionally, the makeup, as red is going to be an enhanced colour, it is important for the artist to wear red lipstick in the pictures to create a basis for this idea. Overall, it has highlighted what sort of image I want to include in the advert in order to still comply with the conventions of the soul genre and reflect hidden meanings and connotations that can be retrieved by the audience.