Applying Codes and Conventions (Magazine Digipak)

Applying Codes and Conventions ( Album Digipak)

Below is a presentation showing our understanding of the codes and conventions of digipaks, by applying them to various media products created by professionals in the music industry.

Codes and Conventions (Magazine Digipak)

The codes and conventions of a magazine advert are almost similar to the codes and conventions of album covers. The adverts are almost identical to the album covers only with a few composition changes. The magazines article still contain the Artist Name, Album Name, Logo and the Main image of the Album. If an album cover that breaks these codes and conventions, like Arctic Monkeys AM is features on the magazine the publisher will add the artists/bands name so that the readers are not confused as to what the page is about.
Some extras that are added to magazine covers to help promotion are

• Album Release Date - So the artists fan base knows when the the album is released.
• The Artists/Bands Website - so there fan base and new fans can learn more about them and pre-order the album.
• The logo of the recording company - so people are aware what style of music the album is.
• The album Cover of the featured album 
• There is normally a list of 2-3 songs that will be on the album, these songs are usually already released as singles for example on an advert for "Ed Sheeran's X (Multiply)" there is text that says "Including the Singles "Sing" and "Don't"

Codes and Conventions (Album Digipak)

Album Cover
There are themes that all album covers follow. These are Main Image, Band/Artist Name, Album Name and Logo. Albums in the 21st century follow all or at least one of these codes and conventions.

Main Image  - There will always be a main image on the album cover whether it is a Photograph of the Band/Artist or and image that represents the band. The main image could also be an illustration.
If  the artist chooses not to have a photograph or not to feature themselves on the album cover e.g. a drawing of the artist or band, it creates a more mysterious meaning surrounding around the band/artist and their song, an example of the is the band "Arctic Monkeys"

Artist Name - There will always be the artists name on the front of an album cover, allowing there target audience to not only remember the eye-catching album cover but the name along side it. This can be challenged in some CD cover such as Marilyn Manson and Kylie Minogue docent present their whole names.

Album Name - This is a feature used for all albums, not only does it give the audience a feel of what the songs on the album are going to be about, but also inputs on creating the image for the band/artist. Madonna's album name "Celebration" for her greatest hits album,tells the audience this is going to be an album of her best songs. The font style can also be used to represent the band/artists music genre, for example a rock/metal album cover will often use shape edged gothic lettering or black and bold, whilst female popstars will most probably use bubbly, girly font types

Logo - Bands and Artists will often have a iconic logo that follows them through concerts, music videos and their adverts, but most of all will be seen in their album covers, for example "Zedd's" album "Clarity" features his "Z" Logo, this logo is featured on most of the covers of his singles and when he preforms to crowds this logo plays a huge part in the visual effects.

Challenging the Codes and Conventions - sometimes when making an album cover, artist will want to challenge the conventions to make themselves stand out from the crowd, for example the "Arctic Monkeys" released an album called "Suck It And See". The cover consisted of a solid beige base with the album name in bold black letters.


Album Back 
Normally featured on the back of the album are

• A full track list of all the songs on the album
• Another image that relates to the cover
• The logos go the recording label and distributer 
• A "parental Explicit Warning" if there is are Explict tracts on the album

Applying Codes and Conventions of Music Videos 2

Applying Codes and Conventions of Music Videos

Ed Sheeran - One

Style of Music Video: Performance

Misé en Scene:

Casual clothing, chiaroscuro, empty theatre, quick changes from hi key lighting to low key lighting

Camera:
Use of Medium Close-ups

Editing :
Use of Cutaways to corridors
Use of Juxtaposition

Sound:
Diegetic and Non-Diegetic
Change In levels
Application of reverb
Theme of love

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James Blunt - Postcards

Style of Music Video: Cameo/ Performance and Narrative

Misé en Scene:

Natural lighitng, shows typically male deisres( cars, money, girls, alcohol etc) 

Camera:
Use of Close-ups

Editing :
Use of Juxtaposition
Jump Cutting between narrative and performance
Eye Line Match
Linear Narrative

Sound:
Non Diegetic and Diegetic
Parallel Sound
Change in Levels
Application of reverb
Theme of love

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Katie Melua - Closest Thing To Crazy

Style of Music Video: Cameo/ Performance and Narrative

Misé en Scene:

High key lighting, shots of bedroom and kitchen, stereotypes of woman shown through locations.

Camera:
Use of Close-ups

Editing :
Jump Cutting between narrative and performance
Flashbacks

Sound:
Non Diegetic
Change in levels
Theme of love

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Joshua Radin - Streetlight

Style of Music Video: Animation/Narrative/Performance

Misé en Scene:

Location in a park, natural light used creating irony (as the song is called Starlight)

Camera:
Use of Medium Close-ups and Close-ups

Editing :
Linear Narrative
Eye Line Match

Sound:
Non Diegetic then changes to Diegetic
Change In levels

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George Ezra - Budapest

Style of Music Video: Cameo/Performance

Misé en Scene:
Shot in a crowd, natural lighting, then use of red and blue to show emoktions (red passion and blue for sadness)      

Camera:
Medium Close-ups
Lip Syncing

Editing :
Jump Cutting
Cutwaways
Juxtapositioning

Sound:
Change in Levels
Non Diegetic

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Kari Jobe - Here

Style of Music Video: Performance

Misé en Scene:
Shots of musical equipment, simple reflects the simple music being played. 

Camera:
Focus Adjusted

Editing :
Jump Cutting
Lip Syncing

Sound:

Diegetic/ Non Diegetic
Change in levels
Them of Love

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Chadwick Stokes - Crowbar Hotel

Style of Music Video: Narrative/Performance

Misé en Scene: 
Shots of movement, water and trains show the themes of escape and freedom 

Camera:
Use of Medium Close ups

Editing :
Jump Cutting between Narrative and Performance
Lip Syncing
Cutaways
Parallel editing
Fade to's
Use of Stock Footage

Sound:

Non Diegetic
Use of Reverb
Change in levels

Codes and Conventions (Music Video)

Mise en Scene -
Includes the use of hi and low key lighting, with some using chiaroscuro (Ed Sheeran - One)
Tends to show only shots of the artist singing
Can vary on theme of song, but usually modern clothing.
Makeup used for female artists - can make features more defined
Location can vary, although usually outside in the open
Props can also vary upon theme, although musical instruments appearing is common within videos

Camera -
Uses high and low angles to show emotional vulnerability parrallel to lyrics in the song
Uses close ups predominantly to create a relationship with the audience
Uses mid shots to convey a sense of humanity and normality of the artist
Camera usually moves (panning, tilting tracking etc) , showing the fluidity of the song, also referencing the flow of emotions evoked by the artist.

Editing-
Often use of jump cutting to change between singer and 'the story'
Music often matched to images (lip syncing)
Green screen / CGI as can be seen in Ed Sheeran's 'Sing'
some transitions not so hard (fade to's) usually used in change of time

Cutaways -brief shot that interrupts a continuous action, usually cuttbacking to the original shot
Match Cut/Graphic Match -a cut between two different objects so that they graphically match
Cross Cutting / Parallel editing -where two different locations/ narratives are cut between to suggest parallel action, usually used to build suspense
Linear Narrative - storytelling in a chronological order
Flash Backs - editing technique to show an event occurring in the past
Continuity Editing - editing technique that does not disrupt the continuity of a narrative, creating a sense of reality and moving forward in time.
Eye Line match - edit which cuts from a character to what they have been looking at
Juxtaposition - placing two objects/images either side to create an effect

Sound -
Music will be present,
Usually non dietetic,
Change in levels -  to emphasize emotions,
Usually themes of love
Parallel Sound - matches theme of video ie happier narrative will have music in a major key

Styles of music video:
Performance - Features artist(s) playing music (Bruno Mars - When I was Your Man)
Narrative - Features a story
Performance and Narrative - Mixture of story alongside artist(s) performing. (OneRepublic - Counting Stars)
Animation - Digital or Stop-Motion (Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood)
Cameo - Artist(s) involved in narrative but not performing (OK Go - This Too Shall Pass)