Focus Group

Focus Group

In order to collect some additional information about what elements people look for in Acoustic products, we decided to formulate a focus group. Using our research into target audiences, we collected (10) people, all between the ages of 10 - 18 in order to provide third party opinions on what they think would be interesting in a music video/ graphic.

Theorists that can be applied to Music Videos

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