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Production diary - 11/09/14

In class today we were given a tracking sheet where we had to write down all of the research tasks which we needed to complete by certain dates which I have been working on in class and for homework. I also looked at the updated coursework checklist and saw my research of a digipak had a low grade and so decided to improve and film my own video explaining the basics of a digipak for homework.  My teacher kindly lend me one of his examples ' The Twilight Sad', a Scottish indie rock band which was published in 2009.  Before filming my video I did some general research, outlining what was included in a digipak and the conventions of one. I then used my camera - Canon 700D and filmed my sister giving a tutorial of the different panels included in a digipak. I also did a voice-over instructing the viewer of the different parts and pages involved in this digipak.

What is a digipak?

This is a video describing the basics of a digipak. The written version of this presentation can be found below:

A digipak is a style of packaging usually used on CD singles or special editions of CD albums. The packaging typically consists of a gatefold paper board or outer binding with several different plastic trays to hold the CD or DVD included inside. Other materials which are included inside involve a lyrics book, list of songs and photos of the artist or band. The sole purpose of a digipak is to help promote the music industry and bring awareness to the artist or band by encouraging consumers to buy and listen to their music. 

The front cover of a digipak typically embodies what the artist represents and what their predominate genre is.  The front cover of this digipak includes aspects of futuristic idealism to convey the lyrics and visuals of the music and to create an obscure and contemporary look. Like most digipacks the front panel is colorful to attract and stand out to the target audience. The mix of the colours pink and black shown on the front panel emphasize what genre of music the album is from – soft rock and pop. The band name is shown to be written in bold font which corresponds with the pink background reflecting the genre and atmosphere the band have created in their music. The bold font also enables the title to stand out and make the font recognizable to fans of The Twilight Sad.

Inside, there is a CD and lyrics book. The CD follows a simple design only showing the band’s name, the name of their single and an artistic image which is also shown on the back panel of the digipak. The small font shown on the inside panel includes legal details and copyright notices prohibiting people from using the same style of digipak and songs listed on the album. There is also a credit list of everyone involved in the production of their album as well as a thank you note written by the band thanking family and friends. 

Like all digipacks, the back panel consists of a track list which gives the names of each song the band have produced. The colours pink, black and cream are used again to show a consistent colour scheme throughout. The barcode and record label logo ‘Fat Cat Records’ are shown at the bottom of page. This is an important convention of a digipak.

The spine located on the far right of the back panel includes a small version of the band’s name and single. Although the text is of a smaller font, the design still enables buyers to identify the digipak as a product made by The Twilight Sad.

Production diary 9/9/14

Today, I spent my day designing different logo's to use for the production of my music video. I ideally wanted something creative and eye-catching that would make the viewer remember my logo but after creating several different designs I found the more simple layouts to be more effective. I also asked  peers from my class for feedback, asking what design they most liked. The majority of them preferred the first one as they believed it looked more professional. I will perhaps think about using this design for my final logo.

Production logo designs