Digipak Review

Digipaks are becoming a more common way for artists to release their music on hard copies (e.g CDs). Digipaks are for one cheaper to produce on a mass scale and are more durable than conventional CD cases. Secondly the digipak gives an artist a chance to give their audience something more than just a CD (More artwork, posters, lyrics) and therefore entice them to buy it.

Gorillaz Digipak

This Digipak made for the Gorillaz is unorthodox in the way that it unfolds in a puzzle like manor revealing a new piece of artwork one by one which in this case is each member of the band and on each side they are in a different pose. I think that this Digipak is reasonably successful in the way that it is different and quite quirky which perhaps mirrors the style of Gorillaz however besides this I can't see anything else which could be better than a normal CD or a digital version. Despite this the idea of the 4 individual folds could be something to take into account when designing our own.

History of the Music Promo

Help! - The Beatles

'Help!' by the Beatles was one of the first music videos of its era to use the basic conventions that can be seen in todays industry. As well as using group shots (such as the one above) there are various close ups of the band playing instruments and a predominant focus on the lead singer. The editing consists of fast past straight cuts that are in time with the music itself which has become conventional to many contemporary music videos. Also because it is in black and white it creates a 'timeless' effect which has also been used in other videos through all eras, however in this case it could be due to the technology at hand. Additionally the lyrics are in sync with the singing. With regards to Mise en Scene it appears as though they are performing in a studio and each member has their instrument which gives the effect that they are doing a performance for the audience and therefore makes the band more accessible to people who might not have a chance to the see the band live.

The Beginning of MTV

MTV was founded in 1984 and created by Nickelodeon. However the idea was first conceived by Michael Nesmith a former member of the manufactured band, 'The Monkees' (In light of the popularity of the Beatles) who originally had  Their own TV series.  Although MTV has now expanded down various avenues and has a range of different channels it began as one channel which purely aired music videos. As well as allowing an increasingly broader audience to watch their favourite artists on TV it also gave a chance to emerging British artists to get noticed in America and from this moment music videos became very important and so the budget and level of creativity both increased in the production of music promos.

Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson

A good example of the type of videos that began to emerge after the creation of MTV is 'smooth criminal' by Michael Jackson. Firstly there is a large narrative element incorporated along side dance routines which is another common feature of Michael Jackson videos which has become a major part of some contemporary music videos (usually dance music).  Also the budget appears to have dramatically increased which can be seen in the Mise en Scene as it takes place in a relatively more realistic looking location which appears to be some form of a club. It can also be seen in the editing through the introduction of the use of effects such as slow motion however the editing is still always in sync with the song and lyrics.

It Was A Good Day - Ice Cube (1993)

Alongside the growing popularity of Hip Hop and the acceptance of Black artists of music channels there was a serge in Hip Hop videos. Ice Cube's 'It Was A Good Day' is a typical example of such a video. It is interesting as there is effectively a 50/50 split of narrative and performance and occasionally a crossing over of the two, also within the narrative sections the lyrics seem to coincide with the images on screen (e.g 'looking in the mirror') which has also developed into a widely used convention in contemporary music videos. Also as shown in the second screen shot the idea that realism doesn't have to apply in a music video is also shown by the fact that the location clearly isn't real and is more than likely filmed in a studio as well as seeming to be at a peculiar angle. 

Conventions

 

Camera work:

Close ups of band, predominantly on lead singer, shots of audience

Peter Gabriel – stop motion

 Editing:

Quick cuts, slow motion

Montage

 Mise en Scene:

Band, performance, instruments, atmospheric lighting, at a gig

Lyrics and images link

Art Inspired

Nirvana – in bloom – subverts expectations (1950’s pop band)

References to popular culture, Humour 

No need for realism