Lyrics

I printed off the lyrics and followed the song, inserting where I would like which shot and type of editing feature I would use etc. 

Production log 31/10/14

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lozzietheunicorn/sets/72157649058820103/

(Click on the link to see photos).

These are some test shots for my digipak. I don't really like the one's in the underpass of the train but I like the ones in the alleyway and infront of the brickwall. I think the alleyway ones would be great for tracklisting.

My next step is to edit all the best photos and to create a 1st draft of my digipak.

I then need to get opinions on the first draft and plan for a secondary photoshoot.

Production Log

During the holidays I plan to take more photos.

The only day that myself and two other members (to be part of the band) seem to be free is on a friday. The weather seems to be hot and sunny (unusual for Halloween). I plan to take photos in an underpass and an alleyway. I plan for the band members to wear normal tshirt and jeans, as the band are indie electronic rock, so would therefore be very laid-back.

Test Shots

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lozzietheunicorn/sets/72157650965314959/

(click the link to see all photos)

These pictures are test shots for my digipak. I like the photos where i have used depth of field. I plan to edit these photos like in the plan for my digipak. Perhaps I could use these photos to create a lyric book?

Stuck

I think I'm really stuck for ideas right now; what I want my artist to look like and how I want my digipak to look.

I looked at bands that were similar to my own.

The Killers:

This is what the band look like; I like this casual style that they wear, but I think it's a little too dressy for my band. I like the use of colour in the album cover and is something that I would like to use on my own. I have an idea of neon colours to be used in my album to adhere to the conventions of the electronic genre. 

AWOLNATION : 

The like the style which AWOLNATION wear; I think it's really casual and laid back - something I want my band to be similar to. I like the obscure album cover and the colour palette, which is conventional of the genre for Electronic Indie Rock. 

Foster The People:

I like the artsy image for the album cover; I would really like to illustrate something so this album cover; if not then play around with editing photographs from the photo shoot I will take. The band also wear casual clothes like AWOLNATION which I really like and think connotes my band well. 

Overall, I think I want my artist to look similar to this: 

I still think that the band Symptom, should focus more on the frontman rather than the band behind it. I think maybe 2 or 3 other guys that look similar to this would be enough to complete the band. 

I think if I take some chiaroscuro images such as these: 

 

I think it could look aesthetically pleasing for my digipak for the band.

More Artist Research

I decided that I wanted my artist to be a band but focus more on the lead singer; like Florence and the Machine. These are the names I came up with.

I eventually decided that our band would be called Symptoms and the album would either be called Ghostland or Spirited Away. 

Symptoms is signed to XL Recordings as they create music and sign music artists in the same genre of rock, indie and electronic. 

The lead band member's ideology is to follow your dreams (as that's what he did, growing up around music and dedicating his education and life to it). 

Symptom's influences are; Arcade Fire, The Kooks, The Killers, Awolnation, Foster The People, and The Filthy Youth. 

Likes: hiding, Halloween, dark spaces, diversity and making music. 

Dislikes: vibrant colours, cheesy music, sun, X-Factor (or processed shows similar)

The next step is to create  music video that shows this. 

Creating Artist

I began to brainstorm all different genres to begin creating my artist. I had the most for Rock genre, so I then started listing off sub genres and artists/bands related to each sub genre.

I found that Alternative rock was hard to define, so I came up with my own definition:

ALTERNATIVE ROCK - CHALLENGING THE NORMAL CONVENTIONS OF ROCK (DOESN'T FIT INTO ANY OTHER SUBGENRE)

I found that I was stuck between two sub genres of rock: indie and alternative. I then created a Venn Diagram for it.

I then circled 5 artists I felt like fit the image for my artist and wrote out any notes or conventions.

Artist Planning

Name: ??????

Age: 23-25

Musical Genre: Indie Rock 

Style: 90's grunge/ tshirt and skinny jeans

Physical appearance: Skinny, white, tall, blonde/brown hair

Album title: ???????

Track Listing: ???????

Artwork: ???????

Background information: From New York (USA). Graduated from College with a Music Tech degree. Started out in the industry as a music technician/ sound check guy for a rock band and continued up the ladder in his career. 

Talents: Playing keyboard + digitally creating music

Interests: Keyboard/ music/ computers

Family: Close family, modern values and atheist religion

Record Labels

Music Industry

Back in the day, to own music you would have to have a CD collection, with the change of technology more and more of us are purchasing music online for iPods, mp3 players and phones. in 2009, 95% of music online was downloaded illegally. 4 men behind Pirate Bay were arrested and forced to pay £2.5 million in damages. The music industry has had to adapt to make money, by gaining revenue from merchandising and tours. U2 gave a free album to the first 500 million iTunes users to get more audience. In 2009 HMV used 25% of their floor space to sell technology such as tablets, headphones and mp3 players. Digipaks are more special than CDs, as they are more collectable. In order for our group to create a Digipak it needs to be sellable for our target audience. There are 3 types of front covers:

1) Clear image of the artist's face - typically used by the Pop genre

2) Artwork - typically used by Dance/Techno and some Rock

3) Obscure - typically used by the inis/rock genre.

This is my research into record labels: 

Record Labels from Synflame

Commodity is a material that can be sold. De-commification is when the product becomes free and then loses its value. To think about for my artist, I need to consider all media platforms for the digipak to be released on and to ensure that the digipak will be a tangible commodity.