Digipack/Magazine Advertisment Photoshoot

For one of my tasks I have to create a digipack for the album of my chosen artist. I set up a studio, with lighting boxes and a black backdrop, to create professional looking images for the cover. After this I edited them using Photoshop CS5. Here are a few of the final outcome:

 Before actually turning them into a digipack, I will look into the common conventions of indie and alternative album sleeves.

When taking and editing these photos I kept in mind existing examples to make sure I would apply my target audience's expectations through use of lighting (to make it look professional) and mise-en-scene.

Promotional information for unsigned musicians

As my artist, Lee, is an unsigned musician I thought it would be a good idea to research how unsigned artists gain recognition. Here is an interesting article on liveunsigned.com, a website dedicated to unsigned musicians:

http://www.liveunsigned.com/blog/2011/08/12-low-cost-promotional-ideas-for-musicians/

Lyric ideas

A Trip To The Moon by Lee Roy Benjamin

 I'm the one that listens,

but never says a thing

Take it all in,

take it all in

I surround myself with trouble,
take it all in,
take it all in

If I could leave today,

and leave right away,

 that's what I'd do

with this guitar,

I'd travel just as far

as I need to

Take me to the moon,

take me to the moon.

These are the initial lyrics Lee thought up for the music video. I thought they represented my idea for the video very well; "if I could leave today, and leave right away..." connotes loneliness, and denotes wanting to leave, which is the basis of the synopsis of my video. The lyric "I surround myself with trouble" connotes that teenagers look for trouble, much like Stanley Hall's (1904) 'Storm and Stress' theory that teenagers go through a period of depression and and rebellion through this time in their lives. This relates back to my target audience.
 The 'wanting to be alone' theme of the video is also shown by the fact that it is filmed in some woods etc. which are far away from people. This theme represents my target audience of disconnected indie fans in the way that indie music is usually about something that reflects personal emotions, which is what this does.
The lyrics also follow conventions of existing examples in the way that they follow a verse, bridge and chorus.  Songs such as 'Norgaard' by The Vaccines are also two minutes long, and have a couple verses and a catchy chorus. The Vaccines are relatively new and have had a big impact on the indie music world. Because of this, following their example would be a good idea for Lee, as he is an unsigned artist who is trying to appeal to the same target audience.

Music Video Narrative Synopsis

To follow the conventions of indie music videos, my music video will have a narrative running through it. Read the synopsis below: 


The video for A Trip To The Moon by Lee Nottle revolves around the idea of wanting to escape from reality.  As the video progresses, Lee becomes tired with everyday life and being around people all the time. The video follows Lee through various 'out of the way' locations such as a cemetery and the middle of a forest. These secluded places in the video represent the target audience of teenagers who feel loneliness and angst, which was stated by Stanley Hall (1904).  The video reflects the meaning behind the artist’s song, which brings a fresh new sound to the popular music genre indie rock. Teenagers that have grown up listening to bands such as The Beatles, Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead will not be disappointed. 

100 Greatest Music Videos

Recently I did some research into some of the most iconic music videos produced, for some inspiration regarding my music video. NME.com have made a compilation featuring their favourite 100 music videos. Click the picture to view the list: