New Edits to the Magazine

I have finally added the finishing touches to the magazine poster. These include:

• A picture of "Amber Rubarth" in the photo frame
• Old music sheets
• Record label logo
• Text with information about the album
• Where the album is available; iTunes, Play.com, etc

Here is a screenshot of what has been created so far...

However, there is one last detail that I need to do add which is the picture of the digipak next to the photo frame so the consumers know what they are looking for when they see it online.

Making the magazine on Photoshop

I have started to create my poster on Adobe Photoshop. The "atmosphere" of Rubarth's album is very homely and about self-satisfaction. The album's sound is less to be compared to "glamour" but more to do with it being "mellow" and "relaxed". This is the type of record that would be listened to at home on warm late-spring and summer days. I have decided to make the background old, wooden flooring. These were some of the choices.

Out of the three types of wooden flooring, I picked the darkest and stretched it to fit the International Paper size.

I have put on an old frame to represent "old memories" and the autumn leaves from the album cover and old lined paper from the album cover also. This makes the poster and album synchronous. It all represents a theme of nostalgia, self-belief and rebirth (the seasons).

To this, I will be adding in:

• A picture of the digipak
• A picture of "Amber Rubarth" in the photo frame
• Old music sheets
• Record label logo
• Text with information about the album
• Where the album is available; iTunes, Play.com, etc.

Sarah Blasko's magazine advert has very soft colours. The image is very interesting, as it makes the person looking at it observe it closer. The effect that makes it look like it's drawn is simple yet pretty. This sort of effect can be achieved on photoshop. The fonts used are elegant, which may reflect the sound of the album that is being promoted. It also has information on her record label and a URL for her website.

What are the conventions of magazine adverts for new album releases?

Most musicians with a record label are able to promote their new album through magazines. Magazines are a good tool to advertise this because certain magazines suit certain audiences, much like a musician's music would.

The magazine adverts for this must have these things:

1. A picture or symbol representing the artist
2. The name of the album
3. The release date
4. Where it's available
5. Certain themes that relate to the artist's sound - heavy metal would have dark colours for example
6. A picture of the album front cover
7. Details of the artist - artist's website, record label's website
8. Maybe some details of what is included in the album...

My album fits into the "folk/acoustic" category, so there are a few magazines my album could be advertising in.

NME, Q and Mojo are all British magazines that are less-focused towards mainstream music and look at slightly more alternative and unique music. The bottom left magazine, "Rolling Stone" is American. Amber Rubarth's album could be promoted in Rolling Stone as well, for it is a highly prestigious entertainment magazine that is read and sold all over the world.

Here are the following links for the websites of these magazines.

www.nme.com

www.qthemusic.com

www.mojo4music.com

www.rollingstone.com

Font Collage

I have created a set which shows a variety of different fonts that I may use for my digipak. I will be printing this out and getting feedback from people who listen to similar types of music.

Having asked people about the fonts, and which they think will suit the musician most appropriately after listening to the song.

Most people agreed that the font next to the tree is simplistic but suitable for the genre as it is light and not too bold or harsh to the eyes. Others also liked the blue font because it is slightly different and quite quirky. The same was said about the font at the top in yellow/orange but however, it was commented that it would be advisable the colour of the font should be changed.
I think this is useful feedback, because I am receiving opinion from people who listen to similar music and they would know exactly what appeals to them within their preferred genre,... in this case, indie/acoustic/folk.

Exploration of Similar Genres: Folk & Acoustic

I did a little bit of research into Amber Rubarth's musical influences, and there is certainly a number of artists that come up.

Amber Rubarth's music mostly consists of folk and acoustic tunes, and her influences consist of:

• Tom Waits
• Kings of Leon
• Norah Jones
• Cold War Kids

Considering these artists are Amber's musical influences, it may be possible that a lot of their musical aspects are incorporated into her music. This would reflect in theme also, so I have looked at their album art.

What is a "digipak"?

A digipak is a style of DVD or CD packaging, and in this case, for CDs. Digipaks typically consist of a book-style fold, consisting of pieces, which would make up the front cover, the back cover, and two inside pieces including the CD tray.

An example of this would be...

  

I will be creating a digipak for my musician "Amber Rubarth" to promote her music.

Here is a picture of Amber Rubarth...

However, I will be changing her identity a little for this project, and using my actress Sara Da Silva....