For this research I have examined some examples from different genres. I don't own any digipaks from the genre of my chosen track, however this shouldn't be an issue as although stylistically my track is jazz with the video, costume and digipak I am trying to break the stereotypes and norms of the genre.
The text on the cover is in the same style as Del Rey's other albums, Lana Del Ray and Born To Die. The same font has been used. However unlike previous albums the artists name isn't included. The font that has been used is very bold and striking. Therefore it clearly conveys the relevant information in the most effective way possible.
The artwork on the cover is a shot of Del Rey exciting her Mercedes Benz SL dressed all in white. To own a Mercedes implies a certain level of success and wealth. Although it isn't a Ferrari that particular model Mercedes is a cult classic. It has hints of the golden era of film and music. For example other owners include Henrik Purienne. He is a fashion photographer who is famous for his signature snapshot aesthetic. With connotations such as that it is no wonder why Del Rey chose to be photographed next to that car. The shot has been done in black and white with the blacks in the shot being muted to give a slightly faded vintage esque look. This is in keeping with Del Reys persona as she constantly overtly and covertly references cultures from different time periods. Obviously because Del Rey is the star of the music she is pictured centre of the frame looking directly at the audience. This conveys the idea that the album is by her. For me I wont be doing this because the music I am working with is not at all pop. As a result the the people behind the music aren't pop-culture figures. Because the band aren't pop culture it isn't important to the target audience to identify them on their products.
For the centerfold Del Rey has opted for a black and white photo of Los Angeles. This is where Del Rey lives and the city is often the subject of her lyrics. Obviously before Del Rey L.A. had pop culture and alternative heritage. Not all of Del Reys audience will live there or will have visited it. For many people it is a unrealisable dream to move to L.A. Therefore by including a photo of it it adds iconography of the city of dreams. And by doing that Del Rey presents herself and her life as slightly unobtainable. Added to that is that the shot is taken from a vantage point, looking down over residential areas and buildings were everyday people work. Obviously this gives the view that Del Rey is sitting on the hill looking down on the rest of civilisation because she is presenting herself as subtly superior. I like the fact that the image is uninterrupted by any text. It is a more artistic approach to digipak artwork. I appreciate that because it makes the overall package more aesthetically pleasing. If it was covered in text and photos of the artist on every page it would bombard the viewer too much, in my opinion. This is an approach I will be adopting because, as I stated above, my music doesn't require the audience to be constantly reminded of what the artist looks like.
For the rearcover Del Rey has opted for another simple black and white photograph of herself in her Mercedes. Becuase of the framing she isn't drawing as much attention to the car as she is on the cover. This has been done to imply that to her although the car has heritage and is beautiful it isn't as big a thing to own a vintage Mercedes to her as it would be to one of her average audience members. By presenting herself like this she adds to her star image by subtly separating herself from her audience. Unlike with the front cover she hasn't broken the fourth wall. This time she isn't directly addressing the audience. Like both the front and center the rearcover has been shot with a 35mm aesthetic. This could of been achieved either by using a 35mm film camera or by using a high quality DSLR with film grain (noise) added afterwards. Compositionally Del Rey is center of the frame with her head and upper body taking up most of the frame. The Text on the back is limited. Aside from the track names the only other text is the credits which have been placed in the bottom left corner so that they don't detract from the presentation of the star. The same technique has been used for the bar code. By placing it in the top right corner the rearcover includes all of the relevant information without it detracting from the artwork of it.
Lana Del Rey: Ultraviolence
Ultraviolence is the third studio album by Lana Del Rey. Aside from the fact that I think musically the album is great, the artwork and presentation is also perfectly put together. It is in keeping with the rest of Del Rey's work and her image whilst also being an artfully presented piece.
Cover:
The artwork on the cover is a shot of Del Rey exciting her Mercedes Benz SL dressed all in white. To own a Mercedes implies a certain level of success and wealth. Although it isn't a Ferrari that particular model Mercedes is a cult classic. It has hints of the golden era of film and music. For example other owners include Henrik Purienne. He is a fashion photographer who is famous for his signature snapshot aesthetic. With connotations such as that it is no wonder why Del Rey chose to be photographed next to that car. The shot has been done in black and white with the blacks in the shot being muted to give a slightly faded vintage esque look. This is in keeping with Del Reys persona as she constantly overtly and covertly references cultures from different time periods. Obviously because Del Rey is the star of the music she is pictured centre of the frame looking directly at the audience. This conveys the idea that the album is by her. For me I wont be doing this because the music I am working with is not at all pop. As a result the the people behind the music aren't pop-culture figures. Because the band aren't pop culture it isn't important to the target audience to identify them on their products.
Centerfold:
For the centerfold Del Rey has opted for a black and white photo of Los Angeles. This is where Del Rey lives and the city is often the subject of her lyrics. Obviously before Del Rey L.A. had pop culture and alternative heritage. Not all of Del Reys audience will live there or will have visited it. For many people it is a unrealisable dream to move to L.A. Therefore by including a photo of it it adds iconography of the city of dreams. And by doing that Del Rey presents herself and her life as slightly unobtainable. Added to that is that the shot is taken from a vantage point, looking down over residential areas and buildings were everyday people work. Obviously this gives the view that Del Rey is sitting on the hill looking down on the rest of civilisation because she is presenting herself as subtly superior. I like the fact that the image is uninterrupted by any text. It is a more artistic approach to digipak artwork. I appreciate that because it makes the overall package more aesthetically pleasing. If it was covered in text and photos of the artist on every page it would bombard the viewer too much, in my opinion. This is an approach I will be adopting because, as I stated above, my music doesn't require the audience to be constantly reminded of what the artist looks like.Rearcover:
For the rearcover Del Rey has opted for another simple black and white photograph of herself in her Mercedes. Becuase of the framing she isn't drawing as much attention to the car as she is on the cover. This has been done to imply that to her although the car has heritage and is beautiful it isn't as big a thing to own a vintage Mercedes to her as it would be to one of her average audience members. By presenting herself like this she adds to her star image by subtly separating herself from her audience. Unlike with the front cover she hasn't broken the fourth wall. This time she isn't directly addressing the audience. Like both the front and center the rearcover has been shot with a 35mm aesthetic. This could of been achieved either by using a 35mm film camera or by using a high quality DSLR with film grain (noise) added afterwards. Compositionally Del Rey is center of the frame with her head and upper body taking up most of the frame. The Text on the back is limited. Aside from the track names the only other text is the credits which have been placed in the bottom left corner so that they don't detract from the presentation of the star. The same technique has been used for the bar code. By placing it in the top right corner the rearcover includes all of the relevant information without it detracting from the artwork of it.Conclusion:
Overall this is one of my favourite digipaks. I actually bought the physical copy in part due to the artful aesthetic that has been used to present the album. That shows the power of the digipak. To most people there is little difference between an mp3 file or the physical copy however with this album the aesthetic of the physical was so strong that it made me want to wait to travel to a shop and purchase the album. I really like the black and white photography. It has a very classy vintage look. This aesthetic is steeped in connotations such as sixties and seventies rock musicians. However I am not sure if this will be appropriate for my artwork. Because I will be utilising colour in a really controlled way for the video it makes sense that the artwork reflects that. Otherwise the continuity would be lacking and therefore the overall presentation of the products would be weakened. I am thinking of using the same technique on my centrefold because it is appropriate for my artwork due to the more artistic style it has.
