Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Monday, 17 January 2011
What is a Digipak CD?
Digipaks are an alternative to the classic Dual Case. They are a method of packaging CDs and/or DVDs.
Taking visual influence from the classic vinyl casing Digi-Paks very often have two or three panels, and open like a book or some sort of variation. The packaging is made from card rather than the plastic cases we often see. Over the past few years, production of Digi-Paks has grown substantially and rather than in the past just being used for Limited Edition album versions, they are now becoming common.
We were very lucky to have a man who works for a local Digi-Pak design company ("Wewow") come in and speak to us. This is the insight we gained:
-Dual cases are a thing of the past. With the price of plastic increasing almost 15% over the last year, the music industry has been forced into looking to find an alternative to the classic packaging. This is also due to the large increase in digital downloads of music, that one day will overtake and comeplety replace compact discs. Record companies are also expected to reduce the size of discs from the standard 12cm to just 8cm.
- Digi-Paks increase production costs for the production companies and the band.Though each project is individual, 100 units rough costs £100 to produce. Bands have driven this price down to the demand for the new casing style. But if it costs more to produce, why is it becoming so popular?
- Due to the huge global warming situation, Sony made a memo demanding that the record industry reduced it's carbon emissions a huge 30% by 2015. The Digi-Pak is slowly becoming 100% recyclable, meaning that even though they cost more to produce, they are much better for the environment. The dual case is not going to become a viable design. As demand for the digi-pak increases, the price will go down. In comparison dual cases production costs are growing.
- To produce 1000 discs costs roughly 17p per disc. To produce 1 million, makes each disc worth just 4p. It is actually better for the companies to produce more discs as the machine increases speed of production the longer it is on. Also once the company have the record on glass master, the price of production goes down.
The cost of producing a dual case is often just 1.5p. In comparision, the digi-pak is much more expensive. This is due to the print process being followed by the machine fold which can take up to half an hour.
In one morning, a realistic amount of discs to be produced are 1000. If the process was hand-done this would take 3/4 days. In terms of price, printing costs 35p, the paperfoam tray costs, 10p and the folding process costs another 3p.
- Amazon do most of "Wewow"'s distribution, as well as for alot of other companies. The major companies do so much more than what you would expect. Shipping cost is roughly £50,000 for a bulk order. This is substantially more than the actual production of the order.
- Wewow's production of the artwork generally costs a band £65 to £85 per hour. This will include the in house design, which often follows a band's design brief. They also must pay for IRSC copyright codes, and MCP licence codes. Wewow's production is actually cheaper than the going rate of £150.
- Like every product, the cases must have a barcode. The design companies cannot buy these on behalf of the band, and must do so themselves. What more bands are now doing, is including a QR code, which links to the band's website when hovered over using a phone application.
- The Digi-Pak has a sort of retro appeal to it's design, which links back to the old vinyl cases. This helps it becoming appealing to an older audience too. Another appeal is the fact that you can print on every side of the packaging. Wewow and other companies offer alternative designs, such as the WeWow spiral, which doesn't even require glue. It is intended for promos, and is the cheapest to produce at 70p for 50 units. Very often companies have a 60% packaging markup, and 30% - 50% for the disc.The cheapest packaging is most often the one which requires the least printing, such as the wallet and window design.
So in conclusion:
Pros -
Many bands love the way they look. They give the album a sort of vintage appeal.
They are very good in terms of there's a lot of room for artwork etc.
They are much more environmentally friendly.
The cost is reducing every year, whereas plastic is increasing.
The many variations in design and price mean that is more viable for indie bands to be able to afford bulk orders.
They don't crack when dropped.
Negatives -
Digital downloads is still the way of the future, so there will be no need for any packaging.
At the moment, the production costs are more.
Though they don't crack, they do rip and actually offer less protection to the CD.
Taking visual influence from the classic vinyl casing Digi-Paks very often have two or three panels, and open like a book or some sort of variation. The packaging is made from card rather than the plastic cases we often see. Over the past few years, production of Digi-Paks has grown substantially and rather than in the past just being used for Limited Edition album versions, they are now becoming common.
We were very lucky to have a man who works for a local Digi-Pak design company ("Wewow") come in and speak to us. This is the insight we gained:
-Dual cases are a thing of the past. With the price of plastic increasing almost 15% over the last year, the music industry has been forced into looking to find an alternative to the classic packaging. This is also due to the large increase in digital downloads of music, that one day will overtake and comeplety replace compact discs. Record companies are also expected to reduce the size of discs from the standard 12cm to just 8cm.
- Digi-Paks increase production costs for the production companies and the band.Though each project is individual, 100 units rough costs £100 to produce. Bands have driven this price down to the demand for the new casing style. But if it costs more to produce, why is it becoming so popular?
- Due to the huge global warming situation, Sony made a memo demanding that the record industry reduced it's carbon emissions a huge 30% by 2015. The Digi-Pak is slowly becoming 100% recyclable, meaning that even though they cost more to produce, they are much better for the environment. The dual case is not going to become a viable design. As demand for the digi-pak increases, the price will go down. In comparison dual cases production costs are growing.- To produce 1000 discs costs roughly 17p per disc. To produce 1 million, makes each disc worth just 4p. It is actually better for the companies to produce more discs as the machine increases speed of production the longer it is on. Also once the company have the record on glass master, the price of production goes down.
The cost of producing a dual case is often just 1.5p. In comparision, the digi-pak is much more expensive. This is due to the print process being followed by the machine fold which can take up to half an hour.
In one morning, a realistic amount of discs to be produced are 1000. If the process was hand-done this would take 3/4 days. In terms of price, printing costs 35p, the paperfoam tray costs, 10p and the folding process costs another 3p.
- Amazon do most of "Wewow"'s distribution, as well as for alot of other companies. The major companies do so much more than what you would expect. Shipping cost is roughly £50,000 for a bulk order. This is substantially more than the actual production of the order.
- Wewow's production of the artwork generally costs a band £65 to £85 per hour. This will include the in house design, which often follows a band's design brief. They also must pay for IRSC copyright codes, and MCP licence codes. Wewow's production is actually cheaper than the going rate of £150.
- Like every product, the cases must have a barcode. The design companies cannot buy these on behalf of the band, and must do so themselves. What more bands are now doing, is including a QR code, which links to the band's website when hovered over using a phone application.
- The Digi-Pak has a sort of retro appeal to it's design, which links back to the old vinyl cases. This helps it becoming appealing to an older audience too. Another appeal is the fact that you can print on every side of the packaging. Wewow and other companies offer alternative designs, such as the WeWow spiral, which doesn't even require glue. It is intended for promos, and is the cheapest to produce at 70p for 50 units. Very often companies have a 60% packaging markup, and 30% - 50% for the disc.The cheapest packaging is most often the one which requires the least printing, such as the wallet and window design.So in conclusion:
Pros -
Many bands love the way they look. They give the album a sort of vintage appeal.
They are very good in terms of there's a lot of room for artwork etc.
They are much more environmentally friendly.
The cost is reducing every year, whereas plastic is increasing.
The many variations in design and price mean that is more viable for indie bands to be able to afford bulk orders.
They don't crack when dropped.
Negatives -
Digital downloads is still the way of the future, so there will be no need for any packaging.
At the moment, the production costs are more.
Though they don't crack, they do rip and actually offer less protection to the CD.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Rough Footage
We filmed a sample scene from our music video to further illustrate our ideas to our audience. The key focus was showing some of the main shot types, sequences and moods that we intended to include in our actual music video. Clearly this early cut will be very different to our final piece but hopefully puts across our early ideas. This whole rough cut was filmed in one day, and edited in another. For our final music video, we may have to spend one day per location and a considerable longer time editing it to the required quality.
The locations used for filming are not the ones that will be used for our later shooting with the exception of the cupboard scene. Also noteworthy is that the piece as of yet is not in the correct order, as we didn't have time to use all our locations, and the enclosed chlaustrophobic scene will intercut some of the others. We did however use our actual cast, although additions may be required. Again set dressing and costume was not considered for this early rough cut. The locations used here are representative of the ones that will be used for the later filming (for example although the bridge scene here worked well, we have a better location available for the actual shoot).
The snow was an ideal addition to this rough cut. We initially hoped for filming our music video when it was snowing, although this is clearly something we have no control over. Here though, it does work very well in both providing and signifying a mystical atmosphere and also adding to the contrast of black and white editing. Black and white as mentioned previously is the main colour scheme for both Joy Division and Anton Corbijn so this is something we will definately use.
Importantly, this rough cut was filmed using DV tapes, whereas our actual shoot will be done in HD. This will instantly make a huge impact on it's quality and we intend to do a comparision video shortly to illustrate this.
Following a session of audience feedback this was the advice passed over to us for improving our video:
- Incorporate more (but subtle) signifiers to our central protagonist sharing his personality with the late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. Possibly include aspects of his iconic dancing in the cupboard scene (apparently inspired by his epileptic shocks)
-Multilayering in the bedroom scene of the protagonist in various positions around the room. This would further signify his confusion.
-Cutting between normal shots and fish-eye lens shots if possible. Also possibly consider intercutting between standard HD shots, and older camera effects (a technique used by Anton Corbijn).
-Filming another confined location in a crowd. This could be done at a pub or concert etc.
-More high angles to signify our protagonist's weakness and isolation.
We also got some helpful feedback on Youtube:
By filming rough footage it has allowed us to gain audience feedback at an early stage which as a result has helped to push forward our music video with fresh ideas in mind.
The locations used for filming are not the ones that will be used for our later shooting with the exception of the cupboard scene. Also noteworthy is that the piece as of yet is not in the correct order, as we didn't have time to use all our locations, and the enclosed chlaustrophobic scene will intercut some of the others. We did however use our actual cast, although additions may be required. Again set dressing and costume was not considered for this early rough cut. The locations used here are representative of the ones that will be used for the later filming (for example although the bridge scene here worked well, we have a better location available for the actual shoot).
The snow was an ideal addition to this rough cut. We initially hoped for filming our music video when it was snowing, although this is clearly something we have no control over. Here though, it does work very well in both providing and signifying a mystical atmosphere and also adding to the contrast of black and white editing. Black and white as mentioned previously is the main colour scheme for both Joy Division and Anton Corbijn so this is something we will definately use.
Importantly, this rough cut was filmed using DV tapes, whereas our actual shoot will be done in HD. This will instantly make a huge impact on it's quality and we intend to do a comparision video shortly to illustrate this.
Following a session of audience feedback this was the advice passed over to us for improving our video:
- Incorporate more (but subtle) signifiers to our central protagonist sharing his personality with the late Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. Possibly include aspects of his iconic dancing in the cupboard scene (apparently inspired by his epileptic shocks)
-Multilayering in the bedroom scene of the protagonist in various positions around the room. This would further signify his confusion.
-Cutting between normal shots and fish-eye lens shots if possible. Also possibly consider intercutting between standard HD shots, and older camera effects (a technique used by Anton Corbijn).
-Filming another confined location in a crowd. This could be done at a pub or concert etc.
-More high angles to signify our protagonist's weakness and isolation.
We also got some helpful feedback on Youtube:
By filming rough footage it has allowed us to gain audience feedback at an early stage which as a result has helped to push forward our music video with fresh ideas in mind.
Monday, 27 December 2010
Group Production Companies
"New Transmission Records are a UK Independent Record Label that operate in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. Forming in 2011, they are attempting to revert back to the ideals of Factory Records and Tony Wilson and bring new life to the industry. The company consists of three founding members: Callum Moreman, Jonny Hughes and Joel Colborne.
They specify on everything Joy Division. Late July will see the release of their first official album; Joy Division's "The Singles". From then onwards, the sky is the limit."
Our record company are an indie formed specifically for releasing Joy Division's work. This is something very often seen with bigger artists that essentially have their own labels, often attached to a major. When creating our company will thought deeply about the whole vibe that Factory Records had about them. Essentially we want this to carry on in our label.The name "New Transmission" is a tribute to the classic Joy Division track "Transmission". The "new" part we feel shows how the label is very much about the future even though it's releases are from former bands. This about bringing Joy Division to a 2011 audience.
I created the logo on Photoshop, again with Factory Records in mind. Their logo is simplistic and based on their name, as is ours. The logo consists of a radio tower sending out signals. This links to the idea of distribution to a wider audience too. The imagery is very simplistic and stylised. The logo is in a modern, industrial serif font signifying the genre of music of the label. At the end of the day the logo should be something iconic and easily transferrable to releases. I created a few alternatives a long the way as shown here.
Limited Edition Graphics (or LE Graphics) are a subsidiary of parent company Limited Edition that coincidentally were behind Callum's 2010 debut Not A Chance. Many big companies now converge their interests over different media, and this was essentially our thinking behind this. Importantly it also shows that our small indie company has major backing. The logo was again made on Adobe Photoshop. I stuck to the essential use of gold on the lettering but added a white border to really emphasise the logo. Again the design was kept simple, but this helps it stand out. We feel this logo really shows a sense of class about the company, anchored by both the serif font and name itself. Reducing the parent company to simply initials is again a common technique, most probably because it makes the name catchier, and logos are all about grabbing the consumer's eye quickly.
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Wednesday, 22 December 2010
Links with Books
As well as taking influence from films and television, it was essentially that we used books as part of our research. We needed to understand the genre of Music Videos in general, as well as gaining a deep knowledge of the band we were creating the video for - Joy Division.
Money for Nothing [Saul Austerlitz]
This book became essential to developing our understand of music videos. Austerlitz analyses the history of music videos in great detail, and covering a wide range of genres and bands.
He had a specific section on post-punk bands such as Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen, as well as discussing the work of Anton Corbijn and his work with New Order, Depeche Mode and U2.
This book gave us the information needed to springboard our production to being relevant to the genre and directors. It also discusses modern exhibition of music videos such as the internet and their relevance. Basically it was great in every aspect, and perfect for our coursework.
Touching From A Distance [Deborah Curtis]
Written by Ian Curtis' wife, this book helped us gain a great insight into the life of the Joy Division frontman. She was seemingly the closest person to Curtis, so the book is deeply personal and emotional. It also helped us get an idea for the sort of lifestyle people had in the late seventies.
Because we were signifying similarities between our central protagonist and Ian Curtis, this book was great for helping be a true tribute to him. The iconic characteristics such as the coat and cigarette became a part of our concept and visuals.
The book also features pictures of Ian inside so this was also very helpful in making it an accurate portrayal of the singer. The gritty style is something we could incorporate.
Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic Control was also based upon this book.
Joy Division [Kevin Cummins]
The book is a great collection of over 200 photographs of Joy Division. Though Corbijn took some photos of the band, Kevin Cummins was their main photographer and did a lot of their most iconic images.
It features pictures of the band offstage, so again the book is a very personal insight into the band. It also features concert flyers and other artwork which will help inspire our ancillary texts.
Again there is a distinct use of black and white imagery, so this further anchored the need for us to do the same.
Though the internet is often a very good, quick source for research, books very often provide us with a much more deep insight into the topic. Internet sites are often a page of useful information, but books can be hundreds of pages of very deep analysis. The writers are often very close to the subject matter, as shown here.
Money for Nothing [Saul Austerlitz]
This book became essential to developing our understand of music videos. Austerlitz analyses the history of music videos in great detail, and covering a wide range of genres and bands.He had a specific section on post-punk bands such as Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen, as well as discussing the work of Anton Corbijn and his work with New Order, Depeche Mode and U2.
This book gave us the information needed to springboard our production to being relevant to the genre and directors. It also discusses modern exhibition of music videos such as the internet and their relevance. Basically it was great in every aspect, and perfect for our coursework.
Touching From A Distance [Deborah Curtis]
Written by Ian Curtis' wife, this book helped us gain a great insight into the life of the Joy Division frontman. She was seemingly the closest person to Curtis, so the book is deeply personal and emotional. It also helped us get an idea for the sort of lifestyle people had in the late seventies.
Because we were signifying similarities between our central protagonist and Ian Curtis, this book was great for helping be a true tribute to him. The iconic characteristics such as the coat and cigarette became a part of our concept and visuals.
The book also features pictures of Ian inside so this was also very helpful in making it an accurate portrayal of the singer. The gritty style is something we could incorporate.
Anton Corbijn's Ian Curtis biopic Control was also based upon this book.
Joy Division [Kevin Cummins]
The book is a great collection of over 200 photographs of Joy Division. Though Corbijn took some photos of the band, Kevin Cummins was their main photographer and did a lot of their most iconic images.
It features pictures of the band offstage, so again the book is a very personal insight into the band. It also features concert flyers and other artwork which will help inspire our ancillary texts.
Again there is a distinct use of black and white imagery, so this further anchored the need for us to do the same.
Though the internet is often a very good, quick source for research, books very often provide us with a much more deep insight into the topic. Internet sites are often a page of useful information, but books can be hundreds of pages of very deep analysis. The writers are often very close to the subject matter, as shown here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)