course work

                                                                                Album cover: George Ezra    
The first thing we see when we look at this album cover is a man image. the main image is import and it give us an insight as to what type of genre the album is or what some of the songs may be about. Main can also show us who the artist is we are listing to. For example in this main image it does not make the genre of the music clear, but it does suggest that the songs may be quite loud and lively, and possibly chaotic, because the image comes across as chaotic and we can clearly see a lot of people talking within the image, thus causing us to imagine it would be loud and lively if we were in the image. Furthermore, this image also shows us who the artist is and what he looks like through the use of direct dress, therefore we know that George Ezra is the person directly in the middle of the image as he is the only person who is looking at the camera, and the rest of the image is revolving around him. The fact that his is the only person looking at the camera and also the only person wearing a bright colour, further suggest concepts of songs, for example they could be about not being able to fit in or even breaking stereotypes. Moreover, the colour connotations of his red shirt could suggest a possible concept of danger or anger. Furthermore, the album cover also tells us the name of the artist and the name of the album in large bold letters, in a contrasting colour so that they stand out. These are important so that we know what and who we would be listening to when we go to buy the album. Likewise, the name of the album is also useful to suggest concepts of songs and the genre of the album.

Album back: George Ezra 
The back of the album cover juxtaposes the front of the cover, as it is very plain and a no longer lively or chaotic. This could also give us some insight into the concept of the album, with the colour connotations of the black possibly suggesting that the songs are quite down beat or sad. On the other had the plain album back in contrast with the front of the album cover, could also suggest the concept of escapism, as on the front he seems trapped and surrounded by people, however on the back it is just a blank space. Moreover, a lot of people listen to music as a form of escapism, thus suggesting that the album is based around escapism. This is further supported by the album name "Wanted on Voyage" People often go on voyages as a form of escapism, thus further proposing the concept of escapism.  The back of the album cover also contains a list of tracks that feature in the album and the order that they will occur. The track list is useful as it further suggests what the songs may contain and it also helps to suggest the genre of the album. The order of the track list is also important as it enables us to identify the names of the songs as w are listening to them. Furthermore, other features on the back of the album cover suggest what we may hear when listening to the album. For example, the album has got the "Parental Advisory," stamp, revelling that the songs contain explicit content, this also suggest a target audience for the album, as it means you have to be over 15 to listen to it. The back of the album cover also contains the legal text, record company and possibly the distribution company. This is important as promotion for the companies and so that we get an idea of the quality of the album, as some companies are known for producing better music. The legal texts are also important as they warn us about copyright to prevent someone copying the album illegally. Lastly at eh bottom of the cover there is a barcode, this enables to actually buy the album.


Album cover: Die Antwoord 

This CD cover for the album "Mount Ninki and Da Nice Time Kid" by Die Antwoord features a main image which introduces the audience and possible context and genre of the album. The bold and open body position of the artists suggest a possible context for the album, it creates the idea that the album is going to be bold and open and possibly make a statement. Moreover, the weapons and guns that they are holding also suggest violent content, which further suggests the idea that the album is to make a statement against something. In addition to this the artists are dirty and wearing warn out ratty clothing, which could be to propose the idea that the concept behind the song is going to be raw and real. Moreover, the outfit that Yolandi is wearing is very minimal and revealing, therefore sexualising her, thus putting forward the concept of sex. Likewise, the phrase "I fucking hate you" has been written on her shorts, therefore suggesting that the songs are going to contain swear words and may be offensive.
The front of this CD cover also features the name of the duo, however the writing has a high opacity, therefore making it slightly see through so that is blends with the image instead of sticking out and looking out of place. I have incorporated this idea into my final CD cover. The artists name also allows consumers to know who's album they are buying. Unlike other CD covers, this cover does not display the name of the album, therefore the name of the album has been put on a sticker on the packet of the cover, however i did not use this idea on my final piece because there is the possibility of the sticker getting rubbed off, therefore i thought it would be easier to put the name of the album on the image instead. The "Parental Advisory" sticker has been placed on the front of this album, which means that the consumer has to be over the age of 15 to buy it, thus putting forward the idea that the album contains strong content that is unsuitable for younger teens.



Album back: Die Antwoord 
On the back of the cover there is a similar main image to the front, however it just features Ninja this time, instead of both of the members of the duo.This could therefore emphasise that he is a large part of the album, it is also named after him. The image also gives more of an insight into content of the songs, for example, he is covered in blood and holding two weapons, this could therefore suggest a theme of violence throughout the songs. In addition to this he is wearing cultural clothing which could also suggest that the songs have some sort of cultural meaning or refers to a culture. The image also features the band logo that has been faded using the opacity tool so that it doesn't draw the audiences attention from the main image. The band logo has been placed on the image to advertise the band so that the when the audience sees that logo again they automatically associate it with Die Antwoord. The back of the CD cover also features  track list, this is so that the buyer knows what songs the album contains and what track number they are on. The track list also suggests the type of genre of the album and what the songs might be about, which also provides information about the target audience. For example, names such as "Wings On My P*nis" and "Fat Faded F*ck Face" suggest that the genre may be alternative and weird. They also suggest a theme of violence and sex, which is further supported by the main image on the front and back of the cover. In addition these tracks also suggest an age range for the target audience, for this album it would be around 15-21. Furthermore, the track lists have been hand written, which is a common convention of the alternative, weird, indie genre therefore i wish to incorporate this idea into one of my final pieces. The hand written track list could also add to the idea of a sense of realism and raw topics, which is also supported by the main image on the front of the cover. Other common conventions of CD covers in general that are featured on this one are, the barcode, which enables people to buy it, the legal text, which prevents confusion with copy right issues, the cereal number on the spine and the record company. The record company also often suggest the genre of the album because sometimes record companies are associated with certain genres. For example "Zef Recordz" tells the audience that the genre of the album if predominately Zef. Other common conventions are the band name and logo on both spines, this enables the consumer to store the CD in a CD rack and always be able to know what the album is regardless of which way it has been placed.

Double page spread: Kerrang 

This double page spread from Kerrang, rock magazine is dominated by the mast head hat reads "My Dinosaur Life" which is spread across both pages of the double page spread. It has been written in a hand written type font, which is a common convention in music magazines. The words are written in a red and black colour scheme that continues throughout the double page spread. The word "Dinosaur" has been written in read which suggests a sense of danger, this idea is further supported by the 4 red claw marks just above it. There is a main image then placed on the right of the page, which features a member of the band leaning forwards out of the page and directly addressing the audience by looking straight at the camera, this will help to draw the reader into the article. Moreover, his childish scared expression and the mast head, instantly set the mood of the article and give the reader an insight into what they may be reading about, which is important so that the magazine can successfully draw their target audience in. The mast head and main image of this double page spread, suggests a childish and funny mood for the article, this further proposes a target audience of around the 14-18 age range. In addition to this, the topic of dinosaurs, main image of a man and red and black colour scheme suggests that the magazine is trying to target a more specific teenage male audience.