CD cover analysis - Muse

This cover is of a single that muse have released - Neutron Star Collision. The track is released after it was made and used in the Twilight saga (awful) films.

The cover depicts an eclipse style image with grey and black clouds which are very dramatic. The familiar Muse logo is in the centre of the eclipse in a similar grey colour and texture. The clouds look like they might be a dark smoke, This produces an almost dystopic feeling, also emphasised by the red colour.
Light appears round the edge of part of the eclipsing moon but it is red opposed to a yellow/white light from a real eclipse. This colour connotes an even more epic feat in the picture and hence an even more exciting track. 

Digipak CD cover ideas

One of my ideas for a cover (or back cover) for a CD case was to have a security camera, possibly in black and white, this represents an oppression and influences a strong feeling for rebellion. This idea I got was inspired by several CD covers I have seen, one of these being that of "Vulgar Display Of Power" by Pantera which uses black and white effectively presesnting the contrast I want.

Another cover that has influenced this concept is "The Fake Sound Of Progress" by Lostprophets.

This uses similar colours and represents technology strongly. Although I am not planning to use representations of technology in the same way, I am still using a representation of technology in a similar style. Both of the covers above are of relative simularity of the The Upgrade.


Another influence was from Hard-fi. Their black and yellow contrast was a similar concept to that of the black and white one and they used the outline of a security camera, yet another use of technology, a symbol relevant to superiority and power. Connotations I want to portray.

The photo below was just a quick snap which I have used to construct an image which fits my idea. I may try a closer up shot of a security camera to edit for a more interesting cover.

 

A second idea for a cover was of this nature - see picture below.

I wanted a cellular style picture, and therefore a medical image to connote viruses, mutation and controversial genetic concerns.

This shot I took through a light microscope. What is in view are kidney cells. 


I have not seen similar colours and therefore as an idea seems most original and potentially most controvertial. Although it is unlike covers of the same genre I have seen before, it still follows many of the same connotations, just in different ways. For example the connotation of power is there, but because we associate the picture with medics, biology, cells and DNA. This in turn relates to genetics, mutations and genetic modification - power over living things, what they are and how they work. This is why I believe that this cover connotes power strongly, but not in a conventional way. This however is my opinion and may not be very genuine as I am an A level Biology student so it may mean different things to me than most other fans/consumers.

I experimented with different coloured backgrounds. For example, I tried out having a white background. I thought that this might make the image look more medical and follow the creepy lab style image which connotes a death metal macarbre influence.

Below I am experimenting with blurring tools to see what effects I can produce.

I then used photoshop to impose a partially opaque 'U' logo which is the bands own logo. Using the clone stamp on the microscope image I experimented with stamping clones of the image over eachother making various overlapping effects as well as overlaying other images with half or varying opacity's. 

A third idea I have had is that of a more simplistic concept. I liked the simple colours of the bands own webpage style and logo image. http://theupgrade2011.moonfruit.com/

I wanted therefore to try a more black and white image, the picture is of a drain half in shadow. The drain connotes a 'dirt' and/or an almost gritty nature and suggests that their sound was brought up from influences of urban construction, industry and a sense of good and evil (black/white). Other covers I have analysed by Muse and Foo Fighters both use colours as well as dark colours so I am thinking that my cover, if I chose this style, should have colour - a coloured logo possibly.

Again I used photoshop to edit the bands logo over the picture. This I feel has a strong effect and works well. But as I said above, may need more colour to stand out on the shelf!

My final idea is that of an industrial nature, linking to the song from my music videos lyrics. These suggested industrial and economic destruction. I feel the Oil rig style structures have superb connotations of these things.

In photoshop I edited the picture slightly, editing contrast and using various texture effects. If I choose this photo to use as a cover, I would use a clear sans serif font in black in the sky for either the band/album name or song names (if the back of the CD cover).

This I think is my favourite cover photo because of the space in the shot and the contrasts and colours. However, I am not sure whether this is connotatively the most effective for my target consumers.

Find your tribe: why might market researchers find this information useful?

Marketing is extremely important in our lives and influences us immensely. Successful marketing controls this to a large degree.

Knowing the categories of people that exist in certain places and knowing what they like gives them a range of marketing opportunities. These are easily exploitable if the target markets are clearly identified and the marketing reaches them. Surveys such as find your tribe provide good research that can be used by the market researchers to find out what methods of marketing would be most effective on their targeted consumers.

Audience Profile - Overview

People within the target audience of my genre would wear Vans, Converse or simular style shoes which are of a skater style more indie background. The target audience is mostly of a male audience. They wear jeans (blue or black) and possibly a studded belt. This draws from a heavier Metal style background. Often they wear t-shirts of bands they like and would wear 'The Upgrade' t-shirts if they existed. They may also wear plain black or white t-shirts.

These people would aspire to have a job, play an instrument, do extreme sports and play x-box games. They aspire to be rockstars themselves. These people may have their own dislikes and often share similar views against products, styles of music or groups of people. For example they may dislike Apple products or only buy Converse shoes. This group may not have aspirations of university, highly paid jobs or executive business type jobs. Instead their job would often be less of a priority if they have one. It is more likely that they do not have jobs yet because of their age which would be between 15 and 20 y/o.

These people would like a range of music from indie/pop punk to metal. They listen to bands such as Muse, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Queens of the Stoneage, Enter Shikari, Stereophonics, Bowling For Soup, Taking Back Sunday and Biffy Clyro.

They use their x-box rather than watching TV except watching programmes via their x-box on the internet (4oD or simular). They watch their favourite bands perform live. They play games such as Grand Theft Auto and Halo. Their favourite films tend to be American Blockbusters like Die Hard, Mission Impossible or simular action films. This shows how the audience is very virtually orientated. They enjoy a sense of distorted reality and an adrenaline rush of entertainment. This is why a music video is such a perfect vehicle of intrigue for the target audience as well as the energetic style of music its self.

My music video, I designed to be energetic and have similar connotations as that of films that the target audience my like. The newspaper shots of my video link with the lyrics to give an angry and rebellious video. This gives the distorted and exaggerated reality needed for to interest my target audience from the beginning.