Using these photos for my final CD Digipak

After taken photos for Digipak, I have looked through them and picked the ones that I wanted to use. I have picked the photos that I feel looked more interesting and would help make my CD Digipak more creative and fun looking.

These are the photos that I am going to use when creating the covers of my final CD Digipak:

I really like this photo out of all the photos that I took as this photo looks really fun and creative but also the giggling and the facial expression looks more realistic and convincing. I am planning to use this photo on the front cover of the Digipak, following the second practice design that I created. I also feel that it would look more framed and interesting as it shows you a bigger picture than just Ellie's face.

I am planning to use this photo on the inside cover like the second practice design that I created of the inside covers. I like this pose as it contrasts to the other photo as it is more of a serious and quirky look where as the other one is more fun and giggly. As this photo would be on the inside cover and beside the CD, it reflects the artist is serious about her music and that her image is not that important.

 

This is the flower that I am using as it shows the picture of the whole flower. This flower would be used on all the covers of the CD Digipak, both inside and outside. The flower would take up the most of the covers and would be the main picture that runs through the whole of the Digipak. This would show the continuity and the theme. The flower represents simplicity, happiness and being care-free which reflects the genre and the artist's personality on the Digipak.

Taking photos for my CD Digipak

As I now know the basic idea and concept for my actual CD Digipak, I can now begin creating my final design for my CD Digipak. Yesterday I took some photos that I can work with so I can begin creating my Digipak on Photoshop. I took photos of Ellie as she portrays my artist and is the main character in my music video. It was quite difficult for Ellie to pose the picture of Lenka on the practice design I created on the front cover where Lenka has her hands on her mouth and is giggling. I took many photos so I have some images that I can work with.

These are the photos I took of Ellie for the design on the front cover and the inside cover of the my Digipak:

Also on the designs of the CD Digipak, there are some daisy flowers on the cover. However, I could not find any daisy flowers in this time of the year but I have come across some articial flowers that I have seen in the art department that I could use to take photos of. I took some photos of a yellow artificial flower which I think that can work as it is simple and bright.

These are the photos that I took of the yellow artificial flower:

Finally uploaded footage filmed on 24th November

I have finally uploaded the footage I filmed on 24th November of my main character on the bench and some parts of the swings. I have only uploaded the footage now as I had some problems such as difficulty in uploading the footage onto the Mac and also finding the time to upload the footage. I have only uploaded the footage onto iMovie so all I have to do is upload it onto the Mac. I have now uploaded it onto the Mac in these double lessons as there is more time to upload the footage. From this footage that I have uploaded, I have 11 minutes worth of footage from 32 shots. Altogether with all the footage that I have filmed and uploaded, I have about 23 minutes worth of footage. This means that I have quite a lot of footage to start editing with.

Track downloaded into Final Cut Pro

I have now downloaded the track 'The Show' by Lenka into Final Cut Pro. This means that I am now ready to start editing as I have both some footage downloaded onto the Mac and also the song, ready to edit with.

Here shows that my track has been downloaded into Final Cut Pro:

Final CD Digipak Concept and Idea I am using

After creating my practice designs of my CD Digipak, I have decided to use the concept and idea of my practiced second design that I have created.

Outside Cover

I have decided to use this design instead of my first design that I created as with this design, I really like the simplicity of it as it is not too much and is basic but effective. I really like the daisies in the background as they are placed in order to make the CD Digipak more interesting and creative. The design also captures the girly and unique look of the artist's nature which also reflects the simplicity of the genre of folk-pop. The simple faded yellow background brightens the Digipak as it would need to appeal to consumers and audience, making them more drawn into the CD Digipak. I also like the image of the artist as it is quite quirky which portrays the artist uniqueness. I like the idea of the petals falling off the daisy as it is creative but also different, making my Digipak more unique. Overall, I believe that the look of this design of the Digipak promotes Lenka's image but would also sell in shops as it stands out and is different to other designs of CD Digipaks.

Inside Cover

This is the idea that I am basing my final inside cover of my CD Digipak on. I have decided to use the daisy flowers again for the inside so that it carries a sense of continuity throughout my CD Digipak. I also really like the daisy on the right panel where the CD would cover the Daisy and when you take the CD off it reveals the image of the daisy. I also like that the artist's and album's name is around the daisy. Thing that I like about the whole Digipak is that it is simple but bright and colourful so that it stands out and is appealing.


It is also easy to replicate the look of these design as the images on the Digipak are easiy captured and photographed. I would need my artist/character (Ellie) to pose that look of Lenka and I would also need to have photos of daisy flowers to create my own CD Digipak. I really like this design as it is simple but simplicity can be effective and better.

More Practicing Designing the Front & Back cover- Design 2

Today, I have created another design that I could consider using for my final CD Digipak design. I have used images that would be easier to replicate and photograph for my final Digipak. The images that I have chosen are daisy flowers and the image of the artist. I really like the way that the daisies are placed, making it look like a daisy chain. This emphasizes the girly personality of the artist but also the simplicity and unique nature of the genre folk-pop. For the back cover, I wanted to still use the daisy flowers but in a different way instead of just placing them. I then had another idea of having the petals coming off the daisy and falling down. I really like this idea as it is creative and it looks unique. I really like the final outcome as it is simple and bright but effective.

This is the outcome of my second design that I have created and practiced for my Digipak:

Step 1- colouring the background:

I decided that I wanted some colour in the background as initially I wanted the background white so that it is simple. However when I left it white, it didn't look as interesting or appealing. I picked the colour yellow for my background as I thought that it look natural and simple. I then used the paintbrush and changed the thickness so that it sprayed the whole outside covers. I left the bottom half white as it looks more interesting than having it completely yellow.

Step 2- cutting out the portrait of the artist:

As I am using the image of the artist on the front cover, I got a picture of Lenka off the internet and used the 'magnetic lasso' tool to trace around the outline of the portrait. This then made it easier to cut out from the background and before cutting it out, I used the 'feather' tool to soften the edges. 

Step 3- refining the edges and placing it on the front cover:

After cutting the portrait out, I then had to use a softer eraser to rub out and refined the edges. I had to zoom it so I would get a better and bigger picture, making it easier to rub out and soften the edges accurately. I then placed the portrait in the right corner of the front cover so it looks like the artist is looking up to the left. 

Step 4- cutting out the daisy flower and placing it on the covers:

I then got a picture of a daisy flower from the internet and used the 'magnetic lasso' tool to trace the outline of the flower. Before cutting the flower out, I used the 'feather' tool so it would soften the edges. I then placed the daisy flowers in a order so it would look interesting and eye-catching. I also placed them covering the spine so that you could see all the perspectives of the CD Digipak covered with images, making it more interesting. I also placed one daisy flower in the top left corner of the back cover as I am having it seem as though the petals are falling from that daisy.

Step 5- cutting around the petal and placing them on the back cover:

To create the image of the petals falling off the daisy flower, I used the same daisy flower picture and used the 'magnetic lasso' tool and traced round one of the petals. I then use the 'feather' tool to soften the edges and cut and paste the petal on the back cover. I adjusted the position and size of the petals and then duplictated the layer to get more of the petals. I placed all the petals to the position that I wanted to create that flowing effect of when the petals fall off.   

Step 6- trying out different filter effects and applying it on the daisy flowers and petals:

To differ the image of the covers and to make it more interesting and creative, I tried out many different effects to see which one looks and suits the best. I used the effect of 'Dry Brush', 'Fresco', 'Paint Daubs' and 'Cutout'. I really like the effect of the 'Cutout' as it makes the flower look quite cartoony and abstract. The abstactness reflect the quirkiness of the artist but also the look of the effect is quite simple too. As I was happy with the effect, I then applied it to the flowers and petals of the design. 

Step 7- adding text to both of the covers:

As the album and artist's name is the same, I only put the name on the front cover one. I used the font 'Party LET', the same font I used in the first design, as I thought that the font was really interesting and appealing. I used black writing as it would stand out from the yellow bright background. However, I felt that the black colour of the writing was too dark and sharp so I changed the opacity to 80% so that it was more subtle and soft. I then did my track listing on the back cover. using the same font and colour. This time, I did not change the opacity for the writing of the track listing as I thought that it should need to be dark and piercing so it would be clear and readable. I decided to place it near the left side of the back cover so it looked more interesting against the daisy flower and petals.

Step 8- adding my barcode and the record label on the back cover:

To add the finishing touches on the back cover, I added my own generated barcode and also the record label logo at the bottom of the back cover.

Step 9- creating the spine:

 I then created the spine and this consists of the artist's and album name and also the record label. To make it easier to create the spine, I duplicated the layer of the record label and the name. I then resized and rotated it so that it would fit into the spine.

Step 10- adding small print to the back cover:  

To finish my outside covers of my CD Digipak, I added the small print on the back cover using the image of the of Lenka's album I found on the internet. I added this small print as it is typically found on all back covers of CD Digipaks. 

I really like this design that I have created as it is simple but effective as it is bright and vivid and would appeal to consumers and the audience. If I am going to re-create this design for my actual CD Digipak it would be easy as the images are easily taken and captured by photograph so it is simple and easy to replicate.

Practicing Designing Front & Back cover of CD Digipak- Design 1

Today, I have started practicing a design for the front and back cover of the CD Digipak for the album, 'Lenka', using Adobe Photoshop Elements. During each process, I print-screen every step to show the development of the practice design. I quite like the final outcome of this design of the CD Digipak as it is quite bright and vivid which would appeal to my audience and also the simplicity of the design reflects the genre of folk-pop. I have used the photoshop image that I created of Lenka as I really liked the image and was planning of creating a similar concept for my actual CD Digipak. 

This is the outcome of the first design that I have created and practiced for my CD Digipak:

Step 1- using photoshop image I created for the front cover:

Here, I have used the photoshop image that I created and have placed it on the front cover of the CD Digipak. I really like the layout of the image as it makes the front cover really interesting but also quite edgy and quirky like the look that the artist, Lenka tries to portray.

Step 2- placing sunny background image for back cover:

For the next step, I used the same sunny background and placed it on the back cover of the Digipak. I decided to use the same background as I like the feel of the continuity through the CD Digipak on the front and back. For a different design, I will try putting different images for the front and back cover and see how different it would look like.

Step 3- flipping sunny background image:

After placing the sunny image on the back cover, I thought that it didn't look that interesting so I decided to flip the image so the sun is on the other side. I did this by going on 'Image' on the bar at the top and then on 'Rotate' and clicking on 'Flip Layer Horizontal'. This made the image look more appealing and carries a sense of continuity on the covers of the CD Digipak as both images of the cloud fit together in the middle of the spine, making the front and back cover of the Digipak seem as one big cover.

Step 4- adjusting lighting:

I then wanted to adjust the lighting as I wanted the image to be a little bit darker so that it creates that contrast to the front cover of the CD Digipak. I also wanted it to be darker as when I apply the text on the back cover, it would make the writing stand out more. To adjust the lighting, I went on 'Enhance' on the top bar and then went on 'Adjust Lighting'and clicked on 'Shadows/Highlights'. After clicking 'Shadows/Highlights', a box appeared where there were different options which you can adjust the 'Lighten Shadows', 'Darken Highlights' and 'Midtone Contrast'. I was happy with the adjustments made and the look of it so I clicked 'Ok' and  it applied to my design.

Step 5- adding text on front and back cover:

For the next step, I added text on the front cover where typically on the CD Digipak the album and artist name is on. As both the album and artist name is called Lenka, I decided to have both texts in a different colour. I have used white and yellow as it is bright and would stand out on the front cover. Also the brightness and vivid writing would reflect the happy and care-free nature of the genre folk-pop but also the personality of the artist. For both writing on the front cover, I have used the font 'Party LET' as it looked really fun and creative but also quite quirky reflecting the artist's Lenka. Also it looked really appealing and interesting. For the back cover, I have used the colour black for the writing of the track listing as it would also stand out and look bolder. I have also used the font 'Party LET' as I really liked the effect and looks really eye-catching. I decided to place the track listing on the right of the back cover as I did not want the writing to cover the image of the sun so the back cover would look more interesting and striking.

Step 6- using opacity tool on back cover:

After including the text on the back cover of the CD Digipak, I thought that the text was not that clear and hard to read as the background is dark and the writing is black. To make the writing clearer and readable, I used the opacity tool and made the background a little bit more transparent to 82%. This made the track listing stand out more as the black writing is against a lighter background.

Step 7- adding my barcode:

As all CD Digipaks have a barcode, using my own barcode that I generated, I added it on the back cover of the Digipak where it is typically seen and placed. This makes it more personalised and unique from other CD Digipaks.

Step 8- adjusting and changing opacity on front cover text:

I then went back to the text on the front cover of the album and artist's name as I wanted to adjust the yellow text of the album name more closer up to the white text so it looks more related but also like a shadow. I then adjusted the opacity of the yellow writing to 70% so it makes it look more interesting and also the opacity makes the writing look more like a shadow of the white writing.

Step 9- adding record label:

Typically the back cover of a CD Digipak contains the record label, so I got the image of the record label of the album, 'epic' so I could place it on the back cover of the Digipak to make it look more professional. I then cut around the logo using the lasso tool leaving the white background behind. I then used a soft eraser to rub out and fine the edges. To do this, I had to zoom in so I would get a better and bigger picture of the record label, so rubbing out the edges made it easier and more accurate. After fining the edges, I placed it next to the barcode on the back cover and adjusted the size of the record label to make it look more professional.

Step 10- creating spine:

The last thing I had left to finish my CD Digipaks is the spine and typically it consists a record label and the artist's and album name. To make it easier to make the spine, I duplicated the layers of the record label and the text of the album and artist's name. I then made all these aspects smaller and rotated it so it fit into the spine.

I really like this design that I have created as it looks really interesting and appealing but also simple. It is also easier to create for my actual CD Digipak as the photos of these images are easily taken and replicated. I am now going to practice more and produce more designs to create different looks which I can consider to develop for my actual CD Digipak. I am also going to start taking my own photographs which I could use for my CD Digipak.