Genre links In both my main product (my music video) and ancillary texts (digipak and magazine advert), I tried to use generic conventions of the indie pop and rock genres, which my song could be considered a hybrid of, to make my products look more professional and to appeal to the target audience. For example, music videos from indie rock bands conventionally promote their gigs by emphasising live performance in their music videos, such as in Wolf Alice’s video for ‘Yuk Foo’. This convention can also be seen in music videos for pop rock songs, such as ‘Hard Times’ by Paramore. I used this convention in my music video by including shots of lip syncing and mimed instrumental performance.
I reinforced this convention in my digipak design by using an image of the artist holding her guitar on the back cover. The guitar is the same prop as was used in the music video, which can help in establishing a brand image. Many musicians adopt a distinctive personalised instrument as part of their brand, for example the pop artist Ed Sheeran’s customised guitar became a significant part of his earlier image, with its paw print symbol also featuring on the cover of his EP ‘Live At The Bedford’.
Aesthetic links As well as by using the same prop in both my music video and digipak design, I created a cohesive aesthetic in both products by shooting in the same location. Much of my music video was shot in an outdoor location by a lake and the photographs used on my digipak and advert were taken in the same place. My choice of this natural location also links to genre, showing similarities to the digipak for ‘Puberty 2’ by indie rock artist Mitski. The visual imagery of this natural expanse of land can act symbolically, connoting isolation but also independence and freedom.
Shooting in the same location also helped me to create a continued colour scheme. The neutral shades of the surroundings make the darker colours of the costume appear bolder. The artist is presented wearing a black ‘leather’ jacket in the music video, digipak and magazine advert, which is typical of indie rock artists. I also used black for the background of the magazine advert and the spines of the CD case. The colour scheme also uses deep shades of red, as seen in the lipstick worn in the images on the digipak and magazine advert. I emphasised this colour on the magazine advert by using the same shade for some of the text.
Representational links My music video, digipak and magazine advert all use close-up images of the artist. Andrew Goodwin said that this is conventional in music videos due to demands from the record label who want to emphasise the artist’s personal brand. These close-up one-shots of the artist also present her as independent and daring, especially as she is centralised in the frame and particularly with the use of direct address in my music video. This is similar to the music video, CD cover and magazine advert for Jessie J’s single and album ‘Who You Are’.