Digipak image ideas

I wanted the image on the front cover of my digipak to be colourful, powerful and not be an image of a person to promote the theme of my digipak rather than promoting my artist.

1.The image on the front will be of a colourful bird that has been shot to connote that the bird had some freedom but now that has been taken away and therefore someone else has gained control over the bird.
Below is a rough drawing unedited version of the drawing I want on the front cover of my digipak.
This image will also appear on my album advert.

This drawing is just a rough drawing. I will be using watercolour pencils (as oppose to normal colouring pencils used in this drawing) as well as red ink in the center of the birds chest as this bird has been shot.

2. My second image idea is of a female (female artist in my music video) with her hands tied to portray that someone has control over her. To tie in with my other images and to further connote the control theme is that in this image the female will have a tattoo of a bird on her wrist.

3. My third and fourth images are of my female artist again with her mouth(3rd image) and eyes (4th image) covered to represent control. The females eyes will be blindfolded with a scarf with birds on in the scarf in the picture where here eyes are covered. In the image where the female's mouth is covered she may be wearing a feathered headband to link in with the imagery of the birds. The headband maybe replaced with the scarf with the birds on if the headband is unavailable.

4. My fifth idea for a image to use in my digipak is a picture of a colourful bird in a cage with ivy growing. The use of a colourful bird is to show that someone has control over it as a colourful bird that should be in the wild is in captivity. The ivy portrays the passing of time.

 (Above - 2nd Image)

 (Possibilities for the 3rd Image Above and Below)

 (Above is the fourth image of my actress with her eyes covered.)

(Below is the inside image)

 Although the main concept and theme of  my digipak is control, I have also decided that the back of my digipak will show a progression from the bird being let go, flying and then being shot.

(All of these images will be edited)

Ideas for my digipak

I have many Ideas for my Digipak:
Firstly because the theme of my music video "Breezeblocks" is all about obsessive control the theme of my album digipak will be of control. I will use images that connote control to portray the theme of  control.
Some ideas for images I may use for my digipak include:
Images of bird to connote freedom but then somehow have a darker side to the image where the control aspect of control is then portrayed.
Some images of mental or physical control (although maybe hard to do) through images of the female actor who was in my music video being controlled somehow.
Images or pictures of political or military type figures to portray control and restriction through power (another underling theme of my music video.)

Decisions for my digipak

From my deconstructions I have found that alternative indie digipaks are simple, usually with a subtle simple colour scheme and one colour for the text.
There also is usually a strong theme running through the album that ties all the images together the whole album's feel (usually through the use of two similar images that have been changed).
I have also found that there aren't alot of images of the main artist as the audiences focus is on the artists music and the theme of the album rather than publicizing the 'celebrity status' and the artists themselves.

Digipak deconstruction:

Above is another alternative indie digipak that also follows some conventions that ive found with other digipaks in this genre;
The colour scheme is simple and yet striking as the bright red of the CD contrasts with the black and white on the front and back cover images. The red of the spine ties in with the red on the CD cover connecting both items and creating a style of the digipak.
Although the images are of the band, they arent up close images of the artists (like in pop digipaks) therefore the audience's focus is more drawn to the artists talent as they play instruments on the front cover.
The simpleness of this digipak makes it interesting and stand out from the other digipaks on the shelves also fitting in with the alternative indie genre.

Digipak Deconstruction: Vampire Weekend

 

You can see the conventions of the alternative genre as like other indie digipaks, as there is a simple colour scheme and theme throughout this album.
The images are not of the artists and there are no close ups that is another convention of alternative digipaks as in this industry it is all about the promotion and celebration of the songs and this album - this is shown through the fact that (unlike pop digipaks) there are no close up images of the artists, however there are the song list written three times; On the back cover, On the insert and on the back of the digipak.
The digipak has also used contrasting colours so that the information stands out - also used to further promote the album and stand out on the shelf.
I have also noticed that throughout alternative digipaks there are always two images that are similar or a running theme throughout the whole of the theme of the digipak. (This is something that I would like to include in my digipak as well as a theme.

Digipak deconstruction:

To find out the conventions of alternative indie digipaks, I have decided to look at similar bands to Alt-J. I will be deconstructing digipaks from bands such as: The Arctic Monkeys, Django Django, Everything Everything and Vampire Weekend.

'Whatever people say that I am, that's what Im not' by The Arctic Monkeys is a digipak who complies with other conventions and forms that I have discovered when looking at other indie alternative digipaks. The colour scheme of this digipak reflects the dark nature of the albums theme. The dark sad theme of this digipak is also represented through the body language of the two images of the male in the white t-shirt.
 The front cover image on the digipak is staring forward creating a connection between the audience (listener) and the album. The second image of the male indicates that the album theme is of a depressing stressful nature as the male has his head in his hand. The fact he is smoking a cigarette indicates that he is having a stressful time. 
The link between these two images all links in with the overall theme of depression. 
The image on the Cd is of alot of old cigarette stubs that represents the passing of time and the build up of stress and frustration. 
The colour scheme of this album is very simple of black, grey and white. This also symbolizes and ties in with the whole theme and feel of the album. 
All the text it also in white and the overall feel of the album cover is professional, simple and you get the feel that the album is about presenting and advertising the music and the theme/message that the artist is portraying.