EG - Magazine Album Advert Research

As Gorillaz are a well known band worldwide, we wouldn't need to focus on smaller budget, or less well known music magazines.

Though as the bands creator, Murdoc Niccals is British, the bands largest fan base is most likely to be British as well.

For this reason we think that main stream British music magazines such as Q or NME would be the best to look into for our music magazine research.

As well as this both Q and NME have their own radio stations and also music channels which ties in nicely with the production of our music video for the track. This is an example of globalisation and how companies are expanding from their original sources, out into other aspects of the media and entertainment industry.

Both these magazines don't specialise into one specific genre of music either which makes them ideal as our dance remix of a Hip Hop track is harder to specify as one set genre, and therefore focus our attention on one type of magazine.

Existing Examples of Album Adverts:

We scanned some full page album adverts from a 2009 copy of Q magazine.

• A single full page album advert for the band Lightning Seeds
• Basic information included - Album title, band name, available formats 'CD/DOWNLOAD', release date, web address, record label.
• Band name and Album title are equal in size
• Photographic imagery - the same as album cover

• A single full page album advert for the band Manic Street Preachers
• Information included - Band name, album title, release date, Names of band members and other + their job roles, available formats 'CD / DELUXE 2CD / LP/ DOWNLOAD, wed address, record label, advertises amazon.co.uk as a way to purchase the album.
• Band name is larger than Album title
• Imagery is of a professional painting by an artist- the same as album cover

• A single full page advert for the band Maximo Park
• Information included - Band name, album title, release date, available limited edition CD including performance footage, wed address.
• Also advertises new single release, and available formats of that
• Album title is larger than band name
• Font of band name is recognisable of their image/brand
• Imagery is computer generated - the same as album cover

• A single full page advert for the band The Enemy
• Baic information included - Band name, album title, featuring - 'song title', available formats 'CD/Special Edition/Digital, already released, wed address
• Band name and album title are the same size
• Imagery is computer generated - the same as album cover

• A single full page advert for the band Green Day
• Basic information included - Band name, album title, available format, release date, includes - 'song title', web address.
• Advertises what their website has to offer
• Has an introductory sentence 'The wait is finally over...'
• Band name is larger than album title
• Font of band name is recognisable of their image/brand
• Imagery is of graffiti art - the same as album cover.

• A single full page advert for the band Depeche Mode
• Information included - Band name, album title, already released, available formats - 'CD / CD+DVD / VINYL+CD / BOXSET / DOWNLOAD', tour dates and venues, web address.
• This advert is also promoting the bands tour and advertises where to purchase tickets
• Font of band name is a recognisable link to their recent comeback and 'tour of the universe' tour in 2009
• Imagery is computer generated - the same as album cover
• Also includes smaller images of album cover.

• A single full page advert for the artist Bob Dylan
• Information included - Artist name, album title, album description 'studio album', release date, available formats - 'CD / DELUXE CD / VINYL / DOWNLOAD', wed address, record label.
• Advertises HMV as a place to purchase the album.
• Artist name is larger than album title
• Photographic imagery - the same as album cover

General Codes and Conventions of Magazine Album Adverts :

• include band / Artist name
• include album title
• give a release date
• inform of available formats
• include a web address
• advertise songs it includes
• advertise where to buy album
• match imagery to album cover or use photographs of album cover on advert

Some less well know bands had smaller half, or quarter page album adverts in the magazine such as:

As these bands are less well known, they probably are unable to afford a full page spread which in Q magazine costs £9,156 [statistics from www.bauermedia.co.uk/ratecard]

However, as Gorillaz are equally as well known as some of the larger bands such as 'The Enemy' or  'Green Day' they would be able to afford a full page spread in a more popular British music magazine.

Role of Audience Feedback

 Audience feedback has been an important part in developing our production.
When watching our first rough cut to our final rough cut, it is clear that we have been influenced by some of our audience feedback.
Whilst editing, it is difficult to have a refreshed look on the production, therefore it is helpful for an outsiders views on how the video works on the whole, and help influence new ideas, whether it be editing or re-shoots.
We've received feedback through our classmates and other sixth form students, as well as some feedback through facebook.

From our rough cuts on YouTube

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Target audience discussion on our Magazine advert and Digipak

The other students in our media class, who had not previously been shown our axillery texts, were shown the rough drafts and we had a discussion on their effectiveness as promoting the band, and how they could be improved.

Audience Feedback on Magazine Advert and Digipak from Beth Cooper on Vimeo.

Target audience watching our final cut
We gathered some media students from our class, as well as other sixth form students who don't take media, and majority who have not seen, or been involved in the making of our production, to get their feedback on our final cut.


Audience Feedback on our Final Cut from Beth Cooper on Vimeo.

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes from Beth Cooper on Vimeo.

Rough cut 3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1s6De8hHQQ



Rough Cut 3 from Beth Cooper on Vimeo.

Gorillaz Album Art

Formed in 1998, Gorillaz' first album came out in 2001. Named Gorillaz, their first album consisted of some of there most well known tracks.

Their first album is a graphic image of the band in the same 'geep' as featured in the 19/2000 music video. The album art is simple, with just the car on the white background and the band name tagged in graffiti, and the parent advisory.

The back cover

features graffiti, one of the band members and the album tracks.

This emphasises the street

style of Gorillaz.

Special Digipak edition:

In 2002, Gorillaz released the compilation G-Sides.
As a  'B-Sides' Collection to their first album, featuring the additional tracks from their first three singles and the Tomorrow Comes Today EP.
This is the album in which 19/2000 SoulChild Remix first came out on, as the first song on the album.
All versions have the same cover, featuring Noodle with a skeleton doll in her hand, except for the Canadian, Japanese and Australian versions.   [Wiki]

There is similar aspects between this album cover and their previous, such as the graffiti style writing on Gorillaz, and the cover featuring all the band members, even though there is the one that is in the foreground.

The back cover has a similar style, featuring the band, city buildings and graffiti.

Laika Come Home is another compilation released in 2002.
It isn't a typical remix album, and instead of having variety of artists remixing the songs, is done by just one group, Spacemokeyz.
The album contains most of the songs from Gorillaz' first album, but remixed in a dub and reggae style.

In 2004, the album was packaged with 2001 Gorillaz in a limited edition box set as part of EMI's "2CDs Originals" collection.

The album cover is different to the usual artwork of Gorillaz, the imagery is of a space monkey, on the background of a map of the stars, edited with text such as 'Spacemoney versus Gorillaz'.
There is also a sticker added on to this version, in which some images of the album art work don't have. The sticker gives an insight into the album, with the band, remixers, a brief description and other artists that it features.

Demon Days is the second studio album, released in 2005.
The album cover is reference to Let it Be by The Beatles.
Featuring all 4 members, and moving away from the graffiti band title, but staying quite simple in the imagery.

A little bit different to the front cover, not so simplistic. There is the element of graffiti that is recurring in their album art, as well as the band members. 






Like G-Sides to Gorillaz; D-Sides is the B-side album to Demon Days.
Released in 2007, D-Sides contains remixes and B-side tracks.

'Have a look at this exclusive image of the contents of the D-Sides deluxe package below! In one of Gorillaz most spectacular packages yet, there are plenty of goodies to be had with this 2-disc set. In addition to fantastic new images from longtime Gorillaz friend and collaborator Jamie Hewlett, the amazing box also features a patch and more new stickers! Also note that the release date of D-Sides has been amended to 19th November in the UK and 20th November in the USA.' [Gorillaz fan blog]

The third studio album, released in 2010 is their most recent album, Plastic Beach.
Comparing to their first album cover, Plastic Beach seems a more graphically animated image as opposed to the simple graphics of the band members.
They also have used different text type to the graffiti style.






The Fall was released on the 25th December 2010, as a free download on the Gorillaz website, exclusively to fans in the band's Sub-Division fan club.
The entire album was recorded on Damon Albarn's Apple Ipad, during part of their World Tour. Plans have been announced for the album to get a physical release, scheduled for April 2011.

Contacting the Rights Holders

Second Rough Cut

Rough cut 2 from Beth Cooper on Vimeo.


With all our footage put together, there is the final touches in editing that needs to be done.