Homework Task - Analysis of 3 Music DVD Covers

1. Green Day DVD Cover Analysis

The band ‘Green Day’ are a traditional rock band, which also fits into genres such as Punk Rock, Pop Punk and Alternative Rock. There are three parts to this DVD Cover; these are the front cover, the back cover and the spine. The front cover consists of two bits of text, an image of the band members and a background image. One bit of text reads ‘GREEN DAY’ which is the band name; this is in a large bold font, which shows a jagged line running through the text which could represent the broken society in which we live in and the bands edginess. The text is in a large black font and is positioned at the top centre of the cover to represent the importance of it and also so that the audience firstly look at this bit of information. Directly underneath this text reads the next bit of information ‘LIVE 8 BERLIN’; this is in the same text style, however the text colour is red and the font size is smaller. This is because the information is of less importance, as if you looked at the band name and either didn’t like the band or didn’t know the band you wouldn’t look any further, whereas if you did like the band, you would look in more detail as you would be generally more interested. The colour of red also links in with the image and draws out the two subjects on the cover as they contrast against the black, white and grey blandness of the rest of the cover. The fore grounded image shows the three band members of Green Day with the lead vocalist in the centre, who appears to be pointing towards the camera. The two other band members are looking in the same direction too which shows the dominance of the lead vocalist; this idea links in with the focus being on the same band member by the attention drawn by the use of colour in the tie he is wearing. All band members appear to be wearing smart styled suits/shirts/trousers; however they personalise this generalised look by adding accessories such as a studded belts and bracelets, and even by showing their tattoos, to match their attitude and genre of music. The band members’ posture and facial expressions also reflect this relaxed and rebellious appearance; for example, Tre Cool (who is the drummer for the band) has his arms folded and is leaning slightly backwards on his left leg; this gives the unruly and wild impression. The background image shows New York sky scrapers, but the image has been faded and can barely been seen from behind the band members. This can represent the band members being strong and almighty and even ‘on top of the world’ as the apparent ‘sky scrapers’ are below them.

The spine of the DVD has a black background and includes the DVD disc logo which should be on most DVD covers. The text has been rotated so that it can be read it if you turn the DVD case on its side. The text style is the same as that on the front cover, which makes the cover continuous in theme. The text colour is white, and therefore contrasts with the black background. It is also bold and in capitals – this shows the importance of the information being presented as capitals usually represents significant information. The actual text says the band name, where the band is playing, and the date on which they were; these are just the key information points of what the audience would want to see and read on the spine of the DVD Cover, before they picked it up to look in further depth.

The back of the DVD Cover includes an image and more in depth information about the DVD. The image fills the whole back cover and illustrates a live performance act of the lead vocalist in the band. This gives an insight into the high performance levels given by the band, especially as his facial expression gives the impression that he is totally engrossed in the music. The text that was on the front cover of the DVD (band name and location) is also on the back cover, however the band name’s font is in white as the background is too dark and would therefore not be legible. The text is also of a smaller font – medium for the band name and small-medium for the location text. These bits of information are positioned in the centre of the page, only more over to the left side. Underneath is more information – song names which are included on the DVD. These are in a slightly different font style; however they still match the rest. The font size is small for this information, which is positioned one song per line. Also included on the back cover is the Live 8 logo, which shows that the DVD is in support of this. At the very bottom of the DVD Cover, in extremely small font, there is extra information such as websites to visit for more details, and the names of the photographers/designers of the DVD Cover.

2. Fall Out Boy DVD Cover Analysis

The pop-punk band that Fall Out Boy is, have produced a DVD Cover which I will analyse in three sections; the front cover, the spine and the back cover of the DVD. This research will help me understand the codes and conventions of a DVD Cover better, so that when I come to produce one, I have a better understanding of what needs to be included etc. The front cover of this DVD shows an image of the band - live in concert, however the band members have stars over their heads, and are therefore ‘unknown’. There are spotlights which cover the four band members, and highlight the setting in which they are set. The mis-en-scene also includes the props of the chairs, and the smoky floor to further the mystery and intenseness of the situation. The band name is positioned at the top centre of the cover and is in font colour white, which contrasts the black background so that it can be easily read. The font style looks as though it has been hand-written and the large letter nearly drops down into the subjects of the image. At the bottom of the cover, there is text which reads ‘LIVE IN PHOENIX’ which is centred within a text box. The text box’s border is the same as that of the border around both the front and back cover of the DVD, and looks like an ancient museum- style frame. It is used to make the text within it stand out. The medium sized font is in capitals which shows the importance of the information – it tells the audience where the footage of the band is from e.g. filmed from concert in phoenix.

The spine of the DVD is framed by the same border that is on the front and back cover. The information included in it is the band name and where the footage on the DVD is from; this is the same as the front cover information. The text styles are both plain, in capitals and white. However the band name is again in a larger font as it is of more importance. To separate the two texts, there are four stars – in the same shape as the stars on the front cover; this links to the anonymous theme used throughout the DVD, as the stars are also used on the back cover to blank out the faces of the band.

The back of the cover shows another live performance image of the band. It has been Photoshopped so that the bottom half of the back cover is a mostly plain white background – which merges into the white/greyish floor of the stage in the image. The image shows the band members playing the guitars and jumping around on stage which corresponds to their genre and attitude, it also gives an insight into what the actual band performance will be like on the DVD disc. There is a design under the merged section to separate the image from the text. The text, which is positioned under this design, is of the different songs which will be played on the DVD. The style of this text shows how the capitals make the words stand out more, and to ensure it looks bold and clear to read. This is in small sized font and in colour black so that it stands out against the white background. At the bottom of the back cover of this DVD, there are two images of golden awards; these are positioned in the bottom left and right corners of the cover. The images are used to represent that the band ‘Fall Out Boy’ are qualified enough to win awards and therefore are well liked which encourages the potential target audience to buy the DVD.

3. Beyonce DVD Cover Analysis

Beyonce represents one of the best pop/R&B artists around, and this DVD Cover represents this. By being split into three sections – the front cover, the spine of the DVD and the back cover, you can see how the three interlink. The front cover is largely taken up by the image of the artist, who is lying on her side with a large disco ball in front of her. The prop of the disco ball could represent ‘fun times’ and that the artist is the life and soul of the party by the close connection between herself and the prop. The close up also allows the viewers to see the costume she is wearing – which connects to the prop of a disco ball as it has small shiny squares. As both prop and costume are reflective, it could represent a moral message about appearances and how people view each other that the artist wants to show through her music. The facial expression of the artist shows her seductive and playfulness, yet also shows her serious side by the deeply indented eye brows. The text on the front cover is all positioned at the top centre of the cover; this includes the artists’ name, the name of the tour, and the fact that it is ‘live’. These vary in text size to match the importance it e.g. ‘Beyonce’ is large, as it needs to stand out so that potential target audience can see this and be interested. The text style of the artists name is also of fancy nature so that it attracts the audience. There is also a designed pattern that fits around the text to fully highlight the importance and attractiveness of the text. All of the text which is on the front cover of the DVD is in a gold font colour, which can represent the golden goddess that Beyonce is often referred to.

The spine of the DVD has the same information as what is on the front cover; however the text is in a simpler font so that it is clearer to read. The artists’ name is still in a larger font in comparison to the other text. The spine of the DVD also includes the DVD logo which needs to be included somewhere on every DVD Cover.

The back cover of the DVD includes an image of the artist, similar to the image on the front cover as it includes the same prop and costume. The long shot ensures you can see most of the artist, however, as the image is positioned to the right of the cover, half is cut out. Beyonce appears to be leaning back with her hands in the air holding the disco ball as her dress and hair are blown into the shot. This gives the ‘diva look’. The song list is left aligned and positioned at the top left corner of the page. The text is in a small gold font, which continues throughout the DVD Cover. The text wraps around the image to create an interlinked appearance. This is the same for the second group of text which is of extra information, for example, special features. This is in the same size text however, under this there is more information which is in a small font – the small print on the DVD. Another feature on the back cover is the barcode, which is needed in stores for stock checks/to buy the product/make sure it does not get stolen etc.

The DVD Cover works well as a whole by the use of colours and their representations. The images are also effective by the links between props and costumes, and how the text fits around the images.

Conclusion

The DVD Covers I have analysed here coincide with the genre/s I would like to do for my music video, and by analysing them, it will help me understand the codes and conventions of the genre better. I think all of the DVD Covers that I have analysed have been a good success, and this is mostly due to the fact that they all match their own genre (e.g. disco ball represents pop) and therefore target their audience by doing this. I have noticed through this research that it is important to have a certain style which is usually connected with the artists/bands style, as it is then reflected in the DVD Cover images and text. The clothing/posture/facial expressions the artist/band show through the cover, represents their attitude and style, and therefore is important s the target audience notice and judge whether to buy the product as a result of this. For my own DVD Cover, I will use this new knowledge I have gained to ensure that my end product has all the correct codes and conventions and also that it would be as successful as these DVDs by creating the right attitude.