Case Studies - Album

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga - Cheek to Cheek

This album cover uses a mid-shot, with the entire frame placed at a canted angle. This, along with the title placed above similar to a headline, is to amplify the effect of it looking like a newspapers story. Both Bennett and Gaga are represented to have a close friendship by holding quite an intimate pose and therefore reigning in realism and emotion as artists. They have both been styled quite retro, with Gaga's hair representing a time like the 80s. This is to relate to the retro aspect of the genre. Gaga looks like her skin has been airbrushed to show the contrast between her and Bennett's age - a duet between two artists with such a large age/time difference is unique to a point that it becomes a USP.





This album back also uses a mid-shot, this time without the canted angle. The shot of the two looks quite spontaneous, as if it was snapped while they were backstage just before/after a show. This is due to Bennett's facial expression frozen during movement - he isn't posing or looking at the camera. The in-action style shot also adds a sense of realism and immerses the audience into feeling like they are also backstage. The mise-en-scene of the shot shows some old-fashioned wallpaper and an old-fashioned exit sign, further adding to the vintage feel to match the vintage genre.

























This inside of this CD package included a letter of authenticity as a promotional method to allow a deeper connection between the consumer and the artists. It would make the consumer feel valued and like the artists made an effort, making the consumer's time and money worthwhile. The photos inside the CD were all signed too, further adding to this effect.

The insert of this CD package includes an action shot of Bennett and Gaga singing with big smiles on their face, exuding positivity and joy. If they can transfer these emotions to their consumer, the consumer's admiration for the artists and their work will only grow bigger. The actual CD was left blank to keep a level of sophistication and simplicity, juxtaposing with Gaga's unusual hairstyle and the action in the photo.

The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album

This album cover uses a medium long shot, capturing both artists and their piano. Evans is in the midst of writing some music, implying their musical knowledge and originality as artists. Both men have facial expressions of full concentration, representing their focus on their music. They are also both costumed in quite old-fashioned suits, adding to the vintage feel which comes with the genre.

This back contrasts with the front, as it is fairly bright. This makes it more eye-catching and makes it seem less dull. A simple colour scheme of red and white have been used on the design, as simplicity and elegance is an aspect of the jazz genre. A medium long shot of the two has been used - this allows enough space in the frame to show the piano and what's going on without deviating attention away from the two artists.

The Lady is a Tramp

The mise-en-scene is everything in this cover. The lace and intricacy of Gaga's costume represents elegance and wealth, adding a classy vibe to the shot. Yet her unique blue hair contrasts with the dress, giving it her own spin - originality and being yourself can be used as a promotional method to make artists more relatable to an audience. The artists' names have been written in large white font a bit below the centre of the image. This means it will be the first thing the consumer sees, so the white colouring is crucial to make it quick and easy to read. The title of the song has been placed just below the artists' names, this time in blue to match Gaga's hair. The matching of the colours ties together the picture so that it looks neat and aesthetic.

This cover uses a medium close up to allow the portrayal of the microphones while still allowing the audience to clearly see the two artists' faces. This is an action shot, where they are in the middle of singing. Gaga is looking down as if she is reading music while Bennett looks at her with admiration in his smile. This makes the shot appear that they both have quite a strong bond that contains a lot of respect for each other. This is important because if their fans see that the duo respect and admire each other, the fans will follow suit and feel more inclined to buy the album.

My ideas

From looking at these case studies, I now know that the conventional framing for album covers is between a close up and a mid shot, and tends to not be any further unless the artists are wearing extravagant costume that they want to show off. Eye contact with the camera isn't crucial, as the shot could be taken during a performance. The standard costume for a male in the jazz genre is just a suit, and for females it is a dress, however Gaga has added her own twist to this by having blue hair.