DVB102 - Assessment 2: Record Cover Project

Huw F Gwynne-Jones

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Process Video: https://youtu.be/nRAjmlFbMSY

For this assignment I chosen to reimagine David Bowie's "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars".​​​​​​​

David Bowie (1947 - 2016) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who had a significant influence on music, art and fashion during the 20th century. Born David Robert Jones, he was later regarded as a visionary in the industry, who wrote and performed many award winning songs during this time as well as writing and producing albums for others. One of his most iconic and influential songs is the 1972 hit, Starman, the first single released from the concept album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. His career lasted almost five decades and during that time he continued to evolve as an artist and push creative boundaries. He may no longer be alive, but the impact of his creative genius continues to be enjoyed and serves to inspire others.

TARGET AUDIENCE
It is critical to consider how best to engage the target audience when designing an album cover for a commercial market. The cover needs to make a great first impression to encourage the consumer's decision to purchase, it also must also be 'on brand/on message' in the eyes of current and potential consumers as sometimes the imagery of the cover is what the listeners associate with the music. 

David Bowie had already found significant commercial success due from popular songs such as The Man Who Sold the World, Changes and Life on Mars? But in 1972, Bowie took a significant risk to his fan base through the creation the stage persona "Ziggy Stardust", a fictional genderless bisexual alien rockstar sent to Earth to stop an alternate future apocalypse. Ziggy could have turned some of Bowie's more conservative fans away from his music, but in 1972 he collaborated with the band The Spiders from Mars and released the iconic album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. ​​​​​​​The album was Bowie's most successful since 1969's Space Oddity and this album Bowie significantly increased his popularity and confirmed his status as a rockstar.

"Evidently, people who think of themselves as somehow different - alternative, independently minded, irreverent, kooky, idiosyncratic, individualistic – are especially likely to be attracted by Bowies original voice." - YouGov

As the main focus for the assignment and the term has been experimenting with photography and the impact it can have on a viewer. I decided to research other album covers and vinyl found at home and reflect on the imagery/subject, colour saturation, focus, depth of field, lighting and exposure of each (see below). 

Fonts impact the way we react to words and in this case a collection of songs on an album. Fonts can attract attention, create a mood, define the artist's brand and also the level of professionalism of the artist. I enjoyed researching fonts and reflecting on the audience and the context of the time in which the album was released. I decided to use Nulshock, Patinio Futura and Airstrike (see above). Their retro designs fit with the songs, fashion of that time and the futuristic theme of space involved in the album. Many of the other fonts I reviewed were too complex especially as the album already has a long and confusing name. 

For my three album covers, I listened to all the songs on the album and also did some research on Bowie and the socio-cultural setting in which the album was created. While listening to the music I wrote down words which seemed relevant, I then collated these ideas into themes which helped me to create the three concepts.

I created Album 1 in Adobe Photoshop and used a Wacom drawing tablet when I needed to the more complicated and detailed design. I created Ziggy Stardust as a fictional cartoon character on the cover, as this era saw the rise of animation/cartoons outside the medium of children's entertainment. The cartoon character of Bowie is represented as floating in the atmosphere of Earth sharing his music and vision with the planet. I chose orange, blue, green, black and hot pink for Bowie’s outfit because they feature often in his costumes and makeup and also Bowie's iconic lightning bolt symbol. I also researched images of Mark Ronson (Bowie's guitarist at the time) and tried to replicate the instrument he used - am unsure if I was successful in this. I have also included Bowie's rare eye condition which appears as two different coloured irises - not heterochromia, but it was actually a condition called Anisocoria. I also added a pink panel to Bowie's costume as an attempt to make the gender more ambiguous. However, while I did believe this could be a resolved product, I also felt that I would like to experiment with photography as the focus for my cover. See below the images used.

One way to create an impact and engage an audience is to use recognisable imagery and contrasting colour to deliver a bold image (see above) as shown by the spiders on the planet Mars. Whilst this might be a literal interpretation of the album cover, I think it is an intriguing response. The smaller spiders symbolise the band members and the larger spider represents Bowie. I photographed a toy spider in a variety of angles and positions and enjoyed experimenting with focus, lighting and shadow effects. I attempted to embellish the spiders body with overlay textures, bright colours and patterns (including lightning bolts), but this was not successful and looked messy. I chose colours inspired by Bowie’s lightning bolt symbol and included the five pointed star image on Album 2 because Bowie is a sometimes referred to as a rockstar, Starman etc. I really struggled to get the surface of Mars to a place which I felt was convincing - I used the texture of a wooden table and changed the hue to red. I decided this album cover may have become too abstract and might not engage current and future fans of Bowie so I attempted another concept. See below the images used.

My first two attempts relied heavily on graphic design, my third version is dramatically different - and shows an 'everyman' walking down a suburban street at night - blissfully unaware of what is happening in outer space. Once again I used Adobe Photoshop tools to layer the image and alter the tone and scale. Album 3 takes inspiration from artist Terry Pastor and a photographic reimagining of the scene he created.

To ensure I had lighting on the character's face I took a photograph indoor and then went outside to capture the streetscape. I used the quick selection tool to decrease scale to fit with the street photo and then increased the scale of the background. Changing the hue and shade of the character to blend in, I also chose to have him in the foreground, close to the camera with the sky making up two thirds of the shot. I used Photoshop tools to draw in additional stars as it was overcast on the night I took the image. I added in a text box using the font, Patinio Futura in turquoise and orange so that the colour pops out of the darkness. I repeated the process for the back cover with different photographs and enjoyed the process. I think this cover is the most representative of the task required by this assignment. See below the images used.

The two vinyl covers (see below) feature iconic images and bold colours to create an engaging unique and collectable design. I used Photoshop and drew the spiders by hand through my Wacom tablet and then experimented with content and the 7mm hole.

The poster (see below) is a marketing tool designed to capture the interest of current and future fans and to alert them to a new release by the artist.  The poster ties into the imagery, fonts, colours and techniques used in the album covers and vinyl and was created in Photoshop.  The poster shows the character looking towards the sky, prompting the viewer to possibly try and work out a cryptic message or alternatively consider - 'who is Ziggy and what has he been through,  and also what could spiders from Mars possibly be like and what do they want?'   

I found it fascinating to research the history of album covers and discover the artists and the music behind each. I enjoyed reading about the marketing of musicians and artists and the commercial component of the industry. I loved experimenting with a variety of fonts, colours and photography techniques and then reflecting on how these can impact the viewer's experience. I was disappointed with my own attempts and regret that I didn't access a high-quality camera as I think I could have produced a more professional product. I will definitely continue to seek out opportunities to experiment with photography and imagery and improve my skill.