BBK: Digipak Analysis

I have chosen to analyse a Family Rain single, this is because although we are able to gain influence from other Digipaks, The Family Rain's branding has developed prominent visual themes and motifs throughout their debut singles collection. The album cover above for 'Trust me… Im a Genius' was their first single, establishing the selection.

When first seeing the piece it is not evident as to what genre the music is, as the use of a logo in the form of a symbol is often used across several genres such as Dance and Hip Hop. This makes it hard to recognise the Alternative Rock tone of the band as an initial response. However the presence of the men in suits from around the 50's era may portray a relation to the view of the rock and roll era.

The album cover displays a mirrored image of an assembly of young men in a dim lit room, all of whom appear to be looking into the camera. The image has a faint purple filter, this has been used in other videos of the band. The texture of the image gives it a vintage tone anchoring the 50's costume and location seen my the old industrial lights that hang above the men. The logo of the band is imposed on the centre of the cover where the image is split reading the bands name and the name of the single.

The bands alternative, blues rock genre can be seen to be signified by the costume of iconic suits and mise-en-scene within the picture the era that the picture is based in relates to the genre. The purpose of the image is not established immediately within its mise-en-scene. The large amount of young men in suits may connote a school photograph, perhaps relating to the boyhood and the brotherly meta-narrative constructed by the band.
The songs title 'Trust me.. Im a Genius' is also read in first person address, the image may be a POV view of the speaker as the boys listen to the 'Genius'. The fact that the speaker is informing these young people that they must 'trust' him, this may be seen as social intertextual satire towards propaganda in the 50's era around the height of capitalism. The fact that he has to say that he is a 'genius' may connote that he in fact is not a genius and that his pretence towards the audience are false.
The image may also be a representation of the bands audience. Although the boys sit with blank faces, their expressions may be interpreted as mesmerised or hypnotised which may be linked to the propaganda references. This may my signifying an extra-ordinary controlling nature of the band.

The absence of the band within their debut single also signifies aspects of the bands star image. They retain the stardom paradox remaining present through first person address in the song title whilst being physically absent from the cover. Their absence also connotes an artistic prevalence rather than commercial prioritising the music before the band themselves.

The bands absence becomes a theme in many of their print work pieces, allowing the tear drop logo to become a representation of them as is always remains at the centre of each image as can be seen in the gig poster to the right.

The poster to the left however contradicts the previous themes. This print was released in late 2013 in promotion of a London show the band would perform. The use of a faint purple colour filter is repeated forming a common theme of their band representation. The colour may be a reflection of vintage photography and the effects of exposure on film camera.

The three brothers are shown sat side by side on a wall, the wall is on a gradient leading from the right up to the left where the oldest of the brothers sits perhaps signifying a hierarchy. However this is only subtle and the overall composition of the band sees them in equal standings. The bands meta-narrative is a important focal point of their star image, the idea of the 'family' allows the band to appear ordinary and close to one another, a reassuring quality for their audience allowing them to fill in their representation with ideals of their own family.

The brothers bond and friendship can be seen through their representation in mise-en-scene. Firstly their composition on the wall presenting them as equal, the way they sit on the wall appears adolescent adhering to the 'loitering' stereotypes of british youths, a theme they reference in many of their videos displaying brotherly playfulness. The band can also be seen to be wearing similar style clothes, jackets, jeans and Dr. Martens shoes are worn by all three as well as the corresponding colours of black, white and red. The bands image has been replicated in Dr. Marten's 'stand for something' campaign, as they claim to choose clothing that they feel represents their 'sound' and their audience, 'we stand for the crowd'.

The house in the background of the shot appears to be old and weathered, this could be a connotation  of the ordinary side of the star image paradox or a representation of their home signifying how they are still the same as they were as kids, returning the home together.

In conclusion the bands construction of star image through their representation in their print advertising signifies a family bond and brotherly companionship, qualities many socially admire or strive towards personally making the band an attractive representation of societies norms beliefs and values. Their use of symbolism and theme through their logo and colour scheme creates each work piece to be part of an ordered collection provoking completion of an otherwise in complete package.