Album Conventions

The effects that I have added to this album givethe album a summery feel, in contrast with theback, wintery look. This connotes the aspectchange from one season into the next andidentifies with the typical teenage listener of thisalbum of the summer of fun converging into awinter. I chose this setting because it istraditional. The alternative nature of thelocation, coupled with the graffiti gives analmost prohibited look to the album cover, inconvention with the non-conformist style of pop-punk. The use of a parental advisory sticker atthe bottom of the album cover adds to thiseffect of non-conformism and is typical of

pop-punk. The dress featured in this cover is also typical of pop-punk, showing the bigcoats, flat caps, skinny jeans and trainers look that has been ever increasingly associatedwith the genre in hand. The lighting and shot type used shows the band to be higher upthan the camera. This connotes dominance and authority. However, the album featuresthe band talking and conversing and this shows cohesion and listeners can relate. It alsoengages with the audience more and makes the band seem more like them. The fontsthat I have used in this are typical of pop-punk. For the band logo I have used a graffititype font and for the album name, I have used a shadowed effect in accordance with thereflections in the river.

The effects that I have used on the back of this album are purposefully used to contrast with the front cover. The transition from summer to winter is relatable by viewers and listeners, from the transgression from a ‘summer of fun’ to the period of school, or work that they have lined up, due to my target audience being teens and young adults. For the genre of punk-pop, skating is integral to not only their music but the lifestyle they portray. The use of a skate park would appeal to skaters, teenagers, new fans of the music or a combination of the three. The minimalistic design and blur on the edges both draws focus to the skater and presents an almost uncropped, behind the scenes look at the life of

the members of the band as this is the back cover. The band website is typical of all genres of music to have on their album, as well as the copyright information. The fact that the band member is skating, a skill not accessible for all shows technical ability and would appeal to a certain type of person. This, combined with the camera angle connotes authority and while it is conventional to engage with the audience, it is conventional for pop-punk artists to often have an authoritarian, egoistic view of the world (with their anti-police and anarchistic tendencies). The font that I have used is basic and paired back, allowing for the focus not to be drawn away from the skater. This is conventional. It is also seen on many pop-punk albums to tell a story from the front to the back cover, for example Blink-182’s Enema of the State back and front cover follow a similar theme and flow from front to back.

Blink-182 – Enema of the State

Front Back

For my first inside cover, I have taken a band member and replicated him three times. This adds a conventional comedic effect that is often seen in punk-pop. An example of this is the close links punk-pop has with the TV program ‘Jackass’. This program is all about pulling pranks and playing jokes on their friends, so this would relate in that way and become conventional.The clothing worn is conventional of the genre and of music videos. It also fits the stereotype of a skater. The flat-cap vans hat is associated with both skating and pop-punk as well as the big jacket and cargo trousers. The skateboard featured in this picture also carries on the theme seen throughout the entire album and music video, a centre on skating,

The second inside cover breaks the general conventions of the rest of the album, featuring somebody on a BMX. The location however is the same as the location on the advert, showing continuity but also connoting change with is conventional and in keeping with the change from summer to winter seen from the front cover to the back cover.The text at the bottom thanking artists and fans is conventional, this allows the audience to identify and feel part of a community with the band members and adds an aspect of intimacy.

The sidebar that I have used is again following the same theme as the rest of the album. The background itself as extracted from the front cover and is of graffiti, conventional of the genre due to its non-conforming roots. The use of a black, sans-serif font is conventional also in its attention-drawing nature and simplistic design seen in a lot of ‘DIY punk-pop productions’. The QR code is also conventional, as it adds a technological aspect to the album, appealing more so to the younger, less technophobic listeners who are the artists target audience.

This album is a feature album from pop-punk artist fall out boy. This features, similarly to my album cover the band sitting, as a group of friends in a relaxed manner.Although the scene differs from my album cover, this is very similar to my front cover and so conventional. The use of props such as the lamp and the balloons and use of shadows strikes a resemblance to my front cover.The setting, a shadowy wasteland is strikingly similar to the riverside hangout depicted in my front cover.

This album cover from popular pop-punk artist OPM is very similar to my back cover. It features the half pipe with minimalist design and the protagonist at the centre of the cover. Comparatively, my back cover features a main protagonist on a half pipe. The relationship between skating and pop-punk is thoroughly engrained in the eye of the media and therefore is extremely conventional to be featured in my album.