Evaluation - How effective is the combination of main product and ancilliary texts?

How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

All the texts combine as they have a theme of sombre subject matter. When it comes to the music video this occurs because of the components used, such as how it crosscuts between Pete supposedly reflecting on an experience in a studio, and to these events. The front, back, inside and CD and DVD of the digipack all have images that symbolise beauty, but have elements that can contradict this. The front cover has font that’s modelled after graffiti and the text is reflective of the complexity, especially the album name that appears to take away any beauty the viewer might be thinking of.

Referring to the back, that is the same image but has more of a red slant, indicating matters have deepened. Tracks/videos that are listed have a similar function to the text on the front cover. “FromStreetArt” is used again and although the font is expressive, that expressiveness is almost taken away as the titles range from “Old Friends” to “Grab Life By The Ropes”, again indicating a sombre tone. With the inside, again that features the same image but half is cropped and has been copied and pasted only flipped. The CD and DVD have the raindrops, magazine advert the front cover and part of the music video was shot in the same location. It shows this being another example of the texts combining as all of them feature the same location, having a theme of unity in terms of how messages are put across, including the complexity of life.

As mentioned earlier, “FromStreetArt” and “Hand TypeWriter” are the two main fonts that have been used. This was intended to expand on the theme of unity, as both of the fonts are expressive and speak towards the target audience because of the representation, as it can be argued they showcase the age range. Expanding on this, the two fonts work across the texts by balancing the message of how there can be hope and sometimes contradicting this message, showing the idealism of people in the range of sixteen to twenty five as they’re still trying to find out who they are.

Target audience remains the same across the texts, carrying an idea of unity as for instance in the music video, a location has the same representation as it did across the other texts. The similarity is there are no effects added that hide the grass. Therefore this location is represented as somewhere people attempt to resolve issues, the attitude being plains are limitless so there’s space for expression.

One of the main differences is because the main text is a music video, that’s able to represent the attitudes and values of the band more in-depth. Several flashbacks are used, arguing about what the value is in reflecting on the past and whether it’s worth searching for vengeance whereas in the ancillary products, there are hints of the themes. The magazine advert is the only text that explicitly features intertextuality, where an image of the front cover appears.

More of the layout is composed around the image of Peter and this asserts his dominance, a haunted expression featuring on his face, which partly reflects an expression he sometimes uses in the video, another example of intertextuality. The ideology of alternative and indie rock is shown uniquely across all texts, an instance being the inside of the digipak. A single image reflects on itself, reflecting an awareness of being trapped and the two genres have roots in underground sensibilities. That is a single example of how each aspect combines to present the verisimilitude of the genres and how it manifests across different areas.

To summarise, the audience can view one text and perceive similarities between the others, working to link themes and messages and the products have done this accordingly. It’s achieved as through similarities including images, and communicating the same messages, there’s no confusion about the demographic. Although there are differences in each text, they have similarities in the mode of address.

By using the same design elements repeated in different ways throughout all the texts a theme is created, which means that if a consumer has seen one element that was part of the composition in one of the previous texts, they will recognise the text if they see another because of the familiar elements that make up the representation, such as images and fonts.  

Similar images are seen for instance Pete has a haunted look across the ancillary products, that carries over to the music video and it means the audience feels they can relate. This is why they unite over the music video, magazine advert and digipak as everyone can see something in them that carries over.

It testifies to the genres of alternative and indie rock which also spread across, as it proves although there are certain boundaries within them as they both share the name “rock”, there’s potential for disteritfication and they’re two genres where any message can be expressed. At the end of the day the themes add up to contradictions, because when complexity occurs everything often contradicts each other and this is why the combination of the main product and ancillary texts is effective.

The language of the digipack title, “On The Edge”, suggests themes that aren’t related to beauty, possibly including the effects that betrayal has and other themes as it’s indicative of sombre subject matter that may be affecting the mind. Alternative and indie rock, the two genres of the digipack, both have underground sensibilities and cover a variety of sounds, so they’re able to address these themes. The vocabulary and language used has been kept to a minimum as a result, being in spirit of the underground appeal of those two genres. The limited range of the vocabulary and language has provided incentive to a specific audience that this is a digipack they’ll take pleasure in.

Many of the titles found on the back cover for the tracks and videos, add to further evidence the digipack is largely centred on themes relating to the mind, so adding to the reasons why there’s a theme of contradictions. It’s as if the fonts and images are meant to combine to represent the complexity as they stand out and are eye-catching, but the themes contradict the lightness that’s expressed by the colour and font. The fonts and images function in being able to appeal to the target audience range of sixteen-twenty five as they’re striking enough to attract that range, FromStreetArt and Hand TypeWriter, being the two main fonts, do this well as they have a trendy appearance. The images are remarkable enough to attract anyone especially given how they have ambiguous meanings, this appealing more towards the older range.

The magazine advert has the theme of contradictions because the main artist, Pete looks focused and is surrounded by a dark background. To counter this bright colours are spread across the fonts and on an image of the digipack front cover.

Another comparison that can be made is the images connect across the still products and the music video is partly set in the location where these images were taken. There’s a theme of unity that’s borne out of this, where all the products act in the manner of a mosaic because the audience can see the continuity. Further comparisons which can be made are the consistent use of fonts. This applies for the digipack and magazine advert, the fonts being Codygraff and Hand TypeWriter that stand out and communicate the themes well.