Cd Cover Opinions

[BrandtCooley]

So, I'm making a new cd, I'm only going to link my music if you want to put audio with the visual I'm about to provide. Anyway, here's the picture prepared for critique.
www.myspace.com/theDivisionDeep (http://www.myspace.com/theDivisionDeep)


http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/BrandtCooley/SmileyTape01.jpg


Thanks, guys

[Broacher]

And the inside shot? The same face after somebody's just yanked off the duct tape? (Can we see that?)

It kinda looks staged to me. Was the tape Photoshopped in?

[cornfed]

I don't know, I kind of like it. I think it needs a little something more, just that extra punch.

Ruston, huh? I'm in Lafayette. My hubby and I own a record label. It used to be a radio station. People still send us cd's to play thinking we still have the radio station. Anyway, every year we get the Northwest Louisiana Singer/Songwriter Compilation CD put out by the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. You know, I always give them a listen cause some of the stuff isn't half bad. Do you associate yourself with the likes of them? Their covers really suck, though.

[Broacher]

I think the concept is good-- just a little restrained in execution. To me, the main area of visual interest is the tape over the beard. How to make it more so is what I would be asking. Maybe a closeup lens from beneath the chin to foreshorten the face and make the bearded area bigger. Eliminate background, foreground detail? Are the glasses needed? Lighting? What would add drama? Expression on face? Colour effects?

Like I said, good idea. Now make it (if you'll pardon the pun) sing!

[Virgo Nightingale]

Is "PARRALLEL" misspelled intentionally? Should be parallel (one 'r'). Otherwise I pretty much like it.

[colonel5]

I like the concept but the photo could have a little big better DOF. the focus makes it seem almost as if you're head is floating.

Also the text blends in a little bit too much with the image.

[BrandtCooley]

First of all, this board rocks, becuase I leave to eat lunch and by the time I'm back, there are a ton of responses insightful responses.

- Explination of why the picture is what is is
Well, the expression show slight ambiguity, showing an almost blank face with a slight bit of anger, just enough for an interesting juxtaposition. As for the duct tape over the mouth, it's a general symbol for someone trying to make you not say anything(as in not something to yourself) and to draw a smile on its kind of my way of showing how people would Rather you just 'nod your head and smile' than contest anything that is taken as a standard. Also, the red brick wall and yellow brick wall are to emphasive opposites through complimentary colors.

- Process
Anyway, sadly, this photoshoot has passed, though the duct tape ripped off is a great idea, I could always shoot that myself and fade it behind the lyrics, or something, so it doens't have to be as well taken. The only thing photoshopped would be the background, where I took words off the wall and took the picture off my shirt(Original Picture Below(Yes ...that's a genuine 'special olympics bowling' t-shit, I know, I'm horrible))).Parallel is just a foolish mistake on my part.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/BrandtCooley/AngrySmile.jpg

- 'Defense' wuthout being 'Defensive'
The words are kind of blended as to not distract from the focal point. THough, just realizing, I would happily eliminate the detail of the background, because it's a super-cliché to take a picture in front of a brick wall. As for lighting, it might kill the center-split 'parallel' idea. (Parallel spelling is just a foolish mistake on my part.)

- Alternate ideas. I know of realize it's taboo to have the focal point in the middle. (Taboo being my nicer word for 'tacky') So I have a different angle of that picture.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/BrandtCooley/SmileyAngle.jpg

Then, again, I could do like I did for a christmas present for my brother and use illustrator to make half of my 'balanced' face(or even cooler, the angled face) Though it woudln't be as cheesy with the background like that, and it'd end up a litte more detailed.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/BrandtCooley/TripleBlue.jpg

[Riya]

Love the concept. Just need to spice up the excecution a little more. The colors you have are pretty washed out, and I think that this calls for something a little more vivid.

[BrandtCooley]

Well, what do you think of the alternates? The angled or the coloring in?


(here's a little 'thumbnail' of the angled idea, the only problem is that I haven't thought of something to do with the top and bottom.) Though, I already like the focal point more.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/BrandtCooley/SmileyTape-Concept-04.jpg

And here's an idea of what the drawn one might end up like(though right now it's just a fairly cheesy photoshop filter, that's why it's a 'thumbnail') Though, in this second one, I kind of look like a superhero transorming on my way to save someone.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/BrandtCooley/SmileyTape-Concept-02.jpg

[budafist]

I prefer the focus on the side. What's up with the filter on half his face in the last post though? It looks too "Hey look! I've found a photoshop filter" for my liking. I would get rid of the pink tones in his skin.

[BrandtCooley]

Heh, in the previous post I was saying I could use illustrator to draw/trace a cartoony versino of my face as in that picture with the three people. That was a picture showing the area I would do that on. C'mon, even in the filter post I say it looks cheesy, it's awful, think of it as me taking a pen and saying, "I would draw here". hehe.