ASSIGNMENT: CD Music Cover Art for a Celebrity

This is going to be a cover for a solo artist.

NOTE: you can use anyone to be your musician, and you may have to visit a Goodwill to borrow an instrument. This is a portrait/concept and the most important part to think about is how this shot must look at a 1.3″ thumbnail on iTunes. This is so important. Our work must look good at larger sizes, of course, but these days album cover art is usually seen at a very small thumbnail size in an online streaming service. So make them graphic and easily understood when they are small.

THE BRIEF:

A regional music producer for Indy bands and musical groups has a new artist they would like to feature. The artist is a classically trained guitarist. with a gentle pop feel. The company wants to do an extensive CD cover piece for the artist allowing a bit of personality to show through. They are including a layout for the images so you know exactly what they need from you.

The songs that will be included on the CD are covers of country/pop songs with a classical guitar feel. The main target for this CD is the artists 3.5M YouTube following, so they already have the demographics: 14 – 30 with an interest in light classical, show music, and pop. These ain’t jazz peeps, rap peeps, or country roadhouse peeps.

Cover:
Should show musician – with or without an instrument. Smiling, happy, in a natural surroundings (no studio headshot look). You may have an option where their face is not visible, and that is OK as well… as long as it is an option, not the only shot.

Foldout:
The musician in an environment whether it be rolling hills or an urban warehouse… something to feature them in some sort of space. The environment should be lonely (or at least the artist alone) because the songs are about being a bit alone, although not melancholy or tragic. Think contemplatively alone.

They are cutting CDs will be sold online and at live venues and will be marketed through Amazon and iTunes, as well as streaming services. This means the cover MUST look great as a featured image AND a small thumbnail so keep tiny detail at a minimum, or at least do not make it mission-critical.

CDs are very close to square in shape, but they can fold out as well, and here is where it can get really dicey for us photographers. Shooting square can be a challenge if you do not watch your frame closely. Remember you will be cropping out the extraneous image parts from the horizontal imaShootingotig to the frame will cause immeasurable headaches.

For the fold-out, think horizontal to the max. this is an image twice as wide as it is tall.

ASSIGNMENT INFO: