Print brief research + planning

Research tasks

Images

1)  Billboard poster research:

1. What historical moment in pop music does this documentary focus on, and why might that moment be significant for audiences interested in music history? 

The 80's, seeing as prominent figures like Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen are featured on the poster. This might be the most significant era of music as lots of iconic creators were created and were famous in this era, and in general the 80's vibe is quite nostalgic and iconic to audiences.

2. How might the poster imagery communicate the era of the music being explored (e.g., 1980s)?

The poster communicates this with the artists featured and how they're featured. The style the artists are drawn in is very reminiscent of the 80's, with the bright colourful imagery and the distinct, almost blocky appearance.

3. Who would be the target audience for this documentary and why?

The target audience would be either music fans in general or people nostalgic for the 80's. This is because it focuses on the classics/the most iconic music artists of the era, and the main focus of them draws people who are nostalgic for the 80's to the documentary.

4. What visual codes (e.g., typeface, colour, style of photograph) would you expect on the poster to reflect the documentary’s focus on classic pop music history?

The presence of famous people (e.g. Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen), along side how they're presented and the colour scheme in general of the poster reflects the documentary's focus on classic pop music history.

5. How could promotional text emphasise both nostalgia and relevance to a modern audience?

The typography is in sans serif whilst the colour scheme of the poster is bright, colourful and the imagery is quite retro feeling as well. The juxtaposition of old and new suggests that the documentary will focus on providing a modern take/view on historical classics.

This Is Pop on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81050786

(This Is Pop is a documentary series exploring different influences and trends in pop music.) 

(I can't take a look at this at school, will update it when I can look at the trailer at home)

1. What themes and topics does This Is Pop explore based on its episode description (e.g., Auto-Tune, boy bands, festival culture)? 

2. How might a billboard poster visually represent multiple facets of pop music history covered in this series?

3. This Is Pop is a series rather than a single documentary film—how might its poster need to differ in design from a single-film poster to communicate that?

4. What aspects of pop culture history might appeal to older audiences versus younger audiences?

5. What visual elements could ensure the poster suggests that this isn’t just entertainment, but a music documentary with depth and exploration?

These two IMDb image links point to stills or frames from the same documentary series (This Is Pop.) Compare the two different images from this series:

1. What different visual messages do they convey about pop music?

They primarily convey that pop is a classic genre, as evident by the colour scheme and style the artists are presented in.

2. How do these images reflect the diversity within pop music culture (different genres, artists, eras)?

It reflects the diversity within pop music by showing different artists, either through their culture or what music they make.

3. What emotions or associations do the images try to evoke in the viewer?

Possibly feelings of nostalgia, especially in the second image, as it is made to mimic an old poster.

4. If you were to extract design cues (pose, colour palette, style) from these stills for your billboard posters, what would you take and why?

I would take the colour palette from the second because I feel it evokes the 80's style well enough and it's what I'm aiming to achieve.

5. How do the images relate to your understanding of representation and media language in music documentaries?

The diverse range of celebrities shown within both posters relates to how most music documentaries try to diversify and show an ensemble cast. 

2) Billboard Poster Research (Era Focus)

1. 1980s or 1990s pop artist promotion

2. 2000s or 2010s pop artist promotion

3. Contemporary (2018–present) pop artist promotion

3) Media Language Analysis 

For each billboard poster, analyse how visual design communicates meaning and appeals to its audience.

You should analyse:

- Layout & composition (scale, hierarchy, central image, simplicity for roadside viewing)
- Typography (font style, size, era connotations, readability)
- Colour palette (neon, muted, monochrome, saturation and era signifiers)
- Imagery (pose, gaze, styling, realism vs performance)
- Branding (logos, streaming platforms, consistency)

Then, explain how these choices reflect the era of pop music being represented.

1.

The board uses a primarily sans serif font style, which connotes a more modern and futuristic look. It's complimented by the colour scheme, which follows the Pepsi logo, and the look of the advert in general. It showcases a "retro future" look, as the ad attempts to be modern, yet still feels old in a way. Michael Jackson is clearly featured here, along with the product he is promoting. It showcases the era of pop being represented in this promotion for Pepsi as pop music, like the rest of the 80's - 90's, went for a more "futuristic" approach, which is obviously quite outdated in today's scope. It's a view on how people back then predicted how the future would be.

2.

The Beatles are featured prominently on the advert. The whole advert is in black and white and beside them lay the Apple logo and the text "Now on iTunes" in sans serif typography. This advertisement showcases the evolution in modernity, as the Beatles clash with the more modern appearance of the typography and colour scheme.

3.

Another evolution of the more modern style most companies go with nowadays. Instead of no colour, the advert has an actual colour scheme this time, although more simplified. The typography is sans serif but is more stylised. Additionally, the main focus of the image is in the middle, with the text surrounding it. The branding is on the bottom right of the image instead.

4) Representation and Era identity

Explain how each poster represents:

- The artist
- The music culture of the era
- Attitudes to fame, performance, and identity

Consider:

- Fashion and styling
- Gender representation
- Star image
- Youth culture vs nostalgia
- Authenticity vs commercialisation

Apply at least one theory, such as:
- Stuart Hall – Representation
- Postmodernism (nostalgia, pastiche, remixing eras)

1.

The poster represents the artists featured seeing as they showcase a "retro future" along with sleekness, which is what a lot of these 80's artists tended to show and represent. Music culture at the time heavily leaned into predicting what the future would be like, possibly in an attempt to have more younger people interested in what they had to offer. This ties into bricolage, which is the juxtaposition of old and new ideas. In regards to fame, performance and identity, we can clearly see Michael Jackson featured here, who is one of the most famous pop artists in history. Not to mention his style was very popular and inspirational at the time.

2.

This poster represents the changing style that modernism was going through, as things became more simplified and sleeker in a sense. Compared to the design seen on the previous advert, there's barely any colour, only black and white there. All we see is an image of the Beatles and text advertising the iPod. It's a blend of old and new texts - it's popular with the young, nostalgic to the old. However it feels more "commercialised" than what we're used to. This style, especially as it grew more, felt quite corporate in a sense.

3.

Another evolution of the simple style we're used to. However this time, it's a lot more relaxed and fun looking, especially through the use of softer colours. The main image this time is a baby photo of a big music artist - we wouldn't typically know it's them until we read the text below, a deviation from usual examples of star imagery. The caption itself beside the image is quite inspirational, which reflects the youth of today.

5) Audience appeal

For each era-based poster, explain:
- Who the primary audience is
- How it may also appeal to other age groups
- How nostalgia is used to attract older audiences
- How modern design elements attract younger audiences

Link this directly to the documentary’s aim to appeal to “people of all ages interested in pop music.”

1.

The primary audience is nostalgic adults, mostly through the use of Michael Jackson. It also appeals to other age groups as it showcases other pop artists of the time and generation. Nostalgia attracts older audiences as old imagery is shown and featured. The modern designs of the advert help attract younger audiences.

2.

The primary audiences would be both teens and adults. The use of the Beatles evokes nostalgia and the simple, modern nature of the image would draw attention to younger audiences.

3.

The primary audience is a general audience. While this advert uses star imagery, it's in an unusual way that wouldn't typically be nostalgic or recognisable at first. Not to mention, it uses quite soft imagery compared to the designs of before.

6) Streaming services and industry conventions
Research how streaming services (e.g. Netflix) promote music documentaries.

Analyse:

- Common visual conventions (minimal text, strong imagery)
- Use of logos and release dates
- How platforms communicate where and how to watch
- How global audiences affect design choices

You may refer to:

- Netflix documentary posters
- Online promotional materials
- Billboard adaptations of streaming campaigns

Most Netflix documentaries tend to have the main subject in frame, typically a face or two with the text being in big, bold, sans serif typography. The Netflix logo is put alongside the logo, to show that it's a Netflix original. Most documentaries shown on Netflix and other such streaming services tend to go down this route.

7) Application to your coursework

This section must directly link your research to your final production.

Answer the following:

- How will each era influence the design of your three billboards?

It will reflect the most popular design choices of the time.

- What visual codes will you use to differentiate eras?

I will use star imagery and I will use a combination of old and new designs.

- How will you maintain brand consistency across all three posters?

I will feature certain logos and images that will remain the same across 3 posters.

- How will you promote your band from Task One as contemporary pop?

I will use key conventions to communicate to the audience.

- What design skills do you need to develop before production?

Capturing the feeling of old texts.

Planning and sketching

Statement of Intent

1) Once you have completed your print research and planning, go back to your statement of intent and make sure you have included the print brief in your final draft. Then, submit the final draft statement of intent to your teacher. The due date for this will be confirmed by your coursework teacher.