Discovery
Creative direction, motifs outline, mood board and mockup
Before starting any creative exploration, the label and artist needed to approve my creative direction for the album. I wrote a brief outline defining themes I was after, made moodboards, and a very rudimentary mockup of photography (MVP) for the album cover.
The photography would create a subjective narrative. The plan was to show the musician on the cover watching television, but shot from the point of view of the television. The musician is bathed in a cold phosphorescence glow and looks back at the viewer. Musician’s face would be obscured behind illuminated static-filled television screen. This conveyed certain themes and tropes, while doing my best avoid the perception that this music is ‘retro’, ’80’s’, ‘synthwave’, ‘nostalgic’, or ‘vaporwave’ in sound. Etbonz producer, Elliott Thomas and his record label called Bed of Roses gave the “green light”.
Exploration
Art direction, look and feel, photography lighting tests
The record label recommended working with their talented photographer Al Pomper. I knew very little about how to shoot this, other than the size of lens and position of the shot. Al, was amazing to work with, had a solid understanding of lighting, and photography as a whole. Al took some lighting test shots and I worked out a look using a variety of effects and filters through Adobe Photoshop, SketchUp ( for accurate 3d placement), and Filter Forge.
Creation
Rough Drafts, fog machines and lighting
Al and I set up a test shoot, staged with lamps, a couch, two tables, a coffee table and fog machine. Shot was flooded with fog giving the lighting more surreal, softer look. Al beamed a spotlight on the subject (me) emulating the illuminating television screen look I was after. I then took Al’s photos into photoshop and added many effects. Tried to give a nod to late-80’s palettes while still suggesting distinct CRT scanlines, and faded colors reminiscent of damaged CRT color dispersion and ghosting. This was later tossed for the final design.
Execution
final photographs, change of feel, mockup
After preparing the look and feel, lighting and shots, Al and I readied a final shoot with the talent, Elliott Thomas, the producer for Etbonz. He brought props that weren’t discussed. We added them to the periphery of the shot, giving some nuance. Three VHS tapes that were his main inspirations, small pipe, playstation controller, and other small props litter the corners of the photo, unfortunately cropped out in the cassette tape.
The final look developed much differently than I had originally intended. Talent’s pose, clothing and fog were vastly different than the test shot. Decided to run with it, but go for a feel that had greater contrast. I Gave Elliott’s body and the room a staticy more nebulous look, making his face the visual anchor drawing the viewer’s eye. A feel perhaps reminiscent of one a tuning a dial receiving a range of different frequencies.
The final look was built from stacking and masking many many layers together, ditching the scanline look all together for something more contemporary.
