CD Cover art...which format, and what film?

I have just landed a big job shooting a band for their CD cover. This is a major artist for a

major label, the question is will 35mm be adequate, I have an excellent system with

excellent lenses, or will they want medium format? Then will they prefer positives or

negatives? I shoot both eqaully well, maybe I would shoot print for the extra lattitude to

be safe, or like I normally do, mix it up....Anyone ever do this that might wanna shed some

light on it for me? Thanks.

John, there should be a "designer" in charge of the project. I have a cousin in Hollywood who does the design work for CDs, concert books, etc.:

 

http://www.johncoulterdesign.com/album2.html

 

http://www.johncoulterdesign.com/latin1.html

 

The designer will put together a group of related print items including the CD cover with liner notes, cassette tape cover, possible DVD cover, point of purchase display materials, etc. So, ask the designer what image medium he prefers to work from. Undoubtedly, whatever you shoot will wind up scanned to digital as that is how all layout is done any more.

 

For a 5x5 inch CD cover, you could use a 3MP digital P&S. However, the cover art will likely be blown up to make posters, as often happens. Personally, if I wasn't told otherwise and I was going to shoot film, it would be 6x6cm or larger transparency film.

 

Note that you will need to work with the designer anyway. Perhaps the designer might want a 35mm image to take up part of the CD cover, with the cover text separate. Or, if the image is going to take up the whole CD cover, perhaps the designer will want a specified waste area in the image where he'll want to place text.

 

Regards, Eeeee

I recall the LP cover from one of the CCR albums was a "zoomed" photo (zoomed during the exposure, that is), which was almost certainly done with 35mm, with whatever zoom lenses and color films were current in the 60's. The thing is, the optical quality/ sharpness wasn't that hot, but it didn't need to be either. For your shoot, it sounds like it would help to have an idea of what the photo would be like before deciding what it took to shoot it. Shooting in studio, at concert, outdoors? Action or still? Group portrait?

 

Might they be expecting digital from the outset, rather than film?

Film; probably transparency, although if you do first class work will color

negative and make custom prints that will probably work too. You need to ask

the designer. medium format is usally the best way to go, strictly from a quality

point of view. A high end digital camera like the Canon EOS 1Ds or a digital

back on a medium format camera might also be acceptable. Once again ask

the designer. But only shoot with a digital camera if you really, really, really

know what you are doing.

 

What is the production budget?

 

what rights and usage have you agreed upon?

"I recall the LP cover from one of the CCR albums was a "zoomed" photo (zoomed during the exposure, that is), which was almost certainly done with 35mm, with whatever zoom lenses and color films were current in the 60's. The thing is, the optical quality/ sharpness wasn't that hot, but it didn't need to be either."

 

Stephen, the cover you are talking about is probably the Rolling Stones Hot Rocks I:

 

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000003BDJ.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

 

1. That was a novel, innovative image for back in its day, which made up for its lack of absolute technical perfection.

 

2. A number of covers from the 60s and early 70s cultivated a kind of imperfect, low tech look that complimented music that was more folksy and not overproduced, like Elvis Presely's Vegas shows (see window-lit Carole King "Tapestry" cover):

 

http://www.audiophilia.com/software/dm12.htm

 

3. The music business is waaaaaaaaayyy different than it was even 20 years ago. There is just too much money involved.

 

When my cousin does album projects, he is standing right behind the photographer. Then, several impatient record studio execs are standing behind him.

 

The recording industry is nothing like the relatively low-key business described by Danny Sugerman in "No One Here Gets Out Alive" or the amusing Cameron Crowe film "Almost Famous."

Eric, here is the image John referred to <a href= "http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000XCA.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg">Bayou

Ask the art director or designer for the cover.

To answer the original question, you would as best use 120mm transparencies and a 6x6 or 6x7cm camerat format, but in fact you can shoot in 135mm as well, and for such small publications, everything goes - including a decent digital camera. And indeed, just ask your client what he prefers.

Everything depends on the GENRE and the Art Director. Generally speaking, the equipment is secondary to YOUR ability to "catch the vibe". If you don't click with the band, there is not amount of gear that will make the shoot a success.

 

Use something that allows you to move quickly and "improvise". Don't know what to tell you more since I don't know the genre or the band you are about to shoot.