CD packaging

robert boardman promotional dvd

| heather parlato

robert boardman dvd packaging

how do you grab attention in a competitive job market? if you’re in one of the performing arts, compiling your best clips into a promotional reel as part of a mailing makes it easy for any prospects to see exactly what you do as soon as they receive it. as an addendum to his web site and youtube channel, conductor robert boardman contacted me to create a dvd in the same style as part of his intro kit mailing, for maximum exposure to music department decision makers. i was happy to help showcase his energy and personality to get him one step closer to connecting with his dream jobs.

gillian welch’s letterpress & coffee-stained album cover

| heather parlato

it seems like letterpress projects are abounding these days, or maybe we’re just hearing about them more. Recently, target decided to do a run of vintage graphics with the hamilton type museum, and just today i caught this video of gillian welch’s process of creating her album cover in letterpress with aardvark press. they even went as far as to hand-stain the cotton covers in a diluted coffee bath for a slightly-aged look and a deepening of contrast. read more and see the coffee staining demo at LAist. see & hear more on all songs considered.

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

design industry


[photo: designbythesis.com]
check out this spotlight on the thesis new year’s card from underconsideration.com. this letterpress card was printed in only 2 colors, using varied impression depths to create perspective. so subtle and lovely to look at, makes me wish i had one to touch.

have you ever wanted to print your own pattern designs on fabric without going into fabric manufacturing? my friend josh ross linked up spoonflower.com the other day, and it looks like a great way to play around with homemade fabric design.

typography


[image: houseind.com]
have you gotten your <a href="eames century modern catalog from <a href="house industries yet? these catalogs are outstanding visual reference material, and they’ll send one to you for free if you leave your address. follow the link to the house industries blog to see a cool video giving a snapshot to each phase of the print production process. celebrating this font release, they’ve also created a suite of all kinds of fun products to play with as well [from howdesign.com].


[image: the look partnership]
designworklife.com tipped me off to this awesome typeface lodgecode by the look partnership. so clean and clear with a slight retro flair makes it both elegant and endearing. available at youworkforthem.com

books


[image: indexbook.com]
i am really interested in taking a spin through this book, wine labels by eduardo del fraile for index book. follow the link for sample spreads from inside the book, they look great!

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

design industry


[photo: department of graphic sciences]

my friends over at department of graphic sciences were featured in under consideration’s for print only blog for their outstanding packaging for original beans chocolate. they even utilized the long-coveted custom paper services over at french paper. truly lovely work!

another colleague of mine, velvette de laney of dew drop studios wrote a great piece for jeni herberger‘s blog: no designer is an island. and it’s true! when we work on our own we realize how much we need our network and support system. great piece, velvette!

who’s going to CFC this year? if you’re going to the creative freelancer conference and you’re on linkedin, come on over and join the discussion. let’s get to know each other a bit before the conference! or comment here!

neighborhoods


[image: jenny wang]

awhile back, good put out a call for submissions to design an infographic about a neighborhood, putting out a few parameters to follow. they’re reporting back on some of the submissions and they’re really cool to look at & analyze. check them out!

gerald clayton

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gerald clayton two-shade CD digipak

big congratulations to my client & friend gerald clayton who has recently been picked up by emarcy records! gerald is an amazingly talented musician and i have been honored and proud to work with him on two-shade. check out tracks on his web site, and if you’re in new york, check his news page to see where he’s playing!

LACE cd packaging

| heather parlato

LACE cd packaging

jason lee bruns does it again, this time with his band LA caribbean ensemble, LACE. he worked with a wonderful local photographer, kim fox, to get a great collection of urban scene shots. with great photography, it’s easy to put together a really fun layout that captures the energy of the music and vibe of the band.

promote your music on a shoestring budget

| heather parlato

promote your band

7 Effective Strategies To Get Your Music Noticed by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

even though i’m not a musician myself, i get the discmakers.com newsletter and read their blog because they’re about a lot more than just producing your CDs. this article talks about 7 strategies for self-promotion that anyone can do to help get their music to the people who will love it most.

i am especially interested in musicians who are releasing their tracks for the public to remix and send back. joey santiago and david lovering, formerly of the pixies, are working on a new project, the everybody. for one thing, it’s a band, and you can buy their album if you just want to hear them–but you can also buy their mixable tracks for an additional fee, remix & reimagine them into new songs and send them back in hopes of making the cut to the everybody else. i think this is a really cool way of letting fans participate & sharing music. it’s also highlighted in the discmaker’s article as part of the long-haul stragegy.

gerald clayton “two-shade” cd digipak

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gerald clayton two-shade cd package

i am please to share the final results of my work with jazz pianist gerald clayton on his latest release, two-shade with both ArtistShare and Universal International, releasing today, july 1, 2009! he is an outstanding player, and i was honored to work with him. we did a lot with just a 4-panel digipak and printed in only 2-colors [printing by a to z media]. check out sample tracks and upcoming cd release performances on his site.

jason lee bruns: jlb jazz collective and the egrem session cd releases

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jlb jazz collective jlb egrem session

2 recently produced cd releases by percussion artist jason lee bruns. the jlb jazz collective is a los angeles-based ensemble that plays around town and records with various guest musicians, and the egrem session is a recording he made while on a research & cultural immersion visa in cuba.