Yay more ideas!!

OK. So I've had a pretty mental week so far, working  as a studio engineer at a translation company whilst still in uni can be somewhat challenging at times, especially when both have big projects with deadlines!

However, after a very long drive back from Warrington today in dangerous weather conditions, I try to get back into school mode and work on my presentation for my major project. The day is drawing very near now and the presentation was beginning to seem quite daunting. I started by procrastinating of course on facebook and reading emails before doing any actual work. I then started collating quotes of how the British music industry is changing. It was these quotes that gave me the original idea for a sound company. I wanted especially a quote I heard during my second year of David Bowie's opinion on the music industry and live performances. All I could remember was it gave me the opinion, that live music was going to be where its at. I found a quote on line with an intervew done by the New York Times and this is what he had to say on the matter.

“You'd better be prepared for doing a lot of touring because that's really the only unique situation that's going to be left.”

David Bowie, New York Times, 2002.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/09/arts/david-bowie-21st-century-entrepreneur.html?pagewanted=2

As I was reading this and adding to my project brief I realised that I had't focused at all on the live elements of my sound company, 'Live Matters' and only on its potential products. The sound company without realising is ensuring it has performers to do live sound for, an aspect of the project I hadn't considered covering at all! However if I did, it would add way more technical audio to it especially if I went into depth about the equipment I need to run a live recording rig.

With only 3 more days till my presentation a new idea to add to the project is a bit risky without any original work. However I really like it and think it would be good to focus on the set up I use to record live gigs as well as the products I have previously mentioned... Oh God why am I creating more work for myself!!

Presentation...

Ok so I have my first presentation next week of my major project and have to ensure I include:

Project brief
Research
Target Audience
Project plan/Gantt chart
Preliminary ideas

Started working the past couple of days compiling my stuff all together and organising my project into one cohesive presentation. This began with my project brief and now this evening I have finished writing a list of my tasks to create the first draft of my Gantt Chart, hopefully its suffcient!

Here is a list of all the tasks I can think of so far:

·        Start Blog and continue updating it

·        Establish project idea

·        Research the PC specs needed to run media software

·        Upgrade PC to run video editing software

·        Register for AV equipment through the University

·        Research ways to promote the sound companies services

·        Confirm funding to produce compilation CD for WIT

·        Mix and master live recordings of WIT festival 2011

·        Produce mastered live tracks for WIT 2011 for each artist

·        Contact festival goers of WIT requesting media footage of the festival

·        Confirm Capoeira group for DVD

·        Meet and discuss Capoeira DVD

·        Research other Capoeira videos for music

·        Research the instruments used by Capoeiristas

·        Organise a day to do the surround sound recording and shoot video

·        Record Capoeira group in BBC hall

·        Film Capoeira group on location fighting

·        Design a layout for the DVD and a story board

·        Mix the surround sound recordings in Uni campus

·        Compose and produce other musical parts for one of the surround sound recordings to be used in the intro to the DVD

·        Research ways to produce matrix like SFX for the intro

·        Record or collate legal samples to be used as SFX in surround sound recording

·        Master and mix Surround sound recording and add to video

·        Compile DVD

·        Organise recording dates for studio recording for Sam Gabriel

·        Record Sam in the studio in January

·        Arrange production techniques for Sam’s recording

·        Master and mix Sam’s EP

·        Report writing

Surround sound recording and video shoot...

Well its been a very busy weekend. Friday I booked the BBC hall in Swansea Metropolitan Uni to record the Capoeira musicians. I hired a couple of cameras from the uni, stage lighting and started to set up around noon. I was expecting the musicians to arrive after 1:30pm. I decided to save time I would just go straight ahead and set up the baffle boards and microphones. I knew the Brazilian music would be loud as several berimbau's were being used. I set up a stereo configuration known in the industry as ORTF, a middle microphone and rear microphones also in the ORTF configuration. I had a separate vocal mic for singer Sazuki. Once the musicians arrived I went through each configuration individually to confirm I was happy with the recording.

We had very limited recording time and I only managed to record four songs with added interruptions from cleaners. I haven't yet had chance to mix or even listen properly to the recordings and hope to do this Monday.

Since my conversation with Paul last Tuesday regarding my project and adding more audio content to it, I have decided to add to the recordings by including some drum loops and possibly other melody instruments like a bass line to make a remix. This isn't something I have done before so it'll be interesting to see the outcome!

Saturday was mostly filming on location. The Capoeira group had a big event in Swansea University and wanted me to film it. I wanted to record it as well but had major latency problems with the laptop I was using and had to forego the recording. However the audio from the camera's is very good and I may be able to use it.

My next plan is to look and listen to all the material I have and create a layout for the DVD and how to present the various media.

I'm hoping to do more filming at the groups academy Monday evening which I plan to use for the introduction to the DVD,before the menu appears; which will include my remix of the surround sound recordings and SFX.

Meeting with Paul Hazel

Had my first meeting with lecturer Paul Hazel today to discuss my major project. He feels that I will need to add more content to my project and to ensure I focus on the audio, as I will not be marked on the video editing, web designing and artwork. The focus will be to present a portfolio of various examples of products the sound company can produce and most importantly on the technical information of the audio aspects of the products and how they vary.

This has given me some new ideas how to present the DVD. I could attempt to include SFX recordings for the fight scenes like in the video in this link:

I could even create something similar to this video with SFX for an intro to the DVD.... mmmm

DVD update...

So I had a lovely evening Thursday when I met up with the local Swansea Capoeira group to chat with the Mestre Maxwell. I have arranged a formal meeting with him Tuesday morning to discuss the shoot and surround sound recording in more depth. The project has now taking on a life of its own and feels more of a commercial project due to the little time in which I have to prepare for the shoot.

The plan is now to, if possible; do a surround sound recording on Friday afternoon the 25th of November. Maxwell will try to arrange the Contramestre Suzuki to be there and I have to confirm I can book the BBC hall from 1pm for that Friday. I will have limited time to set up and record so may have to enlist a friend to be a runner for me ( possible victims are Mike Jones and Iain Lewis).

I now have to confirm Elle from Swansea Telly will be available to film some of the recording and hopefully local photographer Lasma Poisa will be free to take some photographs. Lasma is currently doing a degree at Swansea Metropolitan in photography.

I am very excited about how this is all coming together and hope very much that I can pull it off!

Saturday the 26th I have to arrange Elle, myself and runner to attend the Batizado event, to film and possibly record the musicians as well when they do the Rado. The Rado is "a circle formed by capoeiristas and capoeira musical instruments, where every participant sings the typical songs and claps their hands following the music. Two capoeiristas enter the roda and play the game according to the style required by the musical instruments rhythm." (Wiki).

After meeting up with the group last Thursday I realised that the Rado could get very loud at the Batizado event and may be very hard to record well. However I have decided that it would be best to give singers a spot mic and then to set up the stereo mics somewhere where the percussion will not be to overpowering. Will upload my full equipment list in the next couple of days.

I certainly have lots to think about and organise!

DVD product update for Swansea Capoeira Group

Met up with a member of the group yesterday to arrange a formal meeting with the leader and discuss some ideas. He mentioned that there will be a really big event coming up on Saturday the 26^th of November and ideally their group leader Maxwell would like me to film or record it. A Contramestre of the Capoeira art Sazuki will be in the UK and visiting. It would be amazing to record him singing with the musicians and to film him fighting. He is well known all over the world to fans of the art so would be a great opportunity. So here’s the plan:

Equipment I’ll need for location recording of event:

·         2 of the same model of condenser microphone for stereo recording

·         2 digital film Camera’s

·         Riffle mic for interviews

·         Laptop with DAW

The event is called Batizado and will be on the 26^th of November in Fulton house. I have to register to get AV equipment from uni as well as notify the camera woman of the film group I have arranged for filming.

My meeting with Maxwell and the Capoeira group will be this Thursday the 17^th of November. We will discuss our plans, set out stage plans and discuss the recordings and artwork. I also need to arrange a good day for the group to come to the Met and do a surround sound recording of the musicians. There is a possibility we might be able to do it the same weekend as the event and get the Master Mestre to perform too.

Film group confirmed!

I had a phone call last night from a member of the Swansea Telly collective:

http://swanseatelly.org/

They have confirmed that someone from the collective is interested in filming the Capoeira group for me so I am very excited. Need to now arrnage a meeting with the group to arrange dates and confirm the project.

Product Idea's

Ok so as I've already said my product idea is a CD and a video/ DVD. My plan is to edit and mix the recordings I took this summer at local festival Women in Tune where I managed the sound crew and produce a compilation album for the festival. The CD could be used to promote the festival as well as generate some very needed income for it. I also hope to produce a promo video of the festival but this depends on what footage I can collate from other people who went to the festival this year. The more media I can get the more video I can produce and maybe even a DVD to accompany the CD. I now have to start contacting people I know as well as the festival organisers and start gathering photos and video footage of the festival. I intend on recording a voiceover to narrate through the visual journey of the festival and explain what its about. In the background of the video I intend on using some samples of natural sounds I record including the mixed live recordings of the festival itself.

So this is the package the sound company 'Live Matters' offers as a press kit. Live CD, video and DVD authoring.

Recently I spoke to a member of a local capoeira group called Benesek Monk. He informed me that the group are looking to produce a DVD of what they do here in Swansea with Capoeira. I was very interested when he told me that the Brazilian art does not just involve fighting but also playing authentic instruments from Brazil. I told him that I would be interested in producing a DVD for them and recording the musicians using surround sound recording techniques. This has great potential and possibly even funding. Must look into it more, what equipment is needed and whether I need people to help film the group for me.

promotional tagline

"A visual and audio presskit too show Live Matters"

The Epiphany!

Today I met up with lecturer Gareth Jones to discuss my major project idea. The meeting was indeed helpful in establishing a structure and plan for the project, which is what I needed.  He suggested I create a list of aims for the sound company, its products, how I plan to achieve them and what resources I need. This really helped structure what I need to get done over the coming months and I think developed my epiphany, which I will come to later. Firstly, the aims of the sound company are:

 - To produce a CD of a live recording of an artist or an event         
    -> e.g. Women in Tune (WIT) Festival 2011 live performances  


 - A bonus DVD that can accompany the live CD which will act as a small promotional video for said artist/event 
   -> also upload part of it on networking sites like YouTube 


- The live recordings and video can be used to promote artist, event  and festival in multiple ways 
   -> e.g. CD, DVD, digital downloads and streamed from their website


- Website for sound company

OK so that’s essentially what I want the sound company to do. It will offer live and studio recordings, videos and DVD authoring. I now need to create a list of how I am going to achieve these outcomes, what resources I will use and produce a story board of the video I am going to compile. Coming back to my epiphany though, when I put all these objectives together in my head I realised that the product/services the sound company is offering could be a PRESS KIT. Genius, I must admit I shouted to myself when I realised, which in hindsight is a bit over the top, but I was very happy and did the victory dance. That was the missing link to my idea and what brought all the various components together into a package. Wohoo! Now I have direction, now I know how to present the products to my target audience and now I have a goal. Press kit it is.

Research

Researching other companies that offer live recording:

http://lx3.co.uk/services.html

http://www.ssal.co.uk/liverecording.htm

http://www.livesystems.co.uk/recording.html

http://www.liverecording.org/

* http://chicagoliverecording.com/index.html

New Blog

Ok, so I have set up a new blog. I am newbie at this and haven't kept a diary for many years and don't even tweet! Despite that I am going to attempt to blog my work, research and efforts in completeing my Major Project over the next academic year.

I will be discussing my major project ideas and what steps I will take in achieving my desired goal. I guess you are wondering what my major project ideas are?

I am a music tech student and have been a live sound engineer for several years. My main idea for the project is to tackle the issue of making live music important again. The proliferation of digital music has made it hard to control the product, the product being the recorded music. Now more than ever it is important for the artist to be able to perform live well and even spectacularly. My idea is a business plan for a sound company, that will produce live recordings as well as videos of its artists on theirs tours or at festivals. The idea isn't so much to produce an income from the live recordings but, to use them as promotional tools to promote the artists or events and get people coming to the gigs.

This blog will contain my efforts in creating a template business model, how it will work, the benefits and problems it may have, as well as keep a record of the kind of products the sound company will produce.

First and foremost is the name for my sound company which will be 'Live Matters'. I have already done some research on the name and it is currently not in use.

I also have another idea for my final project which is a piece of music comprised entirely from natural sounds that I would record. This would be fairly similar to the project produced by Coldcut and Hexstatic. Please check out youtube video :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLu7p9bTJ84

I have had an interest in doing something like this for many years now. However, my time restraints and lack of materials needed to produce a good collection of sounds, means I am likely to go with the sound company idea. I already have the equipment needed to produce the neccessary products to demonstrate the capabilities of the sound company.