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[cameronrobertgeorge]

Music Making in the Creator Economy

Initially, I aspired to have a short-form social media profile that posts music covers. Remixing and interpolation are currently popular on the music side of TikTok and Instagram, so I wanted to harness that popularity. Comedy is also a familiar genre; therefore, it would be helpful for my videos to be amusing in some way but not overdone to the point of the musicality being shadowed.

I experimented with different themes, angles and techniques that would most likely occur on my profile. I have some experience with video editing, so the attempts of creating and uploading the clips would not prove challenging.

Gimmicks and familiar tropes must be explored to engage the audience to see what is similar and familiar to them as a fan base. In the two videos, the commonalities include the keyboard and setting; not just the keyboard itself, but the lights and colours are heavily focused and could be used as gimmicks.

When it comes to orientation, portrait is dominant and the current social media space as most people would be viewing such media on their phones in portrait. The second video is in landscape; therefore, the aspect ratio would be reduced to fit the whole video within the screen. I would add borders on the top and bottom filled with a blurred and zoomed-in version of the same video playing.

The length of the videos must also be considered. The average time scale for short-form media can be from 30 seconds to 90 seconds. Therefore, I would need to cut the video length to about half to appeal to the audience, who would most likely scroll or click away from the video if it doesn't accommodate their interests.

Here is the first version of my social media profile on TikTok. One of my goals is to have it relate to my already existing Instagram profile layout but not be a carbon copy. Firstly, the username I chose is an anagram of my forename and surname, Cameron Adcock. Not only being somewhat elusive and mysterious but also relating to cameras, which would be the medium for my content. Secondly, I used a previous attempt at my logo design as the profile picture to reinforce relation but also testify that this profile would produce content that wouldn't be the norm on any other of my social media accounts. Additionally, I have pasted my linktr.ee in my bio so people viewing my page can look at my other work, whether it be songs or videos that I have made.

I chose TikTok as the initial source of new social media content because the algorithm and actual formats of videos are most accommodating to the style and format of my future content - short-form media. Additionally, TikTok is one of the most, if not the most, used social media platforms at this time; thus, I have a higher chance of being discovered by other users, although this isn't a goal.

The style will stay the same regarding the content I will be producing. That being short videos of a popular song juxtaposed with a different genre or style of music. This covers music and comedy, a very prevalent video-making genre on TikTok. For example, Riptide by Vance Joy is a subtle and stripped-back song that evokes a feeling of contentment. If one were to perform the song in the style of heavy metal, the original objective of making the listener feel calm is abandoned. It is instead replaced by irreverence or unease, depending on who is listening. How surprising the juxtaposition is, makes it all the funnier, as the unexpected is a foundation in comedy.

Here is an old video, an example of the juxtaposition I intend to create. Although comedy is not apparent in this, it still does an excellent job of explaining my modus operandi.

The artist, Billie Eilish, is known for creating and performing pop songs of varying subgenres. I change the genre of this song, "Bellyache", from pop to country/folk. Switching genres, subgenres, or styles creates room for new ways to interpret, interpolate and remix different songs to evoke whatever emotion or message you intend to project. This is certainly what I want to proclaim when producing such content.

To increase the production value, I will use a separate microphone and audio rather than the microphone on the video recording device, which, in this instance, is my mobile phone. When filming a piano, I will frame it "top-down" or from the performer's perspective; when filming guitar or vocals, the shot would be towards the instrument or performer, with the object occupying most of the frame; the videos would always be one-take-one-shot as is most of the videos on TikTok. Set design is also an essential aspect of short-form media because an eye-catching image initially draws the viewer in to watch further. Therefore, bright colours and interesting set props, such as plants or other musical instruments in the background, would help tremendously in gaining the audience's attention.

Scheduling is relatively easy as the videos are short and should be manageable. Editing would also be easy since I only need to sync the video to the separate audio recording and edit further on TikTok. I would record numerous songs during one day and edit them on another. Then I would post one video every few days to a week. This ensures I have enough videos to last a while before I need to record again and helps my mind dedicate to a specific task such as recording or video editing.

Captions, annotations and subtitles are a massive part of short-form media for several reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, it helps the hearing impaired to engage in the video; to enable them to learn the same or similar to those of abled hearing. Secondly, it introduces a segment of the video seamlessly or offers an explanation of what may be happening in it. Additionally, it can show information that cannot be explained verbally due to time constraints or to help with the general flow of the video. Having elements appear on video is eye-catching, which helps with audience retention, meaning how long the viewer stays on a singular video.

Executing such a venture would prove difficult for me. To be active on social media, one must have confidence in oneself and/or their abilities. Unfortunately, I lack such unwavering faith; thus, promoting myself as a product worth someone's time is not all that possible for me to do. The influencer mindset is akin to television personalities, whose image and actions are the product and promotion. I cannot see myself as either, which is why I have yet to produce much content so far.

One person to draw inspiration from is a content creator called Tom Cardy. He is an Australian musician who makes parody songs, using instrumentals of existing songs and one he has written himself. He uses a lot of quips and wordplay. As well as self-deprecating humour - the latter of which is very prevalent in this generation's comedy.

[cameronrobertgeorge]

Chroma key continued

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Just a bit of fun practicing chroma key effects

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Soundcloud banner designs

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Logo concept designs

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MD5326 Make Music Your Business Assessment

Set Task 1

Firstly, I thought of doing a composition from scratch within an allotted time via a streaming platform called Twitch. It would simulate the real-world pressure of writing a song with a close deadline and it would help me progress my skills in production and Twitch is a potential way of receiving revenue. However, Rosie emailed me saying that a lesson would fit more criterions for the mark scheme. Teaching, in itself, isn’t my strongest area of expertise as I find it difficult to go by someone else’s pace rather than my own. One sided tutorials are much more fitting for my style of relaying information so I suggested as such to Rosie.

The event would be streamed publicly and would showcase an introduction into production via a DAW – this time it would be Logic Pro X as I’m much more comfortable with the software than other DAWs. Throughout the event, I will be composing a new piece in order to introduce segues and topics more neatly. For example, I would record short melody against a harmony but it may be too low in frequency compared to the other tracks, so I’ll EQ it and decrease the low frequencies and/or increase the high frequencies; as I am composing, I am also giving a tutorial about using EQ. Twitch streams are typically quite long – around 3-6 hours – and given potential time constraints, I would keep the stream fairly short. Certainly, long enough to talk about most of the basic production techniques e.g. EQ, compression, ADSR.

Set Task 2

Good Education

Teach production techniques

Teach song writing

Teach music theory

Open to everyone

Future proof

Others can learn remotely and for free

More likely to reach younger generation

People with disabilities can learn

Video can be used as example for lessons

Affordable and Clean energy

Using limited electronic equipment

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Progress music production economy

Inspire others to contribute to the music industry

Climate Action

No travelling via vehicles which reduces carbon emissions

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Intermediate level understanding of music production

Knowledgeable on social media platforms and streaming services

Communication

Song writing

Music theory

Using Logic Pro X

Using MIDI devices

Weaknesses

Teaching to others with a significantly lower knowledge of a certain topic

Working at someone else’s pace

Lack of extensive knowledge of livestreaming from a production standpoint

Lack of equipment to have a professional grade production

Opportunities

Revenue through Twitch stream

Teach others about music production

Extend our understanding of music production

Improve our song writing

Gain a following on social media

Have a new completed song

Learn how to teach others

Learn how to stage a successful livestream

Threats

Technical difficulties

Conflicting schedules

Time constraints

Potential lack of knowledge on a particular subject

Human error e.g. forgetting to host the event, deleting the VOD (video-on-demand)

[cameronrobertgeorge]

Mic setup for "Sittin of the Dock of the Bay" recording (Vocals and acoustic guitar parts)

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Mic setup for "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay" recording (piano part)

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Mic Comparison setup for vocals

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Cynic's Lament

Dreamer's Sanctuary

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Deadly Rainfall (Minimal Songwriting Task)

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Pitch by time charts of songs

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3 Live Performance Skills That I Would Most Like to Improve

Improve stage presence - move around more, look at the audience

Improve chemistry with bandmates - look for cues, have a mutual feeling of enjoyment

Being more lively - energetic, projecting voice

[cameronrobertgeorge]

3 Greatest Strengths as a Live Performer

I am able to adapt to any genre I perform both in appearance and skill

I can set a freeing and loose feeling with the audience through confidence in interactions

I can improvise accompaniments

[cameronrobertgeorge]

Song Obsessions

1. Kate McCannon – Colter Wall

Folk/Country and Western

His chilling vocals give me goose bumps every time; his rich and warm tone is inviting even if the lyrics are not.

The tragic plot is immensely foreboding because we’ve heard that the narrator killed the titular Kate McCannon but then there is a storyline to be presented and we are waiting for that fateful event. Additionally, it is a crime of passion that of which we can all somewhat relate to.

The dramatic “twang” of the guitar is also very chilling, using another form of reverb. I love the amateurish, imperfect style that Colter Wall incorporates in most of his songs; especially this one.

A friend introduced me to it while looking for inspiration for a song we were writing.

2. Chances – Athlete

Indie Rock

The sudden changes in dynamics send me chills and an eruption of emotion especially remembering the scene in Doctor Who where it was played – it being one with a whirl of sensation and sentiment.

The pleading tone in the vocals makes me think of what I desire thus engrossing me even further into the lyrics.

How it mixes classical and rock by incorporating the strings and piano. Rock in itself is very powerful and dramatic but introducing the delicacy of strings adds a whole new form of drama. One that moves me in a completely different way and has me feeling more emotionally connected with myself.

I first heard this song while watching the Doctor Who episode “Vincent and the Doctor”

3. Otherside – Avi Kaplan

Folk/Indie

The reverbed vocals whirling around the space make me feel light and at peace and helps me to imagine a place of solitude with no distractions or inconveniences.

The immaculate vocal harmonies, layering both high and low sounds is absolutely heavenly. It’s piercing and airy, causing a hard-hitting yet content impression.

How the lyrics explain the “in-touchness” with nature and one’s surroundings and resorting to it for guidance. I’m very passionate about nature and taking notice of the divinity of it. Therefore, when listening to the song, I feel transported to a recluse area with nothing but all things natural and wonderful.

Avi is an ex-member of the acapella group Pentatonix and I was seeing if he released any independent music; inevitably, I came across this.