Wednesday 14 October 2015

Feedback from new songsters

I think that that the event was a great success. Dozens of people turned up filling pretty much every chair in the chapel for the event. The audience; who were fueled by a slight bit of alcohol, I have to say, were fantastic, creating a lively and very vibrent atmosphere in the room throughout the gig.

In the centre's most ambitious live stream ever, we received the most online viewers ever in new songsters history. And if that's not enough, lots of the online viewers commented online via the live stream website and twitter saying how much they were enjoying the show. Many comments said that the show was "pretty cool" and "groovy".

We received similar comments from people in the live crowd who praised the hosting (as well as the acts. The second act, singer/songwriter Natalie Holman received by far the most rave reviews.

We also managed to please the artist who both, as well as thanking us in person for "allowing" them to perform, went on social media saying they "always love performing" at new songsters and that they had a "great evening".

All of the above proves that it was definitely fit for purpose and appealed to what was a rather large audience. Well, it can't be said that the whole audience was impressed with every act. Though, like I said earlier, act two received fantastic feedback, the same can't be said completely for our opening act the C.Tivey trio. One or two members of the live audience came up to me after the show to say that they weren't too impressed by the jazz band. This was because jazzy instrumentals with no vocals wasn't exactly their cup of tea; which is fare enough. They felt that we should have stuck with acts similar to our headliner Natalie throughout the show. Though, it has to be said, judging by the slight drop in viewing figures in the second half of the show, it appears that the online viewers thought quite the opposite.

This to me suggests that we did have a good range of acts appealing to different types of audience and though some people didn't enjoy some aspects of the show, the majority certainly did. My conclusion is that you can't please everyone all of the time but to please different people at different segments of the show is what I'd call a success.

Friday 9 October 2015

Analysing new songsters episode 1

PURPOSE OF THE EVENT
There were many purposes for the event. The main one was to give people in the local community the opportunity to watch live music from local artists. It did this by allowing people to attend the event FREE of charge. Also, people could tune in to the last half hour of the show.
Another reason for the event was to give local artists a platform to perform to a live and online audience. And that didn’t just mean the headline act as they also gave the opportunity for the more music musically gifted members of the public to perform during the first half of the show which was an open mic segment.
Content
The show was a couple of hours long with a break in-between so people could get more drinks, ETC. As this was the first time we'd done this, it was all very new for us. Also this meant we didn't have as many open mic performers, but we had a couple. The headline for the evening was Seren the Heron.
The first part of the show was the open mic segment, so our performers would all try out and then the best ones would be picked to perform a track on the live stream. Seren also played a couple of tracks to give the crowd a taster of what to expect on the live stream.
The second half of the show was the live stream itself. This would last half an hour, and there was a track from the best open mic performer of the night, which was Hannah wood, and then a full set from Seren which went down really well.
Target Audience
The target audience for the show was people of both genders aged between about 16 and 40 who enjoy chilled out, acoustic music. Though I feel that due to the young age of all of the evening’s performers, the age range of listeners will be lower as well.
The design and style of the event
The design of the stage was very simplistic. There was a piano to the left of stage which, although it was originally there unless one of the open mic performers wanted to use it, looked very good on camera in the background of shots of the performers. Then, in the centre of stage, was a small platform with a stall in the middle and mics in front ready for the singer songwriters to do what they do best. Also, the lighting was very simplistic. Using a lighting rig, a spotlight was essentially created in the centre of stage with dim lighting either side. Also, LED lights all of various colours were scattered at the side and back of stage reflecting on the walls to create effect.
The event was held at the Chapel, at the Chapel arts centre. This is a great location because it is quite close to the busy Hereford town centre, but it is also a great music venue. As well as it being aesthetically pleasing, with the old chapel window, confession room door and prayer board, but it is also the perfect place to get great sound. This is due to the natural reverb that can be heard due to the design of the building.
Suitability
I really liked the format of the show as I thought it worked well. It was a very enjoyable night and I thought it held a lot of promise for future events as people's responses for hugely positive. I like that open mic performers were invited to come and show off their talent, and then get a chance to perform around the world on the internet. This is a very unique format.
Legal and ethical issues
The organisers did risk assessment on everything in the event from trip hazards e.g. cables in the way, unstable lighting rigs, ETC to ensure that nothing would happen. Also, precautions were taken to make sure that artists and the host new not to say any offensive or bad language as someone who was watching on the live stream or in the audience could be offended. Another issue would be licencing via a PRS or similar licence if any artists performed covers, or if music was played at the start or end of the show. The building has one of these which covered this.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Event production diary

Planning and putting on an event
In May, our team gathered round for a meeting to plan an event that we would actually be putting. This is the production diary from all of our meetings.
Session 1
Session 1 was a brainstorming idea, in which we came up with a couple of ideas.
The first one would have been fun to put on but there was too many problems that we couldn’t make it. It was a comedy gala, in which we would invite students from neighbouring colleges and budding comedians from around Herefordshire to come and have a go. However we thought we’d have to do something to make the night something people would want to come too, so we thought about booking a headline comedian act. However we decided that this wasn’t a good idea as we’d have to pay the comedian and the without charing for tickets, the chapel arts centre has a very small budget.
We struck gold with the second idea though. We had decided that after watching some old new songsters clips that we should put on a best of. Invite down one of our previous headline acts, get another headline act and stream the entire show. We decided this because people had been tuning into the live stream so we thought they deserved to see the intire show instead of just half an hour. It was a special, after all.
Session 2
Today we discussed which artists we could book. We had already decided that they had to be headliners, and we laid down some criteria. They had to be easily contactable, and they needed to be aware that although we couldn’t actually pay them for the gig, we would be streaming their entire set so increasing their fan base and giving them publicity.
We decided that the best way to do this was to grow aroun the group and pick out all of our favourite artists from the series. We came up with 3 options. These were: Natalie Holman, Seron the Heron and Arthur Mills and the black Fridays. We decided that we’d try and book Natalie Holman and Arthur Mills and the black Fridays as these had been the acts that drew the biggest crowds and got the most interaction. Also they are easy to contact and they are fully aware of the money situation.
Session 3
Today we thought it was best that we talked about the date and time for the event, as it was fast approaching and we would need to start on promotion. We brainstormed a few dates. We thought about doing the gig on a Friday but then we thought that new songsters had pretty much always been on a Thursday and they drew the bigger crowds. We also thought people may already have plans for Friday and may not be so bothered about coming out on a Thursday.
We looked at calendars and saw that by process of elimination with other things going on, the only real date we could have near to the end of the academic year was Thursday the 25th of June.
We decided then to contact the artists. One of the team sent Natalie a message on social media and we asked around for a phone number for Arther Mills. It turns out one of the staff was friends with one of the members so we gave him a ring. He said they were up for it but after talking dates, it turns out they had a gig that night. We then went back to the drawing board with artists. It just so happens that we were talking another member of chapel arts staff who happened to be in a band and she said she’d ask her band if they could play. This was the C.Tivey trio.
Session 4
Session 4 started with a catch up of events since the last meeting. Natalie had replied confirmed that she would be up for it and she was really looking for it. We then needed to get another headline act for the lineup. We asked Cara, as she had shown interest in playing if she would join our meeting. She did and we had a chat about the sort of music her band played, what equipment and instruments they would need, ETC. She described it as “Jazzy/Hip hop instrumentals with some weird piano gits.” This was great as we loved the idea of having something different on the night as it could increase the public interest and hopefully the turnout on the night.
The group quickly and unanimously decided that this act would be the perfect band to fill the available slot for the gig. So our attention turned to the stage setup.
We knew that Natalie’s set up was pretty simple with just her and an acoustic guitar, so we enquired about the setup of our new act the C.Tivey trio and quickly learned that their setup was also quite simple. They would simply have a pianist with a vocal mic, a base guitarist and a drummer. On discovering this, we came to a group decision that it would be a good idea to allow the C.Tivey trio to perform in the first segment of the show with the pianist on stage left, the base guitarist on a platform o stage centre and the drummer to the right of stage. This means that we will be able to leave the piano and drum kit on stage for Natalie’s set in the second segment of the show whilst she performs on the platform in the centre of the stage. This would be aesthetically pleasing for audience members and would look great on camera for our online viewers.
Session 5
Today’s session focussed on job roles and personnel. As a group we first had a think and wrote down every job role that was necessary for the night. This included everything from the sound and visual engineers respectively for the WebTV Live stream to the barman and everyone else in between. Once that was done we then spent time putting a name of someone who we thought would be appropriate for the job to each role. Once the list was finalised, we emailed each person who we wanted to be a member of our team asking if they were interested in helping us out.
After that, we began promoting the event. This involved posting notices out on the college’s electronic notice board system, putting up posters, and just generally spreading the word. We got a few responses from people saying they would attend.
Session 6
Today’s session began with a brief catch up on what had happened since the last meeting. And once again it was good news. Everyone who we asked to take an active role in the event accepted the offer meaning we now had a strong team on the night which would increase our chances of success.
Then we turned to the main business off this meeting which was the livestream. The chapel arts centre had just put together a two minute promo for the centre and we felt that this livestream would be the perfect place to premiere the promo. Also, we needed something to fill the 20 minute interval on the livestream as simply having something like the centre logo could risk us losing lots of viewers. So we needed something to entertain them during the interval. This was when a member of the group came up with an ingenious idea. As this is going to be the final episode of series one of New Songsters, they suggested putting together a compilation of clips together of past performances during the series calling it a Wbest of New Songsters.” It would feature four or five full length songs from past headline acts as well as showing small clips of open mic performers.
Session 7
Todays session was a big one. Putting together the best of clip. We sat with a member fo staff and went through the performers and picked our favourites. After we’d done that, our host Josh went into the control room where we streamed from and recorded a little bit for the middle of the clip introducing the open mic performers. We then went through our open mic performers and gathered the best parts. After it was all done, the clip was just long enough to fill the interval so we were quite proud of ourselves.
Session 8 was the show itself.
The day involved running around eeverywhere making sure that everything was in place for the big night. It was an all dayt affair, so the only time I actually left the chapel building was to grab a quick lunch, and to get changed and showered before the show started. The day was spent making sure the bar was stocked, making sure that the videos that were to be played out including the chapel promo and best of clips were ready and were looking perfect. Also we had to set up the stage. So a few members of the team were helping us get everything in place. This involved getting tables and chairs from a neighbouring building, setting up all 3 cameras (2 roaming, one in the centre surrounded by tables and chairs). We also set up the stage with all of the mics and audio equipment. Then later on we ran a few test of the cameras to make sure they looked fine, the audio sonded fine and then we got our artists in for a sound check. This went smoothly and before we knew it, it was show time.
The show went off without a hitch, everything working perfectly, (apart from host josh falling over but no one noticing until he, himself pointed it out). We had more audience members then we’d ever had before, and hit a peak of 31 online viewers which was a new record for the chapel.

Friday 24 July 2015

Evaluation of CV

Evaluation of CV
To improve, I need to get better at meeting deadlines. I also need to look at a wider range of audio editing and production software; more advanced than soundForge. For example, DAWs like protools or logic. I also need to focus more on my planning skills, and on things like production schedules, risk assessments, ETC. I need to also pass myself more on projects, and give myself enough time to finish one project before moving on to another so I can focus more on a particular project.
I also need more experience with recording bands as although I have done some of this, I still need a few more sessions just to refine what i know.
There are lots of opportunities for employment or for expanding your education in the media industry. There are a few websites dedicated to advertising media jobs such as http://jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/media/ and http://www.themediadirectory.com.
Education wise, there are many university degrees to do with things in the media industry, journalism, broadcasting, radio, ETC.

Thursday 23 July 2015

Best of New songsters

Best of New Songsters (series 1) from thechapel on Vimeo.

Here are some of the highlights from series one of New Songsters.

This is a visual portfolio of my work. It is a clip of the best of series 1 of the new songsters open mic show which was a 6 part series that was held at the Chapel and streamed live on Chapel TV. I was the sound engineer for the majority of the series however I did run the live PA in the chapel for a couple of episodes.
It just shows some of the headline acts we had and it was shown in the interval of our last show in the series.
I was heavily involved in the production of the show and the running of the series, choosing which headline acts to have and which open mic contestants would be put on the online stream. I also helped shape the show, deciding on the technical side of recording. For example, I had the idea of having an extra microphone active in the chapel itself to help capture the natural reverb and atmosphere of the crowd as I thought the shows sounded a bit unnatural until that point.
I would also be part of the team that would set up the chapel by setting up microphones, monitors and different instruments.

Thursday 16 July 2015

Evaluation of pitch

Evaluation of pitch
To improve my pitch I need to make sure that i Have all the information I need and to thin more about the finer details e.g. specific audience, expansion ideas, exact dates, times, ETC. I would also do a demo and have an extract to show what the format of the show would be and what it would sound like. I would also need to have a clearer idea of the type of music I wanted to play and the competition from other stations. I would have to carry out research to see whether there was a demand for the show and whether I would actually get any listeners. I would do this by looking up the competition online and possibly doing a survey around the local area.
I would also need to think about expandibility for the show and its timescale; how long I’d want to keep doing it, would I just do 1 show a week ETC.

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Evaluation of chapel arts promo

Evaluation of Chapel arts promo
I am quite proud of the promo however if we were going to do it again more planning must be undertaken. For example, we need to stick to production schedules and draw a line on where changes can be made. WE would also make sure that we had all of the elements needed before the editing process so we aren’t scrambling around looking for extra camera shots, footage and images. I would laos say plan time for the editing process so it doesn’t all have to be done in a few hours at the last minute before the promo needs to be used.

Evaluation of new songsters

Evaluation of The New songsters event
I think the event was a success however if we were to put it on again I think that the following would be better. We didn’t really have a back up plan and more things needed to be considered e.g. what we would do if one of acts pulled out at the last minute, if a vital member of the crew e.g. the presenter or camera operators couldn’t make it, ETC. We would also need to consider costing and how much the venue would have cost to hire and wages for the people working and the artist’s pay. We would also look around to see if there was a greater variety of acts to book as some of the feedback we got was the acts weren’t varied enough. We’d also try and promote the event more, get the message out more on social networks, ETC.

Tuesday 7 July 2015

Evaluation of my event

Evaluation of my event
Next time I need to think more about financing and how I am going to fund my event. I need to think more about the aim of my event money wise, e.g. whether I am aiming to make money or not. I also need to think about budgeting more. I would need to budget for hire of the venue, wages and other costs. Another thing I need to consider more is a contingency plan for if one of my staff members can’t make the event for a particular reason e.g. illness.
I did receive good feedback on the rest of the event however and feel like if I spent more time thinking about budgeting and contingency plans I could happily put on the event.

Difference between recorded and live session

The difference between this and a recorded session is that you can o multiple takes and then in the mixing stage use the best parts from each take. You can also add more effects like delay, reverb and compression to get the best sounding product. It is important to get the best sounding product as the client is expecting a good quality service for what they are paying for. However if you are doing live sound you can add live effects but there is a potential for distortion and unnecessary noise for accidental touching or bumping of microphones and other equipment.

Wednesday 1 July 2015

Cover letter


This letter would be attached along with my CV if I was applying for this job.
It is another opportunity to show off skills thatI can bring to the roll; another way to sell myself.
This was in response to a post as breakfast show producer at global.
https://media.info/radio/jobs/breakfast-show-producer-4

Portfolio


This is my audio portfolio of just some things I've either engineered myself. There's some jingles in there, dj mixing, music production, voiceovers I've recorded, and things I have engineered.

The next step

The next step
Based on the experience I have gained so far and the research I have done into opportunities for a career in the media industry I think my next step should be to find an apprenticeship in my chosen industry. Out of interest, my chosen interest would be something to do with sound engineering. However I wouldn’t turn down a job in the radio industry. Isn’t that just a great industry? Sitting in a room talking to yourself and pressing play on some songs for a set length of time for a set number of days a week. What’s not to love about that! However I don’t really have the voice for radio so I’d probably be thrown to the back to produce or edit or something like that. I’d love to do something with live sound as well because I like that sort of stuff.
To get this I would need some more training in the radio industry, e.g. undertake a radio degree at HE level. I would also need to volunteer at local and community stations so I could get the experience and a feel for the industry. I would also need to develop my range of skills in DAW’s and other software that is used in the radio studio.
I could do this by looking at apprenticeship schemes by big corporations like the BBC, or other radio companies like Global or Bauer. I could also volunteer at local and community radio stations. There is also a lot of guides and courses that can help you get into the industry by helping you refine your skills.

Media CV

Personal Statement
Over the last few years I have gained lots of experience in the media production industry, particularly audio production. This has included live music sessions, studio recordings, voice over sessions and producing audio for an online TV channel.
I have current knowledge of the media industry, in particular the music industry, which I am very passionate about, and I am keen to combine this with audio production skills in a broadcast environment.
I am keen to further my knowledge and develop skills in radio production. My main area of interest is music based although I am also interested in radio drama and documentary production.

I have a lot of experience in the media industry. This includes presenting and producing a few radio shows for the college station Chapel radio. This includes talk and music programming and radio dramas. I have also recorded a few bands with varying degrees of instruments e.g. synths, bass guitars, various drum setups, ETC. I also helped master these recordings for distribution by adding EQ, and various effects such as reverb and delay.
I have also administered recorded many voiceovers and recorded a few myself. I haven’t done much in the work of video production or editing.
I have done audio work for different theatre performances including mixing together songs and triggering sounds. I have also done live PA work including mixing a number of live microphones.
I have done sound engineering for a live web TV show, which includes bringing different audio sources in and out of the mix at precise times. It also includes making sure different queues are played when they need to be.

Monday 29 June 2015

Chapel arts promo script

Chapel Arts promo script
Alex: Chapel arts promo, take 1, action

Josh: This! Is Chapel Arts

A venue like no other

Home of New Songsters, one of Herefordshire’s finest open mic events.

We also have studios B and C, that can be used for
Well, whatever you’d like really,

Look, I’m recording this promo in studio C

Whereas these guys are recording there next hit single in studio B!

But that’s not all, there’s also a studio theatre which hosts a variety of events
From dancing and singing to acting and well, debating.
It’s got it all!

We’ve also got an art studio that can be used for art classes such as drawing, or painting.

Fancy having an art exhibition? That’s also one of the many services we provide here at the Chapel arts centre.

If you’re hosting an event, you might want to make use of our licenced bar facility

The chapel arts centre is located on Venns Lane in Hereford and is open for your business.


Music
Theatre
Dance
Television
Art
Radio
The chapel

Chapel arts promo original plan

Some things changed from this original plan in the actual promo as some thigns didn't work or we came up with better ideas.Chapel arts centre promo plan
• start with an image of the Chapel logo which sits outside of the main building.
• We will then fade to an image of the glitter ball in the chapel.
• After that the camera will pan down to the stage where Alex will clap the clapper board and say ACTION!
• Next, there will be three or four clips of previous artists who have played in the chapel showing off the variety of acts we have such as acoustic, folk, Jazz and Rock (the last two being from the Art college)
• For the remainder of the promo there will be one consistant bed which as of yet has not been decided.
• Then we would go to the performance studio and show a shot of the empty studio to show how amazing it is
• This will be followed by various clips of all the many a things that have gone on there over the past few years such as the main event, the dance performance, harmoneyes and the political debate.
• Our next focus point will be the Art department. As well as showing some fancy shots of the art on display in the art room, we will also demonstrate the fact that we host exibitoins by recording footage of the upcoming art exhibition with shots of the art itself and the artist explaining one of his pieces to a costomer
• Next up will be a brief shot of kyle serving someone in the bar to show off the fact that we have a licenced bar in the building
• Finally, the voiceover will say the chapel arts slogan of music, theatre, art, radio, dance, television, the chapel. Wit each word would come an image. So for example, for music we could have an image of Head the thunder doing their thing, for radio we could have an image of one of our star presenters and/or technicians showing off their skills etc. then when “the chapel” is read out an image of the chapel logo will appear as the music fades out.

Radio 1 in hackney 2012 promo

Radio 1 in hackney 2012 promo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sG9LmueQZI

The purpose of this promo is to inform people about the upcoming event.
It lets them know the sort of artists that are going to be there and what to expect from the weekend.
It is a music promo with lots of visual effects. It also has some sound effects, the main one being the crowd effect that can be heard throughout the promo.
It has one song throughout with a couple of different presenters from radio 1 naming some artists and some general info about the weekend including how many tickets there are, when it is, ETC. It uses certain language to hype the event itself by saying things like “It’s going to be radio 1’s biggest weekend ever.”
This promo was shown between programs on the BBC’s television channels, and would have been shown at prime time slots to get the most attention. I wouldn’t say the promo was particularly eye catching but it serves as a gentle reminder not to miss it.

Edit and produce an original audio visual audio visual promo

Wednesday 17 June 2015

Investigate Various Radio Stations that broadcast Radio Dramas

Analysing a radio station that plays radio drama BBC radio 4 extra Figure 1BBC Radio 4 extra logo Broadcasts in the UK Mostly broadcasts repeats of old comedies, dramas from the BBC spoken word archive. It also sometimes broadcasts extended programming from its sister station BBC radio 4. Also did some children’s programming; stories, competitions, ETC. There were two shows for kids little toe (now CBeebies Radio), and big toe with music, current affairs and books. It also use to host the only radio program presented by the news round team. Launched in December 2002 as BBC 7, rebranded to 4 extra in April 2011 When the station launched again, it kept most of its programming that it already had with some new programs and spin offs from radio 4. The station is mostly based around comedy however it does play lots of different types of drama as well, for example, SiFI happens in its 7th dimension evening segment. It does also play other drama such as crime fiction and murder mysteries. It gets around 1.6 million listeners a wekk, and they are listening for an average of around 5 hours or so. They have 0.9% market share.

Tuesday 16 June 2015

Proposal for radio show My radio show will be aimed at people aged from about 15-30 with a range of old classics from the 00’s, and some brand new music. A range of genres from pop to UK grime, some hiphop, UK garage, dance, ETC. It would be half an hour to an hour long with a little bit of talking between the songs, but the show will be mostly about the music that I’m playing. I might introduce a bit of news just so it sounds like I actually have something to talk about other than just playing the songs. I will do some research on the songs; where they charted, how successful they were, and maybe some background info or an interesting fact about the artist. A feature I will have is called hidden gem where I will play an album track that I like and think the rest of the world needs to know about. I will need to plan this show; what songs I am going to play, what sort of things I am going to say (make a running order). I will need access to the radio studio for this to happen as it is easier to record the sample matterials live than to edit voiceovers and talking together. I will make sure I have all the songs I want to play in the show before hands so I’m not scrambling around during the show looking for songs I thought I had. I will record a couple of jingles to use during the show. For this I will need access to a studio and possibly someone to engineer the recording process

My radio show will be aimed at people aged from about 15-30 with a range of old classics from the 00’s, and some brand new music. A range of genres from pop to UK grime, some hiphop, UK garage, dance, ETC.
It would be half an hour to an hour long with a little bit of talking between the songs, but the show will be mostly about the music that I’m playing. I might introduce a bit of news just so it sounds like I actually have something to talk about other than just playing the songs.
I will do some research on the songs; where they charted, how successful they were, and maybe some background info or an interesting fact about the artist.
A feature I will have is called hidden gem where I will play an album track that I like and think the rest of the world needs to know about.
I will need to plan this show; what songs I am going to play, what sort of things I am going to say (make a running order).
I will need access to the radio studio for this to happen as it is easier to record the sample matterials live than to edit voiceovers and talking together.
I will make sure I have all the songs I want to play in the show before hands so I’m not scrambling around during the show looking for songs I thought I had.
I will record a couple of jingles to use during the show. For this I will need access to a studio and possibly someone to engineer the recording process.

Carry out a Case Study on an existing media product

Basic analysis – The Ricky Gervais show

Purpose and meaning:
to entertain and to inform about history. Ricky and Steve present Karl with different scenarios and metaphors and pick his brain for his thoughts on different subjects. Not necessarily topical.
Form and style
It is an audio podcast with animations added. They are all sitting in a studio talking to each other.
Content
The show consists of sketches, each one a new topic, metaphor or topic to discuss. They pick Karl’s brain on a variety of subjects ranging from ancient history to philosophy.
Genre
Entertainment/animated comedy
Target audience
It was normally shown
Frequency
The show was on weekly on channel 4 in the UK, and was then released on to DVD after it had been shown. After the series started, a new episode would be shown weekly. Series 3 was the last series of the show, as Ricky thought they had used up all the good material.
The show’s usually last for around 20-25 minutes.
Production process
The show will have several people working behind the scenes in a production team, this team could include someone or 2 people to find sound effects, people to create animations, people to storyboard and draw the animations. They will also have a production team who will be responsible for filming the guys in the studio, a director, sound guys, and lots of other staff who will all be needed.

Plan a new UK live music event

Black Hill Records opening night (New songsters special)
Possible dates: 4th, 5th Jun.
Held in the Chapel
Potential bands/artists: A few signings to the record label just to showcase the kind of things we have e.g. Seren the Heron and Natalie Holman.

What personnel you need:
I will need several people. We will have the usual production team in the back ready to stream it. I would require someone to run the live sound in the chapel. I would also need some help setting up the chapel. I will also need someone to greet people and show them where to go and to open the door. I will also need someone to be in charge of the bar.

My running order is 2-3 hours long, depending on how many artists turn up. The first half of the show will not be streamed, however I would like to get a series of previous new songsters clips and play those. The hole second half of the show will be streamed live. Josh will be hosting; introducing acts, unveiling the tour and giving shout outs to people watching and interacting with the stream.
I would need the following equipment:
6 microphones and stands
3 cameras
2 speakers and stands
Possibly a DI box for a guitar
PA desk at the back of the chapel to feed the live sound
Tables and chairs for the lovely audience to sit and watch the lovely performance
Headsets so that the people operating the cameras can hear instructions from the control room.
Materials
I will need posters advertising the event which could be put up around the surrounding areas. I could also make some fliers to hand out with the date, time and location.
Stage design
A speaker to the left and right of the stage, vocal mic with a stool for guitar players, a mic on a piano and a vocal for the piano. Another vocal on the stage, all on a raised platform. Atmosphere mics to capture the sound of the croud. LED lighting to light up the stage and the performers.
I would have a budget of £500. This would be used to pay the artists who are performing, refreshments for the bar and any other costs for example hire of the venue.

Risk assessment
HAZARD
potential for harm Will
Affect PRECAUTIONS/CONTROLS
already in place to remove hazard, reduce risk level RISK (with controls)  Additional Controls Needed and Target Dates.

L
S
R
Trips and falls
Crew and members of the audience Ensure that there are no loose cables near the audience. Crew should tape down and lay cables safely 2 2 4 This should be checked by the crew before the audience enter the venue.

Electrocution Everyone Ensure that electrical equipment is PAT tested and safe to use. 1 3 3 All of this should be checked during set up.

People could be crushed Audience members Make sure that only the allotted amount of people attend (the number that the venue can hold (80)) 2 2 4 Door staff should be keeping track of numbers.
Deafening
everyone Make sure the sound levels don’t exceed the recommended levels of 107DB 1 2 2 The sound engineers should do sound check before the event starts to prevent this.


The three columns (L,S,R) are for assessing the level or degree of risk. The first (L) is for an assessment of the likelihood of the hazard taking place, the second (S) for the severity of the hazard, both based on the following:-
(L) LIKELIHOOD

1. Hazard exists very infrequently; limited numbers exposed
2. Likely to occur; hazard exists intermittently or occurs occasionally
3. Likely to occur soon; permanent hazard or occurs daily / repeatedly; many may be exposed (S) SEVERITY OF HAZARD

1. Could cause minor injury only
2. Could cause major injury/3 day or more absence
3. Could cause fatality/severe injury (R) RISK LEVEL is product of Likelihood and Severity (LxS).

Very high risks score 6 or 9
Moderate risks score 3 or 4
Low priority risks score 1 or 2

VERY HIGH RISKS NEED IMMEDIATE ACTION


Legal and ethical issues
There are many legal and ethical issues to think about when planning an event such as this one. You’ve got the language used. You’ve got to think about the kinds of people there and whether they would get offended by bad language or whether it is appropriate. For this event I’d say mild use of bad language would be appropriate. You’ve also got discriminatory language. You can’t use language that would discriminate against people’s gender, race or sexual orientation.
A legal issue as well is a licencing for the venue. They need to have some sort of PRS licence for the music being played or performed e.g. covers of songs. This is just so the royalties are distributed to the right person.

Risk assessment
HAZARD
potential for harm Will
Affect PRECAUTIONS/CONTROLS
already in place to remove hazard, reduce risk level RISK (with controls)  Additional Controls Needed and Target Dates.

L
S
R
Trips and falls
Crew and members of the audience Ensure that there are no loose cables near the audience. Crew should tape down and lay cables safely 2 2 4 This should be checked by the crew before the audience enter the venue.

Electrocution Everyone Ensure that electrical equipment is PAT tested and safe to use. 1 3 3 All of this should be checked during set up.

People could be crushed Audience members Make sure that only the allotted amount of people attend (the number that the venue can hold (80)) 2 2 4 Door staff should be keeping track of numbers.
Deafening
everyone Make sure the sound levels don’t exceed the recommended levels of 107DB 1 2 2 The sound engineers should do sound check before the event starts to prevent this.


The three columns (L,S,R) are for assessing the level or degree of risk. The first (L) is for an assessment of the likelihood of the hazard taking place, the second (S) for the severity of the hazard, both based on the following:-
(L) LIKELIHOOD

1. Hazard exists very infrequently; limited numbers exposed
2. Likely to occur; hazard exists intermittently or occurs occasionally
3. Likely to occur soon; permanent hazard or occurs daily / repeatedly; many may be exposed (S) SEVERITY OF HAZARD

1. Could cause minor injury only
2. Could cause major injury/3 day or more absence
3. Could cause fatality/severe injury (R) RISK LEVEL is product of Likelihood and Severity (LxS).

Very high risks score 6 or 9
Moderate risks score 3 or 4
Low priority risks score 1 or 2

VERY HIGH RISKS NEED IMMEDIATE ACTION


profiled the career development of an existing artist



Ed sheeran
OCR Level3 Media
Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift
General info
Edward Christopher Sheeran (Born 1991) (Age 23)
English singer/songwriter
From Yorkshire, moved to Suffolk at a young age
He then again moved to london in 2008 to better his music career.
Most notable songs; The A team, lego house, sing, thinking out loud.
Discography
•2 studio albums; + and X, both chart topping.
•Around 13-14 EP’s.
•A shed load of top 10 singles from both albums, a few more that didn’t chart.
•Lots of early EP’s that he admits aren’t very good
No. 5 Collaborations Project
•The EP most famous for reaching 2 on iTunes without any label promoting it.
He worked with a number of UK grime artists to produce it; JME, devlin, P money, wiley, ETC.
5th EP to try and get him noticed and signed to a label.
Caught the attention of Elton John, Jamie Foxx.

He then signed to Asylum records.
Recording and production
His first few EP’s were independently recorded and self released without a label. He would be giving people CD’s on the street.
After he released his first album he was already writing songs for his second album, one being the opening track for it.


Audience profile
•Ed has a very diverse audience profile. He appeals to tenagers and young adults
•16-25
•Wide range of Genres expands to a more diverse audience

Investigating the music industry; a specific record label

Parlophone records
Was originally owned by EMI, then universal music group for a year, and is now owned by warner.
They distribute their own material in the UK, through a range of channels. Radio is a big channel, as some big radio stations are always looking for new music to play and sometimes the new music that they are playing is the next best thing. They also have to make sure that all the other distribution channels e.g. iTunes and other online music stores, HMV and other retail stores. They have to now also look at online streaming services e.g. Spotify, grooveshark or deezer.
For artists that have made it big in America, they can sometimes get signed to a different label, or more often than not, their current label will have a deal that they give the material to their parent company (in this case warner), who then take care of distributing it in the US and sometimes Canada.
They cover a range of genres including rock, Indy, pop and many others. They started off, (like many other record labels) as solely producing jazz in the 1920S but then evolved and joined up with EMI to start producing a wider range of music.
The label is located in the UK, but it has origins in Germany.
It is one of the world’s most famous record labels, most famous signings include the Beatles, (which is still considered to be one of the cheapest record deals), Blur, Coldplay (distributed outside US and Canada), Gorillaz, Lily Allen, Radiohead, The Verve, Kyly Minogue and many others.
Most recent signings include Indy band Two Door Cinema Club and a few more.
It was EMI’s oldest active label until universal acquired it in 2012. HMV had a label but didn’t want to produce anything but classical, so became EMI classics, but then became warner classics in 2013.

Parlophone will have a huge A&R department consisting of many people who will scout around for new talent and new artists to sign.
The A&R people have to earn the artist’s trust and then make a judgement on whether they are doing the right thing or what they should really be doing instead.
The A&R can help develop an act so they are ready for the public market.

The marketing team have a tough job, they will help craft an artist’s image so it looks good for the media, they will also be responsible for advertisements e.g. booking radio and TV air time.

Many labels may have studio’s inside their buildings, they will be small, but in the 50s, 60s and 70s it was more common for labels to have in house studios.
Sometimes they will be used for artists to record demos and B sides.
The production manager of the label will make sure that sessions are running on time and are engineered to a high enough standard.
They will sometimes be the first person to work creatively with an artist, and they will help them through a first time in a studio.


Business development is a big part of a record label as they are always seeking out new business opertunities for a label. They also have to make new partnerships and can be responsible for changing the direction of a hole label.
This could include selling music through social networks, promoting music around adverts, ETC.
They also deal with product endorsements for different artists.
Business developers have to try and understand how the market is changing, and exmine it to see if they can spot the next big thing.
Consumer insight is all about how the record label connects with the listeners of its artists. Discovering how they are listening, and what they are using the most; e.g. streaming or downloads.

A very important part of a record label is the legal department. They need to make sure that they are complying with the law throughout all aspects of the business. This could include all aspects of musical law; intellectual property, competition laws, different laws regarding contracts, ETC.
They will also manage royalties for an artist that has passed away to make sure they are going to the right place.

A record label also has an artist relations department who act as an a point of contact between the artist and the label. They make sure that things are good between them both.
They will help to coordinate different things e.g. tours, gigs, new albums, ETC.

There is also a press officer at a label who will be responsible for coordinating interviews, writing press releases. They will work closely with the promotions team.

Regulatory bodies
PRS is how music is copyrighted. You can get a PRS licence to play music in a bar, shop or a radio station.
PRS makes sure that the artist is getting the royalties for you playing that song in a public place.
An artist will be a member of PRS, which entitles them to the royalties.


Ofcom regulates the broadcast of media on radio and television, deeming whether it can be offensive or not.
They have the right to bann things or fine companies that don’t adhere to their guidelines.

The musician’s union helps artists out by giving them a place to fall back on should they get in to a bit of trouble.

Monday 11 May 2015

Promo script

Script
Something big is happening

The chapel arts is proud to present capel radio

We’ve got a variety of shows so theres bound

to be something for you

we’ll play songs like this, and this, and maybe

even a bit of this

we’ve got presenters like this one, and this

one, and this one

we’ll bring you the latest news and events

from aroud the college to keep you up to date

we’ll bring you a wide range of music, from

chilled out classics to the fresest tunes.

We’ll also bring you live sessions from the

Chapel

We’ve got music Monday, playing you the

best music around

two track Tuesday, getting staff to pick two

favourite tracks

its all about you on request Wednesday

where we’ll play your choice of music

throwback Thursday, taking you back to those classics

fresh Friday, playing you the best up beawt

new music to kick off you’re weekend

find us on twitter @TheChapelArts or email us at onair@rncb.ac.uk

chapel radio, coming to a device near you



1xtra street music advert

1xtra street music advert



Purpose and meaning
The purpose of this advert is to inform people of the new station from the BBC. It shows that people from an urban background will listen. It also shows that the station is predominantly aiming for listeners of an ethnic background, but won’t discourage those who aren’t.
It is also showing the different styles of music they are going to be playing on the station; underground hip-hop, UK garage, jungle, drum & bass, ETC.
Form and style
It is a very informal advert, it is more of a promo for the station. It has no talking, but different songs and noises to represent different sounds, e.g. the song “sound of da police” by KRS1 is playing when the image shows a car with an alarm going off.
Content
The advert has different music clips to illustrate different things that are going on, for example people talking, a dog barking or a car alarm going off.
The advert shows the type of people that might listen to the new station; people from the ghetto, people with different backgrounds. People who like Hip-hop, Jungle, garage, ETC.
Genre
The genre is urban based, with influences of street and youth. There is also a reference of Jungle and UK garage in there.
Target audience
The advert is targeted at young people who are interested in Hip-hop; 15-25—29.
It would be shown on BBC TV - maybe a couple of primetime slots, it will also be advertised all of radio 1. Probably wouldn’t have been shown on BBC 2.
Probably shown on BBC choice (now known as BBC 3).
Production process
This advert will have taken quite a while to produce as it has quite a lot of elements in it.
I think the main challenge in producing this advert would have been getting the sounds lined up to the actions that are going on in the video. But also there’s quite a bit of audio editing required.
It would have required someone to find all the samples by chopping p the various songs. It would haso have required someone to record the VoiceOver that is heard at the end of the advert. It may have also required them to find actors and somewhere to film some of the scenes.

Chapel radio promo


Chapel radio promo
It is just under 3 minutes in length and advertises everything that Chapel radio does. It is aimed at people round the college and its purpose is to give Chapel radio promotion so people will listen.
It will be played out on Chapel radio itself so people know what else to expect from the station other than what they are currently listening too.
It has some clips of music and it has some clips of a few presenters talking. I am the main voiceover for the promo, and the voice that is heard throughout. I am also one of the presenters.
It would have to be played maybe a few times a day but not too often that the audience get irritated with it as it is quite long.
An idea for expansion would be to do a few promo’s promoting different shows on chapel radio, and different things coming up in the future.
These would probably be shorter in length but this one is longer due to Chapel radio being very knew to the college.
To make this promo I had a little bit of vocal help to get my voice sound more authentic and to project it a bit more. I had an engineer to press record and read me the script. I also had a little bit of help refining the script so that it flowed better and made more sense.

Wednesday 21 January 2015

About me and why I have chosen to pursue a career in the media industry

The media industry is very broad and there are lots of opportunities. These opportunities range from presenting in radio, being a music journalist or being a freelance sound editor.
You may end up doing a completely different job than what you set out to do in the first place, or you may expand what you want to do for example a music journalist may end up working in radio or a radio presenter may be offered a TV show.
I am mainly interested in radio production although I have interests in other areas such as sound engineering and sound editing.
I am also interested in the music technology side of things and have a good understanding of how most music technology equipment works.

I think I have a good understanding of jobs in the industry and understand that you don’t get a job in radio by applying for an application form, you send lots of demos around to various radio stations and make sure the demos are of a good standard; good quality, you know what you’re talking about. Sometimes it helps if you Taylor the demo to the station you are sending it to; using their tag line, contact info etc.
I have some experience in radio broadcasting at college (mainly pressing the buttons and doing a little bit of talking). I also have lots of experience in sound editing and have engineered a few voice recording sessions.
I have used a range of applications including sound forge, garageband and protools.
There are a few opportunities to start your own business, but mainly those sorts of opportunities are going freelance. There are things you can do to get training e.g. a univercity degree in radio broadcasting which will give you a range of skills in the radio field e.g. station management, production, preparing and planning shows, promotion, ETC. My dream job in the media industry would be working behind the scenes at say, bbd radio 1, being a sound engineer.