Project description (what is the project)
This technology
project will be focused mainly around the creation and technical aspects needed
to build and run a successful record label. This project is not about setting
up a business, nor will it include pages and pages about the music industry. It
will however, focus on the technology involved in the process, such as audio
and video recording equipment, editing techniques and music distribution
methods. The ‘Product’ will consist of an artist, or a various number of
artists that will be recorded in a studio using recording equipment and editing
techniques, these recordings will be pressed to a CD and available to download
on the internet. The artist(s) will also appear on a music video recorded by
myself that will be included on the EP. Ideally, there will be a launch evening
to create more exposure and profit for the product, which will be planned and
engineered by myself but this is not as high a priority as the EP and video as
the launch will not involve as much technological aspects.
There will be
various other features in the project, such as comparative evaluations of
situations or techniques currently effecting Independent Record Labels. One
example of these discussions is the differences between Internet downloads and
sales from record stores. Although ‘success’ can be a very subjective concept,
in this project, it will be measured by how much profit is made by the product
as a result of album/ticket sales etc, as this will be a direct correlation to
how popular the product is with the key demographic.
There will also be a blog to document the progress of the project.
Project rationale (why you are doing the project,
what are the intended outcomes)
This project has been chosen as it will help to ascertain some
greater understanding on the way in which hearing impairments have an effect on
how audio is perceived. It is also for this reason that the simulation is going
to be created. Hopefully, by creating a simulation which will show and explain
to users how hearing is effected by hearing impairments, the users will gain a
greater understanding of how sufferers are affected and to give a greater
understanding of the differences between the simulated and unaffected audio. By
doing this, the user will have a better understanding of their hearing
abilities.
Project context (how will the project build on
analysis and research)
To get a better
idea about what there was to plan for, a look in to current Independent labels
that exist on the internet was the first step. A label that has always been
inspiring to many has been Sunday Best. They specialise in promoting a
collection of eclectic artists and imaginative live shows and it’s their
‘anything goes’ policy that will hopefully be replicated throughout the
duration of the project. As their website is currently inactive, their facebook
page has been a close substitute, as it is full of updates explaining what
they’re planning for the label, which has been very useful.
Other useful
sources so far have been books and websites dedicated to how independent record
labels are built and run, there are also companies that can be paid to set
labels up and will act as a host for the music that needs promoting, etc.
From now on, the
aim is to keep in touch with people who have had experience in creating a
project such as this one, and to find out as much as possible so that the
launch of the EP is as successful as possible. Similarly, research into
mistakes people have made in the past, within the recording industry, will be
extremely useful also. There is also a plan to involve as many outside clients
as possible, such as other universities or educational outlets. It will be
extremely useful to converse with students who are planning similar projects to
improve the success of this one.
Project evidence. How will the product be submitted
and evidence of its quality provided.
Two copies of
the project product will be submitted on a CD and two on DVD, which will
evidence and document the EP and Music Video but also footage from the live
show and any extra features necessary. Two versions of the report will also be
handed in which will include information for the website and any additional
features.
Project deliverables, scope and parameters (how will
the project be made, what is its range and boundaries)
The project will
consist of recording an EP and shooting a video and these will require mixing
and editing. Then they will need presenting at a live show involving live sound
engineering. The whole project will require extensive research, promoting and
documentation. Its range could potentially be vast, continue past the deadline
and go on to become an extremely successful project. As far as parameters, an
obvious one would be if the project were not successful in the eyes of people
who are involved and according to profit. It’s possible that the project will
be limited by the amount of artists that are involved and if the best
performance cannot be captured. Financial constraints may also be a factor.
Project evaluation (how will you form a critical
judgment about what the project has achieved, what evidence will support the
project’s success)
As previously
mentioned, ‘success’ is a very broad concept, with several different
definitions; therefore the success rate of this project will be measured
firstly by profit. This figure will be compared to that of amounts made by
labels in a similar situation, with similar artists who have attempted the same
targets, etc. However, not all success can be determined by sales, so during
certain stages of the project, there will be questionnaires, and other forms of
interactive research conducted to establish how the EP and other project
content is received. For example, is the album ‘a hit’? Do people understand
the intent of the project? Does the final project correlate well enough to the
original plan? And so on. The plans for this project will undoubtedly develop
and change during the time it takes to be completed however, and changes from
this original brief will be explained and critiqued in the final report.
