Music Marketing Blog #2

 Miscellaneous Music Marketing Part 2

Research

We began, of course, by filling out our case studies and media research chart. We learned more about various music production companies like Mou5trap and Monstercat. It is safe to say, no one in my group had any idea how much of a role research was going to play in our project. Every single part of our pitch had to be supported by the evidence we originally did not have.  As we continued on with our project, we would find ourselves looking up this and that until eventually, we could back up all our claims. We had compiled weeks of research and could practically teach a class on research, specifically research about the genre of electronic dance music. From Marshmallow's marketing strategies to Deadmou5's latest hits, we were well versed in EDM lingo.

Brainstorming/planning 

When we say it was difficult coming up with ideas for a new artist in a genre we have never listened to, it is not an exaggeration. As I mentioned in my previous post, with four different ideas it is already hard to agree on one plan but in combination with this new genre is insanity. Luckily, our research really came in handy and we came up with the idea of Ryker and Ryker Strikes. We all fell in love with this idea. We brainstormed what he looks like and who he is. We developed the idea for his music video and were not sure how we were going to do it but we had to turn in our storyboard so we just went with it. Then, it came to me in my sleep - use a mask. Different masks for each genre and make the music video insanely weird. No story with absolutely no meaning, just how we believe the vibes of the song should be depicted. We created our Google Slides presentation using a template with the most perfect color scheme ever. It was like it was created with Ryker's name on it. We displayed our research and marketing plan through various slides and then planned when we would meet up to film the music video.

Production

Time was not on our side for this video. One of our members had Covid and was quarantined, one had a doctor's appointment, one had a DMV appointment and the list goes on. By the time we found a time where 3/4 of our members could meet to record, we had just under an hour to make our props, decide a location, and film. It was dark and creepy outside but the show must go on. We recorded in half an hour and had no clue how anything was going to turn out. We were anxious to finally see if our hard work paid off.

Post-production

Time was running out and our video still remained unedited. Tasks fell onto different group members not originally assigned them and the deadline came even closer. Finally, we edited our project and once we started, we could not stop. It looked so much better than we ever could have imagined. After hours and hours of stress, tears, and critiques, our video was done - and we were proud of it. We had worked hard and created something we could show other people with pride which is all we needed. Our efforts finally paid off. However, we were not quite done yet as we still had to present it. 

Presentation 

We needed a cohesive way for our presentation to stand out and be remembered by our classmates and teacher. Most of the lights are usually off in our class and we decided in order to simulate the nightclub feel, we would distribute glow sticks. They match the color scheme of our presentation and give the audience members something to remember. We rehearsed and rehearsed (although some group members could not make it to our practices) and then the time came to present. We were all so excited to share our work with our peers.

Reflection

I learned the importance of time management, responsibility, and doing quality work rather than taking shortcuts. I also learned how to collaborate in a group setting and divide work focused on each member's strengths. The portfolio project is a similar length so now I know how to successfully divide my time efficiently and effectively. I will be able to use the skills I have learned and apply them to my AICE portfolio project when the time comes.