The Pitch

After the distraction of the old computers tucked in the corner of the Library which brought back childhood memories of cramming the big "actually floppy" floppy disks in for hours of black screen and green writing joy, Sean and I managed to focus on the task in hand. Our Pitch. We had both separately researched our project on independent record labels. Both keen to disprove Mike saying that the topic was just too huge, too hard to find a decent angle on for a 5 minute piece. As it turns out he was right, we dug deep and every time we found something that seemed interesting it just became too much. So we conceded defeat and turned to Sean's brilliant idea of an insight into the mind, inspirations and dedication of a songwriter. Quickly we became animated as we felt more in control of the topic and were able to bash out a treatment and a one line hook in no time at all. Sean knows Huwie, the subject of our piece, very well. We feel that this will add much more depth to the programme and allow us to dig deeper into Huwies mindset while writing his songs.

The day came where we had to pitch our ideas to a pannel. Not just any old mucker brought in as they were passing the Gatehouse but three important people from the department. We spent the morning disecting our ideas more, making the show solid and covering areas such as audience.

One of the great things about our idea is that Sean and I are both very interested in the topic so as long as we got the backbone of the show clear in our minds we felt confident that we could field questions from the pannel. This did not stop us feeling a little aprehensive as we entered the room, last of the group and by now the pannel were sure to be keen to escape for a cup of tea and a breath of that Bath Spa air, so we had to deliver. I think it was important for us to approach this not as a project at University, but to imagine this was our little break. Somehow we had managed to wangle a small slot with the Radio 1 exectuives and this was a real pitch not an assignment.

After we outlined the plans we seemed to have a fair amount of interest from the pannel. They were inquisitive and we were encouraged that the questions were not about changing the piece but about how we were actually going to capture what we wanted too. There were concerns that it would be hard to condence into a 5 minute slot. We were able to say with confidence that it contained 3 main sections:

• Interview with Huwie
• A brief look at Commercial Music students who have to write lyrics
• A vox pop "what would you write about" a short section adding a side to the piece that connects it directly with the student audience. Talking to people who wouldn't neccessarily ever write a song.

This would be interlaced with sound bites of music from Huwie's band including the song we are going to probe him on.

If the piece does end up being too much to cram into the time we feel happy to remove the vox pops to allow more time for the details of the project. We want it to be informative and approachable, nothing highbrow. We want to encourage people to listen to lyrics because, like poems, they can be so much more than "words wot rhyme".

It was actually really enjoyable doing this pitch and it made us focus so much harder on the task. Now for the next step and I can't wait.......

Moog

We were all given the task to prepare a presentation on a character, band or invention that has in its own way revolutionized the music scene and led to the music that we hear today. Nathan and I prepared a presentation for the class on Dr Robert Moog. He is a fascinating man and the story goes much deeper than our presentation so if you are interested then check out sites like:

Moog

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.

I seem to be experiencing a problem showing the whole presentation. I will sort this out asap.

Microphones.......

Say you are in a rush, you have had this interview with Miss Dion scheduled in your diary for months but you boss is being a drag and now you have to navigate your way through the London Underground system. So you gather your things, grab the Edirol and hurl the first microphone you see into your trendy over-the-shoulder satchel. Its good, you are going to make it. Walking in to the room you find Celine (she asks you to call her that). She has had several coffees and is upbeat and answering your questions better than you could have hoped, she even talks candidly about receiving the Legion of Honor and then thanks Napoleon.
Your boss is going to love you, this interview will surely hit the big time, the prime time, this is YOUR time. As you sit down to edit the piece it dawns on you. This is why you have had the sinking feeling that missing the lecture on microphones was a bad idea. The sound is all muffled, you can only hear your questions and in places there is no sound.....silence? But there wasn't any.

Let me explain. Knowing your microphones and their different uses, strengths and weaknesses is very important. There is so much more to it than this but here is a brief overview of what you will have to know:


DYNAMIC MICROPHONES:
- Fairly rugged and hard wearing microphones
- Much more resistant to moisture and high levels of sound pressure than their Condenser counterparts.
- This makes them a popular choice for vocalists on stage and situations where they can be treated roughly.
- They don't require a power source

CONDENSER MICROPHONES:
- Much more delicate design
- To make sure they have a long life and always maintain a high recording standard they have to be treated with care, kept away from moisture and not bashed around.
- They require a power source (batteries or phantom power)
- When kept well they can pick up a very high standard of recording.

RIBBON MICROPHONES:
- A type of dynamic microphone which is heralded by many as the most natural sounding microphone ever created.
- Extremely fragile and can be damaged by harsh levels of sound pressure
- They do not need a power supply
- Ribbon Mics were very popular in the broadcast industry but more recenly there has been a shift towards condenser microphones as they pick up a high level of recording but are much cheaper to buy.

Then there are piezo-electic mics (low quality used in telephones), clip mics, booms, crystal mics and on.......do your research!

DIRECTIONAL RESPONSE and FREQUENCY RESPONSE:

Different microphones have different Polar Patterns. This is the response they have to sounds from various directions. The frequency response shows which mics will pick up the frequencies that you want. So for example if you are recording a female voice its much better to have a microphone that caters for the rough fundamental frequency of a female voice (around 165 to 255 Hz). Here are the main types of directional response you will experience:

Omnidirectional: This theoretically pics up sounds 360 degrees around the microphone. Good for picking up a natural room ambiance.
Cardioid: This means that the mic has a directional response that favors the front and it will pick up less sound from the sides and almost exclude sounds from the rear.
Super Cardioid: Similar to the Cardioid but it has a wider pick up and also pick up some sound from behind.
Hyper Cardioid: Again similar to the Cardioid but extends the pick up further in front to the sides and lets in more noise from the rear although favors the front.
Bi-Directional: Also known as a "figure of eight". Picks up sound pressure equally from in front and behind but will exclude sound from the sides.
Shotgun: Highly directional to the front and rear. Favors the front and excludes the sides.

Get on to Celine's People and rearrange that interview and invest in some headphones, then at least you can hear it going wrong!

Here is a BBC take on the use of microphones

Things I have discovered (3)

While researching 'Soundscapes" I came across a track by Squarepusher called Vacuum Garden. Reminded me of standing in the temple listening to the piece by Lucier.

Listen to it here

The Big Idea

We have been given the opportunity to create a 5 minute radio package on a subject of our choosing. Yet the process isn't as simple as thinking up an idea and hurrying out the door to record what we can. We have to approach this as if it is going to be broadcast so there are many things to consider.

Ideas
Mike set us the individual task of gathering three ideas for this project. At first I thought it was a very straightforward thing for him to ask us to do in a week but the first thing you think of may not actually be that interesting for a 5 minute segment. In fact I trawled through loads of ideas that just didn't quite hit the mark but I finally settled on three ideas.

1. "Fresh Outlook" - This essentially focused on some of the new trials and tribulations facing Bath Spa freshers. Maybe cooking, bills, meeting new people, studying again. I thought 5 mins may be too short a time to focus on large issues so I hoped to follow around a couple of students for a day and hear all the trivial little new things that they were having to get used to.
2. "Going It Alone" - A short piece on starting up an independent record label. I hoped to drag in a few friends who have recently started a label. Ask them why? how? worth it? I also know someone who established a record label many years ago and hoped to pose him similar questions.
3. "Behind The Scene" - A mini documentary about people that work behind the scene somewhere. My ideas for subjects revolved mainly around the entertainment industry, like roadies, waitresses, cooks, sound engineers, lighting, doormen?

In class we had a detailed discussion about everyone's ideas. Picking them apart, suggesting new angles and generally allowing each person to see peoples reaction to their proposed idea. I found this incredibly interesting and was amazed at the variety of ideas our class had come up with. After each set of ideas we spoke up about which one we thought most suited the task at hand. A vote of hands chose my first idea (Fresh Outlook) but as much as I thought it would be fun I was pretty settled on the idea about independent record labels. Oh, how things change.......

Dr Sanjida O'Connel - Presenter, Director, Writer

We recently met Sanjida O'Connel who is a very accomplished person in several fields of the media alongside this she has a background in zoology and a PhD in Psycology. She has worked on various shows but mainly focuses on scientific programmes.

Her media career started as an assistant producer on Tomorrow's World and since then she has woven her way through directing, presenting and she is a respected colombist and writer. She came in to talk mainly about presenting and talked candidly about the pros and cons of that career choice.

Here are some tips she suggested for budding presenters:

• Passion - Sanjida talked about passion in two ways. She said that she loved presenting because it was a way to convey her passion about topics such as nature, the environment and science. Passion is also important when it comes to long, tiersome shoots. It is no good if there are problems and set backs and then when the camera is finally in position to shoot you lack the entusiasm or commitment to get the shot the crew are desperate for.
• Resilliance - There are going to be knock backs, comments on your performance, the way your hair is. Also long days with not much action are pretty normal.
• Commitment and Willingness- Learn the lines, be professional. Prove to the crew that you were hired for the right reasons and allow them to work smoothly around you.
• People skills - Sanjida mentioned that she has worked with some presenters that lacked this core skill, but it is a joy when the presenter mucks in and is generally a nice person to spend a shoot with.

Sanjida's recent work:

Documentries - (producing or directing)
Presenting

Sanjida's website

Eric Huyton - Camera and Lighting

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to have a visit from Eric Huyton, a respected cameraman, who has worked on shoots such as:

• Dr Who Confidential
• Planet Earth Filmaker’s Story
• Grand Designs

Eric is experienced in both camera work and lighting and he has worked on a huge variety of shows, infact he was about to pack up his bags and head off to film a documentry in Iceland! Eric talked extensively about his work and the personal attributes that you have to have to secure yourself future bookings. He focused on the fact that problem solving was a huge part of his work and although he said it could be infuriating at times it was actually something that he really enjoyed about the job.

It was interesting hearing Eric talk about the relationship between the cameraman and the editor. He said that he was always on the look out for how the piece would be edited together and needed to gather as many shots to help the editor as possible. This includes throw away shots which are shots that the editor can include to highlight a point made in the piece or to cover an tricky edit.

Eric then gave us a short masterclass in camerawork. After setting up the z1 and the tripod he focused on setting up and filming a 1+1 interview. He took us through lighting techniques and showed us how to make sure the white balance was correct. He then mocked up the interview and pointed the camera at the person being interviewed, over the shoulder of the interviewer. This is a common way to film interviews. After that he demonstrated how he would then move the camera to film the interviewer repeating the questions he did this without crossing the center line (otherwise the shot would appear reversed and would not be good to watch).

Before he left Eric plugged his website www.eyefish.co.uk it is well worth a look as it packed full of information about television and film production. It's already firmly in my bookmarks!

The Art of Noise - The Futurist Manifesto

The Futurists, like many arts movements of the day were fascinated by 'The New' and focused on changing the status quo of what they saw as dull, rigid and archaic creative world that had led to that point. They were about pushing boundaries, turning heads and scribbling over rules and constrictions.

At the time the futurists could hear so much new noise around them. Not new music as such but machines and industry. Trains, factories, automobiles and they envisioned a time when these would stop just being noises and would actually be considered music. They saw noise as another art where clashes, clangs and rumbles would make up orchestras.

It started me thinking if Russolo's prediction has come true. Popular music today is still heavily gathered around the melodies and patterns that Russolo was so keen to banish. I think they were maybe calling for the rise of digital. Though even with analogue synthesizers you could build up a track using abstract noises but now with electronic music production that process is has unleashed a new side to music where you can crush and expand and play around with sound waves until you create a new noise. Digital means have undoubtedly given experimental music an exciting new route to tinker with. Maybe Russolo would have liked an artist like Aphex Twin?


Apx 237 v.7
This is from the Album "drukqs" released in 2001. I love Aphex Twin but this album does push me. It is hard to like and I have picked a particularly difficult track here that doesn't flirt with convention! Enjoy!

Sources:
Futurist Music 1910-1920
Futurist Manifesto - The Art of Noise
Aphex Twin - if you are interested I suggest maybe starting with "Selected Ambient Works 85-92"

Alvin Lucier

"I try to compose as little as possible, but that means that I have to think about each piece a lot, to avoid any kind of pre-existing musical structures that would take away from the perception and focus of the sonic phenomenon in which I'm interested"

On a very still and beautiful morning we went down beside the lake to listen to a recietal of a piece by Lucier. It was held in the temple where about ten people stood round in a small semi circle. They then began humming into everyday objects such as pots, vases and cans. At first the situation seemed very strange but then after a while as the piece continued and the sounds filled the temple I became transfixed. When I stopped focusing on what was actually happening and listened it became a totally different experience. You could also hear examples of beat frequencies when sound from two of the resonant objects danced around similar frequencies. I thought it was brilliant and not what I had been expecting at all!

Lucier says this about his work with resonant objects:
"I think of the vases as small rooms, in which the sound of the cello gets trapped. We know that every room has a set of resonances, determined by its size and physical dimensions. It’s the same for a pot, where there is one strong resonance frequency. I think of the pots as resonant environments. The theatrical and visual aspect that goes with the piece, comes afterwards. Each player that plays the piece uses a different set of pots. So, there isn't only one visual image, it’s just sounds of the cello getting trapped in the pots, and each pot has its own resonant frequency."

So what else did Lucier get up to?

Well he was fascinated by sound, tone, resonance and the relationships between frequencies. He refered to sound as a sonic phenomenon and this is something that I quite often feel. Sound blows my mind and I would so love to have a deeper knowledge of the physics and maths behind it. Lucier set about conducting several experiments to highlight various qualities that we so often take for granted. We listened to one of these experiments in class "I am sitting in a room"

Alvin Lucier was interested in highlighting the resonant frequencies within the room he did the experiment in. He recorded himself reading a passage in the room, he then played it back into the room and re recorded that. He continued this process until "the resonant frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so that any semblance of (his) speech, with perhaps the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you will hear, then, are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech."

Ah, sound is fascinating, I agree with you Lucier. Bellow is something that I have wanted to show on here for a while. I was shown this a few years ago and was given an explanation that left me more puzzled than before and I'm sure it included words such as frequency, standing waves, resonance but how it all fits together I'm not sure! Since then I have just decided to accept that its funky and I don't quite understand it! So maybe you lot can help me.......



Sources:
Interview with Lucier
Lucier's Website