Music Marketing Part 1

 Hey hey hey!!

Most recently in my media course, we have started a music marketing/brand development project. The project consists of collecting a range of information relating to a music genre, in my group’s case, Bluegrass, and applying it to a music marketing portfolio and music video to promote the song we choose. 

The first thing we got started on was the research. Immediately after we got our genre, Bluegrass, we began to investigate some record labels that have become home to bluegrass artists, and began with our case studies! Between my group of four, a pair of us took over RCA records and another pair took over Rounder Records, and we all individually investigated the top artists and their marketing techniques, from what digital platforms they used to how they brand themselves, in order to start off our dive into the genre, the right way. 

The next thing we got working on was the music video, what we thought was what the most tedious part, as it would tie in the rest together, we believe is the most creative part of the project. We started off by storyboarding our idea, but before that, we started brainstorming our ideas and putting it on paper, or on a google doc to be more specific. Let me attatch it so you get what I mean.

Through this spilling of words, we were able to have a place to bounce ideas of an eventually reach a more final version of a storyboard. 

As of now, we are working on the presentation/marketing pitch. This has become the most tedious part, because we have come to realize that there is a reason behind every detail, even the most minimal one, behind the marketing and artistic choices of everything in the music industry. Even with the research and the music video part almost down, which did help us, this presentation has been probably the most meticulous and thought out thing we all have done in a while, as it requires even more research and well-thought out organization to make everything align harmoniously. The next step in this step, is to create tactics, a brand, and campaign that perfectly captures the essence of our artist (no pressure right?)

I’ll most definitely update through the course of what we get done on this blog, so stay tuned!

Semester One Reflection

             She’s Back! Here’s my reflection on what my media class has taught me this past semester!!

Once I found out that this media studies class existed and was available for me to take, I was ready for the new year to roll in so that I finally put one of my passions to work. This past semester I’ve expanded my knowledge inmensley about the media and what it consists of. I was able to understand the “why” behind certain moves or strategies of production companies, everything from the shots and angles to the marketing of the content. Due to that close investigation of the media, I feel like this past semester I was able to strengthen my capacity of analyzing, not just in media but in general. Although it may ruin a movie for me, having that capacity to analyze and break down the reasoning behind everything, has become a skill that I truly can see helping me out in anything I set my mind to.

A skill I need to further develop in, is the ability to properly condense, analyze, and output the content I have just consumed. Yes, I may have talked about how I have learned and love the ability to analyze, but sometimes, even when I watch content that does not require me to do an analysis, I can sense the importance and significance of a scene, but I do not know what are the relevant takeaways for me to fully appreciate the content that I am watching. If I were to learn how to compartmentalize and organize the constant and numerous significant pieces that add up to make that content I am watching, I would better digest and truly understand what it is that I am taking in.

As of my film pitch project, I thought my group and I did excellent. We were truly satisfied with what we were able to bring up. What we did need to improve was our creative side. Although you can’t really practice or perfect creativity, I felt that we needed to roam around the genre we were going for, romantic comedies, in order to boost any possibility of a different idea or approach that was needed within these films. Something we learned was not only how to organize a project and focus on what is necessary, but also the components and formulas that make a genre work the way they do. As per romantic comedies, as well as the other genres we learned about during that time, there are elements or even whole formulas that signal to an audience what it is that they are going in to. For example, for our genre, you typically need a character a and b, some type of conflict, and a resolution. With these elements, audiences will be able to get the “gist” of what message us creators want to convey. I personally thought that that part of creating was absolutely great and can see myself lining up those pieces to create something bigger in future projects.

Representation in the Media: Encanto

                                                                            Encanto

                                A film that heals a hispanic kids’ inner child

Growing up as a hispanic girl, more specifically Colombian-American, in a country so diverse, I had thought I was able to see myself identified and even celebrated by the media being put out. Unfortunately, the media, at the time of my upbringing, the closest representation I had was through shows like “Maya and Miguel,” “Dora the Explorer,” and “George Lopez.” Of course, I watched them over and over again, and they became favorites of my parents given the fact that I was exposed to individuals with last names like mine, the language I spoke at home, and the core values I was brought up with. But, of course, although I did felt identified by these shows and characters to a certain extent, what kept me back from feeling the divine idenfitication to them was the stereotypical brightly colored everything, the background of these characters always being Mexican, and even the heavily colorful and passionate personalities that would always draw the attention of anyone, anywhere they went. So, as a little girl, I would always try to take the good side of it, or basically settling to what was given to me, but I deep down I knew that I was being misrepresented. My house didn’t look like that, I am not of Mexican heritage, nor am I the most extroverted human being of the face of the planet, so when I found out about “Encanto” during D23, a convention held by the creators, Disney, I rushed to my mom like a little girl because I just couldn’t hold back at the excitement of finally being represented.

From just hearing the sounds I grew up with, and hearing that loud “Colombia” from the infamous anthem , “Colombia Tierra Querida”  in the teaser of a possible blockbuster film made by the one and only, Walt Disney Studios, even now looking back at it, I get the chills of thinking how exciting it is for young girls like I once was, to see themselves as I wasn’t able to. Through this excitement, I just kept on searching for more trailers and “Encanto”-related content, because I just couldn’t believe it. Once the trailer came in, you could just tell how dedicated and precise everything is. From the colonial-spanish styled home, to the candles (a nod to the tradition of “Dia de las Velitas”), to the family members looking like mine (of all colors, personalities, and sizes), to the yellow butterflies representing the beautiful fauna of Colombia while nodding to our very own Nobel-Prize winner, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the arepas, and hearing the voice of one of the musicians that molded my childhood, Carlos Vives, it was clear to see that this movie was going to hit every important mark.

Now, as of the movie, as a whole, you can tell the clear nod there is to a characteristic of Colombian literature, that of magic realism, and I’d dare to say, a nod to Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel, “A Hundred Years of Solitude,” as it covers a giant and magical family living in a magical town somewhere in Colombia. Besides the magic of it all, I really enjoyed how this film managed to take on very important topics, to not just Colombians, but hispanics in general. Two of the main messages I realized were being brought up, were that of the unfortunate internal conflicts lived in Latin-American countries and that of generational traumas. Both are very strong topics generally, but more so in hispanic families. Although as a community we have been able to surpass certain aspects of these hardships, the ability to approach them has become a hardship itself, and Disney has managed to unpack it. 

Another huge part of the film was the diversity in the characters. The matriarch, or simply just “Abuela,” played by the one and only, Maria Cecilia Botero, manages to show how the head of the household is not just a man or a fatherly figure. Her still being the head, while living with her kids, despite them being grown and with kids of their own, represents a typical custom of us Hispanics. In addition, the family members being of all types of colors, sizes, shapes, and personalities, represented how diverse our community and are families are. Normally, in hispanic families on other TV shows or films, the creators stick to the same color palettes, as in everyone is of the same skin tone, wears similar colors and textures, as well as has similar personalities. As shown in the family tree below, the characters are different of one another in several different aspects, and if you watch the film, you notice that each and every character is remarkably unique in their own ways, making it most definitely representative of the usual Hispanic family.

Overall, Walt Disney Studios has done it again. The attention to detail and really tackling each and every one made me not only feel represented, but pride of my culture. As I previously mentioned, growing up, although I may not have come to the conclusion of it, I was not properly represented. There was no piece or form of media I could find some type of similarity to, but “Encanto” comes around and changes that. When watching the movie, I felt like that little girl again, but this time, being able to relate and share something with a character or film that was being put out across the world. It truly felt like a full circle moment, where I was able to really heal my inner child and realize how anyone, nor myself, has to settle for what the media sets out and deems as representative. 

Differences should be celebrated!!

Let’s Talk About Rom-Coms: Genre Research

                                             Romantic Comedies: Are they always THAT cheesy?

     

One of the sub-genres in film considered most “comforting” and a favorite for many including myself is the romantic comedy sub-genre, also further known as a rom-com. Rom-coms are films made to lighten oneself and to believe in the fantasy of a happily ever after in real life. It is typically a sub-genre that seems overlooked, overdone, or cheesy as there is a specific formula to it that works everytime and seems to be used every time by filmmakers. Classic rom-coms like Rob Reiner’s “When Harry Met Sally” and Gary Marshall’s “Pretty Woman” have marked a before and after in the sub-genre, leaving 21st century filmmakers to the challenge of perfecting the rom-com scheme!

What most of these films have in common and is a prime characteristic, if not, the formula to these rom-coms, is a humor or comedy oriented movie with a side of romance. At first we see a very lighthearted movie, filled with lines to make one laugh like there is no tomorrow, after that or even during, we see two individuals that meet, cue the meet cute, one of the staples to these movies. Then after they meet, we the audience then follow a series of events that make these two characters come upon an event that then drives them away from each other for a period of time. After that, we then later see how a turning point allows for them to get back together, and voila, they are back together again! But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves shall we?

Content:

As I’ve previously mentioned, the “meet cute” is a staple and a huge part of these films, as they foreshadow or even introduce the relationship between character A and B or simply the protagonists of the film. Most of the time, these “meet cutes” occur during accidental encounters that lead two characters into misunderstandings, a good laugh, or even love at first sight. In films we have seen “meet cutes” such as the young American superstar walking into a small, local bookstore in England and casually meeting a young man like seen in “Notting Hill” or the rushed wedding planner being saved by a pediatrician who is of her interest as seen in “The Wedding Planner.” During this moment, we see through a series of either close-ups, medium shots, or shot-reverse shots, the obvious attraction between both characters, which then leads us to begin this story.

(Ex: In Peter Chelsom’s 2001, “Serendipity,” audiences see how both characters come forward and eventually encounter each other through the simple “need” to buy the same (and convienently) pair of black gloves in one of the biggest department stores in the city. From this medium shot, audiences can see how the young woman seems content at what can be inferred to be due to what the young man may have said to her.)

During the film and after a series of events, there is a bump in the road that tends to divide the characters for some time and tests whether their relationship is going to be worth fighting for. This small bump, typically is not so small, as during this time we find out about some hidden secret, betrayal, or factor that leads to character A and B not being able to be with each other. Within this time, viewers are able to see disussions between both characters and a series of shots demonstrating their feelings of frustration, confusion, and sadness that was caused by that disruption in their relationship.

(Ex: In Wayne Wang’s 2002 “Maid In Manhattan,” when the young man on the right recognizes the woman (other protagonist in the story) on the streets of the city, they both enter into some type of confrontation due to indifferences between the two.)

As the end of any dreamy and ethreal fairytale, the story not only comes to a close, but has to wrap it up with a happily ever after. Typically during this period of the film, acts of love for one another, whether it may be confessing feelings, or simple forgiveness, the ending of rom-coms typically end on a good note. More recently are we starting to see films that don’t end on a “happily ever after” trope such as “(500) Days of Summer,” but films that stay true to that “happily ever after” trope are the ones that audiences go back to, even 20-30 years after their initial release.

(Ex: Although the 2004 film, “Ella Enchanted”, is not considered a “rom-com,” it does have elements within it, like those mentioned previously, that make it somewhat similar to one. In the ending of the film (sorry for the spoilers!), we see how the lovely couple gets their happily ever after, as they are captured happy and in the midst of their wedding day.)

Production Techniques:

Most of these romantic comedies, if not, all of them rely on four key pieces of production. A well structured storyline, thought out dialogue, great camera techniques, and editing. For starters, romantic comedies do not always go from romance to comedy and vice versa, a good amount of times, we truly need to understand a character to understand where their actions may come from. An example of a well thought out storyline is from “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” where we meet a character A and B and see how their story develops. After having this whole romantic comedy scheme be executed and audiences may feel happy for the couple, we meet a character C, that eventually has audiences debating whether they are thinking in the place of a good or bad person, as that character C causes for the storyline to diverge into an unexpected outcome. By the filmmaker giving us the point of view of both characters, we then further understand why both of them would do what they would resort to in times of anger and frustration in the film and we are left to our own judgment who is the good or bad person in this film.

In addition to a well thought out storyline goes dialogue. Dialogue help enhance the storyline and further explain the plot more than body language, costume, setting, or even context can do so. Without dialogue, and the drama within it, audiences wouldn’t be able to appreciate or immerse themselves in the fiery feelings that either character may be feeling at the time. 

(Ex: In Donald Petrie’s 2003 film, “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” the use of this scene filled with dialogue between both characters, allows for viewers to completely comprehend their anger yet humor when brought together.)

Lastly, camera techniques and editing are another pair that go hand-in-hand when carrying out the story of any romantic comedy. Close-ups and medium shots are constantly used as this sub-genre is carried through by emotions, may it be of happiness, heartbreak, or even pettiness. Throughout close-ups, audiences can see and analyze the facial expressions of characters. Through medium shots, audiences can also analyze the body language of characters and determine if they feel nervous or confident in that scene. Besides camera shots, editing is also a very important part of making these films, as how they tend to be very dialogue heavy, the use of techniques like shot reverse shots, are needed for continuity and for viewers to completely engage in what is going on.

Marketing:

One of the main marketing strategies that characterizes a good and even classic romantic comedy are the movie posters. Although due to the lack of movie posters of any kind as the world is modernizing and gearing towards streaming services instead of theatres, the romantic comedies that millions enjoy even years after they were released, share unique posters that become part of their memories. In addition, due to the popularity of these films, the genre, trope, and typically the actors casted for these roles, that entire scheme allows for marketers to not have to reach above and beyond to sell a romantic comedy. Typically, a clever and memorable poster, alongside a star studded cast/protagonists allow for these movies to sell.

(Ex: The 2006 film, “Failure to Launch,” was marketed by both schemes mentioned above. With the help of the casting of Academy Award winning actor, Matthew McConaughey and icon for many, Sarah Jessica Parker,  hence their names standing out, allows for people to be attracted to his romantic comedy. In addition, the clever way in which Parker attempts to “launch” McConaughey, adds cleverness into the first impression towards the film.)

Samples of great romantic comedies:

“When Harry Met Sally”

“When Harry Met Sally” begins when Harry meets Sally way back when in college in order to go on a car ride from Chicago to New York. Within that extensive car ride, they get to know each other but eventually go their own ways. From that point to the next ten years, their relationship contains multiple of those bumps I mentioned earlier, which also puts it to the test. During these years, we see how they run into each other in different parts in their lives, as if they were to have multiple “meet cutes,” how they come across bumps along the road, and reach a happy ending. Not only does that make it a classic rom com, but it stars both Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, two outstanding actors, who would have contributed to the success of the film in its moment.

“Pretty Woman”

“Pretty Woman” was a modern day Cinderella-like story in its time. When businessman Edward look for extra company on the streets of Hollywood, Vivian appears into his life. After Vivian agrees to Edward’s proposal for her to stay with him during the weekend, they both come to find out their similarities and differences, and from there is history and a happily ever after, of course! What works well and makes this film fit in perfectly into the glass slipper of romantic comedies (no pun intended), is the Cinderella trope it follows. The protagonists being from two differentt worlds, one being in a bad situation and the other being the prince charming to save her, is what makes this film such an archetype within this sub-genre. Alongside the iconic poster that perfectly describes the dynamic between both characters, the ongoing and fluid dialogue between them both throughout the film, and the protagonists consisting of the one and only, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, allows for this film to be a classic in the romantic comedy field.

Rom-Com Reccommendations:

“Sleepless In Seattle”

“While You Were Sleeping”

“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”

“Fools Rush In”

“Father of the Bride”

… and all the ones I have mentioned above :)

Sound Project

 Hey Hey Hey!!

Long time no see! Again!!

This week I have finished a project literally called the “sound project”. This project consisted of arranging sound effects, with a side of foley sounds, sounds created by my partner and I with everyday objects, in order to tell a story, just through sound.

We first started out our project by closing our eyes and hearing some examples. It was so cool to hear and realize that you don’t need much dialogue or even visual content to identify a storyline. After that, my partner and I got to work to create our scene that had to cover an action or story that could only happen in 1-2 minutes in real life.

We got together and thought of recreating a scene that consisted of walking to a pool party, something most of us have done several times and can mostly identify through just sound. Right after brainstorming, we put our ideas on paper, and from there we went straight to YouTube to collect our sound effects. In case you wanted to see that outline of sound effects we used, as well as how we divided our YouTube playlists of sounds, here it is !

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19IvX0VTpvmtPjaFLnotquvDrtaTfMhJhG57S3UKvq_8/edit

Besides going to YouTube to find sound effects created by others, we had to create our own, of course. I on one hand, recreated the sounds of a seatbelt unbuckling, a car door closing and the pool splashing. For the seatbelt unbuckling and car door, I just recorded myself literally unbuckling my seatbelt and opening and shutting my car door. For the pool splashing, I had a bit more fun! I filled up my bathtub with water and figured out what sounds for the perfect pool splash by hitting and moving my hands around. 

After creating my foley sounds and making playlists on YouTube based on the sound effects in each scene, it was time to organize and arrange them aka editing. We finished the big thing! Here it is for you to see, or hear as I should say.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gU_vRzYrkABCTMCw-u6v6RJj2jRV9s1v/view?usp=sharing

Toodles!

Camera Shots/Angles Quiz Review

 Hey hey hey!!

One of my first, or as I should correctly say, preliminary projects of this cool new course, was a quiz. You’d think, “Oh, a quiz? How boring.” Well don’t! This quiz put what I learned about camera shots and angles to the test, literally. The quiz consisted of setting up 15 shots, using all of the shots and angles I learned about, including close-ups, medium, and long shots or high and low angles into a sequence. Within these 15 shots, I had to pick an inanimate object, in my case a pencil and a pen, to convey a message or develop a story. 

Starting off, I decided to make the good ol’ shot list. I first scrammed through my bag to find these objects, and as I previously mentioned, grabbed a pencil and a pen, and decided to go on about their love story. I sketched out a couple of visual shots, but overall wrote down what shots and angles I was going to include based on the guidelines and what would be fit for my story. 

Overall, my project went well! I can say that most of the shots went as planned, but, as a good content creator, I had a couple of obstacles in the way. I had to erase and figure out certain shots because either they weren’t working when I put the subjects into action, or it didn’t go as I thought. 

Besides that, something I feel like I can improve on is being a bit more detailed in my storyboarding and shot list. Since it was my very first project for this course, I got a bit too stressed and went with the idea in my head and the shot list. With this project, I’ve realized I’m more of a visual learner or “rememberer”, so maybe storyboarding a bit more is the route for me. I would also experiment with my camera more. As of now I’m trying to mess around with my phone’s camera settings and what features it holds, as I believe it will be a tool I’ll be using a lot more in my future in this class. 

Well… That’s it for me! Thank you for taking your time to read about one of my first milestones in this class. If you’re interested, I’ll leave the link so you can check out my project!! See ya!

Love, 

Sophia

(In case you were looking for it, the project link is down below!)

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-1J-_09AlAYLgNzf9EOdyjb0Pxe7GNMct89Ykqagj2U/edit

Philosophia by Sophia (get it?!)

 Hey hey hey!!

May I introduce to you, “Philosophia” by yours truly, Sophia! (I hope you got the joke)(get it, because of the word philosophy but in Spanish, but also in English because of my name). Anyway,  besides being a lover of terrible jokes, I love love love everything about the media industry. I present to you my new project, under a name I’ve always thought of. This blog, in case you were lost, will help me see my growth in media and what it is all about. As of now, I’m taking AICE Media Studies, a course filled with content that will help me expand my knowledge on media, of course. I’m thrilled to see what this course has in store and even more thrilled to be able to look back on my time here! Well… That’s it for me! See ya!!!

Love, 

Sophia