VCD302 BLOG TOPIC #3

As I complete the final piece of my motion design it is crucial to reflect back on the achievements that I met from the criteria of the piece. This criteria consisting of various fundamentals such as primary and secondary implementation of these motion design fundamentals. The technical achievement used throughout the piece, finally the overall aesthetic of the design. To begin the course I had a sound understanding of fundamentals of motion design, these being through scaling, positioning, easement and rotation.

Technicality and Motion design fundamentals achieved in the motion design piece that I implemented throughout my design was various factors such as using the tool of masking shape layers to perceive the shape as a moving object whilst also translating into the final composition to be reflective. I used two compositions to create my motion design piece and was able to finalise the entire design in a “main” composition layer. Motion design fundamentals are too key aspects of a final piece as they are the building blocks for motion design frames. I used these primary fundamentals of scale, rotation easement and positioning throughout the entire piece of my design, these features used to move shape layers across the piece. I used scaling and positioning throughout to both introduce new shape layers to the scene and too for various transition slides into a new frame. Scaling and positioning was essential too at the end of my piece which included two rings intwined, they both fade out through the scaling tool to finish the piece. To create these keyframes as seamless as possible I utilised the ease in and ease out features in all my key frames and too used the graph editor to sharpen up the element being introduced. Throughout the piece implementation of trim pathing is riddled throughout the motion design, I used these features as it is an essential way to create a subtle introduction or fade out of a certain shape layer whilst also being simplistic. Trim path tools was a new skill for me that I was able to understand throughout the beginning of the course and further developed my ability with the tool. These tools ultimately enabled the entire motion design piece and aesthetic to be one of smooth flowing seamless motion transitioning that continuously detailed new shape layer features within the frame.

When I first began this project I had two options in which I wanted to represent my final knowledge of the Task, to either create a singular looped piece that would be split up into around 4-6 divisions on one screen such as the one seen in the Student Examples of Ethan Eades found on Moodle . I too had the idea of creating a continual flowing piece built up of various scenes which is the choice I ultimately chose. I found this would be a better representation of my ability at creating a ‘video’ styled motion piece as well as being an idea style that I could then take with me for future works. I created a draft piece of my motion design which I used to more or less play around and see what I could create based on my skill and ability learn’t as we went. I didn’t find that this draft didn’t exactly “not work” but I decided to scrap this idea as I thought it was not engaging and didn’t follow a shape or colour schemed aesthetic, it was more or less random shapes and positioning put into a sequence. Through various online tutorials that I watched and also Wes’ assistance I was able to create a piece that would better represent my ability and knowledge of these motion design fundamentals whilst too being engaging and continuously flowing.

A new creative project that I believe I could achieve or at least would be interested in creating would be introduction motion design piece for say a YouTube video or creating a small promo video that entails different motion design aspects to compliment a video. These are always engaging additions to a YouTube video. A project such as this requires basic fundamentals of scale, positioning, rotations easements whilst also following a crucial aesthetic for the channel it is created for. After finalising this project I feel comfortable in my own ability and skills to be able to do this in the future for a potential client.

VCD302 BLOG TOPIC #2

Throughout the creation of my task 1 motion design sequence I enhanced my Adobe After Effects knowledge further by exploring the various fundamentals of motion design. Through aspects of scale deviation of objects in a sequence, time and spacing, easing, colour variations, the uses of layering such as ‘Shape Layers’ and Solids. These fundamental elements of motion design are the building blocks in which I further developed throughout these few weeks to further my skill and ability in creating an engaging and seamless design sequence.

Through the trailing phase of the project I created two draft pieces of work that entailed these various motion design fundamentals and techniques and narrowed down aspects that I prefer out of both into a final design. I brainstormed some designs through sketches that I wanted to test in the drafts such as transitions or motion of these shapes in the frame. Taking these designs into after effects and trailing them with time and spacing of circular elements, scaling of squares as they appeared in the frame (0-100%), whilst also further developing my skills with trim paths to create an added element to the scale sequence depicting this idea of it being drawn in. I too trailed various colour fading and colour spacing on circles to create a hybrid feel to the frame. Although these were basic incorporative features of the fundamental motion design elements I was able to further my skill and too entail more features to the sequence.

The fundamentals that I chose to use throughout my piece were primary fundamentals such as scale, positioning and rotation. I too incorporated a new skill obtained through tutorial workshops in trim pathing which I decided to include in my piece as I not only wanted to further my ability at learning further tools in Adobe After Effects but also put it into formative display in the piece. Throughout the piece, whenever I was using these motion design fundamentals I insured to use both keyframe easement and graph editor to snapping which allows these keyframes to become a seamless flowing movement for the viewer.

Inspiration from the ‘Innovation of Loneliness” was gathered through the sequences use of continual motion, the piece flowed seamlessly and smoothly throughout. I highlighted aspects of scaling techniques used when transitioning a frame such as at 30seconds when the narrator is following onto a new fact that transitions, the circle shape layer is enlarged to fill the entire screen. I too found the motion pieces techniques of formation from one shape moulded into another quite interesting and engaging so therefore entailed this feature into my own piece throughout. These example of motion design became an inspiration of mine in its way of using scaling and positioning to transition shape layers into the scene and/or out of a scene. I enjoyed how smooth it was that you almost didn’t even notice it and was something that remand engaging at all times to me as a viewer. In comparison to my first draft created I found that my piece did not quite fall under this idea of aesthetically continuous for example, I used a variety of different colours as well as random shapes that felt as though didn’t match up with the theme of the project. I also found that my piece was not as engaging in comparison to the “Innovation of Loneliness” as it felt very stiff in my personal use of the fundamental After Effects design tools. I ultimately scrapped the draft as my final piece and decided to try recreate the project in a way that these boxes were ticked for my own personal satisfaction.

VCD 302 BLOG TOPIC #1

Communicating via motion involves issues of both the “what” is moving across the screen – typographical, pictorial, or abstract elements – and “how” that particular something is moving.

In the ‘Stranger Things’ sequence, the typography used being the primary object, is not only a fitting successor to a revered title design tradition, but a testament to the power of type in motion and the enormous potency of nostalgia. The choice of typeface used in the title sequence of Stranger Things is that of Benguiat as outlined within the article. This choice of type was selected in reference to the deep association of Stephen Kings early 80’s paperbacks the Choose Your Own Adventure series, the dusty, musty touchtones used. In the sequence the What is the primary object in motion, it is depicted for the viewer as smooth sliding transitions that moved fluidly across the camera, being the secondary motion, Fade down transitions with jittered lighting and slight colour fade hints to create an 80’s slight apocalyptic vibe to the sequence, a direct descendant of iconic Richard Greenberg opening title sequences seen in Altered States 1980 and too The Dead Zone 1983 all in which were designed by Richard Greenberg. These elements were carefully re-designed and re-thought through trial and error to create a sequence for a show that depicts these characteristics of a nostalgic, spooky, ominous 80’s vibe through dusty, musty tones which pays homage to Richard Greenberg title sequence designs and Stephen King paperback styled films.

*Extract Screenshot from https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/stranger-things/* *article*

Michelle Doherty from Imaginary Forces explains how throughout their curation on the title piece it was a key stage for them to pick out elements from title sequences previously created through that era of the 80’s and highlight mistakes made previously. By doing so Michelle and her small team of designers were able to create a contemporary twist on the 80’s era for the title sequence via visual inspiration, comparison and technical traditions of that time. The uses of light passing through the film and the removal of contemporary ideas of rigid and snappy sequencing of the typeface to a rather seamless and fluid transitioning. Adaption of “fade-downs” of the overall type that then transition to a colour fade of the red tones accompanied with jittered lighting which fit the style of the 1980’s.

Overall I found this article interesting in the way the designers that created the opening motion design scene for “Stranger Things” created a way of using modern contemporary skill sets and fundamentals of motion design and slotted them into the formerly contemporary 80’s styled Stephen King nostalgic, horror feel sequence. This entire article really opened my knowledge into how motion design is created in a professional scene and the ways in which a team is built up for a sequence for a film opening.

BLOG WEEK 6

Project Outcomes:

After finalising my project and it being shown for teacher review it felt extremely rewarding to look back upon the piece itself, from knowing a fair knowledge of the tools of after effects to being able to complete a full motion graphic sequence in a professional sense was amazing. I was quite happy with my technical development and achievement through my After Effects skills and my final animation. I was able to fully reflect and understand the overall individual progression in my animation skills going from my first 2 comps, compared to my final comps.

In terms of motion design fundamentals I used primary motion as the focal point of the animation, with the secondary motion being my background. I made sure to stick with a professionalised theme such as the ones seen throughout Fox Sports broadcasts. I maintained the overall colour scheme as seen within Fox studios productions of a lime green as the primary with grey tones as the secondary. Along with this overall aesthetic, I made sure to also keep all my animations to a similar aesthetic, making them fast paced, minimalistic for the most part, and smooth.

Learning Opportunities:

In my composition of the Fox Sports intro I faced some challenges in trying to manipulate the way the graphics followed a usual broadcast. Teaching myself and slowly understanding the elements used to complete such motion. My second decision in the animation produces was once I arrived to the actual game play footage and how I wanted to include graphical elements. I did not want to make a scene that would seem too minimal in expressing my knowledge of motion design but also keeping to the idea of it being a professional broadcast of an NRL game. Therefore I came to the decision to create a clock count animation which was the most time consuming element but also adding additional graphics such as a try scorer drop down as well as a “try confirmed” animation that would portray to the viewer what exactly happened. Taking this decision as though I was a first time viewer. My third and final decision within the entire piece was whether to just create a single Fox Sports program introduction as my final design piece or whether I would include some game play highlights and create further graphical motion within such a piece. As seen in the video I chose to include these highlights within the entire video, I felt as though it added to the story or theme that I was creating with this piece as well allowing me to further express my knowledge and skills that I had learn’t throughout the VCD302 course.

Future:

This project was extremely rewarding overall. This course has been one I have had highlighted throughout my degree as this is a career path in which I would love to further pursue. Whilst also learning the key fundamentals behind motion design in a theoretical, creative and technical way. Although challenging and stressful I believe it made me love it even more and made me even more proud of my final piece. I enhanced my overall skills using after effects from the very start of this semester to now. Outside of this assignment I would be very interested in taking up more projects using this software to try create other pieces such as, movie/show intro’s and outro’s similar to ones we researched in our tutorials, animated logo designs, festival and concert animated branding or anything that requires motion design. I look forward to a potential future within this industry of work and hopefully I too can put my knowledge into a professional and practical aspect.

17th Jun 2022 0

BLOG Week 5

In week 4 of the assessment I was choosing between two various project ideas, these two ideas being… 1. A festival promotional video that would reveal a lineup and event information for an audience of festival goers that could resemble the vibe and overall theme of the festival. Idea two was to create an introduction and sport highlights of an NRL game for Fox Sports Australia. Ultimately I chose to create idea two as I felt as though it is a practical and commercialised type of project that I could use in the future.

Design Process:

My design process included a bunch of various steps including background research and similar/ exisiting examples as well as gathering material such as the essential footage and logo vector

In terms of background research I analysed the ways in which Rugby League highlights are projected to viewers when watched back. Noting elements of graphic motion uses throughout the sequences. I too looked further into existing examples of Fox Sports program introduction videos and the ways in which they engage their audiences into the program. Through using fast, sharp and seamless graphical effects, transitions and motional design throughout the sequences.

Taking inspiration from both of these, I knew I wanted to adapt aspects of both these works into my own piece.

Project Development:

At the commencement of the VCD302 course I had a fair knowledge of the After Effects program from editing personal videos in the past. Throughout the course of the semester I came to understand some further important elements that After Effects had to offer and I knew there was still so much to enhance and learn.

As I began creating the beginnings of the compositions I started to realise the significance of basic keypointing in an animation such as scale, positioning, rotation and opacity. Too learning tools on offer that became essential in the project such as the use of the Graph Editor. This allowed a major breakthrough from making rigid and clunky animation to rather a more smooth and seamless sequence in the animations. I also adapted many other techniques through the animator tool which features range selectors and what not, along with some effects and presets. As I learnt more about these seamless and more engaging animation techniques it allowed me to develop my piece to create this idea I wanted to resemble of an engaging and eye drawing piece of work.

15th Jun 2022 0

BLOG Week 4

Major Work Proposition

For my major work i’ve come up with 2 ideas of what i’d like to create as my motion design final work piece. The idea behind each of them is to create an overall engaging and practical piece of work that could be translated to the real world in a motion graphic sense.

The Ideas

My initial idea was to create a festival promotional video that could be used to reveal a lineup and information about the event. Many festivals around the world these days implicate the use of motion graphics to engage and hype the excitement of a festival to its audience through motion graphic sequences.

My second idea was to create an intro and graphics for a sport channel, specifically an introduction to the Fox Sports channel for the National Rugby League (NRL) within Australia. I liked this idea particularly due to the idea that this format of motion graphics is so heavily used in sports media today and could be used in a real world scenario.

Research & Examples

To begin my research I honed into the first idea of a festival promotional video. To do so I visually looked at how festivals such as Listen Out, Yours and Owls and Field Day used this idea of motion graphics to reveal their lineups and information about the event through their social media’s. Heavy inspiration for this idea derived off of the Listen Out festival lineup and the way in which they used shapes and type within motion to create a vibe and scene of the type of festival the audience would be experiencing.

The research for my second idea was inspired directly from existing Fox Sports introductions to the sport of NRL. The ways in which they use quick yet punchy graphics through motion to lead the viewer into the show. Fox Sports have always had engaging and seamless introductions to their programs and I wanted to replicate this in my own work as well.

**Listen Out Youtube Link:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJPsncwP4gs&t=1s

Y&O video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yv2iw-i48Q

Fox Sports Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DLXE5UMtis

Rationale

The options i’ve decided from stemmed from the previous research i had done and what I found personally intriguing to explore further on. The festival lineup announcements or motion graphic programming for a sporting channel both stood out to me, both in which seeming achievable and technical in their own sense. As the process continues, i’ll be testing both ideas until once concept is decided upon.

Production Technique

The techniques within the production that I will aim to corporate will be mainly centred around text animation, ensuring the use of different key point properties such as scale, positioning, rotation. I’ll also be using animation properties with range selectors, masks, mattes etc.. along with some effects and presets. The biggest challenge for me will be to learn and adapt the 3D motion camera as well.

15th Jun 2022 0

BCM312 Assessment 1 Blog CQ566

“What behaviours have theorists and empirical researchers explored in the human tendency of communication avoidance and media refusal ?”

In early communication studies of this topic of media refusal, whether of mass or simply interpersonal communication it is always assumed that individuals seek or even pay attention to, sources of information and communication. This too can be referred back to Aristotle’s statement that “all men, by nature, desire to know” (circa 330 BC) [2]

Yet, throughout time it has also been greatly noted that people have the tendency to avoid information and communication which in todays technologically advanced time this is the concept of asceticism connecting to this idea of media refusal. People are refusing attention to media. Maslow once put this as “we can seek knowledge in order to reduce anxiety and we can also avoid knowing in order to reduce anxiety” [7]. This was Maslow’s recognition that sometimes we rather not know about global or health issues but rather have the tendency to avoid, ignore and or deny this information and communication that we get from media in our everyday lives, this has been somewhat of an irregularity throughout human behaviours.

This research question raised of “What behaviours have theorists and empirical researchers explored in the human tendency of communication avoidance and media refusal ?” Allows me to learn more and delve deeper into secondary research that explains this connection of asceticism and media refusal to understand why people are avoiding communication and why in which they choose to refuse the media in doing so. Is it the active refusal as a tactical response towards these perceived harms that contour by a capitalist system that media corporations have?. Is it the disproportionate power that these platforms hold over their users? Or simply just the self removal from media and communication to form a better way of life, mental cleanse and disengagement with this ever addicted mankind of today. This concept of Asceticism, being “an exercise of the self on the self by which one attempts to develop and transform oneself, and to attain to a certain mode of being”[3]. Media refusal to me a term I refer to as the conscious repudiation of media. In understanding why people are refusing media and avoiding communication I too want to contextualise how humans who choose to practice this concept, behave and their tendencies to avoid communication and refuse media whether it be through religion and disengagement

This research question is worthy of further investigation as it has been something that has become very prominent especially in todays society. With issues such as a global pandemic people are showing these tendencies even more so to remove themselves from social media platforms and exhibit this concept of asceticism. With mental health figures across society in just the last year sky rocketing it has become no surprise that people would want to disengage with society of media though refusal and avoidance to help remove the continuous battering of the virus of media sites. This topic overall has significance to you as a reader or those who haven’t ever decided to take this step that may seem an extreme concept of asceticism in relation with media refusal. This research question ultimately allows you to gain a further contextualised understanding of why and how so many people are taking this stand against media and the avoidance of communication, finding out through previous academic research and analysis as to whether it is a step that is beneficial for you as an individual to take.

Preliminary research from various theorists and empirical researchers have found that this action of communication avoidance and/or media refusal is most commonly a way of creating a point or simply disengaging from society to either connect better with themselves and people around them and/or to create a point of movement. As previously touched on people are also refusing attention to media in fear or knowledge that it will cause them mental discomfort or dissonance whether this be from a common example of news saturation on certain topics and a main topic that is extremely heavily saturated across the news is COVID-19. It is also important to mention that media refusal does not just have to involve a broad rejection of all media technologies but rather it can be a circumscribed practice aiming at simply one platform. Some brief findings that I have identified in my preliminary research that understand examples of how people have been practicing media refusal and avoidance, stereotypically have been simply deleting a social platform but not completely removing accounts. Spiritually choosing to avoid and refuse media and communication as it may be an essential part of their religion, to connect with oneself such as in the religion of Buddhism being a key step in the stages of reincarnation (meditation).

As I further delve into my research question, “What behaviours have theorists and empirical researchers explored in the human tendency of communication avoidance and media refusal ?” I will learn and be able to communicate what I have uncovered through my research into Assessment 2.

Sources:

Portwood-Stacer, L 2013, ‘Media refusal and conspicuous non-consumption: The performative and political dimensions of Facebook abstention’, New media & society, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 1041–1057.

– Patricia M. Duronto, Tsukasa Nishida, Shin-ichi Nakayama, Uncertainty, anxiety, and avoidance in communication with strangers,International Journal of Intercultural Relations,Volume 29, Issue 5,2005,Pages 549-560,

MEDLINE, PsychInfo, and CINAHL databases between 1992 and summer of 2004 and selective
Maslow AH. The need to know and the fear of knowing. J Gen Psychol. 1963 Jan; 68:111–25.

– Foucault, Michel.1997. The ethics of the concern for self as a practice of freedom. In Ethics: Subjectivity and truth: Essential works of Foucault, 1954-1984, Volume I., ed. Paul Rabinow, 281-302. New York: The New Press, p. 282.

26th Mar 2021 0

What is the preferred song upload platform for all artists ?

For artists, the choice of streaming platform that they use is pivotal for them to not only share their music to the world but more importantly the right choice of streaming platform helps boost streaming numbers and even noticeability. As the world is continuing to grow so is streaming and it keeps evolving all the time which means new platforms keep entering the competition as to what the best streaming platform is. Not only do I research through professional opinion of the best streaming platform I also will consider what platform gives back the most to artists meaning, which platform returns the best royalties per stream earnings.

To begin with I first wanted to get a primary source of the opinion, someone thats experienced it all before. Although due to ethical reasonings I cannot reveal sources names, I will share the results gathered as these conversations were made almost 6 months ago prior to the assessment . I first asked chosen artists in the Future Bass industry whether uploading is key to getting your music more exposed or if social media was enough for someone that isn’t signed by a record label. To which I received a reply detailing the importance of music uploads regardless of record signings as it “definitely is a key factor in exposure of your music”. I then proceeded with a follow up question asking this question of “What is the preferred song upload platform for all artists ?“. Replying “Soundcloud is the way to go if you are starting out as you can delete songs you don’t like almost instantly as your sound is always changing. I wouldn’t even consider Spotify and of the likes until you are signed under a label”. This was really key information to help further answer this question and was backed up by 2 other artist sources in the industry.

For this research task I will be looking at the best streaming platforms for artists that are not currently signed to a record label as this is a pathway to answer how artists make it successful in the musical world. I first began with Spotify, this platform offers users a huge library of music and an aray of musical styles. The key features Spotify offer for artists is its Artists homepage which allows fans to return to their favourite artists pages and stream new releases or old releases in one place. This also is a benefit for artists as they can simply upload, create announcements and sell merch/tickets for new events all just from their artist homepage, although you do need to use a music distributor to upload your music to Spotify and will cost you a commission. You can view your live audience streams and keep up-to-date with what is working for you as an artist and learn about your listeners.

Next platform in the top tier is SoundCloud. As recommended Soundcloud is the primary platform for upcoming artist from professional opinion. Soundcloud racks up over 200 million active listeners per month ready to discover new music. Soundcloud has a fee although for use if you want to be using more beneficial features. (Basic) gets you free 3hr worth uploads and basic statistics. But for those willing to make some serious work on the app the (Unlimited) is perfect as Soundcloud allows you to upload an endless amount of tracks and gives you detailed analysis and statistics. The feature that puts Soundcloud above the rest for starting out artists is that it does not have a discovery algorithm, which means music discovery here depends entirely on the artist making exposure possibilities a lot higher.

The third item that stands with the rest is Apple Music. Apple Music is such a great tool for listeners but comes with a massive cost for artists and this is that you can only use Apple Music with Apple devices, therefore ruling out potentially half of your market in streaming exposure. Although if this doesn’t deter you as an artists then there are some great features involved but nothing that stands above the rest. Artists can share content and engage with fans. Much like Spotify you do require a distributor in order to release music to the platform which does have a cost. Apple Music allows you to view where you’re making the most noise in the world allowing you to better understand your audience.

As song platforms are the essential element of digital listening it is key to consider the best option for you to use. This does not mean you can’t use all platforms to create more exposure but here I wanted to really knuckle down to find out “What is the preferred song upload platform for all artists ?“. With advice from multiple artists in the industry and through research observation it is clear to see that Soundcloud is leading the streaming platform among the rest with its user give back. I found that Soundcloud allows you to upload both publicly and privately by yourself without a distributor as well as allowing you to use the site free of charge. It additional cost features do extend very good benefits but are not something necessary to have to enjoy the same experience. Spotify and Apple Music I found were great sites but this was after paying for a distributor and subscription to the platform. My favourite feature that stands SoundCloud above the rest was its private uploading which means you can upload a track but only you can see and share it. This makes collaborative work so much easier to do as you can privately share your track for feedback or editing without it going live.

29th Oct 2020 0

What are the best social media platforms for artists to use ?

Social media is a phrase that us as users throw around these days, often to describe what we post or use on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter for example. These platforms are so heavily used by humanity to this day with over 3.8 billion social users across the world. This equals to a lot of people connected from all parts of the world! For most social media is used to post (upload) about our everyday life and what we are doing in that point in time. This is the same for artists too but further they must take advantage of the free marketing it offers. This is where we delve in further to understand how important social media is for artists, specifically EDM artists but more importantly What are the best social media platforms for artists to use ?

First we must look at the target market for EDM artists. This is vital for an artists to evaluate as they are able to pin point who they should be pushing their campaign towards and too will help to come down to what social media platform is best. Overall, the ‘Electronic Music Fan’ is majority male, but not by much. A heavy portion of the listening population falls in between the age of 18 to 24 for both males and females. From my research I broke down social media platforms to 4 platforms as these were found the be the best 4 platforms for artists to use, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter.

On multiple sources it was found that Facebook had the best results for artists in marketing themselves. For EDM artists Facebook would produce you the best results as its most active users are over 18 years of age. The majority of Facebook users have been found to have completed a higher education (74%) and for artists it is key to think financially as fans are what bring them to this ever desired fame. It was found that that about 72% of users have an income of over $75,000 therefore showing that Facebook users are both educated and have money. What really sets Facebook aside is its targeted digital advertising platform feature. Although this will cost you it goes a long way as Facebook ads allows you to target those interested in your product or market as an artists. This takes Facebook high above the rest through its extremely user beneficial.

Next is Instagram, Instagram allows a much cleaner and easier viewed layout slightly above Facebook. Instagram hold a very the more you post whether it be videos or stills, the more reward outcome for users as this further conveys creativity to fans but also builds some noise around your profile. With more than 1 billion active users as of 2019. It was found that 80% of Instagram users follow brands or campaigns making it very persuasive for an artists to jump on. Although just like Facebook it is important to breakdown the statistics of your target audience to really determine the best option. For Instagram it was found that 72% of users are 13-17 closely followed by the 64% of users are between the key age of 18-29. This throws Instagram off a little compared to its competitor Facebook although I would not quite fault it above the rest as it too offers the same targeted digital advertising platform feature as Facebook.

https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/best-social-media-platforms/#:~:text=Facebook%20is%20one%20of%20the%20best%20social%20media,social%20media%20platform%20with%20the%20most%20diverse%20audience.

Another heavily used social media platform for artists to allow themselves to gain exposure and share their talent is YouTube. Youtube was founded in just 2005 making it one of the newest but most affective platforms out there. In general YouTube is deemed the second largest search engine in the world making it extremely affective channel for reaching and engaging targeted consumers due to its ability to share compelling and engaging video content. YouTube racks up just over 2 billion users worldwide ranging from 18-49 years of age. It is too important that artists look at the gender demographics too which for YouTube is predominantly male at 55% followed by 45% being female. The best feature that YouTube offers for artists that need to grow is its ability to intwine with other platforms. You can take your YouTube uploads to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even Google as it uses your videos as a search engine optimiser. This means the content posted on YouTube can also be searched on Google. This highlights how user friendly and audience reachable YouTube is.

Finally we come to Twitter. Twitter averages around 330 million users worldwide, which brings the platform into this top 4 best of the best. Twitter has been regarded as one of the best places for users to go to follow latest news and trends across the world. With its easy ability to create status’ it becomes a very key tool for making brand updates for your artist profile. Again it is key to look at demographics of the platform with 24% of users being male and 21% being female. Audience of the platform tending to be younger with 36% of users being 18-29 which is extremely ideal for EDM artists as mentioned this is the target audience age of listeners. Features of the app that stand it out are the ability to hashtag posts and being able to follow and participate in these hashtags which is a key feature when you are trying to reach an audience and get them engaged.

With the ability for people to follow, subscribe and friend request it makes it so easy for us to stay connected to each other. Once we hit that connected button we are on a journey with that person, following their day-to-day life as they upload it. For artists social media is a business asset, key for their marketing as it is free advertisement (to an extent) of themselves. This is where they stay relevant to users when they are off the stage. It creates an almost second and in some cases bigger stage of light as they are being watched by fans who want to see more. In todays era artists are connected to almost every single social media platform. Not only does social media help an artist market themselves but also becomes too a resume for other artists as a lot of collaborations and brand/ record signings are created through social media. The observation which I take away from this research findings in answering the question What are the best social media platforms for artists to use ? is that social media is the best marketing tool in the world for artists. It enables artists like never before to reach out further to audiences and essentially shove their music in users face in a discrete way that just runs so smoothly. I believe that Instagram is the best social media platform for artists as it allows you to not only share photos and videos but also allows you to follow and participate in hashtags, share YouTube videos to the site as well as enables you to pay for promotion of your page to get your profile onto users feeds. This becomes an all in 1 package that makes it the best of the best.

26th Oct 2020 0

A Pitch Recap

My media niche is something that is unique to many but also so popular at the same time. It is something that people want to do but never get the ball rolling and for me I wanted to do that. I wanted to create something I loved doing and that too fell in hand with the BCM241 course in which it was unknown to me a media niche of mine.

The mystery and chase behind how artists across Australia manage to make it big is something that really interests me. The ways in which they market themselves on social media and interact with their fanbase which exposes this analytical framework in finding a problematisation. For me this problematisation is understanding how artists gain such a strong following and how they are able to maintain these fans. It is important that I use observational frameworks to do so by delving in and observing the artists from a fan perspective compared to my own experience. One artist that does this all so well is Flume. He even created a documentary series that highlights the stages of how he made it big in the music industry. He is one of two artists I will be further delving into through this research project as he made such a pro founding impact to the Future Bass genre, the genre in which I produce.

The first of Flume’s documentary series

9th Sep 2020 0

Carl Querin