Music Marketing Reflection

 My group and I began this project with our in-depth research on the rock genre. We focused on the record companies of RCA Records and Lava Records. Amongst the artists signed to these labels, we became inspired mostly by Maneskin's movement of bringing the rock genre back to a younger audience after it became more of a genre for the older generation who grew up with it. Ultimately, through our research we decided on a younger artist whom we modeled after Ross Lynch from the band Driver Era. We felt that he matched the image we were trying to create for our artist. 

    After determining what we were aiming for based on the information we gather about the rock genre, we began to brainstorm within a shared google doc what the specific aspects of this brand would encompass. We decided on the name OBSID!AN as just a stage name to fit theme of our song that was called "Many Shades of Black". However, we also wanted to create his real name as we felt it would be important to know who this person is during a potential business pitch. We felt that a mysterious image would suit our brand best as to bring a new aesthetic to a genre that is heavily influenced by promo videos and eccentric, outgoing artists. We did feel; however, that he would go viral via TikTok which is becoming the launching platform for many of the newer artists of today. 

    From there we began to create our presentation while simultaneously planning out the ideas we wanted to put into our music video. For the presentation, we wanted to ensure that we created something that fit the essence of OBSID!AN and what he stands for. To each of the slides we added a ripped piece of paper to depict the writing process that our artist went through in creating the song we were using for the music video. As for the music video, we knew from the beginning that we did not want our artist to star in it as we wanted to maintain the more mysterious side of his persona. We felt that he would lean more towards a storytelling video with elements of abstract imagery. We recognized that a story was being told throughout the song and we wanted to match our shots with what was taking place in the lyrics. We played with fun filters in order to shows his more artistic mind. 

    We prepared for our presentation by practicing and creating notecards with important talking points that may not have appeared directly on the slide but were important to elaborate on. Following our presentation, we went home and talked through the critiques we received from classmates and discussed what we could have improved on whether that we within the presentation itself or with how we presented it. It was an important step for us to take so that we will be able to implement what we learned not just from doing the project but also from what we did not do so that we can improve on our next task and add the elements that this one was lacking.

    This project was very fun to complete, and I thoroughly enjoyed what my group was able to create in the end having started off with a genre that we were not confident in. This project has helped me learn what the true elements of a brand presentation are and what I can do to improve my presentation skills whether that be with the making of the physical presentation or how I interact with the audience that I am presenting to. I was able to really work together with my group and improve upon building ideas off one another to create an idea that not only works for everyone, but also includes complex features that can only come from the input of others. Many of the skills that I have learned through this project will help me as I move onto working on my Cambridge portfolio project, like how to take constructive criticism and use it improve my final project as well as how to work with others and go above and beyond what you originally believed you could accomplish.