510 - Individual Project by Levi Cano

Porfolio Career Charts

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:08:35 UTC

Now vs Future

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:25:20 UTC

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:26:54 UTC

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:28:19 UTC

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:29:06 UTC

WEEK 2 Ambition 10/10 - Lots of ambition and plans and goals for the future Resiliance - 6/10 - can get knocked down easily, but feel i have learnt to whip back quicker over time Perseverance - 8/10 - Very preseverant, willing to sacrifice whatever to do what i set out to do Time - 6/10 - pretty good if I can stay on top of it, often need someone to bounce off to solidify my ideas Efficiency - 7/10 - Once i nail down the routine I can be quite efficient Comunication- 8/10 - I like to be clear, even if it means repeating the same thing a few times just so I and everyone else knows EXACTLY what's going on Willingness to learn - 5/10 - I am willing to learn but can be quite stubborn as to whether that a certain thing is what I should be focusing on, etc... Networking - 5/10 - Once i get in this mindset I can be very good at talking to people, but im pretty agrophobic in many ways so that affects my willingness Courage - 7/10 - I have often in the past been curbed away from taking risks, so i had to learn to listen to my gut more often and just go with things out of my own ambition and

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:29:23 UTC

Surveys - Would people be interested in supporting this project?
What sort of content do you expect from a subscription to an artist (via such avenues as Patreon)
Would you subscribe to a Patreon to recieve monthly and weekly content?
What kind of content would you enjoy watching?

Baths/Geotic as a case study -
Other peoples Patreons as case studies

Research

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:29:50 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTugjssqOT0&t=2527s - Randy Pausch Time management Lecture - I've watched this video multiple times and it has helped me greately in managing and rationalising how I use my time and to be efficient and effective in my work flow. He also touches on many features mentioned this year like the Important/Unimportant Matrix.

The Self Promoting Musician - Peter Spellman - This book has been great for developing a strong overview of the PR and planning parts of a music project and how to successfully do so in a professional and effective manner.

https://www.themusicmermaid.com/home/10-branding-tips-for-musicians - Savannah Davanzo (The Music Mermaid) - As I am trying to hone in on the branding side of the project more and establish its platform ready for the music launches I have in the wings.

https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/41975/1/red-bull-music-academy-berlin-2018-creative-advice-interviews - Selim Bulut - This applies to future plans of turning the project into a subscription/patreon type service. I need to have in play a multitude of quick turn around content ideas, as well as the grander bits of content, and how these could get released in a way that continues the "ripple" of interaction and creation.

https://www.redsharknews.com/audio/item/5076-audio-sample-rates-for-video-what-should-you-be-using - Written by Guest Author - Research into putting audio to video for a possible music video that I plan to do myself as a way to learn the ropes of video editing and intergrate this as an asset

https://blog.songtrust.com/how-to-start-your-own-publishing-company - Seth Lorinczi - For the prospect of releasing music, it would be good to know how others have approached this (case studies of them) and how I can get the most out of my music, have publishing deals in place (for use of music in film, games or adverts) and be in control of that deal, understand it and know how to navigate that situation.

https://blog.songtrust.com/what-is-a-personal-publishing-entity - Julia Pernicone - More research for the point above.

https://www.musicgateway.com/blog/how-to/how-to-start-a-music-publishing-company - Ben Lowe - And more research into the point above

The Indy Band Survival Guide: Remixed and Remastered - Randy Chertkow & Jason Feehan - Similar to the "Self Promoting Musician" and whilst this one might be slightly outdated, I feel that having az many view points on the subject of composing yourself as a musician as possible, and finding the mid ground, is going to offer a wider pool to base my decisions on.

Your Band Is A Virus: Expanded Edition - Jame Moore - I've come back to this book a few times and, again, its a bit dated now but does offer some other perspectives on organising yourself and your assets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOb6mt546PQ - Steve Vai - Music Business advice - I remember hearing in a video with Steve that he learnt a lot about his business approach from Frank Zappa, who was very innovative and "frank" in his approach to running his affairs.

https://www.youtube.com/user/ThisIsWendyDay - Wendy Day - I've seen her videos before and she just has a great outlook in general about getting your act together and how to get business minded in clever ways and keep your intergrity.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE43v4HY3L82S_vo79PKG1A - KDMR Music - I've seen this guy's videos on YouTube a fair bit and he has some good current insight into orientationg yourself in the world of music business.

The Creative Economy: How People Make Money From Ideas - John Howkins - With a very open application I thought this book would do wonders (and has!) in giving me options and ideas for monetizing my music and ideas. I see this helping in broaden my scope for possibilities and opportunities I may have otherwise missed out on.

https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/music-rights/clear-samples-to-copyrighted-music/ - As I have come to understand the legalities of using samples, no matter how indestinguishable it is from the original, its still a copyright infringment and therefore the release of Pilot Light, in any capacity without clearance is an illegal move to make. I may invest the money in getting an agency to put my songs forward for clearance, but this move is super risk and might end up with huge costs at the end to even proceed with the release. But it could also just as likely be approved and accepted. So the choice to take that avenue is a massive risk for no certainty.

https://syncsongwriter.com/blog/legally-releasing-cover-songs#:~:text=The royalty rate that you,as CDs, tapes or vinyl. - For the Cover song and getting that all cleared

Patreon Case studies:
https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuang
https://www.patreon.com/hiatuskaiyote
https://www.patreon.com/amandapalmer
https://www.patreon.com/adamneely
https://www.patreon.com/Sideways440

Single Release Page

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:31:27 UTC

Promo Video

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:31:32 UTC

Project Proposal Vid

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:42:58 UTC

levicano — 2020-12-08 12:44:53 UTC

levicano — 2021-02-10 00:35:41 UTC

levicano — 2021-02-10 00:35:59 UTC

Week 6 Update

levicano — 2021-03-10 13:07:01 UTC

In spite of having fallen out with my

Secondary Banner for Justgiving page -

levicano — 2021-04-07 11:37:39 UTC

Bandcamp Banner

levicano — 2021-04-07 11:37:48 UTC

YouTube Banner

levicano — 2021-04-07 11:55:27 UTC

Single Artwork

levicano — 2021-04-07 11:57:51 UTC

Old Earth Preparing for Launch

levicano — 2021-05-06 11:05:42 UTC

Sylvain's sketches

The God Machine

levicano — 2021-05-06 11:06:08 UTC

Levi sketches

Savings and Work arounds

levicano — 2021-05-06 11:19:36 UTC

Due to having a set up at home that I do most of my music work from, I managed to save money on vocal tracking by doing this at home, which also gave me a chance to refine my mixing skills a bit more.

Where I was also going to pay a friend to make the Mind Promotional Video, I was forced to take this job on myself and in turn saved some money and also learnt a few things about video editing, to which I will be experimenting more with for the Zeal Cove music video which I filmed for on a few bus excursions last summer. This has ultimately lead to money savings, where I have had the time to do this myself, but if I wanted to up the professionalism of my video content, I will definitely get another person onboard to help edit and shot, paying them for their time if need be.

Other areas I saved on costs were in the YouTube banner creation and the various art works surrounding that that I used for more promotional material like banners and cover photos. I also chose to re-do the album artwork to tie in more with this new aesthetic.

The Pilot Flies The Prototype Digi Pack

levicano — 2021-05-06 11:28:43 UTC

Zeal Cove Music Video

levicano — 2021-05-06 11:28:50 UTC

Reasons for getting the album mixed and mastered

levicano — 2021-05-06 11:31:42 UTC

Where I could have gone a more DIY route in terms of mixing and mastering the album, and actually wanted, and consider this a big part of my creation process, is to outsource a final mix and mastering phase so I can:
A) Hear the songs from a different persons perspective, airing new light into the mixes.
and B) because I dont 100% trust my tinnitus ridden ears to deliver on a final mix and would much prefer to have someone I trust reign in the songs for me, in lieu of point A.
So I decided to have it mixed by someone who wasnt too expensive, but also who I trusted and Jonas and I had been talking for a while about him getting on board in a mixing capacity, so I went with that (after trying a couple other people who were either not getting the mixes right or where just too slow and replying.) Im glad I did because what I received from Jonas was better than I could have ever done, and he was just a pleasure to work with and I definitely consider him a go-to person for my mixing and mastering needs. And as the project grows, so will both of our skill sets and in turn influence our professionalism.

Future research into Subscription Service validity of the N.Kail project.

levicano — 2021-05-06 12:17:51 UTC

Survey Evaluation

levicano — 2021-05-06 12:17:57 UTC

Despite the obvious lack of numbers to do with the survey which affected the potential outcome. I should have looked into more places to post the link, like Reddit and other FB groups.

So due to the small number of results, I dont think my findings are substantial enough to base any true hypothesis from. But if my results had any leaning, it would be that people are willing to subscribe to an artists to support them, and that this route could prove fruitful if approached with more market research and planning, which is where I plan to take the project after the Single and Album release.

In future I will conduct more research into what forms of content subscribers enjoy and interact with the most, and how I can incorporate ideas from that into the project to make it more engaging to potential subs.

From some time spend on the platform Twitch, I have noticed the affect that creating a subscription service has on both the audience and the person creating content, in that it has a mutually benefitial way of working out and people, drawn by a need to be involved, want to contribute in that way, if they either believe in what you are doing or just want to help. I base this purely from my own experience with using Twitch and how wben others online engage, it encourages others to join in in a very primal way.

The Single Commercial Viablity...

levicano — 2021-05-06 12:50:52 UTC

The Single idea and concept stemmed from a way of tying themes from the Nova Kail universe into something real life and relevant to everyday people.

The idea to release the Single as a charity single came purely out of creating the single for fun, wanting to include it on the album but deciding it would be better to be a thing of its own as not to infringe on the licensing side of releasing a cover song. This was to be a way of releasing the whole album under a more legitmate and legal standpoint, because as it stands the album is technically a licensing nightmare, using a number of samples that to get cleared officially could cost me a lot of money and time. But, seeing as I am a small musician, I doubt the flagging of that will occur anytime soon, so I chose to release the album, fairly low-key, and not take any money for it, releasing it for free on Bandcamp and YouTube. And should it get flagged or I approached with regards to the samples, I will of course remove it at the will of the copyright holder. By the time that happens I already plan to have a number of original pieces out that this wont dwindle the repertoire too greatly.

So you could easily argue that the current album release lacks significant Commercial viability, and the charity single only making things slightly more viable. But as a piece of art that I worked solidly on, represents me as an artist and what I like to do, ties in with the story and has all the meaning to it that I feel is necessary for a project of this calibre to exist, so I wanted people to see that, if only for a short time, and give myself a win of completing the first album in a fairly short period of time.

But seeing as everything is tying into the big picture of establishing Nova Kail as a music making entity, it will definitely assist in that, even if the press is bad! I want to make the project known, in the right circles, as much as I can and to do this I will need to conduct Market Research into my Target Audience and how I can go about getting them this content.

Target Audience

levicano — 2021-05-06 13:05:46 UTC

-Gamers (Twitch and YouTube users)
-Progressive Music Fans
-Electronic Music Fans
-Fans of concept art and stories - Reddit threads, DeviantArt.
-Teens to young adults (active online) - some older audiences (have money) where applicable.

Invoices from Jonas

levicano — 2021-05-06 13:10:36 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-06 13:24:21 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-06 13:47:06 UTC

Project Outline Update

levicano — 2021-05-06 15:05:32 UTC

Include Album Release Plans into the bigger picture, the Single Release tying into that - the rewards give away.

SINGLE RELEASE TOTAL DONATIONS AND DOWNLOADS

levicano — 2021-05-06 15:12:04 UTC

PPL FORMS

levicano — 2021-05-06 15:18:28 UTC

Forms uploaded and PPL ID Issued.

levicano — 2021-05-06 15:18:29 UTC

Nova Kail One Sheet

levicano — 2021-05-06 15:25:24 UTC

Network database

levicano — 2021-05-06 15:26:57 UTC

Evaluation Of Portfolio Career

levicano — 2021-05-06 15:27:44 UTC

Due to the fact I choose to give myself more time to work on my projects, it works as a way for me to learn new skills like Video Production, Becoming a self-sufficient music producer (with selected outsourcing) and can in effect use my time AS money to get aspects of the project done. It also allows me to understand these roles better in future when collaborating on projects that involve these areas, making communication and understanding more in sync with whomever I am working with at the time.

levicano — 2021-05-06 15:32:58 UTC

Ice Warm Plays Stats

levicano — 2021-05-06 18:54:19 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-06 19:55:13 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-06 19:56:02 UTC

Wesbite Mock Designs

levicano — 2021-05-06 19:56:02 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-06 19:56:52 UTC

Artist Stimuls

levicano — 2021-05-06 19:57:42 UTC

Design Brief and Story Outline

levicano — 2021-05-06 20:00:03 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-06 20:31:57 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-06 21:33:34 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-06 21:35:31 UTC

Expenses and Budget

levicano — 2021-05-07 09:18:46 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-07 09:21:05 UTC

Ideas For Project

levicano — 2021-05-07 09:21:31 UTC

IDEAS:

THINGS SHOULD TIE INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE - FUTURE GOALS, PERSONAL AMBITIONS,

Have a music video in the works by an animator, from last year's project. “M.F.M” single release with music video
Got an album “Pilot Light” pretty close to being released - just need to track vocals and get it mixed and mastered. - Album art done. Does contain samples so releasing on Spotify is not an option for some of the songs. (could tie in with #4)
Got the LC EP underway, get that finished and released. Album art done. Marketing campaign, Promo shots, PR, etc...
Single and ambient music video release of Zeal Cove - footage already shot (who to edit?) Song mostly done (get Chump to mix and master) Single cover - This is a good shout because it means I could learn how to use video editing software, which will come in useful later on when I want to release videos on Insta and YouTube for promotion of the music and teaching portfolio.
Also have plans of a 2nd live session, this one a bit more DIY, possible locations in Shoreham and Reading as there will be studio equipment at those locations to record with. And then get Neil Kernon to mix it (who definitely will, it’s just a matter of when.) Also have 2 potential camera crew to film it. Lighting will have to be figured out.

With the health climate still being rocky and uncertain, doing a live session now could prove problematic and too many other people’s health are dependent and could be affected by the social exchange.

I could just focus on getting the EP finished which is totally do-able.

This leads me on to thinking that the Nova Kail thing is a more viable option right now, reasons being that it’s online, it helps towards building a portfolio of music for possible work in film or game, allows me to better my release strategies for this project and my others and will allow me to network over the internet. And depending on what kind of promotional material I decide for the project, it could see me having to organise a YouTube release (a minimalist music video and/or single art for the tracks I plan to release as singles.)

levicano — 2021-05-07 09:44:27 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-07 10:32:21 UTC

levicano — 2021-05-07 10:54:43 UTC

Bulut, S. 2018.8 pieces of creative advice for musicians, by musicians. Dazed. [Viewed 12 February 2021]. Avilable at: <https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/41975/1/red-bull-music-academy-berlin-2018-creative-advice-interviews>

Carnegie Mellon University. 2008) Randy Pausch Lecture: Time Management. (Online) YouTube. [Viewed 12 December 2020]. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTugjssqOT0&t=2527s>

Chertkow, R & Feehan, J.2012. The Indy Band Survival Guide: Remixed and Remastered. 2^nd Edition.St Martin’s Griffin. New York.

ChitarreMagazine. 2012. Steve Vai: Il Music Business (Intervista di Simone Sello). (Online). YouTube. [Viewed 10 March 2021]. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOb6mt546PQ>

Davanzo, S. 2021. 10 Branding Tips For Musicians. The Music Mermaid. [Viewed 10 February 2021]. Avilable at: <https://www.themusicmermaid.com/home/10-branding-tips-for-musicians>

Guest Author. 2017.Audio sample rates for video: what should you be using? Red Shark News. [Viewed 10March 2021]. Available at: <https://www.redsharknews.com/audio/item/5076-audio-sample-rates-for-video-what-should-you-be-using>

Howkins, J. 2002. The Creative Economy: How People Make Money From Ideas. The Penguin Press. London.

KDMR Music. 2020. Planning for Music Career Success in 2020. (Online). YouTube. [Viewed 10 March 2021]. Available at:

Lorinczi, S. 2021. Be Your Own Music Publisher. Song Trust. [Viewed 12 February 2021]. Available at: <https://blog.songtrust.com/how-to-start-your-own-publishing-company>

Lowe, B. 2020. How To Start A Music Publishing Company: The Complete Guide. Music Gateway. [Viewed 12 February 2021]. Available at: <https://www.musicgateway.com/blog/how-to/how-to-start-a-music-publishing-company>

Moore, J. 2012. Your Band Is A Virus: Expanded Edition. Independent Music Productions.
Spellman, P. 2000.The Self Promoting Musician - Berklee Press. Boston, USA

Pernicone, J. 2020. What Is A Personal Publishing Entity? Song Trust. [Viewed 12 February 2021]. Availble at: <https://blog.songtrust.com/what-is-a-personal-publishing-entity>

Robley, C. 2019. How to Legally Clear Sample to Copyrighted Music. DIY Musician; CDBaby. [Viewed 18^th February]. Available at: <https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/music-rights/clear-samples-to-copyrighted-music>

Wendy Day. 2020. 2020 Vision Intro :: 20/20 Vision. (Online). YouTube. [Viewed 10 March 2021]. Available at: <https://youtu.be/-CYRttFnzZI>

Put out ad for Management - Sell the project at its core (use One Sheet information and bio)

levicano — 2021-05-07 11:05:59 UTC

Find someone who likes the idea and wants to be a part of it. They could be anyone from any walks of life, just so long and the visions are compatible, and communication works. Advertise on:
Facebook
Reddit
Instagram
Music Forums: Electronic music, Video Game Music, Progressive Musics (Jazz, Metal, Rock)

Accrue more contacts in the database

levicano — 2021-05-07 11:09:23 UTC

Keep networking and finding new collaborators online. Stay active and be open minded and willing to share.

Organise Concept Folders for Collaboration

levicano — 2021-05-07 11:10:16 UTC

Would be great to have everything laid out (Maybe in a Padlet) all of the story arcs, designs, and basically everything Nova Kail Universe that anyone collaboration might want to know about it. Story boards, visuals, music, the lot. This can then go to inspire the lay out for the subscription service.

FINISH DIGI PACK

levicano — 2021-05-07 11:11:59 UTC

Compile:

Story Vol.
Wavs
Concept Art
Liner Notes