The Wrong Shed Productions Adam, Niall and Oliver

Plan of Action We are planning on creating a 4/5 track EP for the band we have found called “The Square Bears”. Along with this EP there will be the creation of a music video and album artwork. Another thing we are implementing is a marketing strategy which we will explain in detail later on.

Key dates The pre-production phase will begin next week. We plan to present them on radio around week 9/10 The video will begin planning next week and filming week 7/8.

Artist They are called The Square Bears, they are a 6 piece band from the Lincoln College. There are 2 singers, a guitarist, bassist, drummer and keyboardist. They write their own material, but have limited studio experience. This could work in our favour as were providing a service. They have widespread influences across different styles, but the genre they affiliate themselves with is funk.

EP production Role My role will involve working with the band to produce a 4/5 song extended play. I intend to showcase the bands range of styles and develop arrangements/structures where appropriate. One idea is to include horn arrangements to embellish the songs basic setup of guitar, drums, bass and keyboard. Through talking to the band, I have ascertained what production style will best suit them. They cite their main influences as Chic and Stevie Wonder so I will try and emulate the styles that these artists employ. Chic have a mix of funk and pop production style through their frontman Nile Rodgers who has established a signature sound, working with artists such as David Bowie and Daft Punk. The band have two vocalists which could lead to some interesting work with harmonies.

Music Video Production Role My main contacts for this side of the project will be Chris Hainstock, Phil Stevens and Sarah Barrow, they are useful contacts because they can put us in touch with second year media students. These students will be a helpful addition in the filming process. My role is based around the visual aspects of the project. This means I will have to film a music video for the band, on top of this I will do all the visual and audio editing which is required in the music video. For the music video I would quite like to include a narrative, so in this process I will draw up a storyboard, with all appropriate aspects included such as the location, setting, camera angles, sound etc…

Music Video cont… Another thing which is required in this role is to create the album art. This is something I can base on what the band want, if they want something to do with them, or their logo this can be done. I will also be in liaison with Niall in the marketing strategy, this will help me with the album art. When the music video is complete this can be put up on the various pages, and progress of this can be regularly updated.

Marketing Role In the marketing and branding role, its my job to take the band to the next level. I’m looking to raise their awareness through building a marketing strategy, and building their brand. They are a relatively new band in terms of branding, and are open to change regarding their name, logo and theming. I will of course be co-operating with the band to develop their brand, meeting their needs while offering my own ideas.

Marketing Role I am planning on getting them a slot on the radio, possibly a live slot for them to perform one of their new songs we have recorded for their EP. The radio slot will allow them to talk about their EP, how they formed and their experience throughout the process. I will be utilising social media to broadcast the release of the EP and the radio appearance. I will contact similar bands that are a bit more developed to share the accounts I will be administrating, hopefully reaching a far wider audience than I could alone. My social media strategy will build up interest gradually, culminating in the release of the EP, and the live slot on the radio.

My personal learning objectives – Oliver Cobbin I hope to improve the bands sound when producing the EP. I think the development of arrangements will lead to some interesting production and will add to the songs. I think the band will benefit from this process as they have limited studio experience. This may improve their musicianship as they will strive to make a great EP, showcasing their sound as a band. Although we all have individual roles, all three of our workloads are connected by working with the band. My production will affect how Adam creates the music video with the band and how Niall will market them accordingly. This shows the importance of utilising the band in making the EP.