Production Project Scopes & Planning - Research Inquiry
Embarking on this research inquiry - into the professional standards required of the role of engineer & producer for working in tandem with artist service record labels - it is reflectively apparent that my interpersonal view on this endeavour has altered since it’s initial proposal. Whilst it is still certain that I aim to undertake production & engineer roles in professional capacities, vocational circumstances, as well as in personal creative endeavours - it is notable to add in follow-up to the summarising writing on this topic [see Professional Development Scheme (Sharp, 2024) 104.F3 “Sec 3 : Reflective Report”] that I find myself moving away from the record label framework of production arrangements.
Concurrently, I find myself yearning for a less restrictive & more creatively orientated approach to the processes / factors orbiting audio engineering. Whilst inquiry within previous vocational circumstances such as the label context has provided valuable insight and opportunity for professional development, in an otherwise sense the internship position has echoed out and I find myself venturing alternative avenues to the creative pursuit of music production & presentation in the context of professional recommendations.
Without diminishing the depth of generated professional recommendations, which I still find as an approach invaluable to my general progression in the field - I have identified that in my subjective view, there is at the core of my creative approach a similarity to a documentarians practice of capturing momentary events for the purpose of creatively expressive record-keeping. Retrospectively, this is evident in my gratification for outputs of the professional development scheme - such as The Basement Tapes - and in this research project’s methodological approach of written record-keeping in the form of primary accounts, alongside reflection & observation on my practical approach to record engineering.
With that being said, a more creative orientated approach has taken a principal focus in my circumstantial production endeavours, and whilst I am in limbo over professional studio accessibility over the near-future, this has now dug into the more challenging question within this research project’s proposal. In finding that both the outputs and applied method of the professional development scheme has produced a number of substantive recommendations for the question of : identifying professional standards required of engineers & producers & record labels in a practical audio production setting. The third and more creatively angled research question - That is, where do professional standards fall in the creative process, with music production being in the pursuit of art? Has remained largely unanswered on paper - and it is now my task to articulate this participatory practitioner’s stance on this subjective topic of artistry.
Drawing from primary experience derived from documented production projects & vocational circumstances, findings will largely be interpretivist through participatory professional & creative perspectives - literature review and findings therein will inform practice, being presented and considered in tandem, to balance perspective alongside the continued implementation of professional standards previously gathered, developed and presented in Sec 2b.2 Recommendations & Considerations (Sharp, 2024).
Production Project Plans -
Below composites the sum of production projects to embark, being within the dynamic and circumstantial vocational settings for this participatory practitioner.
Just Say When - The Kites
Production Project 1 [PDS Type 1 / 4] - Single Release Track
4-piece professional studio production : recording / mixing / mastering - developing on from PDS portfolio component Project 1, Basement Tapes production.
Artist : The Kites
Title : Just Say When
Track Count : 1
- Pre-production organisation & arrangement
- Recording Session Production - Post-Production
- Release guidance & liaising
Operationalize B-sides & Radio Edits - NZanzu
Production Project 2 [PDS Type 1 / 3 / 4] Release Track Project Development
B-Sides & radio edits post-production - developing on from PDS portfolio component Project 5 : Operationalize mastering production.
Track Count : 4
- Post-Production
- Release guidance & liaising
Wormwood - Googie & The Imaginary Band
Creative Production Project 3a [PDS Type 1] Live Production Set
Live studio production, Wormwood project :
studio recorded track versions played in a live industrial setting to accompany the single track Wicker Witch Woman.
Artist : Googie & The Imaginary Band
Title : Wormwood
Track Count : 2
- Pre-production organisation & arrangement
- Recording Session Production - Post-Production
Wicker Witch Woman - Googie & The Imaginary Band
Creative Production Project 3b [PDS Type 1] - Single Release Track
Post-Industrial Studio production : recording / mixing / mastering
Artist : Googie & The Imaginary Band
Title : Wicker Witch Woman
Track Count : 1
- Pre-production organisation & arrangement
- Recording Session Production - Post-Production
The Ocean of Motion - Sociodelic
Creative Production Project 4 [PDS Type 2 / 3] - Creative Presentation
Audio post-production & Video production
Artist : Sociodelic
Titles : Revisiting The Ocean of Motion // Commotion In A Potion LP Count : 2
Organisational Project Activities :
- Project 5 - Sociodelic Collective [PDS Type 5]
- Project 6 - Liverpool Lighthouse Studio [PDS Type 5]
Track Production Scopes :
- Pre-production organisation & arrangement
- Liaise track direction with the artist.
- Coordinate studio session.
- Scope timeline.
- Sketch hardware considerations.
- Itemise technical notes.
- Recording Session Production
- Studio setup
- Guide recording
- Rhythm recording
- Drum recording
- Lead recording
- Vocal recording
- Overdub recording
- Take selection
- Rough mixing
- Post-Production
- Audio editing
- Audio processing
- Sub-mixing
- Mix processes
- Mastering processes
- Data tagging assets
- Release guidance & liaising
- Test pressing delivery
- Client review
- Master delivery
Project Type Information
From Professional Development Scheme (Sharp, 2024) Component (See Appendix B - PDS) “Sec 1 - Project Plan Learning Agreement, 1.1 Details of the projects”, detailing of production types :
● Production Project Type 1 - Release Projects + Production Engineering :
This project type relates to any audio production work consisting of studio based sessions, intended for release. This production project work consists of working with artists / bands to complete the production of tracks.
- AnR Artist / Label Liaise
- Project Management
- Recording
- Post-Production Mixing & Mastering
- Release & Promotion
● Production Project Type 2 - Audio / Visual Production :
This production project consists of managing an AV production session - The Basement Tapes - produced and organised for release through the label.
- AnR Artist / Label Liaise
- Project Management
- Recording
- Post-Production Mixing & Mastering
● Production Project Type 3 - LP Post-Production :
This project consists of post-production for a number of original works, including cutting floor editing for the curation of an LP conceptual piece intended for showcase and playback in surround sound.
- Track Selection Process
- LP Arrangement
- Audio Editing
- Post-Production Recording / Overdubbing
- Post-Production Mixing & Mastering
● Production Project Type 4 - Master Engineering :
This project will consist of undertaking the mastering post-production stages of a release.
- Master Engineering
- Artist / Client Liasoning
- Exporting / Metadata Entry / Delivery
● Project Type 5 - Organisational Label / Studio Activities & Documentation : This entails roles and responsibilities drawn from label / studio activities. The written based project work will consist of a number of pieces of documentation designed to inform on the wider record label context being worked within for this undertaking.
- Project Management
- Session Organisation / Management
- Personnel Organisation
- Liaising
- Documentation Writeups
Resources
Sharp (2024), “Professional Development Scheme”, Portfolio [4.5 GB], Online : Available at : https://drive.google.com/a/sae.edu/uc?id=1bvLO7NB9HrZ90t1wx8ZLcyaNgdAhq1Uo [Accessed : 10/11/24]
Sharp (2024), “Sec 2b-2 R&Cs”, Online : Available at :https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gWwLa59BZ6YRJeLc3AIUKxVFUTx_tqPb/view?usp=share_l ink
[Accessed : 26/11/24]
