#17

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
June 5th 2015

Music Production #17

My goal for this week was to export the music, add it into the video, and submit the final product. This week I took Sara's advice on the song by changing the key of the drums, it was easy to do seeing as there were a series of loops of the same beat just in different keys. It made the music way more harmonic, the drums fit into the song way more. Additionally we faded out the orchestra at some times and changed the volume so we could also focus on other parts of the track, this was all due to Shahad's feedback, it was very helpful as it made the song fluctuate at different parts in sync with the video. Now we were ready to export our song, however, there was one misfortune that was that when it was exported it wouldn't open in the film lab. In which we just exported it out as a itunes file. Unfortunately we were struck with the news that the loops weren't included into the music that was exported. Mr. Ball said that he would find a solution to this and I hope he does. My aim for next week is to study for my exams cause we are done with Music Production.

Feedback:

-"It sounds very good with the video, however it would've sounded better if the loops were included" - Raghad

Thank you Raghad hopefully the loops will be included if Mr. Ball finds a way for it to happen

-"The music sounds more in sync especially the base and the synthesizer at the end! Great job! I loved the panning the most" - Taji

Thank you for your feedback. I'm very happy you noticed the panning it's my favourite part too. 

Pic of Mr. Ball on how to export the music:

#16

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
26th May 2015

Process Journal #16

My goal for this week was to complete the background music, but everything was put on hold after we were informed that our whole project was deleted due to logic's technological difficulties. So there we were about to start a whole new project and complete it in one week. To clarify we were at a major disadvantage! We had hoped to finish the music and do the dubbing all in this week, but since this bad news was given to us we decided to ask the film group to be in charge of the dubbing. We began on our new project and decided to include loops to make our lives easier. We had a bpm of 120 and the key was C Major. At first the music started out slow then the orchestra's strings were included and the drums, which was in sync to what was happening in the film. For the dubbing part, Loay did the male's voice, while Hessa was the wife, and Raghad was the cranky old assassin. My goal for next week is to export the whole video and for the music to give the video a substantial effect. As for Habiba and Hayaan's feedback we can't really use it seeing as the whole track got deleted, this was very unfortunate. 

Feedback on the new track:

- "The orchestra is very loud and takes away from the other tracks, you should try fading it out, or lower the volume!" - Shahad

I will do that next lesson because Mr. Ball did say that we should include musical devices such as volume and panning

-"I love what you did with the panning it is absolutely incredible! You should really try and make the key of the drums C Major instead of D it'll fit in more" - Sara

There is a set of the same drums just in different keys we will change it next lesson

How to transfer music from logic into final cut pro:

#15

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production
18th May 2015

Process Journal #15

My goal for this week is to add music and complete at least have half of the video with a background soundtrack. However, what I anticipated had happened and more, by the end of the week we had completed the whole soundtrack. The problem that week was there were some instruments and loops we couldn't include because we didn't update our Logic X PRO. Moreover, in the film class they were editing the video and included the effects through sound and through the film. When we saw their final product it was very effective in simulating the feeling of horror. 

Feedback: 

- "It wasn't balanced, there was more treble then bass. You should change the EQ of the track." - Habiba

Will do! I learnt how to change the EQ thanks to Mr. Ball and hopefully I'll do it next lesson

-"It doesnt progress as it goes along. You should add in a new hook" - Hayaan

Thank you Hayaan I will tell my group to do that, we should really add a new hook for when Hessa is murdered

Playing the guitar:

#14

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
14th May 2015

Process Journal #14

Today we requested the video and we were told that they weren't done. So as a group we continued experimenting. They showed us the story board of the film, in which we could have a glimpse of what we were dealing with. The storyboard consisted of a man accusing his wife of cheating on him, she denies him and cruised to clear her mind. On her way home she picks up a hitchhiker and it turns out to be an assassin and she kills the mans wife. The plot twist is that her husband hired the hitman. This tave is the idea that our music should speed up when the assassin is introduced and when she mirrors her. We created a new sample through loops and sampled it to the film group.

Feedback

"It sounds nice especially the snare drums" -Hessa

Thank you! I hope the snare drums made a difference in the video

"I love how the speed fluctuates at the predicted actions this creates a faster and slower heart rate" -memo

We were hoping that the music could change the heartrate of the viewers to fit the actions produced by the video, I guess we achieved it.

how to create a storyboard:

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
3rd May 2015

This week we were in week without walls !!

#12

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
April 27th 2015

Music Production #12

Today we met with our film group. We got along very well because I knew Hessa and Mariam of the vividly and we are mutual friends. We took most of the first lesson discussing the genre of the film to determine the theme of the background music. We determined that the genre would be horror, we then went back to the music studio to experiment on music that would have an aura of horror. We found a lot of useful loops under the tags "dark, intense". Yara, Anood, and I made a sample of about around 39 seconds long making it a productive session.

Feedback

"It's incredibly how unique it sounds, even though it's all loops! Great job guys!" - Shahad

Thanks! Technology can do the impossible nowadays

" it sounds like a retro 70's/80's horror movie soundtrack you should stick to the 21st century" - Jibrail

Thank you Jibrail but the movie itself isn't that 21st-century style

Mr. Ball explaining how to choose the settings:

Some of the best movie soundtracks:

#11

Wadha Al Nabti

Music Production 10

April 23rd 2015

Process Journal #11

We finally got paired up with our groups. Mr. Ball decided to choose groups for us. My group in music production consisted of Yara, Al Anoud and I. We got paired up with Raghad, Mariam, and Hessa from the Film class. And that was basically the only thing we did that week. Moreover, I had just finished my background music for the previous film. Anood and I out our blood, sweat, and tears into it for it to be harmonic. I believe it to be the best work I've ever done throughout the course.

"You should try panning the beats, it'll give off a charming effect" - Habiba

Thank you! Will do, as it sounds like a great idea

"The BPM fit the scenes perfectly, I really like the dark, monotonous theme given off through the music. You should try adding in a mode" - Yara

Thank you Yara, however I don't believe there should be a reason for a mode on our project

#10 - Part 2

Feedback:

- "Instagram is a great idea because a picture speaks a thousand words" - Samid
I chose instagram for your group because you're allowed to post videos and pictures. Also I hope you can follow it and like the pictures of yourself.

- "you're very good at communicating with the group, however you could improve on being stricter." - Kareem
Thank you Kareem, whenever I'm strict the teams aren't productive, whenever I'm laid back more work is getting done.

Here is the instagram page and a sample photo:

http://instagram.com/SMD_official4

Musical genius at work

A photo posted by SMD (Shut Me Down) (@smd_official4) on Nov 23, 2014 at 12:30am PST

If you need help with instagram please visit this page so you know how to use it.

Mr. Ball telling us about the role of an executive producer:

#10 Part 1

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
5th December

Process Journal #10

This week the first lesson we were given to work on our roles. While on the school trip to Dubai I decided to be productive and search more on my role as an executive producer, even though Mr. Ball cleared up what we need to do. I always say knowledge is power, the more the merrier. According to my research from the video and websites I've seen, an executive producer basically the business side of things wether its funding, distribution, or promotion. In our cases its mostly distribution and promotion because we are supposed to promote our bands, while showing off their music. However it can be funding, by giving them ingenious ideas for their music, or ways to make the image of the band better, either way they are trying to make the band sell merchandise. Other than that I didn't follow the other part of Hayaan's advice because I know what a musician, producer, and songwriter is supposed to do thanks to Mr. Ball. I only followed his advice when I was supposed to search my own role because if you do your job correctly, then who you're representing is in safe hands. The only role I didn't know much about was engineer, and thank god I didn't research that because Mr. Pardy came and he used to be an engineer. He taught us how before there would be three engineers for the different functions, but now only one engineer is needed because all the dials and switches have been put into one board. Also, he told us about something called ambient tainting and that is when other sounds interfere with yours and you get background noises and static type of sound. This thing ambient tainting has been the thing that has been getting on my nerves for the last two years, thank you Mr. Pardy. He also summarised everything we learn about microphones last year, meaning phantom power, omnidirectional microphones, stuff like that. Other than that what I learnt today about the engineer is that he comes and fixes everything a musician does to make it sound better, so basically be a music critic, however you need a physics degree sometimes because you need to work on a program thats way more complex and different than Logic X Pro; it's basically like a smart technician music critic its pretty cool. After Mr. Ball told us we had to advertise our band, I decided to create an instagram for SMD, calling it SMD_Official4, while I created a vine for G.O.A.T, called GOAT7.

#9

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
28th November 2014

Process Journal #9

I wasn't here for the whole week as I was absent sunday, and wednesday I was off to a football competition from the 28-30th of November. I missed two lessons because of the football competition, and one due to a fever. 

#8

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
November 22nd 2014

Process Journal #8

Today we continued on with getting started with our real life studio experience by getting roles.To freshen up your mind, there are four roles that you could get in a real live studio and we were told that by the end of last lesson we would have our roles, albeit Taji and I didn't get one. The roles we could've secured was a producer, songwriter, musician, and engineer, but at the end of the first lesson Taji and I were executive producers. In hindsight, I wish I was a songwriter, because I really love fusing poetry with music. Furthermore, while attempting to understand our roles we realized we had to split the work, in which we decided to divide the four groups between us to in a way, manage them. I took over SMD, G.O.A.T and the little practice room in the classroom, which would later on become my office. The next lesson SMD (shut me down) and G.O.A.T (Greatest of all time) were in practice rooms to decide on a genre and name of a band. There was a lot of disagreements so the whole lesson was spent trying to get along with each other and deciding on a name. Sara, Samid, Hamad, and Basyouni decided on the name SMD (shut me down), while Darwin, Al Anoud, Kareem, and Hayaan decided on the name G.O.A.T (Greatest of all time). That was as productive as it was gonna get because these bands weren't made up by friends but by classmates, so lets just say it was a diamond in the rough, a butterfly waiting to break out of its cocoon. 

Feedback: (on role)
"I believe you should research more about your role, and others as it will help you understand what everyone is supposed to be doing in your groups, and what you're supposed to be doing obviously" - Hayaan

Thank you Hayaan, that was honestly very helpful because then I will understand what it is to be in a live studio from all perspectives. Also just the way you put it was beautiful I will know what I'm supposed to do and how to apply it to the other roles and help them understand what their doing. In this moment I realize how hard it is to be a teacher.

"you need to start advising us on our genre and try to be a mediator because I don't want to waste more time fighting in my group" - Hamad Al Mawlawi

Hamad I will try my best to advise you on your genre however that is a group decision and I believe that you need to get used to it because you will be working with them for the next two months. Albeit, I will try to find the most famous genres as they will have the most information, instruments, and lyrics to create around those genres. Also the faster you help stop the fights the faster the other group members realize they need to take the matter of the project seriously. 

Photo of my office:

#7

Wadha Al Nabti
Music Production 10
13th November 2014

Process Journal #7

Today we started a new unit based on different roles in a real live studio, bringing reality into the class we currently take to face reality.  I really dreaded the second lesson as we spent all of it trying to understand our roles on youtube; if that lesson was subrogated with one where we could try and guess our roles, then we would be shown the videos to see how wrong we were, in that way we could learn from our mistakes. I was really happy to work with this new real live studio unit because honestly I love songwriting and fixing peoples music the best. I like to call myself a music critic, so I'm not a huge musician, meaning this is my time to shine. Moreover, even though I complained about the masterclasses they really helped me understand the roles and the basic guidelines, but I still needed to touch up on some stuff. Whatever role I get I can watch the videos again as they were very useful or just read the guidelines of the roles on the white board, because there is nothing wiser than Mr. Ball. In all honesty, I wasn't being sarcastic Mr. Ball is my favourite type of teacher doesn't like to go all out and gives us all the basic and essential information needed in bullet points. He's a very productively challenged person, as in he can do the most important stuff in a short amount of time which is a quality I value highly. Anyhow, I will use the whiteboard and the videos to reference my need for knowledge on my role, which shall be chosen by the end of this week, however Taji and I still don't have a role.

There is no feedback (barely started my job)

Photo of Mr. Ball explaining to us our roles: