2011 : A Space for an Odyssey

This New Year I am probably the last person who should write about “How to keep New Year’s resolutions” (so I won’t). I am as guilty as anyone of what I call the creative “Art of Multi-crastination” and have a task list longer than my arm stretched out before me as we speak!  

For that purpose, Angelo Bell has a wonderful Blog post for Filmmakers that offers up some great tips for setting powerful goals and keeping them here: 11 Ways to Keep Your Indie Film New Years Resolutions

 

I’d like to talk about the “Why” - Why NOW is a particularly important time. And I don’t mean in that nebulous Zen “Now is the only moment of power” kind of way (even though it’s true).

As we approach this New Year - 2011, many of us carry forward resolutions to do more, do it better, and get in great shape while we are doing it.These valiant goals and others come in many forms and just about every artist, writer, musician, filmmaker and entrepreneur have a host of industry specific goals they would like to achieve at the start of each year.

 For Artists of all kinds, the journey from creative inclinations to professional aspirations and achievements is indeed a great odyssey! 

But this year is a particularly interesting and fortuitous year to get on top of that list and really tackle the goals you wish to achieve.“The industry” is in a temporary upheaval and there is a groundswell of independent arts activity and technology that is shifting the balance of power and creating a more Artist friendly environment with more direct connection to audiences. Alternate paradigms are emerging and gaining ground. 

The challenge and core “down in the gut” question for many ambitious creative people has always been “How can I “make it” doing what I love to do?”  For many that means finding a functional “middle class” path that not only provides life’s necessities, but also the means to facilitate the manifestation of more new and unique collaborations and works of art and entertainment.

There are some lovely new “memes” spreading across the internet like “authenticity” and “Becoming one’s own brand”, but … there is still a long way to go! There is always the danger that these ideas with such great potential could simply be assimilated and abused to dysfunction by the pre-existing stagnant industry giants or people that are still so saturated by the previously engrained “competition” and “scarcity” based paradigms that they simply imprint the old memes upon the new ones, effectively canceling their value. (i.e. SPAM and “Push Selling” ain’t “NEW” or “authentic” simply because it’s “tweeted” from a freakin’ Star Trek lookin’ Android or iPhone”).

2011 holds a great deal of potential opportunity precisely because we are in this state of flux. The atmosphere is bristling for change and anyone with the courage and fortitude to play a positive role in that development NOW has a good chance of finding their “wave” in the years to come. Being flexible and open to new ideas, people and processes while maintaining clear focus on our goals may just be the key to riding this wave. I truly hope that there are many of us who can heed this call.

• We need to cautiously but expeditiously find our way through developing better business paradigms SO THAT we can really sit down and focus on developing our craft and our art. That is after all, the heart of what we do and the reason why most of us do it in the first place.

• We need to be able to focus on writing NEW stories and finding amazing new ways to tell them.

• We need to expand our creative and cultural vocabularies by collaborating with artists, friends and partners that enrich and enhance each other

• And we need (and deserve) to be able to survive and thrive while growing and expanding to our full creative potential. “The Arts” play a very important role in culture – too important to be left in the hands of bean counters and corporate executives with no connection to the art itself.

Whatever your role in the world of arts and entertainment, now is the time (while the “system” is broken or at least reasonably off its footing) to rebuild our industry more in the image we’d like to see, rather than simply struggling to get on for the ride and trying like hell not to get bucked off.

Just keeping our ordinary New Year’s resolutions seems hard enough. Getting on point toward building a great career and body of work in the Arts is an added challenge. Doing it during an economy in flux adds even further complication. Attempting to change the industry one artist at a time may seem even more daunting. But determining to do any of those things NOW may just be the single step that launches the rest of your own amazing creative odyssey in the world of Art and Filmmaking in the 21st Century.

Stanley Kubrick's "2001 A Space Odyssey" was a groundbreaking film and represented what great filmmakers could achieve at the time. It spoke to the 21st Century over thirty years before it would actually arrive.  

Take inspiration from that and speak to your own future as an Artist and your own personal creative odyssey for 2011.

                                                                                                                                           Happy New Year!

T. Reed  - Composer @TAOXproductions                                                                http://www.taoxproductions.com

Astrology and the Multi-Media Artist/Entrepreneur

UPDATE: LAST MERCURY RETROGRADE for 2010:
DECEMBER 10 - DECEMBER 30.
Perhaps you are asking yourself, "What does Astrology have to do with being an artist or a media entrepreneur?" There are many who might even scoff at the notion entirely, as if it were some 'mumbo-jumbo' best suited for Saturday night fright flicks.

Let me assure you, that having lived with an astrologer for nearly twenty years and having used it as a tool in our lives, it has been an incredibly helpful 'guidebook'. Skeptics should consider that on an entirely scientific and physical level, if the  gravitational forces caused by the motion of planets can move the tides of the oceans, certainly they must have some effect on our own physical bodies (made primarily of water), which must in turn have some effect on our physical, emotional, and  spiritual nature. These effects can often be clearly be felt and seen if we are paying attention.

But how can we (entrepreneurs and artists...and, well everyone!) actually work with this information to improve our selves and our lives? Let me give you one powerful example.
Life gets busy and one can easily slip on the consistency with which they (me) update their blogs and networking activity from time to time. Networking can seem like a moot point when impending bills and deadlines loom, and sometimes everything can just plain go haywire, from computers to communications to projects. Thankfully, this is not usually the case, but this can happen to any of us at any time (and probably has at one point or another). We often do not recognize when it's time to stop and rest, or refresh our commitment to excellence and discipline
Enter a particular phenomenon in Astrology called "Mercury Retrograde".
Mercury,(The Messenger), is the planet strongly associated with communication and travel. When Mercury goes retrograde it can boggle computers, tie peoples tongues and create misunderstandings. It can also bring an increase in car breakdowns and accidents as well as just generally interference with travel plans.
Now, that may all sound somewhat ominous, and considering it happens three or four times each year and lasts for three (or more in effect) weeks each time, it might appear a daunting obstacle.
But there is an up side to for those who can embrace a more Taoist sense of balance in the Universe. One useful mantra that I have heard (and applied) to Mercury Retrograde is to consider the prefix "re" from retrograde. Use these retrogrades intentionally and take the time to do things that generally use the prefix 're': (rethink, prepare, research, retool, reorganize, reflect, and yes, even relaxation:) Make a conscious effort to slow down and re-examine your situation. Back up your computers before retrograde hits (and remain vigilant with good back up procedures in general). Make sure you have any necessary car repairs taken care of, especially if you plan or expect a long drive. Re-confirm your flights and rooms if you are traveling, and be well prepared for changes and delays. This is also a good time to plan for doing studio repairs or renovations. And despite the focus on travel issues, it can also be a good time to plan for some rest and recreation (provided you remain chill and follow the recommendations above regarding travel!). And while there is never a bad time to revisit gratitude and rectify your attitude, Mercury Retrograde would be a wise time to do so.

 Astrology is not an old wives tale used to scare people or fill them with pipe dreams and superstition. It can be a valuable tool (properly utilized) to help the entrepreneurial spirit thrive and navigate in both creative and business environments, as well as in our day to day lives. For anyone involved in the highly competitive and often stressful  creative industry, we need all the tools we can get to stay on top of our game, reduce stress, and prepare the way for joyous and prosperous ventures. Astrology can be a useful asset on that journey.

As of the writing of this article we are currently in a Mercury Retrograde that started: August 20th and ends September 12th 2010 (although the effects can be known to start early and slowly wind down prior to and after the 3 week retrograde period).

For a good forum to find out more about Astrology and that kind of stuff you can visit:

http://www.astrocreepsandtarotfreaks.com

For more about my place in the world of music and multi-media production you can check out my site at: 

http://www.taoxproductions.com 

Music Producers - Musical Multiple Personality Disorder

Producer's Journal

The Deep Dark Secrets of Music Production 

Nobody Wants to Talk About

Perhaps only other producers will be able to relate to this dark secret of the business, but many of us suffer from MMPD (Musical Multiple Personality Disorder).
   It starts off innocently through study of music and music appreciation, but like a gateway drug, leads artists to want to actually create music in genres outside their natural areas of expertise, to explore, collaborate, innovate, and finally bend and twist genre on it's head...And then, it's too late; you are hooked.
You start to notice it when you hear a track in a genre you never liked and suddenly have a wave of immense appreciation for the songwriting and production, or worse yet, you can re-imagine the song in an entirely different genre/arrangement. These musical "hallucinations" can have far reaching effects, including a sometimes excessive build up of interesting, but unrelated tracks in one's music catalog.
For producers who come from the performing/recording artist/band world it can be even more traumatic.
An artist with a band or specific solo project already has identity issues, often using one or more obfuscated identities to represent their 'creative selves' versus their 'business selves', and their 'everyday selves'.
   For those afflicted with MMPD, the compulsion to analyze music and engage in unsavory acts like: research, study, practice, collaboration, experimentation and ultimately becoming involved with 'foreign' genres, becomes irresistible, pulling countless producers down a long hard road of musical addiction.
For the performer turned producer, coming down from a 'one genre' focus and having to enter a beginners mind in unfamiliar territories can be a challenging transition, but the lure of "mind expanding" musical experiences often proves too compelling for an artist just leaving the exciting world of long hours, late nights and too much cigarette smoke.
   Side effects of MMPD can be a heavy level of appreciation for cultural diversity and an open mind.
Often times artists with an established following can suffer the stigma of being accused of lack of focus or betrayal of genre/fanbase. Without a community of other producers willing to come out and openly discuss this 'seamier' side of the business, an individual producer can feel isolated and lock themselves in their studios for hours if not days at a time.
If any of these symptoms or conditions sound familiar to you, you may be afflicted. You may be a producer.
Until now, it had been thought that the only cure for this affliction was a steady job doing only one kind of music (or in extreme cases, no music at all!) for the rest of their life...For some, that cure is worse than the disease.
I am happy to be able to reveal to you today, that the real cure is much simpler, free, and readily available!
The secret? Having a good sense of humor, a healthy dose of ambition and perseverance, and finding a supportive place where you can openly declare:
" I am (insert your name here) and I'm a Producer";)

Happy Holidays,
T. Reed - Composer/Music Producer

TAO X Productions Online! 11/29/09

Official TAO X Productions Website now online!

After much tribulation, procrastination, and frequent 'conflustrication' (nope, not a word, ...yet;), I finally retooled the TAO X Productions website.
New easy to access flash audio and video samples, project links, and a sleek new design are finally available.
The Shopping and Newsletter features are not fully functional just yet. At the moment they are still a world of code I have to finish grappling with, but I'm well on the way and should have those aspects ironed out before long.
As a long time practitioner of DIY philosophy, it can be both frustrating and rewarding to pick up new software from scratch and tickle the edge of code, while trying to get regular projects done. Web work can be so time consuming and meticulous!
All that said, I hope I've managed to create an enjoyable and useful space for clients, fans, and new viewers to experience a piece of my world as a composer/artist/musician/producer. As time permits I will upgrade and improve the site to better serve the developing needs of my clients and the general needs of the multimedia, post production, music and entertainment industry.
I want to thank everyone who shows interest and visits my sites/blogs etc.
For clients I hope to bring a unique flavor that really helps lift their projects/campaigns to their highest potential. For listeners and fans, I hope you all enjoy my eclectic collection of odd bits, albums, and video work from throughout my career/life as an Artist/Musician/Composer.
I thank you for your ears and your support!
Best Wishes,



T. Reed - Composer/Music Producer
TAO X Productions
Nightmare Sound Lab
TAO X on Twitter

The State of The Independent Record Label

Recently, on a professional Industry group, someone posted the question, "Whatever happened to all the pioneering record labels?" I thought I would try and give some perspective on that topic here.

There is one problem that has always been a problem in this industry..but even more so today:

Investment and operating capital, or just plain simply: MONEY! For years I have been trying to set the framework for just such a pioneering label. I did some A&R consulting for a label in the past and got to see first hand the pretty ugly financial truth to operating a label. From that vantage it's quite easy to see why there aren't a million pioneering labels out there. Problem #1: Distributors don't pay fast enough, or at all. Shelf space is finite, subject of fierce competition, and being downsized and out-dated more each day. And returns can crush a label owner and come unexpectedly at any time from a distributor.

Now, during this technological 'weeding out' phase where all these new "models" for distribution and marketing (iTunes, etc.) are competing for dominance in the market, we are in an odd flux where no one is quite sure what the rules are, and, as usual, the established "powers that be" are fighting desperately to regain control of and/or co-opt the innovations that were created specifically to circumvent their system in the first place.

Right now most people with the entrepreneurial spirit, experience, and technical capacity to run a label are busy throwing down in their craft and maintaining financial solvency. IMHO a couple of things need to coincide to create the circumstances that can foster a successful "Pioneer" or alternative label:

1. Money: But that's not enough on its own... you could give someone 100K to get operating and when that money ran out and they were waiting to get paid by distributors, the repo men would already be coming gut the label's office.

2. Research and Experimentation: New distribution methods and their roles in the emerging evolution of this industry need to be studied and paid attention to. A new label pioneer will have to be clear on how they are going to divide their energy between divergent markets and distribution methods.

3. Cooperation: A community of Artists and Labels being innovative and proactive in marketing (viral and otherwise). Artists have got to get over the notion that getting signed to a label means having everything done for you, and Labels need to be in tune with the Art, Artists, the audience, the markets and the money side simultaneously, if a label is to be more than a part-time expensive, time consuming hobby with every bit as many liabilities as a major label (a lawsuit for copyright infringement looks exactly the same when it arrives on your desk as when it arrives at Sony...only difference is the average indie label doesn't have an army of attorneys on retainer. To really make a splash that gets sufficient marketing attention (even for a niche market) it requires co-mutual and creative partnerships and activity that moves that agenda forward with grace and purpose.

4. A Market (with enough disposable income to be customers):

However odd or eclectic one's "niche" might be, a label has to find their market and get them to the door with cash in hand.

5. Luck: Yup, good ol fashioned luck…to be in the right place at the right time, to meet the right people, to sign the right Artists, to hit a market trend just before the ride is about to begin with a quiver full of just the right arrows to hit that mark.

So while this laundry list of the complications and obstacles to running a successful label seems daunting, there are some, myself included, who are working to stir the air enough to start creating the conditions for that perfect storm…In this economic environment however, the process becomes even more lengthy and challenging, no matter what clever angle you come up with. The prize will go to those who have the time, passion, skill, money, and perseverance to weather the economical and technological storm that is creating our current condition, and to be lucky enough to create or choose a business model that works.

Here’s wishing the best of luck to all those taking the time to make the effort!

T. Reed – TAO X Productions - Nightmare Sound Laboratory

Arts & Business Series - Part 1- Intellectual Property

What every Artist should know about Intellectual Property & Copyrights

(And why they should care)

© 2009 - T. Reed / TAO X Productions

Before I begin, let me first present you with a brief preface and an official disclaimer.

When I started to write this article, it became clear to me that it would take more than one single quickly digestible blog snippet to cover these deep and sometimes gray uncharted waters. I have decided to release the article as part of a series, which I hope you will continue to tune in to for valuable information and insights regarding subjects of interest to professional and aspiring artists alike. For the first part of this series I want to cover intellectual property rights, including topics ranging from copyright and creative commons, to lawsuits and licensing, to sampling and seeking permissions. If that all sounds too dry, technical, and legalese for your taste, then try substituting the alternate more “Artist friendly” title/description:

“Demystifying Intellectual Property - Why my stuff should be mine, and your stuff should be yours, and how we can learn to share our work with the world, make a profit and not get ripped off along the way”.

No guarantee that reading this series will ensure success on all those levels, but armed with a little information and some diligence, you can vastly improve your odds at being in a position to take the most possible advantage of all the hard work and creativity you put into your craft.

OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER: Let me first preface by saying that I AM NOT A LAWYER! Anyone seeking absolute clarity (if that is even an available option), and actual legal authority on any subject contained inside this article should refer to the appropriate regionally based agencies i.e. U.S. Library of Congress Copyright Office (or it’s International equivalents), the artist’s performing rights organization (PRO) i.e. ASCAP, BMI, SEASAC in the U.S., (If you don’t have one or know what that is, then please, do read on!), or one’s own trusted legal council/entertainment attorney. I won’t go into detailed copyright form specifics (which vary), as these forms and the corresponding information are all readily available via the respective copyright offices in your country of residence.

I am an artist/musician/writer and general renaissance man and freak living in the U.S. who has been in the music business for 2 decades, from struggling artist to successful entrepreneur (and that can just be from one week to the next!) Even though I am approaching this article primarily from a musician’s standpoint, the concepts are generally applicable to other art forms as well, which I will touch on briefly throughout. But what I really want to achieve here is to take this subject beyond the legalese and break it down to the core issues, motivations, and attitudes that are meaningful to us all, and which often (for better or worse), guide our hand in forming our own creative path, and manifest the opportunities (or obstacles) that present themselves along the way.

PART 1 – Introduction

The one thing we should all remember, (artist or otherwise) when approaching the topic of “intellectual property”, (If your first instinct when you saw that word was to go, “What?” or simply tune it out, then this article would be ESPECIALLY helpful to you!), is that every artist is out there trying to express themselves with varying degrees of talent, ambition, and solemnity and respect (or lack thereof) regarding the creative rights of their own works and those of others. With such a broad range of attitudes and misunderstandings that abound on the subject, it’s no wonder that this becomes a world that artists prefer to avoid putting too much thought into. Believe me, skilled artists who are successful in their field are keenly aware and on top of, the terms and issues covered in this article. Their eyes would not glaze over, or stare blankly in confusion if I approached them at a party and asked them what they thought about I.P. rights issues (unless they happened to be “overly infused with the party spirit”, if you catch my drift). For all the struggling artists who are continuously grumbling that they just can’t get a break, the preceding is a very noteworthy, statement so let me repeat it: With almost no exception, “Every successful artist has at least a fundamental understanding of, and interest in, copyright law and intellectual property rights”.

Now let’s get to it. If there is any assumption one would be safe making regarding copyright and IP law, it would most likely be to assume everything you see or hear or read or that is made by man in general, belongs to someone and therefore has inherent protections under copyright, trademark, or patent law. Start there and work backwards with any of the additional verifiable facts that are concrete. There will be plenty of time to deal with gray areas.

Sampling was one of those gray areas a few years back (1980s and 90s), which is no longer AS gray. I will go into greater detail on that subject in another installment dedicated more specifically to that issue. But let’s start by tackling a short list of misnomers and misunderstandings about copyright law (at least as it stands in the United States at the time this article was written). These will begin to open up the discussion to some of the individual aspects involved in the process of understanding IP rights that I will delve deeper into in future installments of this series.

A Few Common Misnomers About Copyright Law

1. I have to file a copyright claim and pay the $30 (as of this writing) to register my song/CD/artwork/literature with the Library of Congress or my work won’t be protected.

NO, not true, once you affix your work to a physical medium you have ownership and copyright to that work. That said, it would be a whole lot easier to prove it in a court of law however, if you bit the bullet, paid the fee, and filed your paperwork.

2. If an artist doesn’t post a copyright notice on their work, then it doesn’t have a valid copyright claim and falls into Public Domain.

And that would have been true… until that law was changed in 1989 to comply with the Berne Convention. Many foreign works originally published without copyright notice before that date, that could have entered the public domain in the United States, have had their copyright restored by the URAA (Uruguay Round Agreements Act), which amended that oversight.

3. I can legally use samples of another artist’s music or clips from movies (without getting clearance) if I: (insert/select ill-founded rationalization here).

A. Only use a little section or mash it up beyond recognition.

B. Am not making any money from sales of the work in question.

C. Still believe that everything you can see or hear on the Internet should be free.

And of course the correct answer to the multiple choice is NO, NO, and NOOOO! Recent court cases have set precedent that pretty much says no to sampling any uncleared bits of anyone else’s work without permission, (and most likely clearance fees) from all interested parties. (More on this later in the series).

4. I can use a portion of someone else’s copyrighted material on a project I’m doing that is not for profit.

Really? Perhaps but only if it complies with Fair Use Doctrine and ‘Fair Use’ is a pretty limited and specific law, which you better understand clearly before ‘assuming’ anything.

And this brings us to the first rule of Intellectual Property law:

Assumption can be a very expensive legal strategy. Don’t do it.

Do your research. If every single note or sound or image you are creating isn’t absolutely painstakingly created by YOU and placed into your 100% original work, then you may want to clean up the piece or track down the appropriate parties to request permission and pay any fees required to use someone else’s material. Anyone serious about making a career out of ‘The Arts’ needs to get serious about the subjects contained in this article/series. Another good resource to help guide you in this process would be to check out the latest edition of Richard Stim’s “Getting Permission” by NOLO Books or any of their other fine books on copyright law and the IP business.

Also, make sure you read the licensing agreements on all the Royalty Free samples and loops you might use as well. They may not all have the same license agreement and specific usage might be restricted. It pays to know. Your license agreement on a royalty free loop disc is a binding contract, be sure you read it before you assume anything. And whenever in doubt, especially when something significant could be on the line, consult a qualified attorney in the area of expertise you require.

WOW, now you might be thinking “That sounds like no fun, what a pain to do all that ‘research’ and ‘reading’ and asking permission and paying fees, instead of just playing with my music toys and making cool sounds and stuff”! If those were the only thoughts that come into your head after reading this so far, then I’d re-examine your desire to make it in the industry of art and keep it just a hobby. Being an Artist who makes their living exclusively from art/music is one of the hardest jobs and courses in continuing education one can engage in. If it were easy, everyone would be millionaire artists, so prepare to dive in, do some extra work and get yourself (and your mindset) ready, so you can not only enjoy what you are doing, but also reap the benefits and rewards from doing professional work that is legally and ethically straight up. If you do your homework ahead of time, and do your job right, you may never have to experience the bitter pill of being on the wrong side of a lawsuit (which by the way tends to be either side, a litigious strategy is a costly money and time drain whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant!

OK I’ve laid out a lot of SCARY warnings and said a lot of NO, so next time tune in for the Arts & Business series where I will provide some Yes answers!

T. Reed - TAO X Productions -– Nightmare Sound Laboratory

www.taoxproductions.com

Monster Makers Lab

In conjunction with the Nightmare Sound Laboratory,

I have just opened the Monster Makers Lab at yahoo groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/monstermakerslab/

Monster Makers Laboratory is for anyone who plays some role in bringing Horror and SciFi Monsters to life! Whether your an industry artist, media professional, or a hobbyist who likes creating monsters for fun, this is the place to be:) Every facet of Monster Making is on the table here, from creating models, sets, costumes, soundtracks, sound design, writing, acting or any other role in the production of Horror and SciFi Films, TV, Music, Comics, Toys, Literature, Art etc. This is meant to be an active forum created to pursue the mission of this group:
To keep the fine art of Monster Making alive and well by fostering collaborations, promoting member projects, exchanging tips, tricks,(and tales of our trials and tribulations along the path;), and sharing appreciation of fine works in the field.
I look forward to meeting you all and exchanging ideas.
Happy Nightmares,
T. Reed - TAO X Productions - Nightmare Sound