Jessica Harrison - Digital Identities in the Creative Industries
@jessica-harrison
A blog discussing what it means to create a digital identity for a potential career in the creative industries. Please visit this link for access to my presentation: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_SLeH9cbV3y9mTooSwQ31w-ZJsFgjDIt?usp=sharing . You can download an executable version of the presentation for PC and Mac, or download the PDF version.
Please visit this link for access to my presentation. You can download an executable version of the presentation for PC and Mac, or download the PDF version.
The final section of this blog has arrived, Bringing It All Together! So, how do we bring it all together?
First off, I need to make a list of tasks to complete and closeout this project. A great way of doing this is by collating all remaining tasks and inputting them into a Gantt Chart. That way, we have a visual representation of the work done, the work in progress, and work to be completed.
My next step was to decide on a time frame to complete these tasks, of which I had initially agreed on 4/5 weeks. I found a blank Gantt Chart template to input my information (https://templateslab.com/gantt-chart-templates/).
Due to unforeseen circumstances, there was a four-week delay in completing the project. Now, without the wellbeing issues affecting my work, I could still have utilised the time when working, more efficiently and made changes to my website and online content ready, for release at the end of the project. So, regarding two of my core values (accountability and constant improvement), I can identify areas that I’d like to improve for future projects.
I want to take the opportunity to provide some digital mock-ups of how my logo and content will look on a variety of platforms. I did find several websites that offered free mock-up templates (https://www.mockupworld.co/), (https://www.free-mockup.com/all-templates/) and (https://www.psdmockups.com/).
I want my branding to stand out from the rest of other job candidates. How could I elevate the boldness and overall visual quality of my mock-ups? By adding similar colour schemes used within my logo and social media headers, keeping my branding as consistent as possible.
Here in this section, I’ll be carrying out 3 case studies of 3 individual sound designers and asking the following questions:
Pros and Cons of their website
How do they describe themselves on their ‘About’ page?
How well do they use social media and what social media do they use?
Do they have any advice about their industry? How they got the job? What skills did they need?
Case Study 1
1) Eduardo Ortiz Frau / Sound Design for Video Games / http://www.edsounddesign.com/
2) Pros:
Sleek and straightforward one-page flowing layout.
Mention of awards.
Explain what he does in good detail.
Credits people he works with.
Cons:
Branding inconsistency on the homepage
Doesn’t use the full name in URL.
3) Eduardo describes himself pleasantly as an idealist, surrealist and overall audio nerd. I like his approach to this introduction. It’s quirky and tells me a little bit about his character. I also like how he explained his love of indie games which led to him getting hooked and perusing his career.
4) His chosen social media platforms are:
Facebook - shares frequent personal non-business related posts.
Instagram - shares some work-related and personal content. Hasn’t posted since April 2020.
Twitter - Monthly posts discussing relevant industry topics and connects with other creative individuals.
Vimeo - shares the content of work on projects. Content not recent and at least 2 years old.
5) There isn’t any direct advice given on the website. Still, it is encouraged that people contact him, as he has a passion for helping developers and creatives alike.
Case Study 2
1) Jeff Moberg / Freelance Sound Designer and Composer / https://www.jeffmoberg.tv
2) Pros:
Again, another sleek yet simple one page flowing layout.
Mention of agencies, clients he's worked with.
Has full name in URL!
Credits people he works with.
Would like to read a little more about Jeff in the 'about me' section.
Instagram - regularly shares work-related.
Twitter - Monthly posts discussing relevant industry topics and shares some less formal personal content.
Vimeo - shares the content of work on projects. Content not particularly recent and at least a year old.
Speaks confidently of experiences and time with companies he's worked for and shows recognition of achievements with awards.
Great about me section
Home page introduction isn't enticing. I'm still yet to know who the person is precisely!
Vague URL - no name of the creative!
No secure contact form. Just pasted email address. This leaves spammers, and hackers open to the address.
LinkedIn - Keeps this profile up to date of all agencies and companies he has worked for on projects.
Twitter - hasn't posted in over a year - but was sharing industry-related information.
Software is a huge part of working with musical compositions and sound design projects. I have made a list of software used across the various roles and formats in which they are applied.
Pro Tools
Avid’s Pro Tools is still considered to this day, the industry standard when it comes to working with audio. It is an incredibly powerful digital audio workstation that comes in various versions—each with unique, but with more than capable features of producing high-quality work. I am currently running version 2020.12 which features the new Dark UI (initially released in version 2020.11) (https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-page/pro-tools-2020-11-released). Pro Tools is used primarily to record, edit, and mastering audio and has scope for producing music and creating sound for picture. Although in my experience, it doesn't quite handle virtual instruments as well as Logic Pro X (which I prefer to use for musical compositions). There are several exciting discussion threads on Pro Tools vs Logic Pro X:
Logic Pro X is developed by Apple and is what most in the industry go-to when composing and working with film. It is equipped with an extensive factory library full of orchestral instruments, pianos, synths to name but a few. I am using current version 10.6.1, which came with an incredibly newly revamped EXS24 sampler! Now stripped of its former title and known as... Sampler! (https://www.apple.com/uk/logic-pro/plugins-and-sounds/)
Reaper is a very cheap alternative compared to Pro Tools and Logic Pro X with basic licenses starting at $60.
(https://www.reaper.fm/index.php)
I have found that when conducting my research, Reaper is the name that comes up a lot when talking about game audio. I found a great Reddit post outlining some of its benefits (https://www.reddit.com/r/GameAudio/comments/4wpqtt/why_is_reaper_recommended_so_much_for_game_audio/).
it has a powerful batch editor
its region render matrix feature is awesome for handling asset creation/rendering
subprojects
item based fx processing & automation
scripting support for lua/python which allows developers to create custom tools for data exchange etc. pp
it's highly customisable
and all that for a fraction of the cost of others DAWs
Native Instruments & Sptifire Audio
Although Logic has an extensive instrument library out of the box, I'm sure that every composer I'm aware of has an extensive instrument library, beyond that of what Logic has to offer. Which; leads me onto virtual instrument libraries from German-based Native Instruments, and the U.K based Spitfire Audio. These are some of the best on the market, and I have had several years of experience using VSTs from the Native Instruments family. Below is just a small collection of what Native Instruments and Spitfire Audio have to offer.
It is also important to note that Both manufacturers have completely free line of instruments available to anyone! Native Instruments Komplete Start (https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-start/) and Spitfire Audio - LABS series (https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/). Amazingly, all this is on offer for free!
iZotope RX8
RX8 is another essential tool, in a sound designers arsenal. It has an incredibly intuitive interface with a bundle features used to repair audio and is considered the industry standard. American Sound Designer/Sound Artist/Audio Engineer, Matt McCorkle, shares some top industry tips on utilising sound design and RX8 (https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/matt-mccorkle-rx-for-sound-design.html).
Sound Effects metadata
When it comes to methodically and efficiently searching for specific sound effects, the term 'metadata' will come up! Paul Virostex (world renowned field recordist and writer of cReatibve Field Recordin - From Research To WWrap), alsohost an ex is Below is a selection of applications that allow you to edit the metadata of your audio samples. Allowing to search with ease, and not forage!
Cover photo: taken from my Action Plan presentation
For this part of the assignment, I had to prepare a pitch to present all of my research for the project to my peers. How could I best convey my knowledge, research and findings as clearly and concise as possible? I did have a completed action plan of tasks I needed to complete for closing out this project which was the premise for my pitch. I wanted to split the action tasks across the slides equally.
The next option that I needed to decide was which application I wished to use to present my work. PowerPoint is the first that springs to mind. It has since had some reasonable updates since the good old days of plain and boring looking slides. Still, there are a plethora of other applications out there now. So which one is best? Below is a list of PowerPoint alternatives. (https://www.pastemagazine.com/tech/10-apps-for-making-a-great-slideshow-on-the-go/#1-google-slides) (https://visme.co/blog/presentation-apps/)
Showpad - https://www.showpad.com/
SlideIdea - http://ww1.slideidea.com/
Visme - https://www.visme.co/
Haiku Deck - https://www.haikudeck.com/
FlowVella - https://flowvella.com/
LinkedIn SlideShare - https://www.slideshare.net/
Google Slides - https://www.google.co.uk/slides/about/
Prezi - https://prezi.com/
Keynote - https://www.apple.com/uk/keynote/
Canva - https://www.canva.com/en_gb/
Venngage - https://venngage.com/
Slidebean - https://slidebean.com/
Digideck - https://www.thedigideck.com/
Infogram - https://infogram.com/
I decided to use Prezi to present my work because I like the default templates as a starting point and the vast amount of interactivity you can add to your slides and various methods of presenting, sharing, and exporting the slides. I wanted to use the right combination of bright colours, infographics, visual aids and even sketches to support the information I was presenting. Below you can see the slides from my industry-related pitch.
In summary of the final pitch, I believe I made an engaging, concise and informative presentation. It showed I had thought and planned out my work and that I have a solid foundation knowledge of the sector, specific roles and skills required to begin shaping a career as composer and sound designer in the creative industries. I could have made Some improvements in showing some inspiration and examples of other logos, CV's and websites, relevant to my field of expertise.
As it currently stands, I have a website with a domain name and email, but I am in the process of developing all three of these. My website URL: www.jlhsound.com, whilst personalised, doesn't contain my name. Having my full name in the URL allows for better identity of my website and my brand. The problem I also have is that email form on my current website doesn't work. So an essential part of communication is blocked. Getting my new website up and running is imperative so I have a professional work email.
There are several sites you can check for domain names, register and also set up email. There may be costs involved, which will determine which option I chose.
I decided to choose Wix to host my email and website, which offered a free domain for the year! I decided to do this because it keeps all of the website, email and web domain in one place. It will make things incredibly easier to manage later. No more www.jlhsound.com! I'm fully identifiable by my website's URL: www. jessicaharrison.net
As mentioned in the 'Industry Research' section of this blog, it isn't just the technical skills future employers will want to see. They want to see how your passion and art is fuelled also!! Sound design is more than just a series of sticking sounds together in a DAW. It's all about creating the other half of the story!
Core values & necessary skills
In my blog's branding section, I spoke about core values and those I deem to be top of my list. Core values make us who we are. It's what drives ambition and our creative thought process.
Accountability is high on my list of values/skills. Being accountable for the amount and quality of work we do is crucial. Often we dismiss our failures because we won't hold ourselves responsible. Though, at the other end of the spectrum, we more often than not, sing our praises. So holding yourself accountable as an individual or team unit, is just as crucial during the failures as it is during the success.
Whilst, teamwork is a very cliché term used with regards to employability, it remains a massive part of my core skill set. Being surrounded by team members is an excellent way to find a creative place in a project. I can then take those ideas and present for peer review. Having people to work with not only makes producing a big project easier. Still, it gives me a tremendous sense of satisfaction that like-minded creatives have come together to create something incredible.
Passion is a big part of what drives me. Music and composing is such a wonderful expression of artistry for me. Not just the music side of things, but I then took my love for music (and audio in general) regarding sound design. I began exploring the more intricate realms of audio. Each day my passions grow, but I NEVER wonder why I love what I do, not even on my worst days.
Respect is a skill I'm continually re-evaluating. I think it is undeniably essential to respect other people and their creative differences.
Continuous improvement is about always finding new and exciting ways to work. Technology changes exceptionally fast these days, and in audio production, the skillsets also have to change. Keeping up to date on industry techniques, skills, and methods will ensure I stay relevant to the expected work output. There are some general skills required to be a sound designer composer within the creative industries. However, some more specific skills are necessary if specialising in TV & film or games.
Basic skills:
Creating, maintaining and backing of own original sound libraries.
Digital signal processing
Producing sound maps/ storyboards from scripts.
Mixing inside Digital Audio Workstations
Work along with side other members of the audio post-production team
Sector-specific skills
TV/Film and Game skills:
Compose and engineer music
improving sound quality
Spot, arrange and edit audio into video, or other mediums.
Use visual logic systems such as Max MSP.
Use of game implementation systems, i.e. Unity, Unreal, Fmod and Wwise.
Layering sounds to have a desired/or specific effect.
I have begun creating and collating my sound libraries last year. At first, I had incredibly long titles for samples and one-shots but started finding it hard to achieve all of the sounds (both RAW and edited). That was until I came across the word 'metadata'. Having a logical and easily navigable database of sounds is crucial to making my workflow more efficiently. I'm starting my journey into audio metadata with a free app called Soundly. Soundly offers a free-plan with up to 2500 local file storage and access to free cloud-based sound effects. To start, this will be ideal, but I would like to look at other plans that will include Cloud storage backup in the future. Currently I backup all of my libraries onto an 8TB desktop drive, another external HDD and my google drive.
What is digital sound processing or DSP, you may ask? Digital sound processing is where audio converts from analogue to digital signal. A series of mathematical calculations are then applied before the signal returns to analogue before final output. As a producer/composer/sound designer, I use various plugins to manipulate the sounds inside my Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Plugins come in many forms. VST is the most common form of an audio plugin and is Microsoft's Virtual Studio Technology. Avid uses its plugin file system called AAX (Avid Audio Extension), and Apple uses its own AU system (Audio Unit).
Below is a small list of plugins that I utilise during my time working on projects in the studio:
I use Logic Pro X as my music production/composition DAW of choice. I believe this offers a great deal of flexibility to music composers alike.
In contrast, I use Pro Tools as my post-production tool. Here, I produce final mixes of songs before proceeding onto the mastering process, which I also use Pro Tools. Pro Tools is also my DAW of choice for sound design work, purely because of its sheer power in dealing with raw audio.
During a mix-down phase of a musical composition, you should hear each instrument with clarity. Musical instruments all operate at different frequencies within the frequency spectrum. By respecting the base frequencies at which a particular instrument's audio outputs, I can make the final asset as audibly clear as possible, for maximum viewing pleasure.
When working on sound design projects, I will often improve the sound of my source audio captured when out in the field inside iZotope RX8. Here I will remove clicks, hissing, background hum, de-verb, and even isolate parts of dialogue to ensure that audio is optimal for project usage.
I do love writing music and producing sound effects! I like to create work for TV & film, animations, interactive media, audiobooks and more. I import video assets into my DAW (Logic Pro X or Pro Tools depending on projects final output).
This way, I have a visual in front of me from which to work. You can then lock the audio event in position with the video using SMTPE time code. This way, it keeps my music and sound effects in the exact place they need to be, without fear of being moved or adjusted in any way. Just don't forget to lock the positions!!
Max MSP is a powerful visual logic system for generating sound design and producing electronic music. I am new to this software and am learning new and exciting ways to integrate MAX MSP into my DAW workflow. I decided to explore the unique and intricate methods of composing music and designing sound for various media forms.
Examples of work
The best way to showcase both technical and artistic skill is quite obviously through social media platforms. Instagram has become a staple platform where businesses and creatives promote themselves and their craft. There are other platforms such as YouTube, SoundCloud, Twitter, Facebook (and don't forget LinkedIn!) to name but a few. With all of these beautiful places to promote me and work, I must consider the type of content I post to maintain maximum engagement with audiences and potential employers.
After many years of making and producing music at home, my interest in exploring the world of all thing's audio continued to grow. I purchased myself a simple, cheap portable recorder, some dirt-cheap microphones, and just went out and explored the world around me. At first, I made some novice mistakes in just aimlessly pointing and pressing the record button. Still, I soon learned that I merely heard things playback after recording. I never stopped to listen before I hit that big red button!
Slowly I got better (still, a long way to go), but most importantly I absolutely loved the process, and still am! I took great inspiration from reading the sound Effects Bible by Ric Viers (https://www.ricviers.com/sound-effects-bible) and Field Recording from Research To Wrap by Paul Virostek (https://www.creativefieldrecording.com/downloads/field-recording-from-research-to-wrap/). Both explain in great detail about how to get set up, get a recording and start collating my sound libraries.
With that said here's one of my first sound design projects. By this time, I had upgraded my audio recorder and had a few new microphone additions. Jez Riley French's D-Series Hydrophone, C – Series Contact mic, and his electromagnetic coil mic. Again, it was a learning curve starting with these new bits of kit, but I am genuinely pleased with how much this project turned out.
Without further ado, I present to you a lovely piece of animation by Polynoid, titled Mem. I create a gorgeous stereo cacophony of delicate sounds with Sci-Fi and electronic elements that lend itself well to the animation's energy.
One of the single most important things that will help increase employability is a shining CV. Always keep it up to date, and have consistent branding throughout.
Below is the most current version of my CV. While there is a consistent colour scheme throughout, there is still a fully designed logo to be added but will replace my name (the bold blue font on the left).
The current contact information will cause issues as the email contact form on my existing website isn’t working correctly. Which disables an essential line of communication for me. This will be rectified once the new site is developed, along with a full-name oriented URL and matching email address.
There are some good indicators of application skill level. Still, some more specific skills would be a good thing for future employers to look at.
Many websites offer free customizable CV templates; Adobe Behance, and some free (with some Premium content) non Adobe alternatives such as Graphic Pear and Envato Elements.
Some sites like Adobe Stock are subscription-based but do provide fully customisable CV’s. Most CV templates can be fully customised using Adobe Illustrator or InDesign.
Below are some examples of sound designer, composer and producer CVs that helped me gather some ideas for my own.
So after adding all of my credentials and other information, I amended the layout slightly from the initial template. The thumbnail photograph is also not a necessary requirement on CVs from employers. I cycled through various fonts to find one legible, and that had a modern/elegant look. Some elements need to placed inside a footer. My name email address and phone number have now been added to the footer of my CV. Below is the next update with feedback from my university lecturer.
One other important piece of feedback was to consider that printing the CV may be a possibility. If so, then the dark background and colour will be costly to print. So with that in mind, I will also make an entirely black and white version.`
All that is left to do is add the CV's to my website, and we're ready to go!
One final comment is that this is just a base CV, and I must tailor it to the role I'm applying for when applying for jobs within the industry.
The world of social media has grown hugely since its introduction to the internet. The first social media platform that was available was a site called Six Degrees in 1997. The boom of social media platform began in the early part of the 2000's introducing platforms like LinkedIn and Myspace. Yes, I know! Remember MySpace!?
More platforms began to arise, and by 2006 saw the introduction of other well-known platforms like; YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Spotify, Pinterest and Tumblr, to name but a few. (https://smallbiztrends.com/2013/05/the-complete-history-of-social-media-infographic.html#:~:text=The%20first%20recognizable%20social%20media,sensation%20that's%20still%20popular%20today)
In a professional sense, social media's idea is to help promote business and showcase creative content; such as photography, music and fitness, etc. As a sound designer/composer, I'm looking to use the following social platforms; SoundCloud, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
SoundCloud is an excellent platform for sharing music, sound files and even podcasts. My current SoundCloud pages have been set-up but are lacking content and my updated branding.
I have researched some great examples of the use of SoundCloud within the field of sound design.
Cinematic Sound Design are a UK based sound design production studio that has created work for major TV and film commercials and share work examples from sound design pieces to musical composition: (https://soundcloud.com/cinematic-sound-design)
Another great use of SoundCloud is by the Tone Benders Podcast team. Timothy Muirhead, Rene Coronado and Teresa Morrow. They regularly host podcasts episodes invaluable to those seeking a career involved in audio editing, field recording, post-production for games, TV and film. They discuss a wide variety of design techniques, game audio, case studies on current and past examples of work within the industry, and so much more! If you are not aware of these podcasts, do so, and make yourself aware now: (https://soundcloud.com/tonebenders-podcast).
Finally, another excellent source of SoundCloud uses inspiration from A Sound Effect’s podcast series: (https://soundcloud.com/a-sound-effect). A Sound Effect run one of the most popular sites for sound effects/sound design on the internet today.
I am currently planning to prepare a monthly podcast series, where I’ll be talking all things sound/audio/production. The first episode from the podcast I’ll be discussing how creativity has affected artists, musicians, sound designers and composers alike throughout the turmoil of a pandemic driven 2020. Having a warm and inviting presence, (albeit on a podcast) will lend itself well to viewers being able to begin connecting with me, and so I can start genuinely gaining a following. I’ll be using the podcast to talk about software, case studies and cool projects to share with my audience. I’ll also be using SoundCloud to share some creative field recording examples. So, people can hear the wonder and intricacies of creative field recording and sound design before being applied or edited and placed within a project.
YouTube is another excellent platform for posting videos about your kit or hardware and even software tutorials. My current YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCceMTWCvRtkGwUBPQz2sEYA?view_as=subscriber ) lacks some serious content update, and update of the branding imagery.
I’m looking to start planning a series of tutorials/how-to’s to start with field recording and sound design and share some mini-documentaries of projects in progress. Having a ‘behind-the-scenes’ approach to displaying your work will help potential future employers see what goes in all of the hard work before getting to a finished artefact.
My favourite on the list of YouTube Sound Design based channels is, Akash Thakkar ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr1pdADQRWMks2checkZxBA ). He provides some incredibly fun to learn tutorials, but most importantly (for me) is the amount of invaluable career advice on entering the industry.
When approaching the potential use of Instagram, I wanted to find some good examples of how other sound designers/composers have used Instagram. I did come across a fascinating blog article.
Five sound design Instagram accounts you should follow. Which gives insight into some of the top sound Design related Instagram accounts to follow : (https://dougieevans.com/2018/02/28/5-sound-design-instagram-accounts-you-should-follow/).
Excellent use of sharing work in progress and a ‘behind-the-scenes’ aesthetic, comes from Robert Dudzic (https://www.instagram.com/robertdudzic/ ) excellent sound design work for movies, TV and games and radio.
Finally, we come to LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a professional networking platform. You can connect with like-minded sound designers, but more broadly, you can connect with other production companies, directors, and other organisations that require a sound designer or composer's services. My current LinkedIn profile is basic and has a lot of brand updating that is needed. I will also continue to research the best use of this particular social media platform as I am yet to comprehend its benefits fully.
A LinkedIn profile is more than a small photo of yourself and a job title. The more information you can give about yourself is better for future career employability prospects. Not only that but having an attention-grabbing intro to the profile will make people want to discover more about who you are. Not only this, but having frequent and update to date links of my best work is another factor too bare in mind when sharing content on LinkedIn. Gaining things like client feedback and connecting with groups, are other areas that will improve your Linked reputability.
Below are the headers for all of my social media platforms. All with updated branding!!! I'm working hard to get some fabulous material for each of these, and I shall be posting as regularly as possible.
WEBSITE
Below is my current website. I built this within Adobe Dreamweaver CC, but there are several issues with its functionality at present. The email form does not work, the load animation hangs, and there are many discrepancies with the website's metadata. Not to mention the layout could do with a revamp.
While the Dreamweaver method isn't all that difficult when developing a website, I found I was spending too much time getting silly little things to work and not focusing on the website's content. So, I sought other methods to create a website. Beforehand, I did make a collection of websites that gave me inspiration for my website.
With my research complete, the next step for me was to sketch out the wireframing. Wireframing the layout makes my job incredibly easier when placing content during the production of the website.
Now there are a wealth of website builders out there. Below is a list of some online website builders that are currently available (https://www.sitebuilderreport.com/best-website-builder#squarespace):
I made Wix, my choice out of all of the website builders. It just seemed easy to use. It was finally allowing me to concentrate on my content. I started building the website through this template (https://www.wix.com/website-template/view/html/1714?siteId=1070999e-8eb1-4026-bc3a-ff9e8756fe9c&metaSiteId=e5e72348-6183-4b7f-9e4e-d427696f4111&originUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wix.com%2Fwebsite%2Ftemplates%2Fhtml%2Fmusic&tpClick=view_button). This would allow me to get my content loaded and then edit the position and layout after.
Here is the current status of the new website. Not a bad effort so far, but some I'll need to make some tweaks to fix points where my site breaks (as you can see below). Which will make sure my website is optimised for all viewing devices.
Now here's the final result! My very own first 'professional' website. This method will prove far more effective in uploading and showing my work and other content, instead of partially coding a website. It's fun and doable, but I want to improve other areas of my audio expertise.
The website's ready to go live now. All I need to do is selecting a hosting package and domain and set up search engine optimisation (SEO).
So, What is branding? Is it a logo, a symbol, typography, specific core values? Well, it is all of those. Branding is something that should speak volumes about a product or and individual. It’s something (I must admit!) that I have neglected, but with some solid research, my approach to this area is improving.
Before drafting my initial logo, I carried out some research into design examples within the industry. Envato published an excellent document that outlines design trends and colour schemes across various industries and sectors (https://envato.com/c/TrendReport_2020.pdf).
Neon colour palettes, retro style and the 80′s are very much on-trend right now. Bright, neon and vibrant is precisely the kind of colour scheme and aesthetic I’d like to adopt when creating my logo, but I want to keep it as simple as possible.
With the colour schemes and design trends researched, I wanted to find some examples of logos that incorporated these.
I initially created a logo inside a template using Adobe Photoshop (yes, I know, rookie mistake!), which was the final result. Whilst yes, it’s aesthetically pleasing, it does, however, pose several problems for me. It was created inside a raster graphic based application (Photoshop) and had just my initials in. So, the logo will be significantly affected when scalability comes in to play. Also, nobody can instantly know who I am. I’m more than just a bunch of letters!
I then found a fascinating article about logos, and the dos and don’ts (https://www.creativebloq.com/graphic-design/pro-guide-logo-design-21221#david-aireys-10-golden-rules-of-logo-design). They mention some of the basic rules when creating a logo. Some of the most important to me are; treasuring the sketchpad, working in black and white, and simplicity aids recognition.
I ignored the typography within the logos I had researched. I required something that had my full name in and created using vector art. This way, I would have no scalability issues. To gain a more angular, techy, futuristic-looking logo, I took this font (https://www.dafont.com/amuse-bouche.font?text=JESSICA+HARRISON) and manipulated it inside Adobe Illustrator to make it unique and personal to me.
Overthinking logo design is easy to do, but genuinely treasuring my sketchpad took something from like this...
...to and an early draft version of this, inside Adobe Illustrator. Again only a draft version, but an improvement on the previous version. I also think I need to remove the circle, and I'll stick purely with the font. I will continue to edit the text points to create a unique and flowing feel to my branding.
Now I have the black and white versions of my logo; it was time to add colour. I will keep it to a single neon colour. That way I can keep the design simple, but really colourful and super vibrant, just like me :) This time around you can see I've changed the look a little. I'm happy with this final design. Edgy, techy, and I think something that represents me as an individual. I've also prepared black and white versions of the logo and corresponding favicons for my website.
Core Values
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, branding is a lot more than just a logo. It is also about the values that I, as a creative individual, possess and apply them to my work. Core values, and well-established ones at that, can catapult an already established brand, to an, even more, well-known brand. Values are the essence of who we are as people.
In this article by Anthem Branding, they quote their senior brand strategist as saying "The brand that you put out in the world reflects much more than just the product that you're selling. It speaks to what you as a company believe in, your personality, your aesthetic, a vision for the industry you're in, and the culture you represent and stand for".(https://medium.com/@anthembranding_boulder/what-are-brand-core-values-513efc84f989). Before I can address this question, I must first examine what I believe, which five core values best apply to me, Jessica Harrison.
My top 5 core values are:
Before I can use these logos in any designs, I need to ensure the web and print (merchandise one day...) logos are optimised. Being that I'm not a graphic designer, I needed a little help making sure I did this final step right. I found a beneficial article here (https://hoodzpahdesign.com/design-workflow-how-to-efficiently-save-your-final-logos/). The digital logos were exported as .jpg, .png, and .svg formats as they are RGB colour based. I exported the print-based logos as Illustrator .eps, which is a vector format used for printing.
Respect - I hold in high regard. To me, respect is much more than just please and thanks yous. It is also about respecting peoples creative differences and allowing that to enrich you as a person. It is also about respect my craft and that I would love to. That respect will be evident in how I portray myself and my work.
Constant Improvement - So many times as a musician/composer, I have plateaued. Hit a rut, or more well known as 'writers' block'. Finding new and creative ways to carry out my work is crucial in not reaching a plateau. Plateaus blunt creativity!
Accountability - Something that people often disregard. Being accountable for the amount of work you do is essential when working as a professional sound designer/composer in games or film and TV—working to strict deadlines when you have a potentially already crammed work schedule. Being held accountable for our actions is something we all should do, but not so much that it causes detriment to what we are trying to achieve.
Passion - without passion and love for what I'm doing, why the heck am I doing it? Presenting your work and speaking about it passionately, tells the world and potential employers so.
Teamwork - teamwork is the backbone of everything within creative industries, particularly within games or TV & Film. Individuals can bring some astonishing things to the table when working on a film production or game. Still, at the end of the day, that final product, the one we all sit down to watch (or listen to) was a culmination of dedication, passion, accountability, respect, constant improvement and TEAMWORK!
In this section of my blog, I will discuss research I've conducted about which industry and sector I would like to work in, and the skills required when working as a sound designer.
The Creative Industries are some of the most significant contributors to the UK's economy and in 2018 employed approximately 2.04 million people.
Between 2010 and 2017, the Creative Industries Gross Value Added (GVA) inflation estimate was 53.1%, just under double the growth rate compared to the 29.7% of the UK. The TV and film sector (which also includes radio and photography) jobs rose by just under 17% between 2011 and 2018, which led to the industry employing just shy of a quarter of million employees! In 2018 the GVA for this sector was estimated just under £21 million (approximately £20,814 million), making it the second most successful sector within the creative industries next to IT, software and games (https://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/resources/infographics). It also seems that the 'audio' industry is heavily male dominated, and only 5% of the workforce are women. To help increase these numbers and encourage women to work within the sector, organisations such as AES (Audio Engineering Society) provide sponsorship to female students (https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/sound-designer). So, 'come on ladies we can do this! Get involved!.
Whilst the creative industries (but particularly the TV and film sector) are a growing economy in themselves, the salary for a sound designer can differ. What determines a sound designer's salary (aside from a portfolio of work) is experience. In the UK, a sound designer's starting salary is around £18,000. Simultaneously, someone with five or more years of experience can earn approximately £23,000 per year. If you're hitting the big time, and have a wealth of experience under your belt, expect to earn around £30,000 - £41,000 (https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/sound-designer). In the US, sound designers salary ranges anywhere from $25,680 – $117,600 (https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/sound-designer-70509/). Gaining as much experience in this field is crucial to becoming successful and recognised as an individual creative.
A sound designer works as part of a post-production team. They are responsible for looking after/managing musical supervisors, sound editors, Foley artists, and dialogue editors to name but a few (https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/sound-designer). Alongside supervisory duties, a sound designer must also be responsible for collating their sound libraries. Working closely alongside actors is another role played by sound designers in TV and Film. Here they will ensure the audio equipment is set-up correctly. It will aid in the microphones capturing the best possible performance of the actress/actor.
There are also some more fundamental skills required to be a successful sound designer. Walter Trarbach, who worked as the sound designer on Sponge Bob Square Pants the musical made a great comment. He said, "you have to be both very technically acute and very artistically sensitive" (https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/sound-designer). This comment only reaffirms the sheer importance of owning sound design as a pure art form and the skills needed to do so.
Having a solid working knowledge of industry-standard digital workstations is an evident skill to have under your belt. I currently use a variety of DAWs across both PC and Mac. I primarily use Logic Pro X to construct most of my songwriting/ composition work or create sounds for my sound libraries. Now Pro Tools is something I'm very new too, but it is apparent that it is still the go-to DAW within the industry. Alongside DAW competency, having a sound knowledge of composition and sound using pure data in Max MSP programs is a necessary skill (https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/sound-designer). Again another, unfamiliar programme to me now, but I am excited to see how this can add depth to my creative process!
Now I have talked about the type of industry and sector that I'm interested in entering. Still, I've researched job adverts for sound designers in the UK to bring my expectations to reality.
Job Adverts
1) Technical Sound Designer - Sega (Creative Assembly)
Link to job advert: https://www.careerjet.co.uk/jobad/gb39b5611a47b45367b32cadc373a9f586?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic
This job involves working as a technical sound engineer for Sega - Creative Assembly. Creative Assembly is a multi-award winning BAFTA UK Games studio. They are a prestigious organisation with a series of great game releases. They are looking for an addition to their current team. The job prerequisites are professional experience in the video game industry or credited for a AAA game release and audio systems with them. Audio implementation systems are a big part of what is involved in in-game audio. In specific Creative Assembly, they ask for experience with Wwise from Audioknetic. They also ask for proficiency with modern audio processing: recording and mixing, and expertise with modern Digital Audio Workstations and plugins. Aside from the more specific criteria, the organisation is asking for, they also ask for more (desirable) things such as knowledge of the Total War brand and working as a team player
2) Sound Designer - BBC Studios
Link to job advert: https://www.nycfilmcrew.com/job/london-film-jobs/audio-studio-manager-editor-sound-designer-pool-bbc-studios-audio-freelance-bbc-london/?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic `
BBC are one of the most prominent broadcasting organisations in the UK. This job advertises a variety of vacancies. The one in specific that appeals to me is the freelance sound editor, sound designer. Prerequisites for this job can effectively edit programmes to a very high standard. Pro Tools' working knowledge is required, improves audio quality, delivers shows, and has an adequate level of attention to detail. There may be some instance where the candidate needs to edit laughter for comedy shows, so having an acute ear for timing and humour are necessary. BBC ask for an ability to edit music for sig tunes, scoring or stings, the sensitive use of sound effects, and the ability to score content with music.
3) Audio Designer - Supermassive Games
Link to job advert: https://uk.linkedin.com/jobs/view/audio-designer-at-supermassive-games-ltd-2258018251?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic
Supermassive Games Ltd are a Guilford based BAFTA award-winning indie game developer with a passion for virtual reality and storytelling. They are advertising vacancies for permeant and six moth contracts and specify some essential skills that are required. Experience ideally with AAA sound design/game audio, implementing audio with a variety of pipelines n drools. As always in-game audio, there is still a requirement for experience with game audio implantation systems, in this case, Audiokinteic’s Wwise. It is also beneficial to know sample editors, Digital Audio Workstations, ambient and SFX design recording Foley skills, in both the outside world and studio environment. Alongside the perquisites mentioned, they also ask for some more desirable skills. Experience of working inside Unreal Engine 4, film/linear post-production skills, a good understanding of music theory and music editing, and have an account for basic coding techniques.
Summary
Experience in the video game industry (Supermassive ask for four years’ experience, whereas Creative Assembly do not specify the length of experience. I currently do not have that level experience, but gives me an idea at the level of professionalism game developers are asking.
To have proficient working knowledge of game audio implantation systems, in particular Wwise. I will be studying game audio next teaching block. So, I can begin to gather m skills and make additions to my portfolio.
Experience with working on AAA. Games, again something I don’t have experience with, but only time will tell!
Strong working knowledge of DAWs, and in particular Avid’s Pro Tools.
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