Category Archives: FMP
Finance and Resources
With considering the area that I wanted to cover I looked at the finance for how much it would cost me. Beginning first with what resources I needed to help me calculate the full amount as an estimate.
Resources
Camera – use my own, large and medium format and canon 5d
Tripod – use my own
Travel – about £100 – £150 (also use time for when i’m in university to reduce the cost (£8.20 tickets)
Museum visit – £2
Film and paper – £150 (£around £7 per film)
Digital Printing and Presentation- £100 – £150 (dependant on what I choose as final format).
Estimation £500
This gave me a rough estimation of how much I felt I would have to keep at hand so that I would be able to afford to complete my work to a satisfactory level.
Layout of Artists – Ideas gained
With compiling all my research together, there was a large amount to go through in terms of the photographers work but they seemed to be able to be compiled together into groups. Making me decide to print out my research and put them into these groups for me to be influenced and see how I could go about shooting my project.
Here these images I felt looked at more of the items left behind. This gave me the idea to focus on the items that had been left behind from nights out at popular venues to give a representation of what had happened. Otherwise look for remaining pieces from when the place was once a music venue or that connected to the building like leaflets that represent music, to try and build this connection to the venue and it’s past life.
While with these images I got the impression of the disuse of the building and how these places once had something happening in them as either someone living there, a music event or a trip to the beach but now the place is empty and the life is not held within as it once was. So instead capturing the life as it is removed.
This same idea was also given with these images however these were based
on the inside .
Leading me to consider shooting both the inside and outdoors.
With not being sure about entering empty property without permission 
I thought this idea might be worth trying of capturing the scene through the window to show the state of the building and the eminence of the inside but keeping the project to one side of the door.
As for these images I feel these were the strongest idea and instead of 
capturing what remained they instead looked at how the place had become capturing a sense of what remains but in the form of this is what’s left… when you look at this area there is a sense of these actions once happening at these places still remaining within the environment. This coincided with the impression of when people see a place they recall it as the good times they had even if the land don’t hold those memories an more.
Leading on to these images of how the places may not look like as they a
re expected or in my idea, leading more to being something else and not how they once were.
While these images gave more of an idea of how to lay out my images.
Giving the impression of what once happened being in the form of a 
double exposure or overlaying bringing together a gig and an empty building.
Where as with the idea of capturing the outside and David Spero’s images
showing the surrounding area I felt it might be worth capturing the area and what lie’s around it to give a context of the environment that the area is in. Making me think of doing a panoramic of the scenes.
Finally with the idea coming into my work of time, these options looked to show a range of 
places and the familiarity in each place so that when viewing them you can tell that the places relate to each other. However, with the form of music and a large range of time my images would show more of how the places have changed over time.
In turn giving me a wide area in which to consider when it came to me shooting the locations I wanted to look at within my work.
Evaluation
For my Final Major Project I decided to look at photographing the way in which popular music scenes have changed over time and how their identity have become to be something different through the redevelopment of the area. However, even with a change of the area the building still holds a resemblance to how the venue used to look. Due to this I created a project based on a music booklet that portrayed a collection of gigs that were iconic. That once took place at the venues while showing the appearance of the venues nowadays. So that the audience views the venues as they are now rather than the memory but combines the place with the memory of recollecting how they have seen artists perform whether on tv or through performance in turn making my work play on the viewer’s memory.
This is due to select venues being the place to visit as with Kasbah in Coventry, O2 academies throughout the country or the arena in London for locations that the artists tend to frequent most often. While these locations bring the money in or the fact society is a time based on showing ‘I was there when … happened’ while the country looks to represent and support the heritage or times that have made the area popular like famous musicians starting out but instead removing the places these people started out at. Giving my work the chance to say these are the places that create the heritage and yet this identity is being removed from them and is not considered as much as it should be.
In turn this work relates to contemporary photographic practice through the concept of portraying places that have been a common haunt for many but the economical or impact of society has led to each place being closed. Linking my work with the theme of derelict buildings, especially that of the style of Alec Soth’s Theatre project or Troy Paiva’s Abandoned America and David Spero’s project based on churches. However, my project looks to capture more of how the buildings have become rather than them being empty locations that still hold the original identity. Here it captures more of the same theme of David Spero’s of a place that doesn’t hold the identity associated with the venue. Yet to begin with there was a concept in mind of Bernhard and Hilla Becher’s to show the reoccurring theme that is held between the industry of music venues. While even though this was the original idea this did not get captured within my imagery but has had some impact on the layout of the imagery.
Due to the change in my work my concept took many different routes during the time. A strength for me was that from knowing the area that I wanted to go in with my work I had an idea from the beginning of what I wanted my project to be about, capturing the memories and time. However, even with this idea and my symposium being able to support and encourage my idea, my idea to me felt to be lacking something within the insight. While another weakness during the project was how I found it hard to focus on my FMP to begin with when I had time available to complete my work till May as compared to deadlines that were sooner so I tended to put off doing my FMP to focus on those modules and in turn lost time that I could have spent on my FMP. In addition, the time I spent on doing my sketchbook meant I also lost out on time that I could have used on shooting instead. However, at the time I felt as though the research would help me build on my work more to make it a stronger concept. Pushing my aim to finish in time further back towards the deadline and even though I came close to my deadline by the end from having to focus on the layout and set-up of the image more than what I usually do. I became more pedantic about the layout and getting the right conditions or set-up even if having to wait hours for the conditions to be how I wanted them. Leading me to feel that I was not prepared to print my work until I was completely happy with it.
In turn with many difficulties to overcome I am quite happy with the final outcome and how my projects turned out. I feel that even though I’ve completed my FMP to the point of the deadline and created a final product, my project is one I can carry on with and look at different angles. Such as the way music is portrayed in areas or looking at other places and how they represent music in their area to move my project forward rather than just finishing it on the day of hand in.
Proposal 1
As my first step I had to create a proposal to lay this idea out to my lecturer’s during an apt for my idea. Giving an idea of what my project would be about and how I plan to go about it.
FMP Proposal
WHAT REMAINS?
Looking at the way places that were iconic in music most prominent time have turned out later on. (Today)
This is as I focus on going into music photography and feel that knowing the history of the area and the representation of the creative industry is like.
The work will be shown through a range of pictures that document different locations focusing on the way the area is now. Compared to what it was like when it was a key music environment. This will go alongside sourced images so to recreate the same scene to how it is now. Looking into the area I will also look to document any remaining pieces that hold onto the past so to form a set of images. Giving a profile of the area!
For this I will need to improve my timekeeping and to build on my confidence to go to areas that I avoid working in. Alongside working in an area that is highly populated with fewer nerves. This will be by going to the locations and returning to them with a deeper insight so that I am more comfortable in the area.
As a way of creating my images, I will focus around sourcing images that represent the way the places used to be. So that I can create my images with the same location being captured.
Afterwards the images will be collated together into either a book or video so to help depict the change in time in the way I feel is most informative to the images. The book of which will be designed in the way of which represents a music magazine or a photobook format. Depending on which I feel suits my images at the time.
So to keep on track with creating my work I will work to this scale so to have the work to be made on time.
| WEEK | DATE | TASK |
| 1 | 8TH Jan | IDEA AT LATEST |
| 2 | 14th Jan | RESEARCH |
| 3 | 21st Jan | VISIT LOCATION AND GATHER OUTLOOK THROUGH IMAGES
EXTRA RESEARCH |
| 4 | 28th Jan | SHOOT OF AREA |
| 5 | 4TH Feb | SHOOT OF AREA/ SELECTED KEY PLACES |
| 6 | 11th Feb | EDITING/SELECTED KEY PLACES RETURN |
| 7 | 18th Feb | SELECTED KEY PLACES RETURN/ ALTERATIONS TO STRENGTHEN IMAGES
TEST OF ANY OTHER IDEAS WANT TO TRY THAT HAVE COME UP WITH |
| 8 | 25th Feb | SELECTED KEY PLACES RETURN/ ALTERATIONS TO STRENGTHEN IMAGES
TEST OF ANY OTHER IDEAS WANT TO TRY THAT HAVE COME UP WITH |
| 9 | 4th Mar | SELECTED KEY PLACES RETURN/ ALTERATIONS TO STRENGTHEN IMAGES
TEST OF ANY OTHER IDEAS WANT TO TRY THAT HAVE COME UP WITH |
| 10 | 11th Mar | EDITING |
| 11 | 18th Mar | EDITING |
| 12 | 25th Mar | EDITING
WORK ON PRESENTATION |
| 13 | 1st Apr | WORK ON PRESENTATION |
| 14 | 8th Apr | WORK ON PRESENTATION |
| 15 | 15th Apr | WORK ON PRESENTATION |
| 16 | 22nd Apr | DEADLINE |
From this project I intend to achieve a body of work that is based on an experimental and documentary basis. While portraying the importance of understanding and respecting the past within culture. In turn helping the audience to consider the history within society so to support it more compared to now. Over all this will also help me to over come obstacle that I feel let me down while strengthen my interests and work in a wider area.
Idea
With thinking of my idea for my FMP during the summer holidays, I was struggling with coming up with what it could be. With my interest being that I want to go into the area of music photography mainly, I also did my college FMP based on music. However, this option captured the live performance and due to having done this option before I felt I didn’t want to go down the same route again. Instead I wanted the idea to be different to the usual option and capture a different angle.
Thinking of ideas I came up with some options….
• Emotional nature – looking at the expression (like done with phonar)
• Music importance from people’s points of view – musicians, fans, other people that work in music
• Life without music
• Capture the music scene at the moment
• Past music scene
Keeping in mind that my symposium is based on subculture, I was interested by the aspect for the culture of music.
During my research I came across a key aspect…
When watching Dave Grohl’s documentary Sonic Highway he spoke of how when he was growing up he’d go to an area local to him. That was the place to be if interested in music, where you could get all the fashions, music or you’d see artists hanging out. Yet now he’s older, as he’s grown up the world has changed, it’s been developed to make it new or to fit more with the times and in this case a shopping mall has been built in the place where this rich heritage was. Something that was commonly mentioned as different places in America whether be Dave Grohl or Elvis Presley to what Carnaby Street and King’s Road are to fashion and music.
This resonated with me, as even though I don’t know the area that Dave Grohl’s fond of, it doesn’t matter where you go this happens often and reminded me of an article I read by Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath. He was helping support keeping a pub local to me that I had frequented open, as it is itself rich in musical heritage.
It’s a place where many bands like Black Sabbath or members of Led Zeppelin started out before their bands name even came about. The venue became the place where the members or band came into their own and helped them become who they are now starting the musicians off on a road to become iconic to the local area and country. Bringing tourism to in this case Birmingham, but the venue itself although gaining it’s history and earning it’s place within society and tourism on top of running as the local pub is still looking to be demolished to make way for ideas that will bring in tourism.
Raising the point, isn’t the venue like it whether it’s a club, pub or anywhere else going to help bring in tourism?
While how important is the heritage?
As Birmingham is known for its heritage of music but at the same time except the odd piece every now and again you don’t see much to commemorate or in appreciation of what has helped make the place what it is. Something I have noticed happens often in many areas.
This has bought about my idea of capturing “What Remains?” where I will locate the places in which have been supportive to music within the area of the West Midlands and hold history as the “place to be”. Then go there and photograph them as they are now so to show what is now left of places that were once popular and that has created many fond memories for people or helped make the place what it has become known for.
Brief
As an end project for my third year I have to create a body of work that is all self guided! The idea being that the last module, (the symposium) and this module relates to each other but my idea is for the whole years worth of work (including phonar) to all relate with the theme of music.
Most of blog
narrowed down shoot – selection
deana outlines -final book
MUSIC VIDEOS
Deciding to look at the option of music videos I had a think about what ones I could come up with that could help influence me that look at the option of music affect on society or how music has spoken about the way an area or society had become being represented in a song.
The Specials – Ghost Town
This video being created by The Specials, who are driving around Coventry, through it’s main route and close to the city center. To show how much of the area is closed and how nobody is about compared to before and now, when Coventry was at the forefront for new ideas and being one of the best places for industries. In turn creating the idea of a ghost town, with everything dying. This is emulated in a black and white image and sad expressions to enforce the gloom of the time. Making this video one of the most famous ones to come out of Coventry
NEWPORT STATE OF MIND – CHILDREN IN NEED PARODY
This was also emulated in this parody song of Alicia Keys New York, done by people who are famous from Newport. Talking about how Newport is seen in general and how it is important to them with a comical response. While the famous faces react in jokingly ways, in front of backdrops associated with why they are famous, alongside photographs that are key scenes within the area. In turn bringing celebrities together to help support a charity and raise money from the audience.
CITY OF ANGLES – 30 SECONDS TO MARS
Another option like this, is this music video by Bartholomew Cubbins (Jared Leto) where the band themselves and people they are associated with, speak about how the place, Los Angeles is known as being full of dreams, the American dream and where celebrities are mainly sought to be creating a sense of wealth. However, even without the wealth and being homeless the band documents how all the people love the area and why they have chosen the area. In turn suggesting to the viewers, mainly fans of the band that the places you live in influence you and that you can live any life so long as you dream big enough and go for it.
OUR HOUSE – MADNESS
Turning my idea for research into a different angle, I thought of this video that doesn’t emulate the area but instead looks at the idea associated with society and peoples behavior. This one focusing on the behavior that was popular and iconic to society at the time. To emphasize this the colour and set-up of the images are portrayed to represent the 70’s scene. Creating a time familiar to then even though it being clear that the scene is posed.
APT with David Moore
After a talk from the first visiting practitioner, David Moore I gathered some notes that I felt were interesting in the way in which he works. These were:
- Look at the space not what the area is used for
- Look at how you can use the restrictions instead of allowing them to restrict you
- The lack of information can be more informative
Later on I had an apt with him about my FMP idea, here I got some suggestions to help my work…
- Email the people to get insight into their work and their thoughts on the subject.
- Look into the background of the Specials and their effect on the area.
- Artic Monkey’s bought the pub they first played at in Sheffield now they own a chain of them. (Brian)
APT with Emma Critchley
For a second week of visiting practitioners I heard about Emma Critchley underwater photography. I was interested in how she used the form of water and also looked at the use of interest becomes dependency.
Later on for another apt I had the suggestions of:
- Deciding which way to direct my work – the change of landscape or the personal response?
- Look at different music scenes.
- For personal response get peoples old images and memories if can and show them as how it was to how it is now
DAVID RULE TALK
While the third practitioner was David Rule I found his work to be quite interesting in terms of how he laid out his book and how he created his work based on text, giving me the idea to do this style of thing for explaining the venue from what I came across for the locations.
However, with an apt I was suggested some work in which to look at. These were:
Look at the work of David Campany
It was also suggested by Olly Wood that I spoke to Jason Scott Tilley about the project he worked on based around music when Coventry was popular in the charts.
RESONSE TO THE SUGGESTIONS
With looking at my feedback from my apt’s I turned to searching out information
ARTIS MONEY’S
Artic Monkey’s buying a pub this I found to be interested as it gave the impression of how the musician’s have become the owner’s of music venue’s so to help build more of a popular chain of venue’s to support up and coming artists and to give a different option to being the regular night club suggesting that the members of the band are looking to keep hold of a heritage as there is not much option for live music and recorded dj style.
SPECIAL’S INFLUENCE ON SOCIETY
While with reading this article I came across an explanation that encapsulated why The Special’s became popular at the point of their career as the lyric’s such as “No Job’s to be found in this country” explained the way in which Coventry had gone from doing so well to being that they had no industries and families were falling apart, only as suggested this was not just Coventry that were like it but also the other cities or places throughout the U.K. Making it that even though everywhere was going through the same issue the Special’s helped put Coventry on the map as they were prepared to speak out against the issues of the time. This is also interesting as the song becomes popular although the idea lies that even nowadays the song is still poignant nowadays as it was back then even though there is over 30 years difference between the times even though the country has moved forward. Suggesting the idea that the country is in a sense of a ground hog day.
DAVID CAMPANY
With being suggested to look at the essays of David Campany I looked to see what ones there was that could influence my work. Here I came across Architecture as Photography; I found this interesting as it pretty much summed up my project. Here it gave an understanding of a comparison between photography and architecture where the photograph can be held but a building can’t yet even with this a building can be used and given a different meaning and interpretation based on what the place or image is used for. Resonating the idea with me that a building is like a mempory.
proposal 2
FEEDBACK SESSION
From what I had written already informing the class of my project I decided to respond to these question and thoughts to inform myself and my work.
Physical or digital – depends how the project turns out but I am thinking more of digital within the idea of a zine or a portfolio of small images where the portfolio is in fact a cd case that holds multiple cd’s.
Insider or outsider – again I am not sure I would like to consider both however I would like to work on the outside as I feel this option isn’t looked at as much as the inside of buildings is but this will also depend on how the project turns out once I start shooting.
Represent the music scene without the music – this is an interesting angle that I think I might build into my work.
In terms of boundaries I know that I can’t capture all of the venues throughout the country so I have decided to narrow my work down to being based on the West Midlands.
MAP
With considering with where to shoot I felt the best option for my work was to capture the West Midlands as it has a rich sense of music within the area. This is usually a well-represented theme of … come from here so felt it would be a strong concept for my work. Especially as the range of areas would give a different amount of places due to this I decided my focus would be the immediate area and that I could frequent most easily and repeatedly at any point giving me a wide area to cover but at the same narrowing it down to set a boundary.
Before I looked into what the music industry was like with the area of West Midland’s over all I felt a good place to start would be with the idea of memory. This started off with me thinking about the books I had looked at for my research during my symposium as I felt it influenced with me especially as the idea of the high use of music meant that it related more with an idea of time and it managed to stick with people more due to the use of overplaying the song’s that were more recent. At the same time the impression of subculture or political songs were about an idea of understanding, a sense of we are not going to stand for these actions any more and we want to rebel and even though the punk ethos only lasted for a short time the idea of being able to connect with people or the same interest meant that the members of the subculture weren’t alone but more of trying to relate to others and the way they felt at the time, the way society and the condition of the country was.
Leading me on to looking at articles where I found one called Music and Memories, this article spoke of how the first action to do once we’ve been isolated from the norm of society is to turn to music and explained the idea that music is so important as it is everywhere we go whether shopping or just having a tv on. This then followed on to an in-depth study about testing students about how they are influenced through music by looking at what songs were popular when the people were young and how the song plays on the mind based on memory it sparks and how whether they like or dislike the song is based on the memory associated with it. In turn giving an impression of people is influenced by what they remember and in turn this creates their taste and style.
While with another article by the BBC called “Why does music evoke memories?” the idea of music being an influence on memory is explained as being the more we hear the song the more it then holds an influence a song that represents part of someone’s life meaning the person can recall memories more through hearing a song than what they can with trying to just think of the memories without any use of music.
The final article that I looked at called “Music and the Brain” suggested a more insightful response in this I found out that Albert Einsteen managed to become a scientist through the use of music and used music to help understand his equations. While a way of encouraging intelligence is to use music as studies suggest that the music encourages holding a memory and can encourage growth in any living organism.
MUSIC VENUES
Afterwards I moved on to look at what venues were most popular where I found a list that had been compiled by PRS for Music. With looking through this list I found that Birmingham 02 Academy was in the top 10. Along with HMV Institute, Symphony Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, The Slade Rooms and Huntingdon Hall all making appearance. This I found interesting as with some like the o2 academy it was expected from being one of the most popular venues however at the same time unknown venues were also included making me think that the reason for it was based on the times that had been had was something special and showed that that was more popular through the memories rather than just the usual place to go.
Redditch is Least Musical Place in the UK
Through this paper it was shown of where in the U.K. was the most and least musical places and how this was all dependent on a range of aspects including financial background and the education and understanding. Giving a sense of the areas musicial heritage and support isn’t encouraged as much in this area even though some well known names have come from the place. This in turn adds an interesting twist being that many people of Redditch classes themselves as Brummies but also the area is based within Worcester, adding an interesting twist when the place is so close to the two areas that are predominant within the music scene and have some of the best venues but even still with well known names coming from the place the area still lacks a musical connection.
Redditch shoot
This led me to go and do a shoot in Redditch as I felt there must be some connection to music and I felt it would be the best place to start with looking at what remains being that the connection that Redditch once had has faded away.
When I got there though I found that there was quite a bit of a musical influence on the area, this was through quite a few of the shops having a link through being called things like Mambo Number 5. This I was not expecting due to the idea that the area doesn’t have that much representation any more.
With doing the shoot though I found it went quite well as I managed to get some images that were interesting however I felt they were not that special as there was many intruding objects and not much in the area to shoot. From this though I did get this image as a starting point. However, due to the car it was not how I wanted.
APT WITH ANTHONY
Aferwards I had an apt with my lecturer Anthony, with speaking to him about the image it was suggested that I captured the image with a different lighting as my image focused on daytime but it would be much stronger to capture at sunset. Also suggested was that I captured the scene with no one in the area so to create a sense of emptiness.
BIRMINGHAM RESEARCH
With then looking to move to a more musically influenced area I decided to look into the area of Birmingham’s music scene. With previously having visited the Home of Metal based on Birmingham’s music scene I felt this was insightful to me in understanding the area’s scene especially as it gave an insight into why the area is popular within the music scene.
However, to look further into the scene I searched to see what I could find based on the music venues within Birmingham, especially as some many of the venues are highly praised. Here I came across an article based on a guide and insight of how well established each venue was. This in turn gave an impression of how well established each place is and how prominent the venue is within the area as compared to other highly rated places in terms of logistics. To go alongside this I also found a article that suggested Birmingham’s best 10 venues giving a sense of difference between the two as it showed more of Birmingham’s most frequented and publicized venues where as the other article looked at more of a consideration for the unknown smaller venues.
In turn with this in mind I visited a website I had viewed before that listed all the venues in Birmingham giving me a full list of places in which to view. Creating my list towards the shoot.
Proposal 3
SHOOT
After revising my proposal I looked to do a shoot within the area of Birmingham. Although being that I had come up with a large list of places to visit I decided to split them over multiple days. Focusing my shoot around the city center I look to document the venues and any pieces like leaflets that are left to do with the scene. Although this shoot went well I did however get a large amount of images but with knowing I had some time I felt I would be able to capture the rest of the images within another shoot as there were so many locations of which to visit.
APT WITH ANTHONY
Speaking to Anthony again about my work he suggested that I try and play more with creating my image as it was not strong enough and did not represent the scene the way in which it could. This I felt was true as the scenes were quite busy and even though the places had a sense of entertainment involved they didn’t spring out at me for any special images.
SHOOT
With doing another shoot I then returned to the city center to capture more images this shoot I was unsatisfied with while I was shooting as even though I managed to capture some places that are still used such as the 02 academy some locations were nothing like they once were and did not connect to the project at all as compared to shooting any building. This shoot left me unhappy.
SHOOT
With giving it one more shot in Birmingham I decided to visit some of Birmingham’s most prominent venues that had also been mentioned in the articles as suggestions of some of the best venues in Birmingham. However, these venues were more of Birmingham’s music scene here and now rather than what remains’ of a music scene. So even though I had quite a few venues left to go in Birmingham I felt that the area was still too wide and I need to narrow down my idea more. Keeping to my 3rd proposal I decided to stick to it and instead narrow down the location to just Coventry a place I had not shot the music scene of before.
COVENTRY EXHIBITION
Before shooting any images I decided to visit the music museum, here I gained a lot of information of the local music scene of Coventry, as it resembled pieces of information that had created iconic times within Coventry. However with this I was also confused as a lot of the features included I felt did not really cover the scene of Coventry much as was a one off visit or someone passed through so felt the museum was not of much help to me. However, in with this I did see a timeline that was insightful and gave me the idea of using time through my work to help me portray the time difference within my images.
David Moore Revisit
With a revisit from David Moore the main point that I was told was that I needed to start shooting soon. That way I could move my work forward as I’d be able to narrow down my style and create my images to be able to see how the images would turn out within my mind’s eye.
Along with this apt I also had an apt with my lecturer Anthony. Here I showed him some images that I had shot in Redditch. From this I got the feedback of my images did not really show anything instead were just a range of places that had music up on them. Due to this I would need to shoot more but one of the locations, a music shop and music venue in one would be worth revisiting again but using a different time of day and light as that would impact on my images quite a bit. In turn I should try shooting it at dawn as that would make the sky more powerful and give a different tone to my images. In addition, it is important for me to capture the venues without people or cars within them, that way I would get a sense of emptiness. It was also suggested that my images would also need more play as at the time they looked like architectural shots rather than anything to do with entertainment so it might be worth trying to do something experimental like what Gillian Wearing had done with Dancing in Peckham.
Location research
This lead me on to looking for some research into Coventry’s music scene here I found many blogs that had been created in terms of the subject. These were hard to follow as they were not complete and were being spread out on to different sites plus I needed to scroll through each blog to the end to be able to find the information I needed making it a daunting challenge and hard to focus on with there being so much information on the sites. However, between the use of a site called Hobo on Coventry Music Archive Blog I managed to build up a lot of history from the site while Rex Borough’s website also added to the insight on the website to give me an indepth background and list of locations. Due to the extensive list though I felt the best option was to try and narrow my list down again, this made me consider how none of the venues that use live music are based in the city center but instead are on the outskirts but are within the cv1 postcode, This made me decide to focus on live music venues within the area of CV1 to show how they now appear.
Cov Memories
When looking for blogs or websites dedicated to Coventry’s music scene I came across a handful of forums based on reminiscing these included Retro wow, a style that I preferred as it reminded me of a style of diary that I felt added a sense of an intimacy. While Coventry Memories, Historic Coventry Forum and Fantazia gave comical stories associated with the times at the locations. Although I did not want to use someone else’s work so I decided instead of using any of their information I’d collect the gig dates, double check them with the band’s website to make sure. Then input this information while looking at the places the people reminiscing mentioned made me decide to use the venues as I felt they were the key ones being that people were reminiscing over so should build up the select locations to shoot.
SHOOT 3 – WIDER COV + PANORAMINCS
Deciding that the area I wanted to cover was too big I decided to narrow it down to being just Coventry this was because I had done many shoots in Birmingham before so wanted to try somewhere new for the project. Where as up till now I had not looked at Coventry’s music scene and being that I was at the university I felt this might, as will be the route I choose that way it is created as a sort of local project.
Shoot 4 –Revisit of Locations
For this I felt that the shoot was too far out and covered too much of a large area though however when looking at forum’s I came across an interesting point of how there’s not really any venue’s in the city center itself but instead are on the outskirts even though they are still in the CV1 area. This narrowed my shoot down even further to this point. This led to me focusing on a range of locations so decided to go for about 2 places of each I could show a comparison between the two venues but show the venues over time.
SHOOT 5 – JAIL HOUSE + 22 WITHOUT HOOD
With having already captured images but feeling that my idea was still all over the place and that the light was too bright on my images that it had caused a glare I decided to go to one of the venues I had missed and shoot it using a hood to block the light out. This I found worked well to a certain extent but also meant I was not able to zoom in and out without capturing a black ring around my image. However, in the process I did get one image that I was happy with so this created the basis for my work and has led to me wanting to capture my image like this one. However, in the process I also found that the places I had chosen for my work had all been given a new identity. Giving me the idea that I would change the title of my project from being “What Remains?” to Another Time, Another Place” that way suggesting that the locations were once music venues but are not the ones they were back then or are not a music venue at all any more.
SHOOT 6 – AFTERNOON SHOOT. SKY WAS TOO BLUE THEN STARTED GOING WHITE – COV 23
From now finally having one image I was happy with I decided to use my list to revisit other locations so I could capture the venues as I had captured them within the image that I was now happy with.
SHOOT 7 – 24TH
With going back to Coventry to shoot as it was a duller day I managed to capture more images as people weren’t out as much however with this I still had to wait around for the right lighting conditions and for people to be out of my way.
SHOOT 8 – NIGHT
With finally being happy with how my work was going and having recalled Anthony saying how important the lighting was I decided to visit a few other places but captures the venues at night as this was the time when the gig’s took place. For this I decided to start with War Memorial park where of had Taryn Simon’s project Innocent Land’s in mind as I thought I could try capturing the image of an empty space but maybe show impressions in the ground as it is used often and holds the Godiva festival one weekend a year.
SHOOT 9 – 26TH
From going out to do a shoot I managed to capture images with different sky conditions. With this I found that a lot of my images did not work as the sky was too blue and gave too much of an upbeat day. However, I did manage to capture some with a dull tone when the sky wasn’t blue. This gave me of a rundown forgetting look so which I felt worked better.
SHOOT 10 –
From the weather conditions yesterday I decided it be best for me to go out and shoot again today, as it was duller, this I found worked better for me and managed to give me more images that suited the way my final images have started turning out.
SHOOT 11 –28TH
Going out to get some more images I found that one of the places I was trying to shoot had a car parked there. This had turned up from the shoot from the night before when I was shooting and was sat there over the amount of time allocated for the car to be there, leading me to cut my shoot short as I was not able to shoot the location I wanted and being that the Kasbah was also busy when I went round it meant that the venues were not able to be captured. This led to me visiting the locations for the next few days however in the process I found the car was still sat in the same place and that the owner found it more of funny that they were creating difficulties led to me to cut the venue out of the list when I came across another venue on the list.
Emma Critchley and David Rule Return
With two mentors being in I managed to get an apt with both. First off was David Rule, this apt did not start well as I was late seated for my apt as he was running late throughout the day so would start asking where people were as the class were scattered throughout the building. Meaning that when it came to being my apt he was still speaking to people in the list before me so I waited for when he asked where I was as he’d done up till that point by approaching people. Unaware that he had caught up to my apt and not knowing he was asking where I was even though I was seated close by I was asked why I wasn’t seated at his table for my apt meaning that I felt uncomfortable at the beginning of the apt.
With then talking to him I showed him a narrowed down list of my images for the final cut. Some of these he was happy with however ever though I said due to a malfunction with my own camera on my last shoot as I couldn’t get my images to go in focus at all even when testing my camera on auto to try and solve the issue, my images were appearing out of focus. After the shoot I had manage to sort it though so was going to revisit the location. Due to this some images I was going to reshoot but the concept for how they would appear was in the image, it was just out of focus.
While also being asked about why my images weren’t taken from the same angle. Of which the reason was because I felt the main focus of the image should be the door as that was the part where people queued to get into the shows and where the people entered the place to create the memories. From this I wanted that to be the main focus but still get the whole building in.
However, these images had all got a different focal length that was close to each other but had some sense of difference or in the taller buildings meant an angle shooting up from the ground. To this it was suggested I tried reshooting them again so to keep the same conformity throughout. However, having already considered this and my original plan was to shoot like this I informed David that I had tried it and even though with some it was possible, with others it wasn’t as for example “The Dog” is located in the shopping center and has a phone box located meters from it’s entrance due to this I wasn’t able to move further back to what I had as the phone box was in my way but I can work round it with my image as I had captured my image with a wider angle so to be able to crop it as I didn’t want my image to fit perfectly at the time as it was going to be a full page spread and I didn’t want white edges of the paper when printing so I had kept extra of the surrounding allowing the image to run into the bleed on the paper. Due to this it meant my image would be closer and would fit the same depth more. To this I got the response of it sounds like you’re just making excuses, of which I never do as I don’t feel the need to use excuses and felt was a rude remark leading me to wanting the apt to be over with as I felt that David was intentionally trying not to be helpful but instead deciding more of it was his way and not considering that the area is a built up place. This led to me responding with no I went there with the idea as what you have suggested in the first place but it was not possible to do as the phone box would have taken up more of the image than the focus of my image as it was directly in front of the door meaning that the photo would have been unsuccessful and pointless as it wouldn’t capture the venue but the intruding phone box. Leading to David then suggesting to move to the side to capture from a different angle and if the phone box was in then it was. Even though in turn this would make it that the image then didn’t fit with the other selection to go with it. Making me say I was keep the image as I was happy with it and felt it worked well within the set that I had chosen as my final images so far.
However, as a response I was told to try a reshoot it again but using a prime lens and reshoot the location.
As for Emma Critchley’s apt I felt this went better as she was more helpful and insightful. Here we spoke more about the text option and was told to consider how I placed the text as it was as important as the image and how would the design of the text be. For which I have not decided as of yet but I am considering using fonts and colour that represent the decade and style otherwise I am using the one basic style but it would depend on how it turns when trying it out alongside each other.
While in terms of my imagery it was suggested that I tried either a tilt-shift lens or a prime lens. Neither of these I had used before but being that prime had been suggested twice and even with the other apt not going well I was still open to the idea of practice to get the images as I wanted them. Leading me to ask about them where I found out the tilt shift would focus on what I wanted but also look up to the whole building. While the prime lens would mean that I could not alter the lens so I would have to work round it to be able to get the images, as I wanted them.
COV 12 – PRIME LENS
COV 13 – SHOOT WITH 5D AND OWN CAMERA
APT with Anthony
CHOSEN LOCATIONS
SHOOT AT NIGHT
COV 14 – DUSK/ NIGHT TIME 5D
BEING THAT I LIKED THE WHITE SET AS I FELT THEY WERE COMING WELL TOGETHER I DECIDED TO CARRY ON SHOOTING IN THIS WAY. HOWEVER, AS ANTHOUNY HAD SUGGESTED NIGHT AGAIN I FELT I SHOULD TRY A NIGHT TIME SHOOT AGAIN TO SEE HOW IT TURNED OUT
COV 15 – FINISH OFF WHITE SET. CAPTURE NIGHT TIME IMAGE
APT with Anthony
Use poster
PROPOSAL 4
Select images
With collecting the images together I have managed to narrow my options down to these select ones.
Editing
When it came to editing my images I decided to try some different style so through using the contrast and the clarity I altered my images to make them look more of a graphical style. This was so to give more of a renascent feel however this did not work as I planned. So instead I decided to try the option of putting the clarity low so it would give more of a washed out effect in turn making my images look more like faded memories. With trying these options though I felt the images did not work out as I wanted them to so I decided to keep them as a raw option.
Layout
For the layout I considered the layout off my music program. As I felt and knew throughout the project that I wanted my work to be a book I felt the idea of a zine or a music program would fit best with my work.
With viewing a music program I owned I decided I wanted to keep the theme of the text being neat but holding a sense of music. Yet at the same time I wanted it to also hold a neat feel making me use a squared layout that also used a square style keeping it in line with the other page.
However, with knowing that a music program is 30cm x 30cm I felt it did not work best with my images so I decided to change it to being an a3 size as it only altered the length.
Final piece
This is the final book that I created….
Poster
To go alongside my book as I felt it was not a main focal piece enough for it to stand on it’s own I decided to print an image as a poster. At first this was going to be an image of 2-tone graffiti being put on the walls of the main market as a way of representing the heritage so to have a sense of a juxtaposition where the main image advertises the heritage of the music scene however is nothing connected with the scene while yards away is an abandoned building that was the birth place to the 2-tone scene that is left empty and run down. Making my work think why is a scene that has nothing connected to the music considered more for the music compared to the place that is at the epicenter of the scene. Yet with speaking it through with Emma Critchley and Anthony I was told to drop this idea as the image was something for a separate project rather than fitting with this project. Leading me to ask Anthony’s opinion while in an apt where he suggested this image.
In turn allowing me to show the emptiness of the area during the day through the day using the book while at night the emptiness is shown through the poster.
With printing the pictures though I found that the library was not working properly so when it came to printing my images came out really dark. This led to me altering my image to see how it would work on the printer, in turn sending my image orange from the street lights so I decided before going to the printers I would take a trip to snappy snaps to get some test images printed to see how my images would turn out from printing there, making me decide on the original image as it looked more natural.
Printing
With trying to get my images, as I wanted them I kept putting off my deadline so that it went further back to the hand in date. In doing this I looked for local options that was I would not have to consider the time for postage as I could just collect my book. From this I came up with this list
Exwhyzed
Bobs books
Heron press – 0121 457 4810 – Monday to friday
Genie printing – 0121 224 4949
Print creative ltd –
Print design team –
Printcolour – do work for students
Print leaf – account suspended
Solo press – print online. Largest is a4 – very cheap
Minutemanpress – no brochures etc
Stuprint – might be worth trying
Berrington print
We cost online – too expensive
Love 2 print – don’t print less that 50. Prints tickets
Service point – prints cd covers
Printing.com – too expensive
Kalkwik – don’t print
Hannah print – only print in quantity
Hello print – only print in large quantity
From this I decided to contact Print Colour with this I managed to get it arranged so to get my work printed by the Wednesday night. However, due to difficulties through InDesign causing unusual alterations on my images and text I was not able to send my work off.
With visiting the printers on the Friday I managed to get it sorted to get my images sorted to be ready for collection on the Monday afternoon. However, with contacting them on the Monday I found that my prints would not be ready so with visiting them again I found that even though the file I had saved all my images and text, as I wanted it. However, with putting it in their computer my text was becoming spaced and was not keeping hold of the font even though it was showing on my computer when I opened the same file and the file was saved as a pdf. Due to this it lead to spending two hours at the printers trying to sort a file where indesign did not try pixelating my images or removing the font type. This led to my images not being ready until the night before the deadline but I decided to go with it as I felt it be better pushing the limit rather than having an incorrect final product.
From this I got these two books… a small a5 version, a large a3 version and an a2 image of which from viewing the images I decide to have my main ones as the a5 book and the a2 poster.
Finance
After creating all my work I have decided to total up how much it cost me, here I managed to spend
about £100 on travel,
£20 on a new memory card £90 on printing
Mount board £5
Making it that my work was much cheaper than I expected however if I had more time it would cost me extra as I ran out of time before I tried to capture my images on film.
How final proposal has changed from the first
Since my first proposal my work has kept to the same theme of being about music and the identity within the architecture. However, when it started it was about the area in general and what remained yet over time and with an influence by different artists including Bernhard and Hilla Becher as well as David Spero my images have become to be narrowed down from the while of the whole of the West Midlands to being within the area of CV1 and instead of covering all of the surroundings for what remains my project has instead turned to being more or an architecture based project. In turn allowing me to do a project I enjoy through a way that is new to me.
Proposal 1 Feedback
From speaking about this with Anthony, I was given a list of names in which to research for artists who had done work along the same idea as mine. It was also suggested that I use Large and Medium format cameras to see how the images pan out for me compared to digital. While I put my thoughts across of…
• Work out in a wider area (West Midlands) to see how the areas look different.
• Narrow it down to Coventry
• Look inside and try and create the feeling of memories are still active (in a sort of The
Shining Dance Scene portrayal).
• Document anything that is still left of the place that gives an impression of it once
being there.
From this it was suggested that I go for:
• The option of creating the images from the outside within a set format.
• Look at how different types of music look different within the area (music venues for Jazz compared to 2 tone).
deanachantler 