January 2017 « Sasha M Online

Banned film “27” – a case study

January 17, 2017 by Sasha M

60s, complicated, context, copyright, creative, cultural, documentary, film, filmmaker, icons, issues, period, production, zeitgeist

Following my last blog post about being blocked from posting on Facebook (and by the way thank you to everyone who read it and commented or sent me messages, I’m truly glad to have your support!), I’ve come across another example of copyright issues stopping creative work from being released, and it certainly got me thinking deeper about this issue. I’ll share it here just to also talk about the thought process I’m going through now.

The creative work in question is a film titled “27”, a theatrical documentary film about the ’60s that features the stories of three (dare I say pop?) music icons of the time: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, who all died within the span of one year, from accidental heroin overdoses. Created by Stuart Samuels, the film has apparently already been completed, but it cannot be screened because the estates of the three cultural icons refused to have them featured in a film as part of a larger cultural context, as opposed to being featured individually.

My thoughts at the moment:
Does it necessarily count as representation of an artist if the artist is not the main point of the film, rather more of a vehicle driving the narrative?
Is there a time period after which using media on an artist can be considered Public Domain? If not, should there be?
If I were an artist, would I allow media of myself to be reappropriated for a different context, particularly after I’m dead?

Truly, this copyright issue is greater than I can fathom at the moment. I feel that there are so many facets to copyright issues that I can only learn about through my own experiences, or through the stories that others who have experienced them are willing to talk about. I for one am very happy that Samuels has chosen to talk about this issue, so that others like myself in creative industries can be more aware of copyright complications.

Nevertheless, as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. I hope that someday this film will be allowed to be screened, or to fulfill its purpose somehow, as an artefact of a particular cultural period. Until then, I suppose, it will forever remain only on the website under the optimistic heading (which I like very much) ‘Coming Soon’.

[Update 20/2/17]
I’ve just read about ‘transformative fair use’ of copyright works, and in the above case I suppose the copyright works would refer to video clips or otherwise pictorial representations of the three aforementioned artists. So apparently, if copyright works are used in a way which transforms the original, such as comments on it or gives it a different meaning – which is how I suppose the above film adds a new layer of meaning to these artists – it should be considered as transformative fair use. Furthermore, a recently concluded (2014) landmark case in the US just ruled that ‘transformative’ need not even require commentary, and the transformation of aesthetic is enough. (The case is called Cariou v Prince, and you can read about it on the Wiki page or just Google it.)

Well I’m not a lawyer, so… this is definitely a question for lawyers!

Gamechanger: My second copyright complaint on Facebook

January 15, 2017 by Sasha M

Stories

access, blocked, complaint, copyright, cover music, cover video, deleted, Facebook, gamechanger, Instagram, original, originals, removed, social media, taken down, Twitter

Hey guys, something serious has happened that I want to talk about, which is especially important for anyone posting cover videos on Facebook. I’ve had my Facebook posting access suspended for three days because a second complaint has been lodged against me for my cover videos.

Some info: there are two ways in which videos with copyrighted content (e.g. all cover videos) may be removed from Facebook. One is if Facebook’s algorithm detects the copyrighted content, and immediately disables it. The other is if someone lodges a complaint against your video.

For me, both times my video was removed was due to a complaint. I guess I should be flattered that it means people are watching my videos 🙂

Facebook has many guidelines on copyright, for those who are also creating cover videos and are interested to read more. I suggest you read them carefully, because from what I see checking out other cover artists on Facebook, their cover videos have also been taken down, and it’s probably only a matter of time before the copyright complaints get to you too.

What does a suspended account look like for me right now? Let me show you:

What happened when I tried to post

What happened when I tried to like someone else’s post

What happened when I tried to message somebody

As a person who is on Facebook 65% of the time spent online, this is very frustrating for me. So since I can’t post or be active at all on Facebook, I’ve taken to posting more on Instagram Stories and on Twitter. Thank goodness we have more than one social media platform these days, or I might become miserable. (Though, I could have more friends on Twitter. Follow me if you have an account!)

The consequences of me keeping my cover videos up on Facebook is that my account may be disabled, or my Page removed (not sure which page this would be though since the first video that was removed was posted on the SASS page and this second one is from the Sasha M page). In any case, I still use Facebook a lot and so in order to keep my account in good standing, I’ll have to remove all my cover videos that are currently uploaded to Facebook.

Sad unicorn is sad. Image by Wendy / CC BY

Now I can choose to be upset about this, or I can choose to take it positively.

As I mentioned in the title, this is a gamechanger. If artists are no longer allowed to post their cover songs on Facebook (and their strict consequences are a pretty effective deterrent), what can we do to let people know about our artistic pursuits?

I guess we could only post our cover videos on YouTube or Vimeo, and link to it on our Facebook pages (that’s definitely what I’ll do from now). Or… we could take this as a sign to start cranking out our originals >:)

I’ve got one more cover video in the works, and I’ll be focusing on that for now. But once that’s done, I’ll be looking at ways to produce 100% original content for you guys to watch and listen to. Look out for that…! 🙂

Creating a Portfolio in the Performing Arts

January 11, 2017 by Sasha M

Guides

body of work, collaborate, DIY, guide, how to, performing arts, portfolio, professional, video

My professor once expressed to me the importance of having a ‘body of work’ to show what you are capable of. He was talking about academics. But it is equally important particularly in the creative arts (notably the performing arts), a field where many do freelance work or may have short-term contracts, to have a portfolio of past work to show for yourself.

Having a portfolio means creating products. It’s great to tell people “yes I can sing”, but a comment is not a product that people can watch, listen to, or form their own opinions about. The thing about being a singer, or dancer, or actress even, is that your portfolio necessarily has to be in video form. So just practically speaking, it’s a lot more expensive, resource-intensive and time-consuming for creatives in these fields – the performing arts – to build their portfolios than say, an artist who can create products all by themselves: painters, digital artists, sculptors, craftspeople, basically people whose art is essentially creating a product which can be seen or touched.

But let that not discourage you as a performance artist! Here are several ways you can build your portfolio:

Record your Recitals / Public Performances on Video
If you are in school, this is perfect for you, and easily the most efficient way to build your portfolio. School performances? Go for them! They’re the perfect opportunity for you to test your work (be it a new song, a dance performance etc) in front of a (usually supportive) audience, and the best part is you can also film it down and use that video for your portfolio. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

Just how should you be getting these videos? If the event has an official videographer, perfect – try getting the footage from them. If not, see if you can find a friend to hold a camera for you… or simply place a videocamera on a tripod somewhere where you can get a good view of yourself. There’s always a way!

When I was in school, I fronted bands and also sang in a cappella groups for several concerts. I have some great photos and videos from those days, and they would have made for a great portfolio if I were to continue in bands or a cappella groups. But now I’m going in a different direction as a solo artist, and will have to create a whole new portfolio for that. That’s okay though – I’m very happy for my previous experiences, and I’ll just keep those past materials because who knows when they may come in handy 🙂

Like this one! Good times with the LaundroMATs
Record your Rehearsals on Video
It’s not always necessary to only video your finished work – you can also video your works in progress. If your theatre group had a good rehearsal and you managed to get it on video, that’s awesome – put it online! It could even drum up interest for people to come and watch the actual performance. There’s more of the killing two birds with one stone outcomes 😉

(Of course, you would have to ask permission from your director and it should not conflict with the interests of your theatre group. So be sure to get clearance before you put up material which does not only involve yourself!)
Record yourself after Masterclasses or Workshops
It’s amazing to have an opportunity to learn from someone who’s well-established in the scene you want to be in. If you learnt a dance choreography, or some singing techniques, or an acting sequence, be sure to get it on video if you can. Failing that, just get a photo with the instructor, so you can at least remember and be able to talk about that time when you had a masterclass with so-and-so. It’s not bragging if it’s for your professional portfolio.

Beatboxing workshop with Felix Zenger. Because singing and vocal percussion go hand in hand in a cappella music.
Make your own Videos at Home
Singers can do this more easily because dancers need more space (unless you have tons of space and then there’s no problem, or you can find another more suitable venue). Been practicing something at home and you want to show the world? Just put a camera on a tripod and film yourself performing it. Don’t feel shy about performing to just a camera, nobody’s around and nobody will judge you for it, they’re just going to see the video afterwards and be totally focused on the performance itself.

Just one thing about taking videos at home, though: you might want to try and not make it look too much like a home video, if you can. Make sure the space you’re in is not cluttered, try for good acoustics, and make sure your video is clear or you’re using a good camera. Some video editing would help too especially if you’re not moving around much.

Came for the marijuana, couldn’t vibe with the music. 🌿 (Just kidding it’s just a song about secretly not wanting to be at a party)

A video posted by Salima Nadira // Sasha M (@sasasha.m) on Nov 29, 2016 at 2:56am PST
Collaborate with Filmmakers
Just because you’re in the performing arts doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t work with people in other fields. In fact, in today’s video-focused era, all the more you should collaborate across fields of work, such as visual media.

If you want to up your portfolio game, here’s a way: work with a professional. Your product is a video, so you should try to collaborate with someone who’s a videographer or filmmaker. Of course, professionals may charge for their work, so if you don’t have the budget, try finding filmmakers who are starting out and who may not charge so much, or who may be willing to do your video for free if they like the concept.

I was super duper lucky to be able to collaborate with a filmmaker on one of my YouTube videos, a cover of Dangerous Woman. His name is Daniel Alejandro Gonzalez and he was in Singapore for a period of time, during which we managed to squeeze in this video collab.
(For singers and musicians) Record yourself Better
Typically audiences respond better to visuals than sound, but if music is your thing, you want to make sure they pay attention to your audio. For that, you should definitely record your best performances… but you could also take it a step higher and have your stuff properly recorded, with a good microphone or recording setup, good EQ balance etc. There’s no better way to get people to hear the nuances of your music than to have it properly recorded and even produced.

You can choose a combination of the above methods, or all of them, and use them in different situations. It also helps to be mindful of which particular field of the performing arts you are doing, and make sure the method you choose showcases that well.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to always put out your best work. Remember, the end goal is to have something you can be proud of, that you would be happy to show people. If you’re not sure what your best work is, get feedback from your peers, but you ultimately decide for yourself what your best work would be. Once you know for yourself what your best work is, you will not be affected by unfounded criticism from people who are not constructive or simply do not like your style. Just do what you love and show what you are proud of, and others will learn to recognize you for who you are. All the best!

2016 In Review: Taking the leap and going solo

January 7, 2017 by Sasha M

Personal Growth

2016, artist, journey, Little Red Dots, music, production, recording, review, SASS, solo, video, videography, vocals, YouTube

It’s only been a week into 2017 so far, there’s still time to do a review of 2016! Mostly, it was about my journey to becoming a solo artist.

2016 was a lot better than 2015 for me. Musically, my 2016 has been full of adventures. It was definitely the start of new beginnings, with my vocal group SASS going on hiatus in Feb after two eventful years (on Valentine’s Day, also known as our anniversary hehe). Though we are no longer working on original songs together, we still sometimes perform together for shows. It’s always great to perform with these girls, and I really can’t get enough of our vocal harmonies!

SASS at one of our performances last year.

I also got together with another talented vocalist/producer and two extremely skilled beatboxers, and we formed a group called Little Red Dots. The awesome thing about making music with them was that firstly they were all guys and this was a new thing for me to figure out how to sing in a group where all the other vocals and parts were male (a big jump from SASS as an all-female trio). And best of all, we were going after a very urban, beats-oriented underground sound. Our first cover was a drum and bass remix of a pop song, which basically sat perfectly within my musical tastes:

Well, Little Red Dots didn’t go on hiatus, but everyone is so busy with such conflicting schedules that we may as well be! Nevertheless we did some great gigs:

LRD performing at a National Day event.

LRD performing at the Manhunt finals show – Caleb was a Manhunt winner!

Above all, 2016 was the year when I finally had to face up to the fact that I needed to become a solo artist to pursue my music as fully as I am able.

This may not seem like a big deal for some, but it was a very big deal for me. I have basically been working in groups all these years (I used to be in several a cappella groups and bands like my university band The LaundroMATs), and I’m very much a group-oriented person. So to become a solo artist was really, a pretty terrifying idea. Though I’m used to being in the spotlight as a vocalist, I’m also used to being credited in my group, because it’s always a group effort that’s needed to pull off a show. How was I going to shoulder the entire responsibility of a performance by myself?

After thinking a lot about it, I realized what was the one thing really holding me back: my insecurities. I didn’t have confidence in my own abilities. And I also realized, most importantly, that if I didn’t have confidence in my own abilities, it didn’t matter how talented or not I was, I was going to go nowhere.

So I took a leap of confidence, and started my YouTube channel (more on that in another post). And it was great, because now I’d finally started, I began to know exactly what I needed to be able to do in order to make good videos, and create quality content as a solo artist.

That’s how 2016 became the year of training and equipment acquisition. I saved some money to buy a decent recording microphone, and learnt the basics of vocal recording. I recorded my vocals to backing tracks created by other people, and made videos to post on YouTube. And at the end of the year, frustrated with my limitations in making my own videos to a decent standard, I bought myself a good camera so I could really tackle this video making issue.

This year, it seems, is looking to also be a year of training and self-improvement. I’m still just at the very beginning of a music career, and I hope to be able to take some steps forward in that this year, particularly as a songwriter. I still love to perform so I will be focusing my YouTube channel on improving my own performance, as well as technical skills (vocal and video production). And there are a couple other online courses I’m looking at taking as well.

And that’s my direction for 2017. Hoping all goes well!

An Artist is An Entrepreneur

January 7, 2017 by Sasha M

Musings

art, artist, entrepreneur, freelance, hustle, independent, music, portfolio, setup, solo, starting out, startup, struggle, website, work

Yea, I’m pretty sure that an artist is an entrepreneur.

Last I checked, the most popular subjects in school or jobs applied to were not art-related ones. They were more often than not, business related degrees, engineering or finance jobs, etc etc, especially in Singapore.

(This is completely not based on statistics, rather is simply anecdotal. But you are welcome to provide statistics proving the same or otherwise!)

My point is, going by general sentiments, art is not seen as a stable career option in Singapore. That’s why parents (especially before the new millennium) usually tried to get their children to study something that would help them get a ‘better’ or ‘more stable’ job.

To even want to be an artist, or work in a creative field, is to go off the beaten track and forge your own path in life as we know it. It’s to find out what the rules of living life are, and see how much of those rules we want to live by. Sometimes, it’s about setting your own rules. That’s what being an entrepreneur is about, isn’t it?

Right now, I’m choosing not to live by the normal rules of life in Singapore, with its high cost of living and lifestyle pressures. I’m choosing not to opt for the stable job. It’s not easy, living in the most expensive city in the world. It’s pretty much a crazy thing to do actually. So I’m just hoping that I’ll be able to make it work. I had day jobs before in completely unrelated fields to making music, but it’s really hard to keep a day job and have the flexibility you need to create art. That’s the reason why I started to do freelance video work.

Why am I doing video work? Because in working on my YouTube channel, I came to realize how important videos are in this day and age, to promote anything and everything. But especially music. People don’t listen to music anymore without an accompanying video. Visuals grab more attention than audio, at least for the mass market (and that’s my market since I do English pop music). If you want people to know you, you have to have at least some videos, even if the majority of your work is audio. That’s how singles get promoted. Without it, the chances of people listening to your single are significantly lower.

Well, since I’m going to do video work, I’ve gotta go all the way. I built a website to showcase my work and to be noticed on the Internet – Sasha M Studios. (Am really proud of it because I made it myself, installed WordPress and installed a custom theme, and did my own customizations. I think it looks darn good 😉 I hope you do too!) Currently I don’t have a lot to show but I’ll have more over time. I’m very lucky to have already gotten one job, and a few more in the pipeline. Fingers crossed this will be a sustainable venture for me so I can continue to have flexibility of time to pursue my artistic ventures.

In the process of setting up my website, I was so glad to have acquired the web coding and setup knowledge needed to get it all done myself, because it would have cost me more than $1000 otherwise to hire someone to do it. And I realize that’s what entrepreneurs do – they do things themselves because they need to keep costs low at the start. I know several artists who also made their own websites, be it on a more user-friendly web building platform or otherwise. It’s all part of the hustle. That’s what artists do: we hustle.

Another thing I learnt is this: every single thing you learn in life is going to come in handy in future. How would my 12-year-old self have imagined that her website building hobby was going to help support her artistic career? Sometimes you have no way of seeing the link between things, but over time they will reveal themselves.

So keep learning, keep working. And keep hustling!

Hello world!

January 6, 2017 by Sasha M

Musings

arts, creative, dance, film, industry, journey, music, musings, performance, performer, search, Singapore, singer, songwriting, theatre, video, vocalist, writing

Yes, I’m using the default first blog post title for this.

It’s been a long, long while since I was blogging regularly, and blogging is so time consuming that for a period of time I decided to just not blog. I tend to be pretty lengthy when I blog so one post takes a couple hours minimum. But lately, I’ve found that in my struggles to be an artist in Singapore, to doggedly hold on to that determination to be a free and unbounded creative person, I may be doing things that nobody else has done before (or were able to do, because times and opportunities change). So I will do my best to document these journeys here, to share something hopefully new and novel, something which I hope will have value to the world, in a big or small way.

An introduction. My name is Salima, and I live in Singapore. I perform under the moniker of Sasha M. I have wonderful friends and family whom I love dearly, but I am quite different from most of them. While the majority of those around me are finding stable jobs, getting married and settling down (yes I’m at that age now), I’m hunting for fulfillment in the creative arts.

I don’t mean that I want to always be onstage, singing, or dancing or what have you. Don’t get me wrong, I love to perform. But more than that, I want to perform what’s mine – my own songs, my own shows. I want to create my own work, and be proud of it. And yes, it’s vague – what kind of work? What industry? Which region? – but honestly, in life you never know what’s coming. I know my direction, and it’s English pop music. But I’m very open to whatever good things I may encounter along the way.

So this is the beginning of my story. I have to say it’s starting a little late in the plot (like Star Wars Episode 4), but maybe in future I’ll be able to flesh out Episodes 1, 2 and 3.

This blog is mostly for myself, but if you have found me, it could be because you’re searching for something just like I am. And in my own search, I’ve found it so difficult to get insights on the music industry in Singapore, to know about people’s experiences, because it’s always from gossip or hearsay – hardly an official forum. This is not a forum (though you can certainly comment on my posts), but it’s as official as it gets right now. I really hope that whatever experiences I go through, that I can share, will be helpful to you, fellow traveler, fellow seeker. If you feel stuck, do not despair. There is always more than one way of doing things. And we’ve all got to find our own way. Godspeed to us.

Monthly Archives: January 2017