Trying something risky - Harmony Central Musician Community Forums

Dead Star · 08-31-2009, 04:03 AM

Basically, I've been told that I'm on my own when it comes to my band (not really fired as everyone just decided to quit.) This leaves me alone (luckily, I can play most instruments). I decided that instead of just dropping the band, I'm going to reinvent it. The idea I have is, like I said; pretty risky. You see, I'm not the best looking plant in the pot if you know what I mean. There is no way I could make it in the music business in my current state. Instead of holding everything until I can get my hands on some better looks, I had the idea to get... well, animated.

I'm going to create a whole new persona (kinda like gorillaz), drawn by an artist on commission over at DeviantArt. Using that persona, I'd be able to actively fight for a place in the music business while keeping my life private and getting in shape.

I'm not really expecting to get really big or anything like that. I just like a good challenge. I've already opened a local venue here in my hometown, as well as start talks with a film studio about distributing a foreign film here in the states. I just want to test the waters, see how tough it is to make it in the industry. I just like exploring new territory.

I'm completely new to the industry. My band was a studio band, just playing for shits and giggles to pass the time. I need some basic tips on how to launch this project. I'm not going to have the luxury of doing live shows or anything like that (I don't want to give away the secret!) so I'm going to have to be creative in getting my music out there.
Here are some bullet points
GOOD
-Easy Anime and Manga fan-base
-Complete creative control over my music
-Don't have to blow off work or school to tour.
-plus more

BAD
-Can't do shows until much later
-Gonna be hard getting people to take me seriously
-Run the risk of having the persona stolen and abused
-Just by putting this idea out here on the forums, I run the risk of having it stolen
-plus more

TL;DR: I'm creating an anime persona to cover for the fact that I'm not the best looking guy, and I'm coming here to ask for advice in how to tackle this challenge.

Thanks for reading!

vanzant38 · 08-31-2009, 06:08 AM

Interesting idea.

Best of Luck!

richturin · 08-31-2009, 09:16 AM

I think one of your first steps would be to get a cool website going and link it to all of the social networks. This type of thing can be huge with proper viral marketing.

I work for a company called webair and we do web hosting and site optimization. We can even register your domain for you. We are safe and secure, fast and reliable and offer customer support 24/7/365

Let me know if I can be of any assistance to you...

Rich Turin
516-938-4100

shurefire · 08-31-2009, 09:53 AM

quite interesting.
you could do live shows though you know right?
I'm a one man band and I use a loop station, sampler, laptop. (just looks like a jackass doing karaoke unfortunately)

Dead Star · 09-04-2009, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shurefire

quite interesting.
you could do live shows though you know right?
I'm a one man band and I use a loop station, sampler, laptop. (just looks like a jackass doing karaoke unfortunately)

I would LOVE to do live shows! The problem for me is, when an audience goes to a show to see a skinny animated character and end up seeing a large guy behind the station, they may very well be a little upset
:'(

richardmac · 09-04-2009, 04:12 PM

I know a guy who does this, actually. He came up with the different band members, he puts them on his CD's, and he made a music video and put it on youtube. He's really into recording and does not want to gig solo or with a band. I think it's an interesting idea but the music has to match... there almost has to be a sort of silliness to the thing. You're not going to write slow acoustic songs about suicide and have a cartoon character sing them. Somehow the music ought to match the art really well.

If interested in what he's done, here's the link:

http://stonemarmot.com/

theboywho · 09-05-2009, 09:28 AM

Sounds like it would be a lot of work, but still could be good to do.

For live shows you could do it if you stuck to places with a projector, use a laptop with some kind of backing track synced up to visuals and play over that and it could work.

Alternatively get a motion capture suit, although that might be a bit too much

Dthraco · 09-14-2009, 05:13 PM

Expanding on theboywho's idea. You could run the projector and music and just say you "work" for the character/s.

The voices tell you what to do.

Jacob Mathews · 10-29-2009, 03:47 PM

Maybe a good way to get your name out there without a face is to distribute your music on a portable, new medium. A lot of artists and companies have started working with USB as an innovative new form of marketing, such as its shown in this article. It's worth looking into, at least, to see if such a format is feasible for what you want to do either now or in the future.

theboywho · 11-03-2009, 12:04 PM

Anyway, updates, its been a couple of months now, what have you decided on and how are you doing it? I'm quite interested.

MartinC · 11-03-2009, 03:09 PM

Brilliant idea IMO. Unlimited potential.

thiflivim · 11-03-2009, 09:10 PM

I accept with information: some bullet points
GOOD
-Easy Anime and Manga fan-base
-Complete creative control over my music
-Don't have to blow off work or school to tour.
-plus more
BAD
-Can't do shows until much later
-Gonna be hard getting people to take me seriously
-Run the risk of having the persona stolen and abused
-Just by putting this idea out here on the forums, I run the risk of having it stolen
-plus more

08-31-2009, 06:08 AM	#2
vanzant38 Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 829	Interesting idea. Best of Luck! __________________ This text is much easier to read if you highlight it.

08-31-2009, 09:16 AM	#3
richturin Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: new york Posts: 8	Cool Idea I think one of your first steps would be to get a cool website going and link it to all of the social networks. This type of thing can be huge with proper viral marketing. I work for a company called webair and we do web hosting and site optimization. We can even register your domain for you. We are safe and secure, fast and reliable and offer customer support 24/7/365 Let me know if I can be of any assistance to you... Rich Turin 516-938-4100 __________________ Toys: 1960 Les Paul reissue Egnater 4212 combo Fulltone Tape Echo various pedals of mass destruction Rich Webair Internet Development 1-866-webair1 rich@webair.com http://www.webair.com

09-04-2009, 04:12 PM	#6
richardmac Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,060	I know a guy who does this, actually. He came up with the different band members, he puts them on his CD's, and he made a music video and put it on youtube. He's really into recording and does not want to gig solo or with a band. I think it's an interesting idea but the music has to match... there almost has to be a sort of silliness to the thing. You're not going to write slow acoustic songs about suicide and have a cartoon character sing them. Somehow the music ought to match the art really well. If interested in what he's done, here's the link: http://stonemarmot.com/ __________________ --- Richard MacLemale My Website at www.richardmac.com

09-05-2009, 09:28 AM	#7
theboywho makes more noise Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: oxford, uk Posts: 1,891	Sounds like it would be a lot of work, but still could be good to do. For live shows you could do it if you stuck to places with a projector, use a laptop with some kind of backing track synced up to visuals and play over that and it could work. Alternatively get a motion capture suit, although that might be a bit too much __________________ Spiral 25 - Psychedelic Drone Rock:myspace:last.fm:reverbnation:iTunes:napster: Modded Tele's/Harmonica and bullet mic -> FX -> 2 Epi Valve jr's with 1x12's for stereos Good Trades: HeartfeltDawn (x3), english_bob, fruvai, fastboy, (^_^)

11-03-2009, 12:04 PM	#10
theboywho makes more noise Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: oxford, uk Posts: 1,891	Anyway, updates, its been a couple of months now, what have you decided on and how are you doing it? I'm quite interested. __________________ Spiral 25 - Psychedelic Drone Rock:myspace:last.fm:reverbnation:iTunes:napster: Modded Tele's/Harmonica and bullet mic -> FX -> 2 Epi Valve jr's with 1x12's for stereos Good Trades: HeartfeltDawn (x3), english_bob, fruvai, fastboy, (^_^)

08-31-2009, 09:53 AM	#4
shurefire Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 6	quite interesting. you could do live shows though you know right? I'm a one man band and I use a loop station, sampler, laptop. (just looks like a jackass doing karaoke unfortunately)

09-14-2009, 05:13 PM	#8
Dthraco Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Rainland, WA Posts: 1,553	Expanding on theboywho's idea. You could run the projector and music and just say you "work" for the character/s. The voices tell you what to do.

10-29-2009, 03:47 PM	#9
Jacob Mathews Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 19	Maybe a good way to get your name out there without a face is to distribute your music on a portable, new medium. A lot of artists and companies have started working with USB as an innovative new form of marketing, such as its shown in this article. It's worth looking into, at least, to see if such a format is feasible for what you want to do either now or in the future.

11-03-2009, 03:09 PM	#11
MartinC Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: san fran Posts: 1,234	Brilliant idea IMO. Unlimited potential.

11-03-2009, 09:10 PM	#12
thiflivim Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1	I accept with information: some bullet points GOOD -Easy Anime and Manga fan-base -Complete creative control over my music -Don't have to blow off work or school to tour. -plus more BAD -Can't do shows until much later -Gonna be hard getting people to take me seriously -Run the risk of having the persona stolen and abused -Just by putting this idea out here on the forums, I run the risk of having it stolen -plus more __________________ Calculette pret immobilier taux interet \| Calculette prets immo \| Calcul credit immobilier prets

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