Project management advice

[EARLGREY]

I'm in about the same boat as you Hambone1...i.e. Exploring the numerous possibilities of working with Live and Arkaos, Live and Surround ( I have been reading the stuff you say on various threads on the matter : thank you for all the usefull info... ...even DMX-control. On top of that, I'm busy building two websites on wich to present myself & my material.
I recently discovered VJ-ing and just started to learn the basics of Photoshop, flash & After Effects. ANd at the same time Plogue Bidule is screaming to get my acquaintance...It's all a bit overwhelming, but I'm determined to learn and do everything by myself, which caused me to end up right where you seem to be now.:......where to start.???
I'm assigning days now...and part of days to work on Arkaos ONLY, or to work on my mixes ONLY. Like all the others said...dissecting & focussing.

This forum is great....many thanks to all..

[hambone1]

EG - glad to hear someone else might be biting off more than they can chew! This forum IS great. It's the only one I use. If you wanna swap tips/techniques, feel free to PM me. I've got lots of Arkaos/Live ideas that I'm working on.

This is my chill/reorganize/eBay a bunch of stuff/get my head straight weekend.

Monday morning.. gym at 7, then tackling smaller tasks in an organized way.

And not forgetting to have fun!

[nuperspective]

if your looking at how to stop hitting a dead end rather than setting out what you want to achieve. here are three tips i've read. buy amon tobin, rui da silva and brian eno.

amon tobin prescribes doing the track in midi only - beat, bass, synths, fx etc. dont worry about the sounds at the start. just get the groove and structure down. then go in and start changing and creating sounds. that way you focus on the whole track rather than the one or two sounds you have created and love - and therefore dont want to get rid of. this way the whole track develops.

rui da silva prescribes never have one track on the go have three or four. when you hit the wall in one track. just stop. shut it down and start work on a different one.

Brian eno prescribes having a pack of cards in random order. if you hit the wall. turn a card over. written on them might be: 'the melody needs work' 'look at the beats' 'start the lead line' 'work on the bottom end' 'improve the structure' 'loosen the groove' etc, etc. when you get in trouble turn over another card.

those are three general tips that really make sense and i dont think i need to follow much else at the stage i'm at - beginner.

[hambone1]

I'm not actually writing original tunes, but the same philosophy applies. When I 'hit the wall' setting audio up, I move on to video or lighting. And if I completely 'hit the wall,' I watch an instructional DVD. Right now it's the Apple Motion 2 DVD. Not only does it let me just sit and watch and learn, it often gives me ideas on how to do something else differently or more efficiently.

Above all, I have the vision of the completely project in my head to keep me going. I know I can get there.

[gpvillamil]

Here are a couple of things that have helped me in VJing, and increasingly in music:

1) Think of what you want the audience to experience, not what you can do. Work back from there.

2) Keep a logbook next to your computer. When you come up with something cool or interesting, write it down. Some combination of settings/equipment is good? Write it down. Saves you having to remember it, and is a good refresher when you get stuck down the line.

The strategy used by Brian Eno is something called the Oblique Strategies, described here http://www.rtqe.net/ObliqueStrategies/OSintro.html. The full text is online on that site if you don't want to buy the cards. They can be helpful if you are stuck, but they might not help you finish things!

[kmo]

gpvillamil's comments reminded me of something I find useful:

Keep a pen and pad right next to me when I sit down to work. I briefly list what I want to get done / work on. While I'm working, if I think of anything else I need to do - either musically or real world - i don't do them, I just write them down. When I finish the work I meant to do, I start on the list I've made while working. When I'm finished working I handle the real-world things seperately.

I also make a schedule. I do 3 one-and-a-half-hour shifts with at least a half hour in between. Thats my own personal daily limit - I don't get burnt out and I manage to work every day.

My $.02 CAN