12.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

FEEDBACK FROM PERFORMANCE

The survey I created is here.

The results were very impressive:

The answers for this question were:

• "Maybe if they had a better mic"
• "I loved every second"
• "If it was in real life and not over a call"
• "More songs 🤩"
• "It was a bit laggy but I don't know how you can improve that"

Overall I think the gig was amazing and I'm extremely thankful to Laurent and Hana for helping me out.  They both sounded incredible and in my opinion I think that although we weren't there, it was still such a moving experience and I felt every note go through my body and move me.  From now on I will be creating my presentation as I feel I have the research I need to make it.  Like I said in the methodology, I researched through watching performances, interviews, reading up on articles, creating my own live online performance and making a survey to see the results.

11.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

LIVE ONLINE PERFORMANCE

The gig went really well and Laurent and Hana both smashed it.  Here was the outcome:
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I will now make the survey and send it out and collect my results tomorrow.

10.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

ORGANISING LIVE ONLINE GIG

The steps I need to take in organising this gig are:

• Finding someone who is willing to perform
• Setting a time and date for this gig
• Explaining the project and my intentions for this concert
• Marketing it to different people
• Making a survey for people to say their thoughts

Finding someone who is willing to perform

My sister is a music student in Brighton and she lives in a house with many other music students.  I thought she would be my best bet in getting someone to perform.  My sister didn't want to participate unfortunately, however, she kindly asked her friends if they could help and her two friends Laurent and Hana both agreed.  They were luckily quarantined together so Laurent would play the guitar and Hana would sing.

Setting a time and date for this gig

I wanted this to be performed as soon as possible so we arranged for it to occur the next day at 10pm.

Explaining the project and my intentions for this concert

I called Laurent and Hana and spoke to them about my project.  I then explained that the reason why I wanted to host this online concert was to see if this is our new way of life now and if people are here for it or not.  Thankfully, they were both on board with it.

Marketing it to different people

I didn't want this to be a massive performance as I don't know Laurent and Hana too well and didn't want to put a massive amount of pressure on them.  I asked my sister, Laurent and Hana to invite whoever they wanted to as it was their concert.  I also invited a few of my friends, who aren't music students, to see a different side to it.

Making a survey for people to say their thoughts

I will make this once the concert is over and I will share it to everyone in the call.

Tomorrow is the day of the performance!

09.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

PERFORMANCE IDEAS

Here is just a brainstorm of some ideas of online and live performances I could host:

• Stand up comedy
• On Instagram live
• Tristan performs
• Tristan can invite people into the call if necessary
• Improv performance
• On Zoom
• Louis, Amelie and I perform
• Suggestions given in the chat 
• Dance performance
• On any live functionality
• Amelie and Silvana perform
• Monologue
• On Instagram live
• Julien performs
• Small gig/concert
• On Zoom or Instagram live
• My sister or her friends perform

Stand up comedy relies on the audience's feedback, so a situation where it's quiet could be quite uncomfortable for the performer.  I like the idea of an online improve evening but I really think that a lot of the comedic aspect of it comes from the energy of the audience and so I think it would crash and burn without it.  The dance performance could be really good if done well.  I don't think Amelie and Silvana could do the same choreography at the same time as there will be a slight delay.  Two separate performances. on the other hand, could work very well.  The monologue idea is one of the strongest as it doesn't require an audience as such.  I think getting in contact with Julien and having him help me could be quite challenging as I don't know him very well.  The final idea of the small gig or concert is probably my favourite as it doesn't require the energy of the audience immediately and I think it could work out very well and people would enjoy watching it.  

Tomorrow, I will arrange and organise this online gig so that I can see first hand the experience and also what other people make of this live online performance.

08.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

ASTRONOMICAL

The Astronomical event is where the creators of the game Fortnite, and the massive musician, Travis Scott, came together and collaborated to host an online, live, interactive performance.  This is the official video of the full event:
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Here is another video which was screen recorded from someone's PC, which shows how the show was interactive:
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According to the stats released by Epic, in addition to the 12.3m watching live on 23rd April, more than 27.7m viewed the concert across the 5 events that ran until 27th April. 

The concert's set list included "Sicko Mode" and "Stargazing" from Scott's 2018 album Astroworld, "Goosebumps" from his 2016 album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, the single "Highest in the Room" and the brand new track "The Scotts" featuring Kid Kudi.

The Astronomical Experience was not only a visually stunning event, but it also had hints to previous Fortnite season-ending events such as the volcano eruption and black hole that led to the game being shut down in 2019. The concert even featured a shot of the original map of the island.
(Source)

I didn't watch this event live, however it was an absolutely surreal experience just watching it on my screen.  The graphics and technology is showing us our future and it's paved a whole new way for the future of performance.

Next I want to come up with my own performance which is live and with an audience.

07.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

BTS LIVE ONLINE CONCERT

BTS are a 7 member Korean pop (or kpop) group.  BTS were forced to cancel their international Map of the Soul tour dates this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic - including a 37-date trek through North America - but ARMY now has a new event to look forward to.  The seven-piece South Korean group will be throwing an online "un-tact" (no-contact) concert, Bang Bang Con the Live, on June 14th at 6 p.m. KST/5a.m. ET.
The paid livestream will run for 90 minutes and will be hosted by the band in a single room.
BTS previously threw the online musical festival Bang Bang Con, devoting a weekend to showing archival live footage from their concerts around the world.  The livestream amassed a total of more than 50 million views and more than 2 million concurrent viewers.
(Source)

The live online concert ended up hitting a peak of over 750,000 viewers.  My sister and her friend paid to watch it and she gave me some feedback on how the show went:

• It was a really fun experience
• It was kind of other worldly as she's never experienced anything like it before
• It felt kind of awkward as there wasn't a crowd who were cheering or making noise
• She would definitely pay again and do it again and would recommend

I want to look at another massive online event next called Astronomical. 

06.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

LIVE ONLINE GIGS

People who perform music for a living, or those who just do it for a hobby are all providing so much content for their friends and fans during this time.  They really don't have a lot else to do and it's very important for them to stay busy and do the things they love.  Here is an example of a guy doing his own online gig.  He received a lot of positive feedback in the live comment section and he would occasionally reply to these.  This engaged his audience and got him a decent amount of subscribers.  Subscribing to a twitch streamer is a form of monetisation.  Monetisation is a tricky and sensitive topic during these times as it can be very tough to figure out a way to do it.  Anyone can watch a twitch stream for free but if the viewer really likes their content, they can pay to subscribe to them.

There is a very informative article on how to do an online gig and the ways monetisation could still happen.  Here are the key points:

• Run an online free gig
• Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Zoom
• Run a paid gig
• The link to a stream with Paypal
• It's easier with a dedicated fan base
• The tip jar approach
• Charge for recorded performances
• Get the production values right
• Market the gig

I want to specifically look at a really big and successful online concert tomorrow like the BTS live online concert.

05.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

TOURS CANCELLED

The music industry has been hit very hard by the global pandemic.  Live performances are the biggest form of revenue, so having tours cancelled, it has caused a drastic loss.  The 6-month shut down is estimated to have caused more than $10bn in sponsorships. (Source)  Another issue with this is that no one really knows when tours would be back on track again.  Even after having the regulations lifted, people would be extremely cautious and careful about going to events like this as it could be the perfect place for the virus to spread.

Some tours that are cancelled include:

• My Chemical Romance
• Harry Styles
• The Weeknd
• Bob Dylan
• Guns N' Roses
• BTS
• Bon Jovi
• Taylor Swift
• Justin Bieber
• Camilla Cabello
• The Rolling Stones
• Doja Cat
• Steve Aoki
• The Foo Fighters

And many others. 

This is how Justin Bieber broke the news to his fans:

Next I want to look at how any musicians and artists are still performing during the COVID-19 crisis.

04.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

INSTAGRAM LIVES

Instagram is a great way to connect with people whether they are friends or fans.  Some performers have been using the platform to live stream their talent.  The first example I will look at is Dianne Buswell, a dancer on Strictly Come Dancing.  She often does Instagram lives which she turns into 'IGTV' videos so people who missed the live can watch it afterwards.
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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dianne Buswell (@diannebuswell) on Apr 2, 2020 at 8:20am PDT

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Here is an example of one of her lives.  She does dance tutorials and performances and has created over 10 of these already.

Here is an example of an artist, Shawn Mendes, doing an IGTV:
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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shawn Mendes (@shawnmendes) on Apr 30, 2020 at 4:28pm PDT

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Famous faces including singers Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Justin Bieber, John Legend and his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, rapper Cardi B, actor Hilary Duff and others have flocked to Instagram Live to entertain fans while they isolate themselves from crowds amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Performers like Legend, Coldplay's Chris Martin and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard have even used the hashtag #TogetherAtHome to promote their streams meant to entertain millions stuck at home.

Celebrity streaming shows on the platform something that will become more frequent in the coming days and weeks, according to Charles Porch, Instagram's head of global partnerships.

"I think in times like this, and when times get tough, [celebrities are] turning to Instagram to connect with fans to, first, help get out really good information like washing your hands and staying home and the next phase now, which is coming together with the community," Porch told NBC News.

Singer Miley Cyrus hosted a livestream in which she highlights what she calls “bright minded stories” and shares feel-good news with fans. On Tuesday, Cyrus was joined by singer Demi Lovato, and the stream was viewed by as many as 50 million people on the platform, according to screen captures of the video shared to Twitter by fans.

Fans will be seeing much more of Cyrus on Instagram Live, according to Porch, who said Cyrus will be streaming on Instagram Live Monday through Friday while the nation practices social distancing. Cyrus will be joined by a host of other celebrities who will also be streaming to their fans as the country battles COVID-19.

"We're going to see more series where people will do regularly scheduled programing," Porch said. "It's going to be interesting to watch this going forward and watch people at home create their own television networks."

While Cyrus and Lovato asked each other questions and chatted during their shared livestream, Legend and Teigen performed songs and broadcast some of their daily activities at home, like cooking.

Legend sang Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Beauty and the Beast," among others.

(Source)

Next I want to look at the different musician's tours that have been cancelled and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected that aspect of performance. 

03.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

ACTORS DURING LOCKDOWN

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I watched this video to see how COVID has affected actors.  This specific video is on a woman who coaches, so it shows how she has combatted not being able to see her students in person.  What's great about technology nowadays is that we have the ability to be able to see and talk to people from across the world.  In the video, the coach uses the application Zoom for her classes which I have done for some of mine.  Although there are some complications from using methods like this, like a delay or bad wifi, it's still better than nothing.  I really struggled to find any other information on how actors are coping with this global pandemic.

Next I want to look at the nature of Instagram lives and how actors, dancers and musicians are using these to help express their talent.

02.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

BROADWAY/WEST END

Broadway and the West End rely on the box office that comes from tickets as a main form of revenue.  As coronavirus has put everything to a halt, the industry is under a lot of pressure.  These are some of the shows that have been cancelled or delayed:

Many theatre performances have been cancelled or delayed. All Broadway theatres in New York have been closed until 6 September 2020, while West End theatres in London are closed until 1 August 2020. Waitress on West End and Frozen on Broadway announced they are closed permanently, despite at the time of their announcements, they would be able to reopen after the shut down. 9 to 5: The Musical on West End, Beetlejuice, The Inheritance, and Thriller – Live on Broadway and the Endgame and Rough for Theatre II double bill at The Old Vic were already scheduled to end, but were forced to close earlier than expected. Both Hangmen and revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway cancelled their entire run, though they had a few preview performances prior to the Broadway shut down. Sabrina Carpenter's limited run on Broadway's Mean Girls was cut short, though she intends to return to the show. Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel, who were performing at Waitress in London, returned to the United States a week before their scheduled departure due to international travel restrictions imposed. 
(source)

On the Official London Theatre website, there have been many questions asked by the general public on what is going on with the COVID pandemic and how it will affect their shows.  These questions include:

• When will theatres reopen?
• The decisions to reopen theatres will be made based on government and scientific advice on gatherings and events.
• How do I find out whether a performance has been cancelled?
• If a performance was due to take place before or on 2 August, it has unfortunately been cancelled. Performances for some shows after this date have also been cancelled.

And many others.

They also provide some information on how to support the industry through these difficult times.  Here are a few suggestions:

• If you have tickets for a cancelled performance, choose a credit note or exchange rather than a refund, or rebook tickets for a later date.
• Rather than receiving a refund, you can donate the cost of your ticket to the theatre.
• Many theatres have information about how to donate on their website.  You can find links to donate to SOLT member theatres here.
• Give to a theatrical charity such as Acting For Others or Make A Difference Trust, which will distribute funds where they are most needed in the industry.
• Buy Theatre Tokens for yourself or as a gift for someone else to use once theatres reopen, as a commitment to supporting theatre, or book your Autumn/Winter theatre trips now.
• Check out our page about how to get your theatre fix online here; many of the productions listed are available to watch online in return for a donation to the theatre or to theatre charities.

Next I want to look into the affect that the global pandemic has had on actors wellbeing and their daily lives.

01.06.2020 - SSI - Mrs Williams

THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III

Today, I watched the National Theatre show of The Madness of George III (the video has since been deleted from their YouTube channel).  It gave me a feel into the difference between seeing a show in person versus seeing it on screen.  Here are a few pointers on my experience (not on the actual performance).

• The show wasn't live streamed so what was happening wasn't in real time (due to social distancing)
• Although it wasn't happening in real time, the show was premiered on YouTube (this means that it was shown at a specific time, but people could still watch it if they came later)
• It didn't ever feel awkward as the audience was present at the time of the recording so there was still some aspect of an atmosphere
• It was free to watch which would make a lot of people happy as some people wouldn't be able to afford to see real shows
• There was still a fundraiser which had a generous amount of donations - shows the tight and supportive performing arts community
• The camera quality was HD and I could see more than when I actually watch plays in real life
• I could pause whenever if I needed to
• I was in the comfortable environment of my house 
• Although those last three comments were positive, I still do really miss the vibe of being in a theatre and the excitement live performance brings

Luckily, these performances were recorded before lockdown started due to NT Live.  NT Live is when the National Theatre's performances being streamed around the world in cinemas, live.  The technology to make this happen is incredible and this just so happened to come in handy in a time like this.  I watched this video which gave me a grasp on the complexities behind this.

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Next I want to look into the effect that coronavirus has had on Broadway and the West End as these are a massive part of the performing arts which has had to come to a complete halt.