The missing link
Although instrumental music is mostly not intended for the masses or is by far as popular as the other genres, I believe it is still one of the major art forms that transcend any boundaries and can reach anyone willing to listen. Unfortunately, we live in a time of mass media and the fast consumption of endless amounts of content. It is quite logical that it is extremely difficult for many artists, regardless of the quality of their work, to stand out in the crowd, especially if you try to remain consistent with yourself and your ideals.
One must always make certain compromises to achieve one's goals, but this should by no means be done at any cost. I still somewhat stubbornly refuse to accept the use of "unavoidable" social networks, although this probably hinders me considerably in reaching out to larger audiences and business opportunities. On the other hand, the fact that the audience of my SoundCloud profile has almost tripled in the last few months gives at least a little hope that it is still possible to function in a different way. Sure, this doesn’t address some existential issues, so I’m always thinking about any future steps I might be able to take.
One of them is adding a visual component to the music I create. Pressed by a limited budget (as usual), I am again forced to turn to the “do it yourself” method. The cost of hiring a professional crew to shoot at least a couple of music videos, each lasting an average of three minutes, is simply too much for me. So I reach for the Internet again and search for available resources related to video editing.
Video editing itself is certainly not an easy task, but looking at various tutorials I conclude that there are a lot of concepts here that are in some ways similar to those in music production. I also remember the Flash training I once attended. Recently, I have obtained the basic version of the popular video editing program "DaVinci Resolve", which I will try to master in the foreseeable future.
We also need quality materials... My long-term plan is to buy my own drone and possibly some kind of camera with solid capabilities, as I increasingly understand the attractiveness and potential of this kind of expression. Unfortunately, this is something that I probably won’t be able to realize very soon. Fortunately, every day I learn about new quality sources where it is possible to find videos of talented videographers from all over the world who have generously offered them for free use, even for commercial purposes.
There is no doubt that visual impression is extremely important nowadays. With a possible step into these waters, I mostly hope for greater exposure, yet I’m also realizing the delicate connection between image and sound, as well as the old saying that a picture speaks a thousand words.