Authenticity in Pop Music: Computer Generated Miku Hatsune vs. Marketing Generated Lana Del Rey

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Earlier in the week I tweeted a truly fascinating The New Yorker article exploring how urban pop music is constructed. Let’s continue looking at this theme with the latest PBS Idea Channel episode, which asks the question: is Miku Hatsune a more authentic Pop Star than Lana Del Rey?

Lana Del Rey might be The Girl Who Launched a Thousand Blog Posts but we think there might be something else really interesting here. How is it that she, a REAL PERSON, pales in Pop Star Comparison to a computer program?

Lana Del Rey might be “The Girl Who Launched a Thousand Blog Posts” but we think there might be something else really interesting here. How is it that she, a real person, pales in Pop Star Comparison to a computer program? With the rise of Miku Hatsune, a computer generated pop star from Japan, and the recent kerfuffle surrounding Lana Del Rey’s album release, we take a look at what it means to be authentic in today’s music world. Is Miku Hatsune, a piece of software, more authentic than human being Lana Del Rey?

Hosted by Mike Rugnetta
Made by Kornhaber Brown 

Previously on the Idea Channel:

Super Mario Brothers Is The World’s Greatest Piece Of Surrealist Art

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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

Copy, Transform, Combine: Everything Is A Remix, The Complete Series

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For more than a year I’ve been following the documentary series Everything is a Remix, written and remixed by Kirby Ferguson. I’ve posted all the parts of the series so far and today here they are all compiled in one location for easier viewing. This is a must-see series for anyone who produces creative work. 

I am in awe of the amount of work that it clearly took to create this series. I am also highly appreciative of the depth of information presented. If you want further background, including a master list of all the works sampled throughout the series, please visit EverythingIsARemix.info. 

If you want to support Kirby, and really we all should, check out his next project This Is Not A Conspiracy Theory at Kickstarter. 

Remixing is a folk art but the techniques are the same ones used at any level of creation: copy, transform, and combine. You could even say that everything is a remix. To support this series please visit http://www.everythingisaremix.info/donate/


Part 2: Remix, Inc.

An exploration of the remix techniques involved in producing films. Part Two of a four-part series. An additional supplement to this video can be seen here: goo.gl/gtArc To support this series please visit http://www.everythingisaremix.info/donate/


Part 4: System Failure

Our system of law doesn't acknowledge the derivative nature of creativity. Instead, ideas are regarded as property, as unique and original lots with distinct boundaries. But ideas aren't so tidy. They're layered, they’re interwoven, they're tangled. And when the system conflicts with the reality... the system starts to fail. If you've enjoyed this series, please support my next project, This is Not a Conspiracy Theory, on KickStarter. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kirby/this-is-not-a-conspiracy-theory If you are unable to use KickStarter, PayPal donations are also welcome. http://www.everythingisaremix.info/donate/ Buy music from this episode here: http://www.everythingisaremix.info/p4_soundtrack/ Thank you to iStockphoto http://www.istockphoto.com/ If you notice any errors in this video, I would appreciate if you could leave a comment below. I strongly recommend clicking the HD button.


Two extras were created by Rob G. Wilson, with the support of Kirby, to further expand and themes expressed by the series.

EVERYTHINGISAREMIX.INFO ROBGWILSON.COM EDITED BY Robert Grigsby Wilson PRODUCED BY Kirby Ferguson and Robert Grigsby Wilson WRITTEN BY Cynthia Closkey VISUAL EFFECTS BY Blake Loyd CROWDSOURCED AT erxprod.wordpress.com FILMS: 0:27 - Fist of Legend (1994) 0:38 - Tai-Chi Master (Twin Dragons) (1993) 0:44 - Fist of Legend (1994) 0:48 - Tai-Chi Master (Twin Dragons) (1993) 0:53 - Drunken Master (1978) 1:02 - Fist of Legend (1994) 1:09 - The Killer (1989) 1:19 - Fist of Legend (1994) 1:21 - Iron Monkey (1993) 1:31 - Once Upon A Time In China (1991) 1:36 - Fist of Legend (1994) 1:41 - Tai-Chi Master (Twin Dragons) (1993) 1:45 - Philip K. Dick Speech (youtube.com/watch?v=jXeVgEs4sOo&feature=related) (1977) 2:18 - Strange Days (1995) 2:24 - Akira (1988) 2:30 - Total Recall (1990) 3:24 - Alice In Wonderland (1951) 3:42 - The Killer (1989) 3:53 - A Better Tomorrow (1986) 4:05 - Ghost In The Shell (1995) 4:32 - Akira (1998) 4:39 - Koyannisqatsi (1982) 4:49 - Dr. Who: The Deadly Assassin (1976) 5:10 - Ghost In The Shell (1995) MUSIC: (All sourced from The Matrix Soundtrack) 0:20 - Rob Dougan - Clubbed To Death (Kurayamino Variation) 1:44 - Hive - Ultrasonic Sound 2:30 - Lunatic Calm - Leave You Far Behind (Lunatics Roller Coaster Mix) 3:38 - Propellerheads - Spybreak 4:39 - Rob Dougan - Clubbed To Death (Kurayamino Variation)


Kill Bill

An extrapolation on the "One Last Thing" from Kirby Ferguson's web series Everything Is A Remix - Episode 2: http://vimeo.com/19447662 Edited by Robert Grigsby Wilson Produced by Kirby Ferguson and Robert Grigsby Wilson Dedicated to Sally Menke, Quentin Tarantino's Editor, who passed away last year. She was a great inspiration to me. For more information, visit EverythingIsARemix.info and RobGWilson.com FILMS: 0:19 - Game of Death (1978) 0:35 - Samurai Fiction (1998) 0:41 - Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) 0:51 - Death Rides A Horse (1967) 1:01 - Lady Snowblood (1973) 1:14 - Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1974) 1:20 - Deep Red (1975) 1:35 - City of the Living Dead (1980) 1:39 - Gone In 60 Seconds (1974) 1:42 - Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell (1968) 1:49 - Sanjuro (1962) 1:57 - Blade Runner (1982) 2:03 - Fists of Fury (1972) 2:14 - Sanjuro (1962) 2:27 - Ichi The Killer (2001) 2:30 - Navajo Joe (1966) 2:44 - Battle Royale (2000) 2:51 - The Mercenary (1968) 2:57 - Circle of Iron (1978) 3:00 - Citizen Kane (1941) 3:09 - Shogun Assassin (1980) 3:21 - City of the Living Dead (1980) 3:28 - Django Kill! (1967) 3:34 - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966) 3:43 - Twisted Nerve (1968) 3:52 - Black Sunday (1977) 4:04 - Carrie (1976) 4:13 - Alfred Hitchcock Presens: Breakdown (1955) 4:23 - Jackie Brown (1997) 4:25 - From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) 4:26 - Pulp Fiction (1994) 4:30 - Pulp Fiction (1994) 4:33 - Jackie Brown (1997) 4:37 - Resevoir Dogs (1992) 4:39 - Jackie Brown (1997) 4:41 - Pulp Fiction (1994) 4:47 - Jackie Brown (1997) 4:50 - Pulp Fiction (1994) 4:51 - Jackie Brown (1997) 4:53 - From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) 4:57 - Pulp Fiction (1994) 5:07 - Pulp Fiction (1994) 5:08 - Resevoir Dogs (1992) 5:09 - Jackie Brown (1997) 5:10 - From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) MUSIC: 0:09 - Santa Esmeralda - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood 0:49 - Quincy Jones - Ironside 0:55 - The Human Beinz - Nobody But Me 1:45 - Ennio Morricone - From Man To Man (Death Rides A Horse) 2:36 - Shivaree - Goodnight Moon 3:39 - Bernard Herrmann - Twisted Nerve 4:18 - Issac Hayes - Truck Turner


Lastly, always remember that life itself is a remix. 
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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

PBS Arts: Off Book, Exploring Cutting Edge Art - The Complete Series

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PBS Arts: Off Book is a web-based series that explores cutting edge art and the people that make it. The 13 episode series focuses on the process, motivation and meaning of a new generation of artists. For the pass several months we've been following the series. Here are the 13 episodes compiled in one location. Visit the links to the individual posts to find out more about each episode.

 

Episode 1: Light Painting

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook Light painting dates back to Man Ray, but contemporary photographers are taking the practice of "painting light" onto long-exposure photographs to a new level.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook Type is everywhere. Every print publication, website, movie, advertisement and public message involves the creation or selection of a fitting typeface. Online, a rich and artistic typographical culture exists, where typefaces are created and graphic design seeps in to every image.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook For decades now, people have joined together online to communicate and collaborate around interesting imagery. In recent years, the pace and intensity of this activity has reached a fever pitch.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook Steampunk art evokes an alternate reality where steam is the primary source of power. Technology, though highly advanced, has taken on a very different look and feel, and fashion is heavily influenced by Victorian styles. In this episode, we explore the Steampunk aesthetic and art movement.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook As we become more and more engaged with the internet in every aspect of our lives, powerful questions have arisen regarding the ownership of digital media and information, the relationship between corporations, governments, and individuals online, the power of pop culture influence, and the dissolving border between the digital and physical worlds.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook The street is a space where art thrives, and a place where artists can shape the public aesthetic. Olek, a sculptor whose medium is crochet, and Swoon, a mixed media artist, disrupt daily life with work that creates wonder, emotion, and humor.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook America has a long tradition of handmade arts and crafts. In the manufacturing age, however, much of this work was overshadowed by the homogenizing force of retail culture. But the passion for handmade arts didn't disappear, and persisted through the years in local craft fairs.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook Video games are important. They are a storytelling medium, a place for self-expression, a sandbox for the human imagination, and an extension of an ages old tradition of gaming.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook Although not every artist is as attentive to fashion as Kanye West, style does make its way into their lives. Sometimes driven by practical purpose, other times by personal expression or as part of performance, fashion plays a role in the aesthetic landscape of many artists.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook An intriguing combination of programmers, artists, and philosophers, these creators embrace a process that delegates essential decisions to computers, data sets, or even random variables.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook We swim in an ocean of products. Behind each one, there is someone (hopefully) thinking about the way we experience it. In this episode of Off Book, we explore three aspects of product design: build quality and engineering fundamentals, humanism and sustainability, and speculation on the future of the product experience.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook Books are in a conflicted state. Should they still exist in a digital era? Will they all be replaced by Kindles and Nooks? These questions dominate the discussion of books in our time.

Subscribe to the new Off Book channel at http://www.youtube.com/pbsoffbook As the 90s came to a close, the business of music began to change profoundly. New technology allowed artists to record and produce their own music and music videos, and the internet became a free-for-all distribution platform for musicians to promote themselves to audiences across the world.

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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

Game of Thrones Transmedia Case Study

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HBO needed to raise awareness for it’s new show "Game of Thrones", an adaptation of George RR Martin’s epic fantasy novels. To do this, Campfire brought the world of Westeros to life through a series of interactive experiences based around the 5 senses. The novels already had a passionate and connected fan base, so our strategy was to activate those fans and have them broadcast their excitement to a wider audience.

Campfire worked with HBO to raise awareness for it’s new show "Game of Thrones", an adaptation of George RR Martin’s epic fantasy novels. To do this, Campfire brought the world of Westeros to life through a series of interactive experiences based around the 5 senses. 

The novels already had a passionate and connected fan base, so the strategy was to activate those fans and have them broadcast their excitement to a wider audience. The campaign managed to atract a large audience to the show, which where then surprised by the many unexpected storytelling twists and turns ultimately leading to that audience reading the books. 

There was a time when pretty much everyone I knew was reading the many thousands of pages that are the novels and all conversations began with a review of progress to ensure no spoilers were shared accidentally.

The second season begins on April 1, and looks to be equally enthralling.  

For more on transmedia do not miss our comprehensive summaries of The Futures of Entertainment conferences FoE4 & FoE5 featuring panels with Campfire staff. 

 

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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.

PressPausePlay: The Complete Documentary About Digital Culture

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Last year we shared the trailer and some background on the documentary PressPausePlay. You can now watch the whole film below, or visit their website to dowload an interactive version that further explores the themes of the movie. It is full of thought-provocking interviews with some of the world's most influential creators of the digital era.

The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities. But does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out? This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a documentary film containing interviews with some of the world's most influential creators of the digital era. www.presspauseplay.com @presspauseplay Facebook: http://on.fb.me/y4gEK1 If you like the film you can support us by rating it on IMDB - http://imdb.to/jUqhFn. Thanks! We're a creative agency based in Stockholm, Sweden. If you want to know more about us and our other work, check out our website: http://www.houseofradon.com

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Antonio Ortiz

Antonio Ortiz has always been an autodidact with an eclectic array of interests. Fascinated with technology, advertising and culture he has forged a career that combines them all. In 1991 Antonio developed one of the very first websites to market the arts. It was text based, only available to computer scientists, and increased attendance to the Rutgers Arts Center where he had truly begun his professional career. Since then Antonio has been an early adopter and innovator merging technology and marketing with his passion for art, culture and entertainment. For a more in-depth look at those passions, visit SmarterCreativity.com.