Over the past four weeks of this module, I have been exploring various ideas that could be used for the final solo piece. Personally, I have found this an exciting process as it has allowed me to narrow down my thoughts and think critically about some ideas that can be explored in the next following weeks that can be explored. So, instead of doing separate blog posts detailing about my thoughts on this, I have decided to compile all my thoughts into one so you can get a succinct idea of where my piece is heading. That does not mean that I won’t be exploring some ideas in finer detail but it is so you can get an idea of where it is heading currently and why I think this will be an interesting idea to explore in rehearsals. So, without further ado, here are my ideas:
What is the current stimulus for my solo performance?
Currently, my stimulus is based on the idea of YouTubing and the idea of how a YouTuber can gain a reputation for better or worse. In the ten minutes of the piece, I want to explore this idea of the downfall of someone online. I want to question how big a downfall it can become when a YouTuber shows their real thoughts and personalities on camera instead of conforming to the ideals that are expected when it comes to creating YouTube videos.
Why should you explore this stimulus?
I want to explore the stimulus because I think it is something that is becoming very current in today’s world. When researching the topic, I found a shocking statistic in which one in ten people now have created their own YouTube channel and this may be down to the fact that many people see famous YouTubers as role models and people aspire to be. Therefore, this idea of becoming a role model can be both a positive but also a very scary prospect as the YouTuber’s reputation is put on the line because if they do something that could be deemed as extremely wrong or offensive then it may cost them their reputation and job. This has clearly become a problem in the last few months with famous YouTubers such as Logan Paul, KSI and recently, Shane Dawson in which they have all faced scandals that have occurred on YouTube and has cost them a lot with their reputation and also, at times, rewards with their jobs that YouTube has taken away and this is one of the big reasons why I wish to explore this concept of YouTubing.
Briefly describe some of the ideas that you want to explore.
There are a few ideas that I have in mind but these are some of the ideas I think that are interesting ideas and could be explored.
1. Live streaming the show – From researching YouTube and how a YouTuber can gain money professionally, I have discovered that a lot of the money comes from when people tune into their videos they make and view it. Very much, the idea for YouTube is to get the views and I feel this is something I could incorporate into the show. As the venue I am intending to use (Studio 2) is a very intimate space and would only be able to seat thirty people at the maximum, I would not be able to get as many people to view the show and get the full impact of my point of the show. Whereas, by being able to live stream the show on social media sites such as Facebook, it would allow me to branch out to a wider audience and also make the message more real as I assume that people would view it through their mobile phone or laptop for the sake of convenience and also down to habit as that is how people normally consume YouTube. Plus, I am keen to show the idea of how people will only be able to see one side of me and of what I put on the internet to view and they do not see everything that is happening in the ten minutes.
2. Creating my own “Diss” Track – In one of my earlier blog posts, I mentioned that I wanted to create a “Diss” track giving some people an idea of the way how some people approach YouTube by verbally attacking people in a comedic manner. However, in deciding on this idea of a “Diss” track, one of my big concerns is that there will be certain people in the audience who will be unaware of the topic that I am discussing. Therefore, I have decided to branch out and discuss a wider topic and I have discovered a topic that may be of some worth to discuss this topic.
(Good Morning Britain, 2018).
Recently in the news, there has been a massive controversy concerning the closure of many KFC restaurants due to the lack of chicken being supplied. This has sparked so much anger and frustration to many people in the public due to the fact that the convenience of the fast-food chain has shut down and I think there is something overtly funny about several people complaining over a greasy meal. Indeed, in one of the videos below, there is a woman who highlights her frustration in saying “I’ve had to go to Burger King.” (ITV News, 2018). I think this can be done as very comedic and I feel that the use of something “major” will help me in dissing KFC and trying to make the audience feel as if I am the “role model” to follow in criticising my thoughts of the chain on the internet.
(ITV News, 2018).
3 – Space – in the past few sessions, we have been exploring the idea of space and when doing the activity, my group was given a tight corner. In one of my previous blog posts, I showed my enthusiasm for this space as I felt that there were a lot of interesting elements to space. For starters, I really like the way how it could feel quite intimate and if modified, it could be seen as a really relaxed/intimate space. However, at the same time, it could come across as a very exposed and trapped space in which there is no way to escape. Thus, I feel that I want to use the space so it makes the YouTuber feel trapped in their own world of hate and dominance. Plus, I want to be able to have a space where I am able to interact with an audience. Therefore, I feel that this could be seen as extremely intimate and very exciting to observe in a visceral manner due to the fact that the audience may feel uncomfortable.
What artists do you want to incorporate into your performance?
For my performance, current certain artists include Laurie Anderson, Karen Finley and Tim Crouch. There are various reasons and below are the reasons for each artist and why I want to incorporate their performance style:
Laurie Anderson – As mentioned before, the piece will focus on YouTube and I am intending to livestream the show. Therefore, I am expecting that my show will have a massive emphasis on the multimedia aspect. With Anderson’s work, I find it highly political in which every piece of work aims to send a message concerning politics. Some of her favourite work that I have discovered is Mach 20 as I feel the use of the voice is not only used for comedic purposes but also highlights the problems about how sometimes we forget what is going on in the world and the metaphor of the sperm whale being a missile is interesting. This could be an exciting idea in trying to modulate and change my voice as I feel that this could emphasise the idea that for people on YouTube, you only see what they wish to put out online. Therefore, by deciding to modulate my voice, it could mean that it could be interesting to observe how I am only showing an audience (Ie. the people that view the livestream) how they are viewing an image I wish to put out online.
(k8fan, 2006).
Karen Finley – Another artist that interests me is Karen Finley and her idea of hysteria. This is because when it comes to YouTube, when a video is put online, there can be some extreme comments which people could relate back to Finley’s work. Whilst I will say that I personally am not a fan of her work due to the explicit nature of it, I do personally think that there are interesting elements to explore. I think that Finley’s work, whilst there is a heavy emphasis on hysteria and the female body, could be used to help create my diss track in beginning it as a funny piece only to then take it to an extreme.
(Belgian New Beat, 2014).
Tim Crouch – One final artist that I am currently thinking about is Tim Crouch. This is because I am a fan of the way he has the idea of not distancing himself from the audience by making all his roles “Tim Crouch as…” meaning that he is closer to the audience as he is not playing a role but just showing a side of his personality suited for the role. Personally, I find this interesting as I want to get the audience create a bond with me and I feel that by creating a bond with the audience, it will help them not only engage in the piece but also make them feel trapped in this idea of thinking they know about me when in fact they will only see one side of me onstage. Thus, I am also keen to use Crouch’s theory of autosuggestion in which I can theoretically suggest to the audience that I am taking on the persona of a YouTuber instead of actually being one.
What do you want your audience to take away from the piece?
For the show, there are many things I want the audience to take away. However, the main objective of the piece is to alert and inform people about the cynical things that can occur when people create YouTube videos. That is not to say that this is going to be done in a dystopian or didactic manner in which the message is “YouTube is bad. Stay away from it.” But, the whole purpose of it is to show this idea of how some people do gain a reputation and how far they are willing to go to gain that reputation online. Thus, I hope the piece will be able to help people become a bit cynical about the way people project their lives onto the internet.
Works Cited:
Belgian New Beat (2014) Karen Finley – Tales of Taboo . Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rrr4qNJJ7U8 [accessed 2 March 2018].
Good Morning Britain (2018) The ‘KFC’ Chicken Crisis – Good Morning Britain. Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4VtITHr-OQ&feature=youtu.be [accessed 1 March 2018].
ITV News (2018) KFC closures over chicken shortage to continue for rest of the week – ITV News . Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elh5B1y8vKM [accessed 1 March 2018].
k8fan (2006) Laurie Anderson – Mach 20 . Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SirOxIeuNDE [accessed 2 March 2018].