Music in a lens

NEW DATE: Monday, 8. April 2024!

Next to the record cover, the press photo is by far the most important promo asset for any artist, if not the most important one. Any way you look at it, a press photo is a direct depiction of the artist. Regrettably, in the indie scene, more often than not, press photos fail to contribute significantly to the artistic narrative or infuse emotional depth into the release's context. They usually end up showing a person standing against a random wall for no reason.

In the first part of the workshop, we will look at what makes for a great press photo. What is the best vehicle to communicate emotion or narrative using this medium? What is engaging formally? What works to highlight the idiosyncrasy of a particular artist? In the second part, we will do a series of exercises that will:

• Help overcome inhibitions during a shoot.
• Amplify on-camera presence.
• Give the artist a vocabulary of expressions that will make for stronger compositions/photos.

Participants will not only walk away with an expanded understanding of the press photo as a communication tool but also a whole set of new practical skills. Many of them will also walk away with some decent press pics!

Workshop in English with Lukasz Polowcik.
Lukasz is a communication designer and creative director based in Berlin. His services have been solicited by major labels such as Warner and Sony Universal, as well as boutique operations like Friends of Friends (US), Dubstuy Records, Project Mooncircle, Mouthwatering Records, etc. As a lecturer, he has given master classes and organized workshops on visual identity development, music PR, and the art of writing lyrics at BIMM Institute (Berlin & Hamburg), Music Pool Berlin, M4 Music, The Zurich University of Arts (ZHdK), and Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU).

Free for SONART active members. Non-members pay CHF 150.–.