This week sees the 2012 BRIT Awards take centre stage and the show is set to be a resounding success. Behind all the smiles, glitz and camera flashes what merit do these awards actually hold?

There are numerous forums and Facebook pages rallying for the awards to be renamed 'The Sh$! Awards' and I have to admit that I'm full of skepticism for the awards that are meant to represent the 'Best of British Music'.

If you have been living under a musical rock lately you probably aren't aware that recently it was the 30th anniversary of Kraftwerk's 'The Model' reaching number 1 in the UK charts.

I'm aware that not everyone shows the same cultural appreciation of Kraftwerk as I do, but what better time to have an introduction to this unique and intense band as now? I love all bands electronic, but it was Kraftwerk that sparked my obsession. Their ability to sound like a strange computer game whilst looking quite robotic provoked my interest early on.

So, I might not be the most knowledgeable being on planet earth when it comes to music, in fact I don't even profess to be an nth of that.

However, music is the thing that keeps me going. It's the one indulgence I can rely on to bring me happiness on a bad day, to make me cry, dance, scream and even daydream.

Some girls remember places or moments by what perfume they wear but for me it will always be what soundtrack was the accompaniment.

My blogs will be mostly about music; whether that's new bands, the local scene, music tech or just general musical chatter.

My first subject is the music documentaries:

Awards Season

The film awards season is now beginning in earnest. BAFTA have published their long list, from which the 6,000+ membership will choose the nominees and then the winners. I'm one of the voters. The trade press say that less films have been made this year but those completed are of higher quality. Having less films to consider is certainly a blessing and I have to say I'm really enjoying my movies at the moment. But, the big question - how am I going to vote? Tricky, with a lot of good films on offer. I think in my top three though contains two films based on true stories, the third is directed by a Brit in his 70th year. Can you guess the films?

One of my day jobs whilst we are making 'Turbulence' is running a Thursday evening film course at The Midland Arts Centre or MAC. To celebrate the awards season, I am going to dedicate each week to a different category. There'll be evenings on cinematography, actors, script, costume etc. I'm hoping to include special guests and even a special awards ceremony on the final night!

So what do the awards actually mean? For me I'd say being nominated is the most significant thing and being on that list year in, year out certainly does no harm to a career. The actual winner is much more of a lottery and ultimately less significant. Also there tends to be the lean towards one film picking up nearly all the prizes. Whilst this makes a good news story, I have to say I do think it's a shame and generally doesn't reflect what's out there. For my own work, I tend to think about the words of Martin Scorsese, famous for not winning an oscar for most of his career. He always said its not the prizes that matter but being able to make the next film. Here's to that.

So, I'm off to vote! You can see the BAFTA 'long list' using the link below, these will become nominees, and after a third round of voting, winners. Can you see any of your favourites from 2010?

http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/entered-films,65,BA.html

Also check out MAC's evening courses and of course, our film Turbulence. We are now looking for completion finance of £75,000. if you know someone who might like to invest, please ask them get in touch. Businesses can invest in the film and offset this against corporation tax before April 6th 2011.

About Turbulence http://www.turbulencefilm.com
For Turbulence investment e mail Natasha@dreamfinder.net
For MAC's courses see http://www.macarts.co.uk/page/3704/Learning+Participation
To follow me on Twitter it's @bikefilm

Brumcast 183 'Lay that ghost to rest' was broadcast live on http://www.rhubarbradio.com on 1st November 2010 at 8pm Featuring metal, indie, folk, funk, hip hop, acoustic & more, All tracks written and performed by artists from Birmingham and the UK Midlands. Download free and direct from here Full show details and audio streams at the archive
Here's this show's playlist :-
1. Munchbreak - The Dirty Kitchen (5:42)
2. Machine Boy - Happy Very Happy (Single Mix) (3:51)
3. Naseby Crossing - No Way Heavy (3:17)
4. Mother Dirt - Belly Crawler (5:06)
5. The Gruber - Purgatory
6. Trevor Sensitive and the Locals - I knew that you didn't love me anymore when you changed Facebook status to single (5:08)
7. Clacka Clark - it's only love (3:15)
8. Turn off the Sun - Lay that ghost to rest (4:08)
9. Castillo - Empires and Ashes (3:50)
10. Barolo - Allez Allez Allez !! (2:57)
11. Police Bastard - Born to die (3:45)
12. Free School - Unravelling After The Lottery (6:00)
Enjoy!
Little Chris
Brumcast is broadcast on Rhubarb Radio http://www.rhubarbradio.com Mondays 8-9pm GMT. Brumcast on Twitter http://twitter.com/brumcast
Join the Brumcast Facebook group
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Brumcast 182 '2nd City Blues' was broadcast live on http://www.rhubarbradio.com on Monday 25th October 2010 8pm GMT. Featuring brand new material from Powerkraut act 'Einstellung' another incredible slice of indiepop from Trevor Sensitive, hip hop from Ignoramuss, funk from Sister Henry & The Prescriptions, punk from Bolshie plus a loads more different stuff. All tracks written and performed by artists from Birmingham and the UK Midlands. Download free and direct from here Full show details and audio streams at the archive
Here's this show's playlist :-
1. Einstellung - Die Glaub Wie Haus MP3 (6:51)
2. Thoughtgang - Into outerspace (4:09)
3. Trevor Sensitive and the Locals - Oh Poor Gerald (3:15)
4. The Yipes - All Our Friends are Ghosts (3:26)
5. Sister Henry & The Prescriptions - He's so fine (3:58)
6. Lean Yellows - (Please) Say Something To Me (2:12)
7. Butterfly Fan The Inferno - Brassneck (2:47)
8. STRAYSTARSTUFF - Back2Earth (4:29)
9. Ignoramuss - 2nd City Blues (2:57)
10. Bolshie - Stuck In A Rut (3:11)
11. Circle Circus - Yeah.Okay. (2:57)
12. Kytes - Oh, don piano!!! (4:08)
13. Free School - I Am Not Nintendo (5:06)
Enjoy!
Little Chris
Brumcast is broadcast on Rhubarb Radio http://www.rhubarbradio.com Mondays 8-9pm GMT. Brumcast on Twitter http://twitter.com/brumcast
Join the Brumcast Facebook group
Myspace - www.myspace.com/brumcastbirmingham
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Brumcast 181 'Backseat Babe' was broadcast live on http://www.rhubarbradio.com on Monday 18th October 8pm GMT. Featuring hip hop, extreme metal, psychobilly, post rock, goth, IDM & more. All tracks written and performed by artists from Birmingham and the UK Midlands. Download free and direct from here Full show details and audio streams at the archive
Here's this show's playlist :-
1. Ignoramuss - Lightbulb (4:34)
2. Black Heart Generator - Motown Punk (2:56)
3. Mister Underwood - 30Grin (5:46)
4. Black Mekon - Backseat Babe (1:46)
5. Fatbwoi 5 - Bullet (3:00)
6. The Death Notes - In the Spider's Web (5:02)
7. B.A.D Featuring JDot Sosa - 05 - I Go Hard (3:51)
8. Elysian Born - Magisterium (5:41)
9. The Magnificatz - Cat Come Scratchin' (2:49)
10. Broken Again - Spineless (4:43)
11. ThisIsSinister - A Horse's Strawberry (3:19)
12. Sleeping Through Sunday - U is for... (5:21)
13. Vasculum - Evisceration of the Chosen (0:55)
Enjoy!
Little Chris
Brumcast is broadcast on Rhubarb Radio http://www.rhubarbradio.com Mondays 8-9pm GMT. Brumcast on Twitter http://twitter.com/brumcast
Join the Brumcast Facebook group
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Brumcast 180 'Feral Fanzine Frenzy' was broadcast live on http://www.rhubarbradio.com on Monday 11th October 8pm GMT. Featuring new tracks from Fukpig, Trevor Sensitive, The Lines, Barolo & (Silver) Souevnirs, All tracks written and performed by artists from Birmingham and the UK Midlands. Download free and direct from here Full show details and audio streams at the archive
Here's this show's playlist :-
(silver) souvenirs - Lights (3:34)
Kramer vs Kramer vs Godzilla - Hello Dude! (4:22)
FebruaryMarch - Biological Robots (4:52)
B.A.D MC - Get Your Ass On The Floor (3:30)
Falling & Laughing - Feral Fanzine Frenzy (4:11)
Trevor Sensitive and the Locals - I've Read Finnegans Wake (2:50)
Glatze - Glatze (LIVE) (5:09)
The Lines - Glorious Aftermath (3:26)
Fukpig - Necropunk (1:41)
AutoGenic - charade (3:05)
Last Under The Sun - Beautane (5:36)
Barolo - Vails (6:46)
Enjoy!
Little Chris
Brumcast is broadcast on Rhubarb Radio http://www.rhubarbradio.com Mondays 8-9pm GMT. Brumcast on Twitter http://twitter.com/brumcast
Join the Brumcast Facebook group
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I have just found myself in the peculiar situation of simultaneously making my longest and shortest film. My longest film is 'Turbulence', which you will be familiar with from previous blogs. It currently weighs in at 2 hours - the assembly edit. The assembly is your very first edit, basically an 'assembly' of all the scenes, in the order of the script. It's as rough as Desperate Dan's chin but basically offers you a starting point out of all of those hours of material. I'm now looking at it to see how well the story works, bringing down the length through tightening and deleting scenes and adding in music. There's a lot of music. I decided that the best way to deal with such a length is to take it 15 minutes at a time. So far it seems to be working!

This is all in marked contrast to my shortest film - 'How to Speak Big Cat'. This is a one take wonder, me and my daughter pretending to be lions - shot and edited in 30 minutes on a flip camera and running at a mere 55 seconds. I made it for a competition - Land Rover and Biosphere's 'Go Beyond' with the prize a place on an expedition to Namibia. Well, after being put through my paces on a selection day involving driving Land Rovers down rivers, imagining scenarios like being stranded in the desert and spotting lifesize cardboard cut outs of Zebras in the Herefordshire countryside (to name but a few tasks), I am glad to say that they have decided to put me on the plane! Yahoo! Thanks to little C, Aquila TV, Land Rover and Biosphere.

#lrna

Links -

http://gobeyond.landrover.com
http://gobeyond.landrover.com/entry/86130
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5M5KNUWp-M

Brumcast 178 'Yes I walked alone' was broadcast live on http://www.rhubarbradio.com on Monday 27th September 8pm GMT. Featuring new tracks from Jonathan Beckett, Health & Efficiency, B.A.D, The Pad Foundation and more, All tracks written and performed by artists from Birmingham and the UK Midlands. Download free and direct from here Full show details and audio streams at the archive
Here's this show's playlist :-
1. Intro (0:19)
2. Old School Tie - Wasteland (4:16)
3. The Traps - The Honey Drip (3:25)
4. Jonathan Beckett - She's A Vampire (3:44)
5. Anoushka M- I'm Ill (3:26)
6. The Wickets - By The Sea (3:36)
7. Bombdog - yann (3:36)
8. Health & Efficiency - Yes I walked alone (4:26)
9. Pandas and People - When Will I Stay Till The end (4:22)
10. B.A.D Featuring Stunna Kai - I Defend (5:09)
11. The Pad Foundation - Rosebuds (4:16)
12. KvKvG- Barak Obama goes loco in a restaurant (3:39)
13. MotherTrucker - Midnight Sin (7:36)

Enjoy!
Little Chris
Brumcast is broadcast on Rhubarb Radio http://www.rhubarbradio.com Mondays 8-9pm GMT. Brumcast on Twitter http://twitter.com/brumcast
Join the Brumcast Facebook group
Myspace - www.myspace.com/brumcastbirmingham
Brumcast RSS feed - http://brumcast.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml
Subscribe via iTunes