Portfolios Journalism
Page updated March.30.2007
Press Kit: FLUTTR Effect
Review, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 1, March 2005 (~749 words)
“Dazzling and hypnotic, FLUTTR Effect turns in an alternative glistening gem of a performance in what many have described as an otherwise stagnant rock pool.” These are bold words to describe a band, and indeed, FLUTTR Effect is not your ordinary band. The thing is, I already knew that this band isn’t necessarily conventional, and I have also heard their music before. What I wonder is, would I have gotten their unique flavor just from rummaging through their press kit? I’m not quite so sure. Now, I should start out by saying that FLUTTR Effect’s press kit is very well put together. The fundamental aspects of a press kit are all there, from well-placed quotes to a very nice photo and a pleasant and uniform graphic design scheme.
The thing is, however, that the press kit is just that; nice and pleasant. This band isn’t your conventional Creed clone or anything remotely like that, yet the press kit’s presentation has a corporate feel, which is nice for a label, or a commercial artist with no soul, but I’m not sure it faithfully conveys this band to the uninitiated. The material is very sparse, and I would have liked to have seen a little bit more material. As it stands now, most of the kit is spent on educating the reader on how successful this band has been, which is certainly important and, in this case, very impressive, but how about some more material to help describe the musical world and image of this band? Also, it might be nice to have visual design that’s got a little bit more bite or personality to it, to support the description of the unique color of this band. Right now, I get the feeling that this press kit successfully wows the reader into thinking this is a successful act, which no doubt will go a long way, but again, it would’ve been nice to see more to convey the unique world of FLUTTR Effect.
The paraphernalia of this kit are also very slick and smooth. The feel and characteristics are similar to that of the rest of the kit, and my comments above could also be copied here. This is the aspect of the kit that could really help in the regards of conveying a certain image and musical world. One immediate consideration might be to make the postcard sized card into an actual postcard, which would give it a possible second use, but that’s certainly just the starting point for what could potentially be a very creative medium for not only describing the band, but also in helping the reader feel more of an interaction or participation with the world the band has created. In this part of the press kit, anything goes!
Well, now on to the actual CD of FLUTTR Effect’s music. As long as the reader pops in the CD, they will hear the FLUTTR Effect sound, the exact thing that any description of their image stems from. I won’t comment on the music, so as to leave that for a CD review, though I will say that the inclusion of the video is very nice. Now, as any of you music tech types will know, it is a cardinal sin to use CD sticker labels. What’s wrong with them? Well, if it’s not stuck on perfectly, the CD is not going to spin completely correctly, due to the uneven distribution of weight. Also, the adhesive from the label will soak through the CD (the speed at which it does this varies depending on the quality of the CD-R), and lastly, if the label peels at all, it can wreak havoc on the CD playing device. Sticker labels don’t look as professional as CDs that have the printing directly on them anyway.
All in all, this is a very solidly assembled press kit, and it certainly will impress readers. The kit seems to distance the band from the reader. Yet, does it impress them in exactly the way you want the kit to? Maybe, maybe not. That is certainly a decision to be made by the entity that is FLUTTR Effect and their management. No doubt they’ve already had plenty of success with this kit.
This review is based on the physical press kit, and while similar comments could apply to the EPK (electronic press kit), they are a little less relevant, as the EPK is very well laid out and serves its purpose quite well.
To view this article in the MBJ itself, please visit the Music Business Journal web site, where a PDF of the issues are available for download.
Journalism Outline
The Music Business Journal of Berklee College of Music
· "Editor's Note"
Editorial, MBJ Vol. 2 Issue 1, March 2006
· "NAMM: Kyung Min"
Business article, MBJ Vol. 2 Issue 1, March 2006
· "Paul Goldman: A True Creative, even in Business"
Cover article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 7, December 2005
· "The Next Generation Recording Studio: Tainted Blue Productions"
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 6, November 2005
· "SSL Rejuvenated: Staying on Top of the Game"
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 6, November 2005
· "Marketing Design Group: A New Student Club of the MB/M Dept."
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 6, November 2005
· "Mobile Talk: Interview with Tim Nilson,
VP of Global Mobile Technology, Sony/BMG"
Business article, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 4, August 2005
· "Editor's Note"
Editorial, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 3, May 2005
· "Editor's Note"
Editorial, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 1, March 2005
· "The Future of Music"
Model Work, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 1, March 2005
· "Press Kit: FLUTTR Effect"
Review, MBJ Vol. 1 Issue 1, March 2005
Recent News
8.2.08 - The website for A Green Church, a company dedicated to environmental practices and products for churches, was designed by Mr. Min and implemented by Mr. Min and Rob Sanchez for Elative Marketing.
8.1.08 - Mr. Min transitions from being Content Manager of Web Marketing at Digidesign to working full time as Creative Director for Elative Marketing and Director of Marketing for Addo Label.