Media and Arts / Music Production, Pre-task Spring 2024

Pre-task instructions

The pre-task includes two mandatory assignments (1. Creative Assignment and 2. Portfolio Assignment). Grading is done with a maximum of 100 points. Based on the pre-task, our team of teachers will select the applicants to be invited to the online interviews.

We will not explain how to interpret the task. The entire pre-task must be available to us by the deadline.

The 2024 application period opens on 3 January 2024 and ends on 17 January 2024 (3 pm Finnish time UTC+2). The pre-task must be submitted to the application form before the end of the application period!

You can find the link to the application form here: Studyinfo.fi.

Instructions for sending the files (VERY IMPORTANT!)

• The pre-task can be submitted digitally only.
• Only the most common text document file formats (doc(x), rtf, odt, pdf), image file formats (jpg, png, pdf) and media file formats (mp3, mov, mp4) can be used.
• Use screenshots or videos to present dynamic material like websites, blogs or games.
• We will only evaluate files with a maximum size of 100MB/file (try to keep file sizes as small as possible).
• A maximum of 11 admission task files are allowed to be sent regarding these admission tasks. If more than 11 files have been sent, we will reduce 10 points from the overall score.
• You can access your application form and delete and resubmit files until the deadline of 17 January 2024 (3 pm Finnish time UTC+2). If you notice an error in a file you have sent, delete the old file and upload a new one. Please make sure to only submit one file once.
• Please be careful and organised when submitting files and follow the instructions for naming files, file types, max file size, max number of files, etc.
• Please note, that it might take a long time to upload all the files on the application form. Make sure to start uploading early enough.

Good luck with the admission process!

Pre-tasks

1. Creative Assignment (50 points): Choose one of the following options (1A or 1B)

1A) Wonderwall Remake Mission
You have been chosen to write and produce a cover song with the following lead. The lead is a guide given by a record label that is looking for a new version of the selected song. The song is Wonderwall by Oasis. The length of the remake should be two (2) minutes plus/minus 10 seconds.

LEAD FOR THE COVER SONG

• Bring the song to your own genre (i.e., your own style)
• Your version must contain new lead vocals with the original Wonderwall lyrics
• Add a self-created soundscape layer using sounds from your bathroom to the mix
• Describe your target audience
• Explain why your remake would be interesting from the audience’s perspective

The task:

1. Make a 120 (+/- 10 seconds) seconds audio track utilising the lead for a cover song.
2. Include a report where you describe your target audience and explain why your remake would be interesting from the audience´s perspective. Also, describe your working process: the creative process, the hardware and software, AI technologies and the human resources that you have used.  The report must include 1-3 photos of you with your audio gear used in the process.

Output: An audio file (in MP3-format) for the cover song, a text file for the report (max two pages).

Name your files: Lastname_Firstname_1A_Coversong, Lastname_Firstname_1A_report

Criteria for evaluation: Creativity, credibility, quality of content and level of written English.

1B) Comic Book Festival in Mars Colony Centre in 2084
Humans have colonised Mars. Social media has crashed for reasons we don’t know, and old analogue formats have experienced a renaissance. This is the reason why people are back into comic books. Plan the first-ever Comic Book Festival organised on Mars. The event takes place from June 22 to June 25, 2084. The venue is the Olympus Exhibition Centre with a capacity of 6000 humans or human-like beings. Tickets are sold by Ticket MarsTer.

Name the event and create a radio ad that represents the whole package (including the trip, accommodation, and the comic book festival itself), that will make the event sold out!

The task:

1. Make a 40 (+/- 5 seconds) seconds radio ad. You can use sound design, speech, background music, etc.
2. Include a slogan in “Martian” language at the end of the radio ad.
3. Include a report that describes your working process: the creative process, the hardware and software, AI technologies and the human resources that you have used.  The report must include 1-3 photos of you with your audio gear used in the process.

Output: An audio file (in mp3 format) for the radio ad, a text file for the report (max two pages)

Name your files: Lastname_Firstname_1B_ad, Lastname_Firstname_1B_ad_report

Criteria for evaluation: Creativity, credibility, quality of content and level of written English

2. Portfolio Assignment (50 points) 

2A) Work samples (30 points)
Prepare material that includes the essential aspects of your personal history in relation to the media field (e.g. audio clips, music samples). Choose 3-5 of your best work samples for the portfolio and add the following information in a separate text file (these samples of your work are to be sent digitally):

• a short description of the work samples
• the year when the work sample was made
• idea and duration of each sample
• your role in each work sample

Output: 3-5 Media files (image/audio/video), and a text document for the report (max two pages)

Name your file: Lastname_Firstname_Portfolio_Work_1, Lastname_Firstname_Portfolio_Work_2 etc.

Criteria for evaluation: Creativity, credibility, quality of content and level of written English

2B) Video selfie (10 points)
Make a video clip of yourself (max. length 40 seconds) and summarise why you would be a perfect candidate for our programme. In the video, you need to be present in a recognisable manner. The video can be made, e.g. with a smartphone, with no need for an expensive production.

Output: One video file

Name your file: Lastname_Firstname_Portfolio_Selfie

Criteria for evaluation: Creativity, credibility, quality of content, level of spoken English

2C) Personal information (10 points)
Please provide information on the following:

1. Work experience
2. Hobbies and interests
3. Career goals and future plans
4. A task based on the Music Production Study Path curriculum. NOTE! This is an old curriculum which will be updated in 2024: https://opinto-opas-ops.tamk.fi/index.php/en/167/en/49588/22DMA/1160/year/2023 Go through the curriculum from the link above (Online Study Guide). Select the minor (30 cr study module, e.g. Sound Design) that interests you the most in the Music Production path. Justify your choice. (max. 1000 characters)

Output: One text document file (A4)

Name your file: Lastname_Firstname_Portfolio_Personal

Criteria for evaluation: Orientation, potential, suitability for media professions and level of written English