Service,
 Sacrifice,
 Salvation
 
Culminating
 Experience
 
By:
 
Randy
 Schroeder
 

 
Introduction:
 

 

 
Service,
 Sacrifice,
 Salvation
 is
 a
 project
 I
 created
 to
 help
 bring
 awareness
 to
 
issues
 that
 directly
 and
 indirectly
 affect
 United
 States
 Veterans.
 
 For
 this
 project
 I
 
created
 an
 audio
 visual
 DJ
 set
 that
 speaks
 from
 the
 point
 of
 view
 of
 the
 veterans’.
 
 
My
 overall
 goal
 is
 to
 create
 a
 fund
 generating
 campaign,
 that
 when
 reached
 will
 be
 
used
 to
 shoot
 a
 movie
 that
 directly
 correlates
 with
 the
 DJ
 set’s
 music.
 
 Once
 
completed
 I
 hope
 to
 then
 sell
 the
 movie
 to
 help
 raise
 money
 for
 Veteran’s
 charities.
 
 
 
Description
 of
 the
 Culminating
 Experience:
 
 

 

I
 started
 this
 project
 with
 the
 idea
 and
 the
 DJ
 set
 pretty
 much
 planned
 out
 

from
 the
 start.
 
 Originally,
 I
 was
 going
 to
 make
 the
 movie
 myself
 and
 then
 start
 from
 
that
 step,
 and
 plan
 a
 tour.
 
 However,
 time
 and
 skill
 with
 that
 many
 tasks
 became
 too
 
much
 for
 me.
 
 So
 I
 had
 to
 focus
 on
 what
 I
 could
 accomplish
 with
 everything
 else
 I
 
would
 need
 to
 complete
 this
 year.
 
 So,
 I
 decided
 to
 just
 work
 on
 the
 movie
 and
 work
 
on
 a
 tour
 fundraising
 campaign.
 
 Once
 again
 I
 was
 hit
 with
 reality
 and
 realized
 I
 was
 
thinking
 too
 far
 ahead.
 
 As
 I
 dove
 more
 into
 this
 project
 I
 realized
 I
 didn’t
 have
 the
 
skill
 set
 to
 make
 the
 movie
 the
 way
 I
 had
 envisioned
 it.
 
 That
 is
 when
 I
 decided
 on
 
the
 final
 structure
 of
 this
 project.
 
 
 To
 create
 a
 fund
 generating
 campaign
 to
 fund
 the
 
film.
 
 Not
 only
 could
 it
 include
 everything
 I
 had
 already
 worked
 on,
 but
 it
 also
 
challenged
 me
 in
 everything
 I
 had
 learned
 throughout
 the
 last
 year.
 

 

The
 work
 included
 a
 prototype
 of
 the
 movie.
 
 I
 created
 storyboard
 music
 

videos
 for
 the
 music
 I
 want
 to
 use
 in
 the
 DJ
 set.
 
 These
 videos
 were
 then
 put
 together
 

to
 create
 an
 hour
 performance.
 
 I
 then
 put
 on
 this
 performance
 for
 the
 school
 and
 
guests.
 
 After
 all
 this
 I
 also
 now
 have
 a
 working
 model
 to
 show
 for
 my
 CE,
 and
 a
 
demo
 for
 the
 Kickstarter
 campaign,
 (which
 I
 will
 talk
 about
 in
 a
 minute).
 
 For
 the
 
prototype
 itself
 I
 had
 assigned
 certain
 subject
 matter
 topics
 to
 make
 distinct
 topic
 
breaks
 in
 the
 overall
 subject.
 
 This
 was
 tricky
 while
 also
 trying
 to
 progress
 from
 
wartime
 to
 present
 in
 an
 overall
 timeline.
 
 Utilizing
 a
 video-­‐mixing
 program
 from
 
Serato,
 I
 then
 mixed
 together
 these
 movies
 creating
 a
 fully
 integrated
 audiovisual
 
performance.
 

 

Once
 I
 had
 decided
 that
 I
 was
 going
 to
 raise
 funds
 for
 the
 next
 step
 in
 this
 

project.
 
 I
 started
 looking
 at
 ways
 to
 raise
 funds.
 
 
 Kickstarter
 seemed
 to
 me
 to
 be
 the
 
easiest
 to
 setup
 and
 use,
 as
 well
 as
 be
 the
 most
 recognized
 site
 for
 these
 fund-­‐
generating
 opportunities.
 
 I
 then
 created
 a
 ready
 to
 start
 campaign.
 
 Everything
 is
 
written
 and
 completed,
 with
 the
 exception
 of
 the
 rewards
 (will
 discuss
 rewards
 
later).
 
 Bio
 was
 completed
 along
 with
 entire
 story
 for
 the
 reader
 to
 get
 an
 idea
 of
 
what
 this
 project
 is.
 
 All
 rewards
 were
 written
 to
 show
 the
 overall
 idea
 of
 the
 
rewards
 for
 this
 campaign.
 
 It
 was
 then
 linked
 with
 my
 Facebook
 band
 page
 and
 my
 
Reverbnation
 band
 page,
 which
 I
 created
 for
 this
 project
 as
 well.
 

 

The
 rewards
 required
 most
 of
 the
 creative
 work
 for
 me
 in
 this
 project.
 
 I
 

started
 out
 by
 making
 my
 own
 music
 for
 the
 lower
 tiers
 of
 the
 rewards
 base.
 
 I
 
created
 three
 original
 tracks
 that
 I
 can
 copyright
 and
 release
 at
 a
 future
 date
 of
 my
 
choosing.
 
 I
 also
 found
 myself
 making
 many
 bootlegs
 along
 with
 these
 original
 
tracks.
 
 The
 problem
 is
 the
 copyrights
 and
 licensing
 issues.
 
 So
 I
 decided
 to
 make
 a
 
reward
 be
 a
 subscription
 to
 my
 bootleg
 and
 DJ
 set
 site.
 
 Once
 I
 have
 a
 site
 that
 I
 can
 

charge
 that
 fee
 (not
 part
 of
 this
 project).
 
 I
 would
 then
 offer
 fans
 the
 option
 to
 have
 
this
 as
 a
 reward.
 
 They
 would
 then
 be
 able
 to
 have
 everything
 they
 want
 that
 is
 in
 
there.
 
 Here
 I
 can
 put
 bootleg
 remixes;
 DJ
 sets,
 and
 show
 movies
 to
 be
 downloaded
 
at
 the
 fans
 request.
 
 This
 not
 only
 acts
 as
 a
 reward,
 but
 it
 made
 also
 the
 tools
 
necessary
 for
 demos
 to
 be
 used
 for
 promotions,
 and
 a
 press
 pack.
 
 
 

 

Finally,
 I
 had
 the
 final
 presentation.
 
 This
 required
 me
 to
 make
 a
 video
 to
 

introduce
 the
 project.
 
 So,
 I
 shot
 and
 edited
 videos,
 to
 make
 an
 introduction
 for
 this
 
project.
 
 I
 created
 a
 slide
 presentation
 to
 go
 through
 all
 the
 individual
 parts
 that
 
made
 up
 this
 entire
 project.
 
 I
 also
 edited
 videos
 of
 the
 two
 performances,
 to
 provide
 
evidence
 of
 the
 completion
 of
 these
 specific
 parts
 of
 the
 project.
 
Innovative
 aspects
 of
 work:
 

 

Innovative
 aspects
 of
 this
 project
 are,
 the
 usage
 of
 new
 software
 to
 control
 

audio
 and
 visual
 aspects
 of
 the
 show
 in
 one
 controlled
 program.
 
 I
 also
 integrated
 in
 
a
 state
 of
 the
 art
 DJ
 controller
 to
 allow
 me
 to
 control
 both
 the
 visual
 portion
 and
 
audio
 portion
 at
 the
 same
 time.
 
 The
 performance
 is
 innovative
 trying
 to
 bring
 
storytelling,
 cinema
 graphic
 art,
 and
 music
 to
 create
 a
 full
 sensory
 experience
 for
 the
 
listener.
 
 While
 I
 understand
 this
 has
 been
 done
 before,
 for
 other
 topics,
 in
 different
 
ways,
 by
 other
 individuals.
 
 My
 topic
 has
 not
 been
 used
 before,
 and
 my
 overall
 goals
 
have
 not
 been
 tried
 before
 ether.
 
New
 Skills
 Acquired:
 

 
 


 Skills
 that
 I
 acquired
 through
 this
 project
 encompassed
 everything
 the
 Music
 

Technology
 Innovation
 program
 sought
 to
 teach
 me.
 
 I
 had
 to
 learn
 to
 video
 edit
 in
 
order
 to
 complete
 the
 seven
 music
 videos
 I
 created
 to
 complete
 the
 story
 set.
 
 All
 my
 

production
 and
 studio
 recording
 classes
 were
 needed
 to
 create
 the
 tracks
 and
 
bootlegs
 I
 created
 for
 this
 project.
 
 Then
 there
 are
 all
 the
 performances
 and
 DJ
 skills
 
I
 learned
 to
 provide
 a
 performance
 to
 go
 along
 with
 the
 project.
 
 From
 the
 very
 
beginning
 I
 was
 learning
 a
 process
 of
 taking
 an
 idea
 and
 following
 through
 to
 
completion.
 
 Teaching
 me
 time
 management,
 scheduling,
 and
 the
 steps
 necessary
 to
 
take
 throughout
 this
 project.
 
 
 But
 most
 of
 all
 I
 learned
 to
 cope
 with
 expected
 and
 
unexpected
 challenges
 in
 the
 process.
 
Challenges,
 both
 anticipated,
 and
 unexpected:
 

 

By
 evidence
 of
 the
 evolution
 of
 this
 project,
 you
 can
 see
 I
 had
 many
 

challenges
 that
 had
 to
 be
 addressed
 and
 overcome.
 
 The
 unexpected
 challenges
 
mostly
 dealt
 with
 the
 overall
 goal
 of
 the
 project.
 
 Seemed
 every
 time
 I
 thought
 I
 had
 
a
 obtainable
 goal,
 other
 work
 or
 time
 would
 require
 me
 to
 scale
 back
 the
 project.
 
 
Other
 unexpected
 challenges
 had
 to
 do
 with
 skill
 level.
 
 Case
 in
 point
 the
 movies.
 
 I
 
wanted
 to
 have
 them
 so
 much
 better
 produced,
 however
 my
 skill
 was
 not
 developed
 
enough
 to
 complete
 the
 project
 the
 way
 I
 truly
 wanted
 to.
 
 That
 also
 played
 a
 role
 in
 
the
 main
 goal
 issues
 as
 well.
 

 

Then
 there
 were
 the
 expected
 challenges.
 
 These
 included
 challenges
 of
 

learning
 the
 hardware
 used
 in
 the
 performances.
 
 Learning
 new
 software
 in
 order
 to
 
DJ
 videos.
 
 Creating
 new
 music
 is
 styles
 that
 I
 was
 unfamiliar
 with.
 
 Time
 crunch
 
challenges,
 and
 making
 sure
 everything
 fit
 together
 in
 one
 complete
 package
 that
 
didn’t
 turn
 out
 looking
 like
 many
 different
 project
 thrown
 together.
 

 

 

Future
 ramifications
 and/or
 plans
 for
 Work:
 

 

As
 for
 the
 future
 of
 this
 project
 at
 this
 point
 I
 really
 have
 no
 concrete
 plans
 

for
 the
 project.
 
 Either
 way
 though
 I
 have
 tools
 now
 that
 I
 can
 use
 in
 order
 to
 
succeed.
 
 The
 tracks
 that
 are
 mine
 I
 may
 look
 into
 releasing.
 
 The
 bootlegs
 can
 be
 
used
 to
 grow
 fan
 base
 and
 be
 part
 of
 a
 press
 packet
 used
 to
 generate
 gig
 
opportunities
 in
 the
 future.
 
 I
 have
 a
 playable
 story
 set
 that
 I
 can
 perform
 as
 well.
 
 All
 
in
 all
 even
 if
 I
 don’t
 move
 forward
 on
 the
 movie,
 throughout
 this
 whole
 project
 I
 
have
 created
 the
 tools,
 music,
 and
 sites
 needed
 to
 start
 a
 professional
 DJ
 career.
 
 
Conclusion:
 

 

In
 conclusion
 this
 project
 took
 everything
 I
 have
 learned,
 experienced,
 and
 

persevered
 through
 in
 order
 for
 it
 to
 be
 completed.
 
 I
 not
 only
 had
 to
 define
 myself
 
as
 an
 artist,
 a
 DJ,
 and
 a
 professional.
 
 I
 also
 had
 to
 express
 concerns
 that
 have
 been
 
on
 my
 mind
 for
 a
 long
 time.
 
 This
 project
 allowed
 me
 to
 put
 all
 those
 idea
 and
 
concerns
 out
 there
 for
 the
 world
 to
 see
 and
 experience.
 
 I
 now
 am
 able
 to
 look
 
forward
 to
 a
 future
 that
 I
 have
 always
 wanted.
 
 I
 now
 have
 the
 tools,
 skills,
 
confidence,
 and
 motivation
 to
 succeed
 in
 any
 path
 I
 wish
 to
 take.
 
 The
 proof
 is
 in
 all
 
the
 work
 I
 managed
 to
 complete
 over
 this
 last
 year.
 
 In
 regards
 to
 the
 full
 project,
 I
 
hope
 that
 I
 can
 one
 day
 share
 the
 finished
 idea
 with
 the
 world.
 
 To
 help
 raise
 
awareness
 to
 the
 battles
 we
 as
 veterans
 face
 in
 America
 today.
 
 So
 that
 maybe
 one
 
day
 when
 people
 who
 proudly
 display
 stickers
 saying
 “We
 support
 the
 troops”,
 they
 
will
 honestly
 know
 and
 understand
 what
 it
 truly
 takes
 to
 support
 them.
 
References:
 
"Patriots or Profiteers?" YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 30 June 2014.

"War Profiteers Escalate Their War on Jobs." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 30 June
2014.
"DJ Spooky's "Rebirth of a Nation"" YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 30 June 2014.