Streamlining the Final Stages: Filming, Editing, and Fine-Tuning Promo for the EP Release

Today, I focused on getting some of the last promotional videos for the EP across the finish line. I filmed, edited, and captioned six videos, sticking to a simple format. After weeks of creating content, I’ve established a consistent workflow that’s made the process much quicker. It took just one hour to film all six videos, then about two more hours to edit and add captions.

Experimenting with MultiRecs for Efficiency

I used an app called MultiRecs, which allows me to film with all three cameras on my iPhone simultaneously. Today, I stuck to one lens length but enjoyed having the flexibility to choose from three different angles during editing without having to film each one separately. Previously, I’ve used this technique to mix multiple lens lengths creatively, and it’s always been a time-saver.

MultiRecs recording screen

Exploring Themes of Connection and Meaning

The videos I worked on today revolve around themes from "My New Meaning," the main song I'm promoting for the EP release. Some share the mantra from the song as a form of meditation, while others explore our connection with the universe. The goal is to offer different perspectives on these concepts, encouraging viewers to reflect on their relationship with nature, themselves, and the cosmos.

Creating a Voiceover Video on the Timelessness of the Universe

One of the videos was a voiceover piece that dives into the idea that, although we’re just a tiny fraction of the universe's history and future, our actions still carry significance. The visuals move from famous cities to ancient civilizations and finally focus on nature, using stock footage from Pexels to tell the story. It’s a reminder of the larger picture while still valuing the present.

Refining the Acoustic Version and Music Video

After wrapping up the morning deep work session, I spent the afternoon providing feedback on the latest mix of the acoustic version of "My New Meaning" and the music video. While these tasks aren't particularly difficult, they can be time-consuming, as I had to carefully listen and watch multiple times to make notes for the mix engineer and video editor. We're close to the final versions now, with just a few more tweaks needed.

A snippet of some feedback notes

Video Creation & Managing Workload: A Productive Day of Content Creation

Today was another productive day working on the promotional videos for my upcoming EP. I spent time filming, editing, and scheduling short videos for Instagram, all aimed at giving people a deeper look into the inspiration behind my music. I focused on themes that are close to my heart, like connecting with nature, noticing the small joys in life, spending quality time with loved ones, taking time for myself, and ultimately connecting with the universe. These are all central themes in the songs on the EP, especially My New Meaning.

Editing Workflow: Streamlining the Process

When it comes to editing, I've found my flow. I tend to use the same editing techniques for audio and visuals to keep things simple but impactful. In Final Cut Pro, I apply the channel EQ with the 'Male Vox' preset, adjusting it by reducing the gain at 3000hz to better suit my voice. Then I use one of the 'vocal compressor' options and finish it off with an adaptive limiter.

Audio FX

Channel EQ settings

For colour correction, I increase saturation by about 25%, drop the shadows by 10%, and bring the highlights up by 7%. These adjustments, while fairly minimal, give the videos a polished, vibrant look without needing to spend too much time on each clip.

Exposure settings

Saturation settings

The Importance of Flexibility in Scheduling Content

Despite the progress, I started the day feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content I had planned to create. I originally aimed to post two videos on several days, but that was making the process feel unnecessarily stressful. To manage the workload better, I decided to cut it down to just one video a day. Immediately, I felt a sense of relief. The content is still going out at a good pace, but I’m no longer stressing about keeping up with an unsustainable schedule.

Content schedule

Even though it means I'll be working on videos for a longer period, this adjustment made everything feel much more manageable. I also use Instagram’s scheduling feature to plan posts ahead, which helps reduce manual posting, but today I hit the limit for the number of videos you can schedule in 24 hours—a good sign of progress, but also a reminder that I’ve been working hard!

Instagram scheduling page

Learning to Pace Myself

I wrapped up the day having edited and scheduled seven videos in just a couple of hours. While I could have kept going, I remembered some advice from books like Effortless by Greg McKeown and Slow Productivity by Cal Newport. They emphasise the importance of pacing yourself, even when you feel like pushing ahead. So, I decided to stop early to preserve my energy for the following days.

I then spent the rest of my deep work session scheduling the videos—something I usually reserve for my open block time. True to form, I did get a bit distracted by Instagram Reels for 20 minutes, reminding me why scheduling tasks during deep work time isn’t the best idea! All in all, it was a productive day with some key takeaways on balancing workflow and maintaining energy.

If you want to see all the content I've been creating you can follow my instagram here

How I Created Custom Wallpapers to Promote My New Song

Today I finished editing all the footage I filmed yesterday, and I’m really pleased with how things are shaping up. I prefer to do video work in chunks rather than filming everything first and editing later. Some might say it’s not the most efficient way to work, but with 30 pieces of content on my to-do list, this method keeps me from feeling like I’ve got loads of unfinished tasks hanging over me. Instead, I work on 5-8 pieces at a time, edit them, and get them scheduled, which helps me keep my head clear.

Why I’m Making Wallpapers

Lately, I’ve been focused on creating downloadable wallpapers featuring the mantra from my song My New Meaning. The lyric—"I've been saying yes without the fear of what comes next, what is meant for me will come to me, she delivers all her promises"—is something I really live by. It’s a reminder to trust the universe and believe that everything will turn out fine in the end.

I wanted this message to stick with people, so I thought, why not create wallpapers that they can use on their phones or computers? Every time they see the screen, they’ll be reminded of the mantra and hopefully feel a bit more grounded. Plus, it’s a nice little promotional tool too—keeping my song in people’s minds every time they glance at their devices.

Keeping Things Minimalist

When it came to the design, I decided to keep it simple. My graphic design skills aren’t amazing, so a clean, minimalist look felt like the way to go. Using Canva, I played around with a few different designs and colour options. I ended up creating a few versions so people can choose whichever one speaks to them. I wanted the focus to be on the mantra itself, so I didn’t add too many extra elements. Less is more, right?

Instagram and Canva Tricks

Now, I knew just posting text wouldn’t get much engagement on Instagram, so I needed to find a way to make these wallpapers stand out visually. That’s when I discovered Canva’s 'frames' feature, which lets you place your designs into mockups of actual devices. I even took some screenshots of my own phone’s lock screen and added them to make it feel more polished. If you haven’t used this feature in Canva, it’s a super easy way to create professional-looking graphics.