hey there, I wanted to start this thread to see well, if anyone had any ideas or experience to share with the rest of us. I''m a young composer / sound designer, who, after being involved with several small projects, and with skills behind me, really wants to do something ''significant''. Now that''s not to say that everything up until now has been in vein, infact the experience up until your employment is probably the most significant time spent. But how do you do it?... I''ve tried through several agencies, applying to companies directly, even if they have work available, it''s not very often you hear a reply or a request for your showreel, so what do you do? I''ve been toying with starting up my own small enterprise here in the UK, i.e. registering my own company name, and using every affordable marketing method under the sun to stand on my own two feet. Does anyone have anything to add to this? does anyone else really want to make something of themselves in the game industry?... i hope this post gets somewhere A fellow composer, David Purple Hamster Helped and be helped!

You''re absolutely right, you shouldn''t limit yourself as it''s always good experience to be involved in a number of industries to benefit the development of yours. So I can see that you have set up your own company there, and by your attitude it sounds as if you believe you should freelance to get there...

After all, working for one company is boring you have to relocate, work 9-5, and in most ways probably doesn''t consult the most relaxed of us... Ideally, I''d work from home, or from rented premises, depending on my income... but you tell me, are you making a profit from your venture yet?


david

Hey there,

Well, what have I tried.. hmmm... i''ve done several small projects, or perhaps small in stature i should say

1 project is a Torque-Engine based game named Bad Samaritans, i''ve done 10 tracks of music and some sound effects for that game.

1 piece of music for an activision demo game.

Some music for a space strategy game, Legacy, which hasn''t gone very far...

Some band recording, including my band...

Some music to trailers for splinter cell and devil may cry 2...

thats all i can think about so far : )

hmm, as for a show reel, it''s not online, i''ll probably set that up when i get my company name on the ground..

You know.. there have been around 3-4 permanent audio jobs advertised in the UK for some established game companies over the past 3 months.. Did you apply for them?

I''d try to get work in a Game company studio and get some titles behind you. Once you make a name for yourself, then perhaps try freelancing. The problem is that most companies already use a few regular freelancers for music, and are pretty hesitant if not downright resistant to try anyone new unless you have some pretty amazing credits, or music.

Here''s some realistic, perhaps negative points I''ve seen from my experience:

The problem with the game audio industry today is that there''s way too many wanna-be''s who have a copy of fruity loops or reason or.. *gasp* Ejay ... and can plonk together a demo tune.

Firstly, a company will be interested in you more if you can compose and program, or compose, and make sfx, have some sort of Sound Engineering certificate (go do a course, it will help). The number of companies I have seen who use their junior programmers to do music is quite a lot. Why? They pay them a little and they get a lot out of it. But, these juniors have one thing more than you guys out there... shipped titles! With that weapon in hand, a future company will take you more seriously as they will be able to trust you can deliver the goods on time and to specification.

Also, how many of you can write.. Techno (everyone put their hands up).. Drum & Bass (more?) .. Orchestral.. ok... I still see a few.. Ragtime, Band Music, Rock, Waltz, Medieval Melodic Ballad, Platform Pop, Dance Music, Ethnic (indian, chinese, arabian)... ok.. getting a little disheartened? Well, this is what you will be asked to do .. and in time, and in budget, and you will be sued if you do not deliver !

MartyQuest, you''ve got the right idea here. Your music sounds good, and there''s definitely some good variation in there. Talking to programmers is good. Get yourself known. Get a website so people can hear your work.

Personally I wouldn''t go putting all my life savings into a company just yet. Try to get that first published game, even if it is shareware. Try approaching your local radio station, and offer to do some "free work" for them... ie, sound effects, or short jingles, etc. Hook up with an advertising agency and see if you can get some small jobs. Do some flash background sounds, and music .. etc.

Don''t under estimate these start up projects posted on these boards, there''s some pretty good stuff out there. I''ve been working on one such, and it''s going to a publisher to try to get backing. If it doesn''t make it, well, I''ve got some nice music for my show-reel

However, I try to avoid projects that say ... "We don''t have a design doc, we don''t have this we don''t have that, no web site.. blah blah" . BUT we need... Coders, Musicians, GFX Artist, level designers.. .. common, who starts a project hiring people, without knowing what they are going to be doing!

I mean, a design document, some concept art and some sort of forum where ideas can be shared is the MINIMUM requirement for a project. A game is an IT project, try doing this in the real world and saying , well, I have all the team, but I don''t have a design doc (ie I don''t know what I am going to do) and see how many publishers will back you



Ok, I don''t mean to put you off or anything, but rather, give you an idea that the game world is not as rosy as it seems. Yes, it is a lot of fun making music for games, but it''s a lot of hard work too.

I hope this helps you figure out what you need to get done to make it

The few industry people that have lectured in our advanced game programming course responded to a similar query to this. They said that, while they dedicate teams to do the graphics engine and separate artists to do the graphics, they usually just get a programmer to do the sound engine and content when he/she isn''t working on their other assignments. Or they pick up the audio content from wherever. Apparently we''re a dime a dozen.

that''s sad isn''t it... if we''re not worth our weight... as to projects.. i have scored some projects from gamedev, 1 which fell through but i have some good music from, 1 small game i completed and is available for purchase and download, and another which is approaching it''s first public release i''ve also recorded bands and produced string arrangements. so i''ve done a fair share..

i''m just going to carry on the way i''m going... set up my webpage.. and maybe you''re right about those radio adds )

many thanks guys!

Purple Hamster
Helped and be helped!