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Introduction: Looking for answers

Music and Sound FX Audio

Started by Carlos Gherrera March 23, 2015 12:29 PM

16 comments, last by Islet Sound 9 years, 3 months ago

Carlos Gherrera

103

Author

March 23, 2015 12:29 PM

Hello Gamedev community,

My name is Carlos Gherrera and I am a Spanish composer, passionate lover of videogames and their soundtracks. The first soundtrack that hooked me was the one from Final Fantasy 9, and since then, I did everything I could to become a composer.

Now, after many years of efforts, I am finally a composer, specialized in scoring for games and films, but I have found yet another obstacle in my path: I don't have games to score for.

I have worked in a couple of projects and also participated in the Global Game Jam, but sadly that's pretty much everything.

My strategy so far has been:

-Look online for companies that are developing games

-Sending a mail to those companies, offering my service as a composer (attaching samples of my work)

And I have noticed that only 2-3% of them answer my mails.

Could anyone tell me what I am doing wrong?

Is it there any strategy to follow when looking for projects?

Thanks,

Carlos Gherrera

P.S. link for the sample of my work I usually attach:

https://soundcloud.com/carlos-gherrera/sets/carlos-g-herrera-composer

RLS0812

3,045

March 23, 2015 12:54 PM

There are so many folks who make music, it is easy to get lost in the noise.

You need a good portfolio ( with successful music ) before anyone is going to take you serious, so I would suggest submitting your works to as many stock companies as you can, and see what works, and what doesn't.

A good place to start would be YouTube's Audio Library .

I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Carlos Gherrera

103

Author

March 23, 2015 01:13 PM

I see...

Sorry, but I cannot understand something. As far a I know, Audio Libraries offer their music to any kind of project (I might be wrong).

How could that help me in finding games if, for example, my music is being used in a sausages commercial?

Is it just about being popular?

Krohm

5,051

March 23, 2015 01:51 PM

Hello Carlos, welcome.

Maybe I just suck but 3% looks like a good percentage to me.

Previously "Krohm"

Carlos Gherrera

103

Author

March 23, 2015 02:00 PM

Hello Carlos, welcome.

Maybe I just suck but 3% looks like a good percentage to me.

I mean, a 3% ANSWERS the mail...but the "%" of them that offer actual work is way lower

Hello to you too ^^

jbadams

26,386

March 23, 2015 02:13 PM

Welcome! I'll move you to our Music & Sound forum, Iv think you'll get more relevant answers to this one there! :)

- Jason Astle-Adams

RLS0812

3,045

March 23, 2015 02:39 PM

I see...

Sorry, but I cannot understand something. As far a I know, Audio Libraries offer their music to any kind of project (I might be wrong).

How could that help me in finding games if, for example, my music is being used in a sausages commercial?

Is it just about being popular?

'Companies' always ask the same questions when considering some one to do their music ( gaming, or otherwise ).

Why should I hire this person, instead of one the hundreds of thousands of others?

When starting out in a very 'competitive' field, you need to stand out, you need to show that you can produce products that folks want.

Having a strong resume and portfolio is the only ways to stand out in the large crowd.

Who would you hire - some one who has almost no history behind him, or some one who has had his work used many times before and can show the numbers ?

Edit: On a side note, getting your music featured in a television 'sausage commercial' will most likely pay far more money than what you could get from a small indi game company.

I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Carlos Gherrera

103

Author

March 23, 2015 02:46 PM

Welcome! I'll move you to our Music & Sound forum, Iv think you'll get more relevant answers to this one there!

I see. Thank you.

I see...

Sorry, but I cannot understand something. As far a I know, Audio Libraries offer their music to any kind of project (I might be wrong).

How could that help me in finding games if, for example, my music is being used in a sausages commercial?

Is it just about being popular?

'Companies' always ask the same questions when considering some one to do their music ( gaming, or otherwise ).

Why should I hire this person, instead of one the hundreds of thousands of others?

When starting out in a very 'competitive' field, you need to stand out, you need to show that you can produce products that folks want.

Having a strong resume and portfolio is the only ways to stand out in the large crowd.

Who would you hire - some one who has almost no history behind him, or some one who has had his work used many times before and can show the numbers ?

Well, then I guess it is time to start looking for stock companies to work with and see how it goes.
Thanks

nsmadsen

5,866

March 23, 2015 06:27 PM

Could anyone tell me what I am doing wrong?

Is it there any strategy to follow when looking for projects?

You're not doing anything wrong per say, but cold emailing is easy to ignore. It's, as others have said, hard to stand out when it's just an email. I do cold emailing (to some degree) myself but it's not the only part of my networking strategy. In fact, it's probably the smallest amount because of the low ROI. So add in meeting face to face with people, attending conferences, giving talks, doing tutorial videos, taking part in online communities (like GD.net) and really creating relationships with clients (via social networks, etc).

People hire their friends before hiring complete strangers.

Nathan Madsen
Nate (AT) MadsenStudios (DOT) Com
Composer-Sound Designer
Madsen Studios
Austin, TX

Valoon

824

March 24, 2015 06:26 AM

I am curious about the "gving talk" part. If you're a beginner and most importantly not in the industry who really wants to ear your talk? I mean, I just started in the industry and I don't feel like I am "legit" enough to give talks.

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