One question I have for this track that is whether it sounds like it loops in a good place - it may be a bit jarring and need a better segue. The arrangement (like most of my work) can be kind of nuanced, so balance in harmonies can be something that can have me spending time considering - I wonder about the dynamic contrast a little.
Note: I DID read the sticky posts like the one about whether a track is appropriate for a game. I'm considering it, but may have some useful general questions (not necessarily about this track per se).
I wrote a couple of compositions (where I've squeezed in the time) for portfolio purposes. This one was written as a demonstration of music for overworld exploration. I turned on the old Ocarina of Time and galloped around Hyrule field a bit to this track and I thought it sounded all right with it. That's basically what I was aiming for.
One question I have - using this track as an example - is, realistically, how fast might I be expected to write a track like this? Quite frankly, I can tell that a lot of composers for games (and this is not particularly a criticism), especially for smaller projects, use pretty simple orchestrations and are not taking the time to do some careful work with the midi controls, basically everything that's entailed in making a nuanced/realistic performance out of virtual instruments. Again I'm sure that's fine for many purposes as I think it comes across as a style of its own sometimes, kind of "video gamey."
So my concern is just practical here. I spent a lot of time thinking about rates and asked on another forum and got a TON of lectures like "they're not paying you for your time but for your musicianship," basically saying that (apparently) it's industry standard to charge per minute of music. I'm also a programmer, in which it IS industry standard, from all that I've heard, to charge per the amount of time the programmer actually spends on a project (I'm doing freelance with that and that's how I charge). My own (albeit limited) experience with composing is that a minute of music can vary WILDLY depending on what sort of arrangement is going on.
To that end I can also see something like this being a bit out of place on (say) some game made for mobile . I've been in the realm of virtual orchestras for a while and learning all that's entailed in putting those projects together and done a lot of learning. In general I'm trying to ascertain my "readiness" for going into business.
What sort of portfolio should be prepared as a game composer? I wrote a menu theme for a game before, I wrote another town theme (hadn't had one before that), and there's this, and I have some other work that is/was background music for other game experiences. Most of what I write is very, very melodic and very very "present." I THINK it can have a place as background music - not unheard of for the kind of music that grabs attention also to be background music, with Michael Giacchino's "Medal of Honor" soundtracks coming to mind - but maybe I need some more background-ish music too, works that sound more out of the way. What do you think?
Hopefully my explanation gives the gist of what I'm trying to figure out, which basically amounts to understanding what's between me and being ready to put myself out there for whatever game gig I might be fortunate enough to work on and where I should think of heading from here.
Thanks!
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