Breaking into the composing-music-for-soundtracks biz?
October 11, 2004 11:07 PM   Subscribe

Is there any particular way to break into the composing-music-for-soundtracks biz?
posted by Tlogmer to Media & Arts (4 answers total)
 
Best answer: I have a few friends who do this here in the UK. It's an extremely competitive world, especially when you get into the movie end of things.

The friend of mine who is most successful in this arena is amazing in terms of his contacts. As with a lot of creative industries, you have to create a lot - but you have to push and hype yourself even more.

He started doing his own music on independent labels, then made friends with a director just starting out doing low-budget documentaries for TV. After a few of these, job offers from other TV soundtracks came in. Then the first TV dramas came in... and now he's working constantly, doing everything from games to small films.

Here are a few routes:

1. Work with an existing music production company who write music for jingles/ TV commercials/ TV shows. There will be a few of these in most major cities.

2. Compose your own material, record it, get it represented by a music publishing company and/or record company (an independent one is fine) and get them to pitch it. This method can work for people who compose for musicals or even have their own indie bands.

3. Create soundtracks for friends or acquaintances who are making low-budget independent movies or cable TV programmes. This will give you a body of work to send around and will start introducing you to the right people.

4. Soundtracks for videogames. This is much more competitive than it was, but videogames makers are on the lookout for highly skilled composers who can give them the full movie effect on a budget.

5. Music library material. A lot of the music publishers create music for sound libraries - this is where you record stuff speculatively on particular themes such as sport, drama, tension... and then TV producers who don't want to employ a composer of their own will take the music off the shelf. This is, from what I've heard, a relatively easy part of the business to get into.
posted by skylar at 12:14 AM on October 12, 2004


3. Create soundtracks for friends or acquaintances who are making low-budget independent movies or cable TV programmes. This will give you a body of work to send around and will start introducing you to the right people.

In this same vein, make friends with some film students.
posted by kindall at 12:57 AM on October 12, 2004


Learn to use a basic PC video editor and make your own short videos. Shows you know more about the craft than just composing music.
posted by mischief at 9:45 AM on October 12, 2004


Response by poster: Hm. Ok, thanks.
posted by Tlogmer at 8:17 PM on October 12, 2004


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