Composing soundtrack music help

Mcjmetroid

I am a 23 year old piano/keyboard player who has been composing music as a hobby for a long time. Here are some samples here;
http://soundcloud.com/mikeyoconnell
I believe I'm pretty good....hopefully

I'm looking for advice is how to persue my goal in being a music producer/ composer. Who would I send my samples to etc? I'm not trying to be a rock/pop star. Just a chance to compose for TV or Movies eventually. That's the dream.

But.. I don't know how to get started. I just finished my degree in music tech and I've heard that it's all about who you know. I'm quite a shy person however and have always found it hard to mingle.

Any advice would be great. Like any companies/people interested in people like me? etc. Thanks a bunch

OH if this is in the wrong board, could a mod please move it. I was unsure. Thanks.

Malice

Moved to Music Production.

Jagle

soundonsound did a series about how to work, what its like, and how to crack the tv business try there

krd

Mcjmetroid wrote: »

But.. I don't know how to get started. I just finished my degree in music tech and I've heard that it's all about who you know.

How about. If you want to do sound track, you put your music to film. That's the stuff you would send out to people.

There are two ways you can go about this. Approach film makers and ask their permission to apply your music to their work. Or, go ghetto, and jack some stuff, (that is appropriating material you neither have the explicit permission to use, at the same time, you have not been explicitly denied the use, or borrowing for use, of that material.)

I'm quite a shy person however and have always found it hard to mingle.

That's a common enough problem. Have you considered drugs and going to sex parties - mingling with strangers in one of the saunas in town. That is one way, as they say, of coming out of yourself.

Mcjmetroid

krd wrote: »

How about. If you want to do sound track, you put your music to film. That's the stuff you would send out to people.

There are two ways you can go about this. Approach film makers and ask their permission to apply your music to their work. Or, go ghetto, and jack some stuff, (that is appropriating material you neither have the explicit permission to use, at the same time, you have not been explicitly denied the use, or borrowing for use, of that material.)

That sounds like sound advice. Hm must have a think about what I would use. I'd probably end up filming something myself to be honest.

krd wrote: »

That's a common enough problem. Have you considered drugs and going to sex parties - mingling with strangers in one of the saunas in town. That is one way, as they say, of coming out of yourself.

ha I'd love to sounds fun.

krd

Mcjmetroid wrote: »

That sounds like sound advice. Hm must have a think about what I would use.

Listen to your music, while watching something with the sound turned down. Watch film, and listen to what's happening.

Experiment with video editing (Does anyone know this? Video editing software with a MIDI time line - easier to cut to beats than SMTPE)

The absolute golden rule is to work with what you've got.

I'd probably end up filming something myself to be honest.

And, while you're at it, to be honest, you're going to create a new musical scale. Knit it yourself out of muelsi.

Composition is about taking elements that already exist and recomposing them into something new. An artist may mix paints on their palette, but they weren't down in the factory extracting the pigments from whatever.

The most important element is the idea. Then the execution.

You can impress with both. And neither is mutually inclusive.

You know - take a trailer from a well know Romantic comedy and recut it as a horror.

Welease

Another option would be to contact some college's that have courses on movie making etc.. Some final year students might be interested in having music made available for their projects.

Might be a good way to build up a decent portfolio of short works to demonstrate your ability.

11811

I'd agree with the approaching film or TV students and asking to work with them. Big part of scoring is working with the director and realizing the vision for whatever you are working on.

For practicing cues and such there are loads of old out of copyright films out there you could easily get your hands on.

Also did you cover film music at all in your Music Tech course?

caesura

+1 On the approaching film students idea mentioned above. Students are always looking out for someone to score their films, even go around the various schools and put flyers up.

Could be great exposure as very occasionally final year films get shown on TV etc and if nothing else you might get an invite to final year screenings which means you'll get to see/*hear the film (*with your score) on the big screen. But the most important thing will be that you'll get to make connections and build up a portfolio and of course a filmmaker pushing his work which happens to have your work involved is one extra person exposing your work to the industry/other filmmakers.

Also if you're not a member of IMRO you should join...they have a fair few seminars (usually throughout the summer) with industry people from various fields from standard record/publishing to film/tv and even gaming these days along with already successful songwriters and composers discussing their own work and industry experiences. Usually there are listening and feedback sessions after the seminars.