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Monkey Egg

November 3, 2009 in Uncategorized | No comments

Recently, a friend of mine from the local IGDA and Utah Indie Game Dev groups and I have started a game development “company,” if you will.  Our focus, right now, is to create portfolio pieces for us and everyone involved, which will get us more exposure in the future.

I can’t really tell you much more, because there’s not a whole lot out there, but I’ll get something up eventually.

In other news, financial troubles have shut off my internet at home, which has shown to be a problem on the composing front: Native Instruments’ products, which I rely on fairly heavily, check their registration every time you start them up via their Service Center… basically, without the internet at home, my products only show as unregistered, and aren’t working.  (If any of you know a solution to this, I’d love to know.)

So, my music, at least computer based, has taken a back seat to writing, which only requires a pencil and paper.

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Guerilla Marketing for Modern Composers: First Things First

July 31, 2009 in Film, Music, Sound Design, Video Games | No comments

Over the next few weeks, I plan on compiling my knowledge, both first and second hand, on (as the title suggests) guerilla / punk rock marketing for modern composers.  The information I’ll be given is freely available on the internet, but it’s either hard to find or adapted from other sources not intended for composers.

Also, this information can easily be adapted to any other field, creative or not, within reason, so please don’t feel like this is just for composers.

Finally, this series of entries will be updated as I do, and learn, more things.

So you fancy yourself a composer, huh? Or you want to be?  Awesome.  I’m not going to ask you why, or try to deter you in any way.  What I am going to tell you is it’s going to be hard. Movies are relying less and less on original music. it’s getting harder and harder to break into the video game industry, and as home recording is becoming more accessable, the independent music and sound category is getting saturated with people who want the same thing as you.  To write music.  So, it’s going to be hard.

Now, I can’t make you a better composer.  But I can show you where to start, and point you in the right direction.

Step 1: Establish an Online Presence

What, you expected some thing different? Maybe some thing that actually involves music?  Well, that’s coming, but as search engines base your ranking on the age of your site, the longer you’re online, the better.

  • Get your own domain. (Yes, that’s an acting blog, but the principals apply here.) You shouldn’t use MySpace, SoundClick, or any other social networking site as you only contact info.  Why? First off, not everyone has an account on those sites, and most of them require an account for contacting you. If you expect all of your potential clients to use MySpace to contact you, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.  Second, it’s unpforessional.  Think about this: which sounds more like I’m serious about my craft? “My website is MySpace.com/DaveMatney” or “My website is DaveMatney.Com“  Easy pick, and at less syllables and characters, it will flow off the tongue easier, and fit better on business cards and things like Twitter.  Also, my final thought on this is to pick something only you will have, like your name or a nickname you will ALWAYS use.  Once you set up this site, you should NEVER pull it down, as long as you’re trying to market yourself.
    • Build the best site you have access and ability to.  If you’re not comfortable with web design, graphic design, or photography, ask around; chances are, someone you know is and will be willing to help you for cheap or free.
  • Set up an email address with your new domain.  This is you business email. Use it for nothing else. Even if you have it redirect to GMail, hotmail, or something else, anyone that contacts you should send emails to, and recieve emails from, your business email.  Why?  Again, it just looks more professional.  Also, over the phone, explaining your email address is “Dave at Dave Matney dot com” is WAY easier than “Dave dot Matney dot UT at GMail dot com.” (the second email address doesn’t exist, but Dave.Matney@gmail does, and it isn’t me.)
  • Join every social networking site, and related internet forum, you come across.  Stick with a single username (I suggest the same one you used for your domain), link you own domain from them, and at least post a hello in the introduction threads.  Why?  Search Engine Optimization, first off. The more sites that link to your site, the higher you ranking.  Second, personal Search Engine Optimization.  What’s that?  Google Dave Matney.  At the time of this writing, all but two of those links were related to me. What does this do? When I introduce myself to someone, it becomes easier to find me.

Step 2: Prepare to Make Your Music Digital

Yeah, you’re right; this isn’t “write music,” either.  Why not?  One simple reason: people aren’t going to wait for you to “get ready.”  They’re going to want your music, and they’re going to want it immediately. They’re not going to wait for you to purchase software, hire musicians, record, digitize, and send it to them. In most situations, they’re not even going to pay you up front for your work; they’re going to expect you to have everything you need to make music for them, and get it to them.  That includes access to funds to print the score, hire and record an orchestra, if that’s the method you’re expecting to take.  For most of us, that’s not the kinda scratch we have laying around, so we’ve gotta figure something else out.

If you already have a system that works for you, then feel free to skip this step.  If you don’t, I’m not going to explain the absolute nitty gritty when other people already have. I am going to say that you don’t HAVE to write and record all of your music on a computer if you’re more comfortable with a piano, manuscript, and have access to a multi-track recorder.  Going that route may be easier or cheaper, given your experience and the amount of gear that you already have. But, if you’re totally new to this, start digital.

Also, whether it’s on a Mac or a PC doesn’t matter, anymore.  So stop arguing.

Step 3: Build Your Portfolio

This is the stage of the game I’m currently at.

Finally, you’re writing music!  So, what should you write?

Well, whether or not you’re planning to write music for role playing games, I don’t feel like it’s a stretch to say roleplaying games require the most musical versitilty. And, lucky for us, Patrick Gann, at RPGFan, has made a list of the types of music all RPGs have.

  • Overture (Opening)
  • Castle
  • Town
  • Field
  • Dungeon
  • Battle
  • Final Battle
  • March (Ending)

So, write that.

If you’re not the type to just write without a project, you’re not out of luck, you’re just out of easy options. Ask around for leads on independent films or video games that may need music, and check places like Craigslist, GameDev, and IndieGamer.  Contact them, offer to write music for them for free (explain you’re looking to build a portfolio), and hope.  You’ll send out far more emails than you’ll recieve replies, and you’ll recieve more replies saying they don’t want you to help them than you will people that are willing to accept a blind offer for free music (go figure).

This is the stage I suggest linking any and all previous band experience you have, if you have any.

A few things about building your portfolio:

  • The average person doesn’t hear beyond sound quality.  No matter how good your songs are, if they don’t sound good, people won’t think they are good.  Write the best quality music you can, using the best sounding microphones and VSTs you can afford (there are tons of great, free, VSTs that sound awesome, even if they’re somewhat limited.  I personally recommend Native Instruments’ Kore Player and Compilation Vol. 1.)
  • At this stage, never ask someone to pay you for your work. They’re doing you a favor, not the other way around.  In fact, offering to people to write music for them forever, for cheap or free, if they give you this one chance isn’t a bad negotiation tool. But, if they offer money, don’t turn them down.
  • Be appreciative.  No one owes you anything, so treat everyone fairly.  Be honest and up front about your skills, how fast you work, and your limitations. You’re not trying to sell anything, you’re just trying to build a portfolio and a reputation.
  • Ask for testimonies about working with you, and the quality of you work; it will give your website and portfolio credibility.

In closing, I hope this helps.  If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact me or leave a comment.

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Recommended Readings: Related Links from Around the Web (Finances and Freelance Ed.)

July 29, 2009 in Uncategorized, Weekly Links, Writing | No comments

Sorry for posting these so late. As for my weekly non-music update, with how busy I was over the weekend, I don’t have much to report.

Today’s links focus more on finances and freelancing than music, sound, or game design. Why? Because I think that most people starting in these fields don’t consider themselves freelancers, or don’t know where to look. In the future, watch for blogs, from me and probably others, based entirely on this idea.

Also, there’s a bit on writing; I would love to be a writer, and one day I may just do some writing other than what’s required for game design, but the reason I’m posting these links is because I feel they offer good advice for anyone within creative fields.

Expect future Weekly Weblinks to feature more on freelancing and business as well.

Also, I have a folder full of links for upcoming Recommended Readings, but I try to limit these (10 links today, and it feels right). If you want or need more information, don’t
hesitate to ask in the comments.

Game Design

  • Make Your Own Games. Tadhg Kelly compares gaming companies, both independent and corporate, and compares them to bands and orchestras. I feel this is a great article, but it misses the idea of jazz bands, and small just-for-fun classical ensembles, where they’re still driven by discipline and often have sheet music and such, but still have the chaotic and crazy that garage bands have. I feel his comparison should go as follows: bands are hobbiest programmers, jazz bands are the independent gaming studios (following just enough of the rules and midsets to make it work, but still taking risks without a safety net). (@ Gamasutra)
  • The Fatal Flaws of Flash Game Design. This article, by Erin Bell, is a grab bag of good game design (obviously) and freelance (not so obviously) tips for anyone starting out. (@ Gamasutra)

Business Related

Freelancing

Writing

  • Write When You Think You Can’t. When I first read this article, I thought it was ways for breaking writers block, which it obviously is. But then I reread it and noticed, at the
    top of the page, that it’s more about writing when you’ve never written before, and how to start. Good for anyone doing, or who wants to do, creative work. (@ Dumb Little Man)
  • Accept What Is – Don’t Judge as Good or Bad. I wish I’d read this yesterday. On Monday night, when Brandon and I were trying to speed-write a
    song, I wanted to give up because the piece wasn’t perfect. Then we laid it over the video, and it was everything we were hoping for. Often times, we’re shooting for something better than we need, and we let it bring us down, when really all we need to do is accept it. (@ ZenHabits)

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The Road So Far

July 6, 2009 in Game Design, Music, Sound Design, Writing | No comments

Ah, first entry. Unless you’re one of my personal friends, or find me incredibly interesting –assuming I’ve written more than just these few words– I’m honestly surprised you’ve stumbled across this page. It’s not that I find myself boring, but as the unspoken rules of the blogosphere go, reading the first few posts of a new blog is about as taboo as wearing nothing but a pink corset to a business meeting. (It flies in some circles, but most it’s just unheard of.)

So, how did I get here? Passing all the nitty gritty that gets us all here (it’s not that kinda blog!), my story sounds pretty similar to just about every other non-prodigy musician’s, writer’s, designer’s, or composer’s story. I started at a particularly young age, producing absolute drivel, but I have a supportive family that felt lying to me was a good idea. They said “I love it!” and told me to keep it up, and I did.

Piano lessons, public school band classes, Dungeons and Dragons with friends, an overactive imagination, various jobs to pay the bills, various bands to build my musical arsenal… I didn’t write much, not traditional writing anyway; that was my brother’s area. For those of you without siblings, that means I never considered writing as an option, but that didn’t mean the ideas never came, only that I never learned to polish them.

I started writing music for short films, church projects, and that lead me to sites like indiegamer.com, which lead me to PARPG.net, a project that I’m currently working on. I signed on to write music, and when the other composers started moving in, each with more experience, I opted to move into sound design. Being so early in the design process, and hanging out in the forums, I started contributing story ideas, with people taking note and seeming to enjoy what I was putting out.

I began reading game design blogs, hoping to find some direction I could move in PARPG, and I came to realize that all of my D&D games and overactive imagination were priming me for this.

This blog will serve as a progress report for everything I’m learning, and doing, concerning music, sound, writing, and design.

Here’s to moving forward.

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