# Some thoughts on newbs getting work from other composers/industry members



## mikebarry (Jun 13, 2012)

Having just gone through a few months where we've been dealing with a lot of different persons/intern's qualifications between the studio and cine and such I thought it would be wise to make a little list of positive things you can do to help yourself. Others please chirp in or ask or whatever.

- Most likely the greatest abilities you will need are: 

+ organization - I've scarcely met anyone in our fields who doesn't appreciate this. For example, spending the extra 10 minutes to make a google doc beautiful, taking it on your own to re-save the K libraries so they load faster - or search for updates etc..

+ reliability/motivation - being pro-active in helping without challenging your boss. If you are installing software make sure the discs go back to where they were, finding things to do if you find yourself without an important task that day.

+ General Vibe; perhaps this is most important. I always here jazzers speaking on this , its the whole package of attitude, confidence, submission, exciment and the like. It all needs to be neutral to slightly + ; it shouldn't be ++++ or -----, due to the nature of our business we will be working many hours in proximity to each other and this is perhaps the most important thing to having a successful career. I like to tell the young folks that we are not interested in buying anything you are selling until we form a working bond and take sincere nterest in your future wellbeing. This just takes time for human beings. [/list][/list]


- I am finding applicants from the Berklee program and the USC program generally have a leg up on the competition. For example Dan, our oldest employee, did a program through Berklee where he interned for a summer for Mike's friend - and through that connection it was very natural for him to come over to us. Even if you are past the level they teach at - the social network surrounding these programs might be worth an investment. Yes they are costly - but the social network/education might just be worth the money long term, even a loan.

-Take pride in your work/deliveries/applications. I swear you've won me over if you stem with a spreadsheet attached for the mixer, I'm your new best friend. If you throw labels on new hard drives that is great. If your Sibelius template is gorgeous I will hire you more. If your cover letter for an application, or your website, is well written, atypical and clear and interesting, and you show you have abilities of craftmanship you are subtly brainwashing us.

- The industry is very small - and aside from working on your skillset at hand recommendations and dependability are probably the most important asset to invest in. So quite often if you are tied with a candidate in terms of skills its your reputation that is going to get you the gig.


Anyway I will add more if I think of anything else, hope this helps some people. 


-Internships often pay dividends. I know we've hired at least three previous interns (non who were ours). It might suck to work for basically cost + experience but I've really seen this work out for many a folk.


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## midphase (Jun 13, 2012)

...and if you move this to the more appropriate Working in the Industry section, I will hire you myself!


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## Kralc (Jun 13, 2012)

Great tips. Just wondering, with the Berklee courses, do you mean actual college courses or these http://www.berkleemusic.com/ ?


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## mikebarry (Jun 13, 2012)

Wrong section by accident.

I mean the true Berklee course, not the online. For example one day we had an issue with VE Pro and (Dan?) literally took out his notebook from school and solved the issue by flipping to his VE notes.

A further thought - I got my first decent gig for Nickelodeon on a direct recommendation from an old professor when he was asked for someone to suggest. I think MIke had the same scenario. Is that not nearly worth the cost of admission? I think there is a sort of gentlemen's club camaraderie that I note from these two programs, as if by completing the same program as bond is formed and a helping hand is always around.


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## nikolas (Jun 14, 2012)

I moved the thread to the right forum!


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## Kralc (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks Mike, I just need to move to america now


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## Daryl (Jun 14, 2012)

I agree with everything you say, Mike. I started "training" my assistant 6 years ago, and even though at the moment he is working for another composer, he is returning back to me next year. =o 

FWIW, for those people thinking of becoming assistants to composers, in the hope that the composer will help them in their career, do your research. I know many assistants who have got nothing from their boss, other than a chance to write cues for them without ever making it onto the cue sheet themselves. And composers moan about being ripped off by the industry. :roll: 

D


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## mark812 (Jun 14, 2012)

Kralc @ Wed Jun 13 said:


> Great tips. Just wondering, with the Berklee courses, do you mean actual college courses or these http://www.berkleemusic.com/ ?



Those are great as well.


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## Hannes_F (Jun 14, 2012)

Most effective way for leading: by example.


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## Daryl (Jun 14, 2012)

Hannes_F @ Thu Jun 14 said:


> Most effective way for leading: by example.


I agree. Hence my assistant is now also a KPM writer. :wink: 

D


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## Casey Edwards (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I plan on moving out to LA now that I'm done with school and on top of that I've been coding and designing a website plus building up my portfolio with audio demos and such. I'm pretty stoked about moving and trying my hand at this career path. Recently a very generous composer from LA with some beefy credentials in feature film and TV called me and gave me advice and chatted with me about workflow and techy stuff. And this was just from me trying to get feedback by sending out emails with my most recent works, I didn't expect someone so generous to offer a phone call to someone they didn't even know! It was very humbling for sure. Most importantly to me, in the end he said he felt comfortable enough to pass on my name for future work given that we had a in-depth conversation about mockups and the level of my compositions and such. 

Most importantly and above all knowing people in the industry is how you will get work most of the time. Why go through a desk full of demo CD's when they already know a guy who knows a guy? So my goal is to just try and write the best music I can and reach out to as many people as I can with my work and hope for the best that it lands in the right/best hands for my career. There a lot of talented people out there and this forum proves that everyday. I love this community and all it has to offer and without it I would still be light-years behind on the tech side of things.

Thanks again for the info, Mike. Would you care to elaborate on stem printing and its relation to what a spreadsheet should look like?


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## EastWest Lurker (Jun 14, 2012)

The sad truth is that at least here in L.A. successful composers tend to be a narcissistic bunch and do not care to see their assistants as human beings, merely functionaries.

Not ALL, I must stress, but many.


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## passenger57 (Jun 17, 2012)

Daryl @ Thu Jun 14 said:


> FWIW, for those people thinking of becoming assistants to composers, in the hope that the composer will help them in their career, do your research. I know many assistants who have got nothing from their boss, other than a chance to write cues for them without ever making it onto the cue sheet themselves. And composers moan about being ripped off by the industry. :roll:
> D


I have a Berklee student interning for me right now. I show him how I work, setup my template. I gave him some cues to write in my movie so he can get some real world experience. I'm paying him for his work plus full 100% cuesheet credit and an additional music credit in the end credits. So see, we're not all a-holes out here! :D


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## midphase (Jun 17, 2012)

The biggest downside about having an intern is that you have to look like you're actually working all the time! No afternoon naps, no surfing FB for the latest memes, no BSing with your friends on the phone about how badly Prometheus sucked...


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## EastWest Lurker (Jun 17, 2012)

passenger57 @ Sun Jun 17 said:


> Daryl @ Thu Jun 14 said:
> 
> 
> > FWIW, for those people thinking of becoming assistants to composers, in the hope that the composer will help them in their career, do your research. I know many assistants who have got nothing from their boss, other than a chance to write cues for them without ever making it onto the cue sheet themselves. And composers moan about being ripped off by the industry. :roll:
> ...



Kudos to you passenger57. You are, as we say in Yiddish, a mensch.


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## Mike Marino (Jun 17, 2012)

Thanks for the insight here. This is very helpful to know for the future.

- Mike


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## Daryl (Jun 18, 2012)

passenger57 @ Sun Jun 17 said:


> Daryl @ Thu Jun 14 said:
> 
> 
> > FWIW, for those people thinking of becoming assistants to composers, in the hope that the composer will help them in their career, do your research. I know many assistants who have got nothing from their boss, other than a chance to write cues for them without ever making it onto the cue sheet themselves. And composers moan about being ripped off by the industry. :roll:
> ...


Quite right too. However, the fact that you actually have to say all this sort of proves my point that most people are not so honest as we are. :wink: 

D


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## Mike Greene (Jun 18, 2012)

midphase @ Sun Jun 17 said:


> The biggest downside about having an intern is that you have to look like you're actually working all the time! No afternoon naps, no surfing FB for the latest memes, no BSing with your friends on the phone about how badly Prometheus sucked...


 :mrgreen:


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## José Herring (Jun 18, 2012)

midphase @ Sun Jun 17 said:


> The biggest downside about having an intern is that you have to look like you're actually working all the time! No afternoon naps, no surfing FB for the latest memes, no BSing with your friends on the phone about how badly Prometheus sucked...



Add to that, you also have to look like you know what you're doing, and if you don't you have to make it look like they don't know what they're doing if something goes wrong in a session. What ever happens it's assistant/interns fault. :lol:


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## Kralc (Jun 18, 2012)

midphase @ Sun Jun 17 said:


> no surfing FB for the latest memes.



Facebook? For memes? Wha?


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