# What could i do better to get more jobs?!



## MrLinckus (Apr 10, 2013)

I know i know ... this is just another "wining" thread  if you don't mind click that (x) or back button _-) _-) _-) 

Seriously ... i have extremly issues in getting a job as a composer wich is paid as it should... i mean i've done a lot of shit in the last years, wrote very shitty music ... 
But there comes the time when i got into myself and tried to be better ... i don't know if i've surpassed this but when i'm trying to get a job mostly there is no reaction ...

I know a bunch of guys who told me my stuff is really good, but i'm very critic about it now ... i see that there is no job in the pipeline for now ... i have to pay my bills and this all stresses me extremly ... because i hate to have that pressure in the back...

What can i do better to get attention? I've tried a lot of things but i'm simply not good in self marketing ... i am just a silly guy who wants to write music, to discover my innest musical soul ... 

I got in a pitch for a RTL (German television) "Blockbuster" a very friendly guy gave me the chance to write a cue for a 4mins Scene ... but the problem was ... no time ... i had to write 4mins in 18 hours! ... I was the latest guy who came to that pitch and that friendy music supervisor holded the producer down for just that 18 hours ...

fact... i didn't get the job ... i've tried what i can ... sat 4 hours to watch the scene and trying to get ideas for it ... but all what i got to hear was : "that was nothing, wasn't it?" ... does fucking everybody thinks that music comes out in 5mins?! ... 

I'm usually not that guy who's talking much or who's crying for help ... but now is the time to find the reasons why i'm not getting any (paid) jobs...

o=<


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## Christof (Apr 10, 2013)

Hi there, I understand what you mean.
Most of your questions can be answered in this big thread:

http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29524

Christof


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## MrLinckus (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks Chris,

yes i've read some of that posts. I'll take the time an crouch me to that 100 posts :D


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## Markus S (Apr 10, 2013)

Florian, you shouldn't take it personally.

First these are hard times for everybody. The market is getting though and very rough.

Secondly, you lost a pitch, that really is a very common thing : 10 composers on the pitch, 9 loose it. There is a huge random factor to winning a pitch, and mostly you cannot influence the decision makers behind the scene, so just do your best. Focus on the positive side : some thought you'd be a great guy to do the job, this is awesome. 

Thirdly : Self marketing is extremely hard for most creative people. You are supposed to be able to stay locked up in a room and juggle with notes for weeks, and then get out, sell yourself be a marketing king and so on, it is quite opposite demand. You are not alone with this.

I do not know how you could self market yourself in a successful way, but these are thoughts to make you feel better about it.

Try to look for some safe income that lets you sleep at night and be a better creative person, because you are not trying so hard to please random people.


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## Dean (Apr 10, 2013)

MrLinckus @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> fact... i didn't get the job ... i've tried what i can ... sat 4 hours to watch the scene and trying to get ideas for it ... but all what i got to hear was : "that was nothing, wasn't it?" ... does [email protected]#king everybody thinks that music comes out in 5mins?! ...
> 
> I'm usually not that guy who's talking much or who's crying for help ... but now is the time to find the reasons why i'm not getting any (paid) jobs...
> 
> o=<



I checked your site and you have some very good credits and you're a very good composer so dont worry,however i think you could try more hybrid style cues with really strong themes or sound/tone.
A few thoughts/suggestions,..
Find an agent or someone who will network.publicise you for a deferred fee or percentage.
Any sound designers that you can team up with to offer music and sound design deals?
Compose and submit trailer style cues to trailer houses.
Compose more modern hybrid cues
Try to create your own sound,style
Create database of production companies and contact them with showreel
Create Youtube channel and publicise and try sell some hybrid music on itunes/Amazon?(not for money but exposure)
Are you composing with your true voice and to the very best of your abillities at all times?
What do you have to offer thats better than the rest?
Theres Facebook,Twitter,Tumbler etc (but I never use it myself,too lazy)
personally Ive never had any paying work come from forums,websites or any freebie projects,never,ever.dont waste your time.
Only work for free if you really need the credit/experience nothing else ever comes of this in my experience. D


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## germancomponist (Apr 10, 2013)

Dean @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> Theres Facebook,Twitter,Tumbler etc (but I never use it myself,too lazy)
> personally Ive never had any paying work come from forums,websites or any freebie projects,never,ever.dont waste your time.
> Only work for free if you really need the credit/experience nothing else ever comes of this in my experience. D


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## MrLinckus (Apr 10, 2013)

Dean @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> MrLinckus @ Wed Apr 10 said:
> 
> 
> > fact... i didn't get the job ... i've tried what i can ... sat 4 hours to watch the scene and trying to get ideas for it ... but all what i got to hear was : "that was nothing, wasn't it?" ... does [email protected]#king everybody thinks that music comes out in 5mins?! ...
> ...



Thank you for the kind words D!

I can do compose hybrid, will do it for the "Destruction of Silence" but its a short, no money on it... but a great project... and i have the chance to experiment with sound creating completly new styles thats what we want to do... but without money trying is very limited.

That tip with the sound designer is rare good! 

I don't want to write Trailer-Cues ... i can't do it ... i need a story to tell ... otherwise i'm feeling not to get out my best ... Proll Out did got nearly my best i can give at the moment even its not hybrid and mainly classical ... its has strong themes etc... 
But i think you know what i want to tell with that lines ... there are guys who can produce one after one trailer cue in high quality ... i tell you man ... i can't ... i tried but thats not what i want ... nearly everybody does that stuff right know (sometimes better sometimes not) ... the market is full with it.

I'd done creating databases contactet nearly a hundred personally ... 3 answered.
Youtube etc in on... i've release the "Proll Out" Score ... it got on amazon.de rank 14 on the best selling scores the first 2 days ... was a great surprise ... a little indie film score was next to shore's hobbit ... that was a great feeling but realistic i think ... they don't sell much score mp3 albums per day...

Facebook helped me promote that release a lot...


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## Greg (Apr 10, 2013)

Have a look at the Oblivion soundtrack. Very modern / trailer-esque hybrid cues that still tell a story! 

Are you living in LA? That would probably be the biggest step you can make to start scoring more jobs. 

Oh and working on getting a few trailer placements isn't such a bad idea. Even if you don't enjoy the music, having those big movie credits on your website, ect is undeniably badass! 

Best of luck!


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## doctornine (Apr 10, 2013)

*but the problem was ... no time ... i had to write 4mins in 18 hours! ... I was the latest guy who came to that pitch and that friendy music supervisor holded the producer down for just that 18 hours ... *


I'm trying to be nasty, but honestly - you couldn't write a 4 minute cue in 18 hours ????

I've had much shorter turn arounds than that. I'm sure a lot of other people have.

Bottom line is, if you can't work under those conditions, there are other people that will do that job. I hate to say it, but you don't get a lot of second chances in this game.


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## MrLinckus (Apr 10, 2013)

Sure i've done it ... there where days i had to write 30mins in 5 Days ... and i've passed it 

But under that pressure i'm sure you can not give the best you have, thats what i meant...

The piece what i've composed:
https://soundcloud.com/florian-linckus/the-gathering


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## Dean (Apr 10, 2013)

Hey,

You said,...
'I cant do it',...'I dont want to do it'...'18 hours to do 4 mins is not enough'..everyone expects music in 5 minutes,..'Proll Out score is the best I can give at the moment',..'I need a story to tell'...'under that pressure i'm sure you can not give the best you have'
Then you said,..'now is the time to find the reasons why i'm not getting any (paid) jobs',..I think you already stated a few reasons above?

A composers job is always about working under pressure,..always!..If you dont work well under pressure this is not the right gig for you.

re composing trailer cues:you say you cant do it,but you could if you practice and learn the craft,Its a mistake not to want to,..I did'nt want to compose for animation,but I did and eventually this led to bigger projects and clients,an agent,and scoring trailers for LA clients.

Yes,theres lots of trailer cues out there but theres infinitely more average tv/film scores out there too that all sound the same,(that watered down Thomas Newman style is everywhere!)Also trailer cues are usually listened to by music supervisors/editors/ producers for some of the biggest movie projects,thats another great way to get heard by the right people if you can manage to make yourself standout from the pack. ps:Im not trying to be mean,.just honest. 

edit:I just listened to your track,the orchestra,tone and mix sounds really great but I think your synth work is a little weak and dated and needs alot more work. D


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## gsilbers (Apr 10, 2013)

MrLinckus @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> I know i know ... this is just another "wining" thread  if you don't mind click that (x) or back button _-) _-) _-)
> 
> Seriously ... i have extremly issues in getting a job as a composer wich is paid as it should... i mean i've done a lot of [email protected]#t in the last years, wrote very shitty music ...
> But there comes the time when i got into myself and tried to be better ... i don't know if i've surpassed this but when i'm trying to get a job mostly there is no reaction ...
> ...



yep thats the perils of being a freelancer in the entertainment biz. 

maybe a part time job on somehting u dont hate?

to get more ocmposing jobs is like you did. get a bone here or there. poeple listen but didnt work out. then they might like somehting similar for another project. 

or just hang out with more video editors, directors etc. 

have looked into music production libraries? 

random royalties might get u some type of income. 


but sadly there isnt that many jobs at all and too many good composers with very good sample libraries and good recording equipment.


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## MrLinckus (Apr 10, 2013)

Dean @ Wed Apr 10 said:


> Hey,
> 
> You said,...
> 'I cant do it',...'I dont want to do it'...'18 hours to do 4 mins is not enough'..everyone expects music in 5 minutes,..'Proll Out score is the best I can give at the moment',..'I need a story to tell'...'under that pressure i'm sure you can not give the best you have'
> ...



You misunderstood something here. I've never wrote i can't do that 4 mins ... i've wrote i can't write trailermusic (yes i done that already ... foresight X as example or for the Proll Out Trailers). I simply don't liked it ... and i felt thats not what i want.
I know i can't choose in my position because i have to find ways to get a bigger audience and more attention.

But there are to many guys around who are writing extreme good trailer music ... 

I can compose free without any projects i did composed some classical stuff a while ago etc ... I'll try the "trailer way" but i know ... thats not my passion.
There will be a Concert in June wich performes Brass Orchestra music i've wrote last year...


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## MrLinckus (Apr 26, 2013)

A little Update:

Things are going slightly better now! 

Also finally "The Insider" (a german TV Show) will broadcastet in May on Sat 1 Gold.
I scored this show 2 years ago and it was till now unknown if its getting a broadcast, but now!

An slightly absolution for the bad budget i had for creating the music: GEMA :D


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## Greg (Apr 26, 2013)

MrLinckus @ Fri Apr 26 said:


> A little Update:
> 
> Things are going slightly better now!
> 
> ...



Glad to hear it!! Keep it up! Getting new gigs keeps the inspiration flowing doesn't it?


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## MrLinckus (Apr 27, 2013)

Yeah! It does ... but the work begins just next month,... nothing big :D

But i really don't want to do trailer or library music ... so ... i have to show strength and getting over that bad phases ... for all bad phases will come better later ...

If you find stones in your way of life ... just jump over it...


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