# What are your goals...



## kid-surf (Sep 1, 2008)

...this year, or over all? Where are you trying to get to ultimately with this?

And/or...

What are you working on currently?

And/or...

Any exciting/interesting side projects and so forth?





Everyone seems so secretive about what they're up to. Don't have to name names, I'm just curious the type of projects people are working on and so forth. Doesn't seem like it's discussed much here. I find it interesting, more interesting than what samples someone is using, or not.


Why do I get the feeling that nobody will touch these questions... :lol:


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## kid-surf (Sep 1, 2008)

Oh... I just realized.

This question may seem like it's coming out of the thin air, probably less so if you have kids going back-to-school tomorrow. It's back-to-school for the industry starting tomorrow (Tuesday) as well ---- Thus, the reason it's on my mind.


Start of the new school year, so to speak.


Ok... NOW... we can properly ignore the question. :lol:


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## dkristian (Sep 1, 2008)

I want to get away from scoring films, move on to TV and games (or even just pure synthesis and sound design). It seems these days most film gigs involve imitating orchestral scores.

I'm not saying orchestral sounds don't have their place in film scoring, but even the best sample libraries pale in comparison to the real thing in terms of expression.

I would rather come up with the perfect sound for a musical phrase rather than trying to make a musical phrase work with the wrong sound, i.e. strings and brass when an original synth patch would better suit the mood.

Ultimately, the best situation would be to have six months to score something as opposed to a few weeks, and be able to work with a real orchestra augmented with original synth sounds rather than spend all my time tying legato phrasing in piano roll.

I'm looking forward to finishing the soundbank I've been commissioned to create for Applied Acoustics Systems String Studio, and I'm also looking forward to a bit of downtime so I can delve deeper into Zebra2, Vertigo, Tassman, and Absynth.


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## midphase (Sep 1, 2008)

"...this year, or over all? Where are you trying to get to ultimately with this?"

I'm trying to get to the point where I can turn down work...work which I don't consider worthy of my time.

"What are you working on currently?"

This week is the score for a 10 minute 3D CGI animation to be used by the producers to secure financing for the full feature. It's big orchestral stuff, lots of fun!

"Any exciting/interesting side projects and so forth?"

A remix album on which I worked on (did a 10 minute ambient electronica remix track) is about to be released. Bob Katz is mastering it right now (for anyone who knows who he is) and it should be out in about a month or so.

The other side thing I have going right now is that I'm co-producer on a feature film, we're starting to shoot at the end of Sept. but we might need to push it back if one of the actors that we want actually says yes (which means we'd have to wait another month until he finishes his current commitment). It's fun to wear a different hat...fun to talk about whether we need music or not on the film (right now leaning towards a very very sparse score). 

My end goal is to stop working on crap, I just want to keep moving on good solid films, with good actors, good stories, that's my goal!


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## redleicester (Sep 2, 2008)

Two computer games
Two films
Couple of ongoing tv projects
Continual articles
Attempting to get some sleep
Negotiating with new publisher/agent

Where do I want to be? Hollywood baby....


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## synthetic (Sep 2, 2008)

Great idea. 

I want to score something that will air on a cable network this year. Seems like an attainable goal.


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## CFDG (Sep 2, 2008)

The ultimate goal these days is to finish my house - a year ago my pride and I decided to repair it all by ourselves. What the frak was I thinking. I am now officially a mason plumber carpenter composer, my body evolved into a pain factory and I feel I should join a speed metal band to keep me from falling asleep writing what I usually like to write. Strange fact : having music business appointments with plaster-covered hands helps your artistic credibility, I haven't figured why yet.

Christian


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## Brian Ralston (Sep 2, 2008)

About 4 to 5 feature films...some are not concrete yet or will not let me talk about them in detail. :| Kind of frustrating when stuff I am just starting to do now will probably not be seen for a couple years. C'est la vie. :wink:


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## CFDG (Sep 2, 2008)

Please don't say "concrete" anymore. :mrgreen:


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## redleicester (Sep 2, 2008)

Plaster?

Tiling?

Pipework?


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Sep 2, 2008)

I'm currently working on a soundtrack for a doc that looks at the crew's responsibility in the Titanic disaster. Fun project, cool director. It will air in the UK on Channel 4 and Discovery in the rest of the world; doing music and sfx for my first casual game (all about cooking. You think Aliens and Assasins are challenging? Try cooking with a mouse); watching horror film for ideas for Rise of the Gargoyle, a Sci-Fi channel MOW soundtrack I'm starting at the end of the month. Finally, my new dvd-audio is coming out this Fall, featuring the usual electroacoustic madness.

Goals? To have enough game work on the side so I don't have to suffer so much when the film/tv works dries up (like it did for many months earlier this year); To become more comfortable with writing inner harmonies/voices; To stay healthy and learn Kamasutra move #97. As for the long run, if I can still be doing this in 20 years (making a living composing), I'll be ecstatic.

Great thread, Kid!


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## Jaap (Sep 2, 2008)

My goals for this year are to be able to work full time in the game music and sound design and in particullar I am trying to get established in the serious game industry in the Netherlands. For an odd reason it is hard to find work here in the Netherlands and all my jobs are abroad and really focussing on trying to get more work here.

Currently I am working on 2 indie films and 2 casual games.

Exciting side project I am working on is the second part of a multimedia production about the Divine Comedy. I am working now on the Purgatoria and the Inferno had it's succesfull premiere a few years ago. The Inferno was a production with over 150 people working on it (still recovering from the stress >8o ), but I am planning now to make it a bit smaller. At the moment I have a few options to have it staged at some festivals in the spring/summer of 2010.
I have planned the third part for the summer of 2012 and then I would likely try to setup a contract with a festival to get all the three parts performed in a 3 night setting.


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## kid-surf (Sep 2, 2008)

Cool stuff guys! o-[][]-o 


Thanks for taking the time...


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## Robobino (Sep 2, 2008)

Come on, I can't be the only one on this forum who doesn't earn a living making music?...

I'm a graphic artist who has been working in the film industry for twenty-two years (I'm now 44)... Doing mainly storyboard work and location design for 2D animated series. A few feature films also... I've started playing drums when I was 16, and then I got a Yamaha DX7IIFD-E! at age 25... 

Right now, I'm doing all the designs (concept art) for the game "Guitar Hero 5" (I know, version 4 is not even out yet, but these things take a lot of time to complete!)... This is my first experience with games, and I'm enjoying every minute of it!... They give me total freedom, and I find it very rewarding!... Activision liked my stuff so much that my contract was extended : at first, I was supposed to design only the scenes, but now I'm also designing the characters, and you should see the female guitarists!!... The one I just did today for a London concert looks soooooooo hot and classy!...

My goals as a composer?... I'd like to finally put my "Svaldina" project online before the end of the year... It's a concept album, and I've been working on it part time since the spring of 2001... At first I didn't know what to do with it. I was thinking about doing a CD, but it would have been a big investment just to sell ten copies... An Internet release seemed more appropriate, for you reach a lot more people, and since the music is free, the listeners can't complaint about the price...

But unfortunatelly, I'm a very busy guy, and I don't get the chance to invest much time into my music... Most of the Svaldina project has been done with an old Dell Pentium 4 with 1 gig of RAM... Half of the sounds are sound modules, the other half are old AKAI libraries played with HALion... 

Here's the home page, in testing version...

http://www.svaldina.com/tests/index.html 

The rollovers work, but clicking on the links will bring you nowhere...

So I'm working on the pages right now, and as I said, I hope the site will be online before the end of the year... It's in french (I'm from Quebec), but the english version should follow two or three months later...

After I'm done with the Svaldina project, I'd like to start working on a rock opera... I'm tired of that LOTR thing, and I'd like to do my own "Operation Mindcrime" rock epic... It will be in the vain of bands such as Savatage, Therion, Ayreon, Avantasia, and I can't wait to dive into that... I will probably buy a drum controller to play the drums myself (I'm a former drummer)...


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## Waywyn (Sep 3, 2008)

One of the biggest wish or goal already came true. I am able to live from doing something which was my greatest hobby!

My next goal would be to get more experience, continue learning and improving, work with other composers or e.g. at Remote Control etc. and head over to LA to enjoy more sun than in Hamburg :D


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## hbuus (Sep 3, 2008)

My goal as a hobby musician is to finally try and find enough energy to really start getting into the Sonivox library, which I bought a couple of years ago. I love the sound of it. Also I would like to work more on my singing technique.


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## Elfen (Sep 3, 2008)

Mine is to keep finding new ways to make good music, while doing a serie this fall. Another one is keeping a budget in line. Easier said than done as I so want *this* and t*his* and *this* and... oh yeah maybe *this *too! :shock:


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## Jackull (Sep 3, 2008)

Good Thread...

Overall - To meet new contacts either producer, director, fellow composer, hobbyist, investor, developer & more people in the industry as you'll never know that big moment. Oh be able to finish the EiS book course which was on halt for a while now :(

Current - getting more familiar with PD, not public domain but pure data.

Side - planning to build a recording studio in the south.

No Secret here - 


- J


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## Waywyn (Sep 3, 2008)

Jackull @ Wed Sep 03 said:


> Oh be able to finish the EiS book course which was on halt for a while now :(



Oh right, there was something


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## Ed (Sep 3, 2008)

kid-surf @ Mon Sep 01 said:


> ...this year, or over all? Where are you trying to get to ultimately with this?



THIS year? The year is almost over! Im almost 25 and dead! IM TOO YOUNG TO DIE!!



> And/or...
> 
> What are you working on currently?



Im working on tracks with a big trailer company, that I actually think I will get somewhere with this year. Exciting stuff for me. Might be able to finally not have to do real jobs. 



> And/or...
> 
> Any exciting/interesting side projects and so forth?



Im moving out! And to London!! YEYEYEYEYE, scary... as I have a grand and a half (£) in debts as it is. The sample obsessionist in me says I need Sympobia so I can write better tracks and get more money. hahaha. trying to justfify buying more stuff.


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## Scott Cairns (Sep 3, 2008)

kid-surf @ Tue Sep 02 said:


> ...this year, or over all? Where are you trying to get to ultimately with this?


 Great thread Kid! This is a challenging time for me, Im trying to transition from being a composer/sound-designer/voice over director (all my game audio duties) to being a songwriter.





kid-surf @ Tue Sep 02 said:


> What are you working on currently?


 Songs! Im demoing my own material, paying singers and instrumentalists when needed.





kid-surf @ Tue Sep 02 said:


> Any exciting/interesting side projects and so forth?


 Nothing exciting, still doing game audio on the side, and trying to leave as much time as possible to write and produce my own music.






kid-surf @ Tue Sep 02 said:


> Everyone seems so secretive about what they're up to. Don't have to name names, I'm just curious the type of projects people are working on and so forth. Doesn't seem like it's discussed much here. I find it interesting, more interesting than what samples someone is using, or not.


 I think this is a great thread. I havent shared any songs yet as - 1) theyre not ready and - 2) Songs are highly subjective in terms of what people like. Im unashamedly writing commercial material as I want to make a living from this and feed my children. 8)


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## david robinson (Sep 4, 2008)

hi,
i am currently working on two CD projects, featuring vocalists working with my compositions.
also, i am negotiating release of my own CDs through a small record company here, and i'm already selling on CDBaby and iTunes.

goals?

to keep writing, and releasing.
to attempt to improve the quality, musically and sonically, of my recordings.
DR9.


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## Lunatique (Sep 5, 2008)

I'm currently trying to finish the construction on our new home (which contains my new studio on the 2nd floor). Having my own "proper" studio with all the soundproofing and acoustic treatment has always been a dream of mine, and hopefully we'll done in about another month or two.

At this point in my life, I don't have a whole lot of interest in making money with my creativity, and prefer to just let our business investments be our sole income. I'd much prefer to simply enjoy creating for the sake of creating--not for clients, not for money, not for the ego, not for fame. 

So basically from this point on, everything I do (art, music, writing, photography...etc) will be for my own enjoyment. If I want to publish any of it, I will, but otherwise I'll just share them with the world for free. If others want to hire me to work on something, I'll only do it if I know I'll enjoy the process (or if the money is too damn good to pass).

Musically, I'm currently doing a lot of sound design (synthesis), and I plan to just concentrate on my personal stuff--maybe release some tracks online and a CD or two. I'm also considering producing others as well--something in the popular music arena, but not the really shallow and mindless crap.

I also plan on following a more strict training schedule--I'd like to advance my guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard performance skills. I'd also like to strengthen my sight-reading and composition/orchestral chops overall.



Robobino @ Tue Sep 02 said:


> Come on, I can't be the only one on this forum who doesn't earn a living making music?...
> 
> I'm a graphic artist who has been working in the film industry for twenty-two years (I'm now 44)... Doing mainly storyboard work and location design for 2D animated series. A few feature films also... I've started playing drums when I was 16, and then I got a Yamaha DX7IIFD-E! at age 25...
> 
> Right now, I'm doing all the designs (concept art) for the game "Guitar Hero 5"



Hey, we got another artist here! 

I had just quit my job as a studio art director for a video game company a few months ago. I did comic books for 8 years, then video games, then CG animation, and also film and TV. Throughout the years I'd moonlight in music, writing songs for record companies, playing in bands, and recently gotten into scoring for games and film.


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## Scott Cairns (Sep 5, 2008)

kid-surf @ Sat Sep 06 said:


> Cool stuff guys!
> 
> Far as you all who are doing "song" oriented material: I hope you can post it at some point. Would be cool to hear your POV in that regard.
> 
> Question: Are you guys using any orchestral elements? :D Or, you going for a clean break?



Ill post some demo's in the future, as mentioned though, its very commercial stuff.

I actually do use some orchestral elements here and there, its nice to have the knowledge Ive acquired writing orchestral. Its also nice to be able to make use of the expensive libs I have!

Its also really cool to be using these sample libs in totally new ways.


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## kid-surf (Sep 6, 2008)

Cool. Good luck w/that Scott! I don't mind commercial music. If it's good, it's good. :D


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## billval3 (Sep 6, 2008)

kid-surf @ Mon Sep 01 said:


> Oh... I just realized.
> 
> This question may seem like it's coming out of the thin air, probably less so if you have kids going back-to-school tomorrow. It's back-to-school for the industry starting tomorrow (Tuesday) as well ---- Thus, the reason it's on my mind.
> 
> ...



Your train of thought makes perfect sense to me as I am a music teacher. I think of September as the beginning of a new year!  

My biggest goal this year is to just write, write, write. I'm more concerned with gaining knowledge and experience right now then trying to work as a composer.


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## wonshu (Sep 6, 2008)

I plan on releasing my cinematic soundbank for Zebra2.

I want to get a little further in the pitches this year for commercials or preferably do the music for a campaign.

Maybe get my first 60 minute TV film.

And I want to go see the Glen Hansard show in November here in Berlin.


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## StrangeCat (Sep 6, 2008)

To date even more beautiful women. Oh wait you guyz mean music huh. hmm 
Ok let's see. To many to much.
get a jazz piece played at my friends studio
Work with his company for films(Poor guy and the Hurricanes in the Bahamas!(IKE is coming to his second studio!) \
PR a Japanese cd coming out.
Get this Classical Piano CD recorded
Finish this Electronic Experimental CD for next year.
Finish all the projects I am doing now by End of October.
Get SoundToys VST fx when they come out! I mean it's been a year or more!
Ultimately do a A full JPOP Alblum some day. <----(That's my GOAL)
Maybe compose music for japanese anime. yea probably(That's my Dream!)
(a lot of music is pretty much getting Cliche' and crappy as BGM)

Date even more beautiful women read (Magic Bullets)


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## jc5 (Sep 6, 2008)

Lunatique @ Fri Sep 05 said:


> At this point in my life, I don't have a whole lot of interest in making money with my creativity, and prefer to just let our business investments be our sole income. I'd much prefer to simply enjoy creating for the sake of creating--not for clients, not for money, not for the ego, not for fame.
> 
> So basically from this point on, everything I do (art, music, writing, photography...etc) will be for my own enjoyment. If I want to publish any of it, I will, but otherwise I'll just share them with the world for free. If others want to hire me to work on something, I'll only do it if I know I'll enjoy the process (or if the money is too damn good to pass).



I believe congratulations are in order for this - you've reached a place many want to be Lunatique. Enjoy the freedom, and let it carry what you do to where you have always wanted it to be. o-[][]-o 


To be on topic:
As for myself.. I'm polishing up and revising some works that have been sitting 'on the shelf' so to speak for far too long... after which the arduous process of gathering the resources to get them recorded.


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## StrangeCat (Sep 6, 2008)

Crap I forgot something! 
I would really like to write the music no Take over completely the music
for a CGI SciFi Short film. I guess I should hang out on CGI society forums or something for that. ever see the short film I believe it was DollFace? It's amazing the music is total basic for it whatever. But the film is just awesome!
I pretty sure I found it on twitchfilms.net once lastyear? 
so yea there is one of my Goals I forget 
see ya Gents and Ladies.


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## Lunatique (Sep 7, 2008)

jc5 @ Sat Sep 06 said:


> I believe congratulations are in order for this - you've reached a place many want to be Lunatique. Enjoy the freedom, and let it carry what you do to where you have always wanted it to be. o-[][]-o



This will only be possible if our investments do not tank, and any business expansions will not require I jump back into the fray to generate more investing capital. Currently there's already danger of me having to take on some gigs for the next year or so just to make sure if something goes wrong with our investments we'd still have some extra cash laying around (we've invested ALL of our money and are living off of them solely right now). 



StrangeCat @ Sat Sep 06 said:


> Crap I forgot something!
> I would really like to write the music no Take over completely the music
> for a CGI SciFi Short film. I guess I should hang out on CGI society forums or something for that. ever see the short film I believe it was DollFace? It's amazing the music is total basic for it whatever. But the film is just awesome!
> I pretty sure I found it on twitchfilms.net once lastyear?
> ...



This is very easy. Just go introduce yourself at cgtalk.com, the largest CGI community on the planet. There's a composer that does music to the artworks made by the members there and he just had an article written about him recently:
http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=4612 (http://features.cgsociety.org/story_cus ... ry_id=4612)


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## Christian Marcussen (Sep 7, 2008)

I'm just starting work on a new game. Its high-profile and the kind of music they want is ambitious, mature and ballsey (in the "it takes guts to brand a game like that" kind of way). So I'm really enjoying it and wan't it to be really, really good - that is my music goal right now. 

I want to get better at what I do. 

Then I have some debt that I wan't to pay off later this year. Add to that I want to start buying some nice furniture for the house we bought some years back. It still pretty much looks the same as it did two years ago with the same old cheap furniture. We had a son at the same time, and haven't really made the house a priority. I hope to change that.


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## StrangeCat (Sep 7, 2008)

This is very easy. Just go introduce yourself at cgtalk.com, the largest CGI community on the planet. There's a composer that does music to the artworks made by the members there and he just had an article written about him recently:
http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=4612 (http://features.cgsociety.org/story_cus ... ry_id=4612)[/quote]

Then I'll have to check it out in October sometime. Thanks.


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## Lunatique (Sep 9, 2008)

Hannes_F @ Tue Sep 09 said:


> Now for the present time ... my latest pet is ... DJing. Don't laugh.
> 
> I think I even talked about this in this forum: http://vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6932
> 
> ...



That's awesome! Expanding one's musical range is always a beautiful and exciting thing. 

Most classically trained guys turn their noses up at modern popular music, and then when they are asked to write such music they end up falling on their faces, with results that fans of said genres would find hilarious and pitiful. Not as easy as it seems, eh, Mr. Powder Wig?  I remember this big thread I started a while back on NSS, where a bunch of guys there seemed offended by the idea that today's composers should be familiar with as many musical styles as possible in order to be more rounded. That thread was a real eye-opener, showing just how narrow-minded many composers are. OTOH, the popular music guys tend to turn their noses up at more "serious" music too, thinking they are too cool to do that "stuffy classical and jazz crap." It's precisely because of this that versatile composers like Sakamoto Ryuichi, Jesper Kyd, Clint Mansell...etc are to be admired. They feel totally at home in both serious and cutting-edge music.


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## dcoscina (Sep 9, 2008)

My goals are to make more money at composing music but more importantly to get some of my orchestral pieces played even if it's by a local group. The samples are all good and well but nothing beats 80 musicians playing together. At least in my book.


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## synthetic (Sep 10, 2008)

On the non-orchestral side, I've been dumping money into my modular synth and want to get better at sound design. I hope to have a nice custom library in a year or so.


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## Ed (Sep 10, 2008)

Hannes_F @ Tue Sep 09 said:


> Actually I have been learning to DJ nearly 24/7 during the last months. It is far from trivial and it turns out to be great fun and rewarding. I am successful and am happy to say I am having at least one DJ gig a week ... weddings, birthday parties, student parties, house, hip hop, all the stuff..



Yea *good *DJs use the decks like an instrument. They can be very creative people.


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