Video Game and Music Career: What to do and what to not do.

Hi everyone, Bonjour tout le monde :)


Je voudrais en profiter pourdire que je vais commencer mon blog en français la semaine prochaine, car pour le moment je n'ai malheureusement pas le temps.


This week end was pretty intense! I had to finish the soundtracks for an ios game and didn't have much time to do anything else. At the begining of a music career, it is more likely that you will have to work a lot more than you think,  for a lot less money that you might want.


So, for my case, I am not saying it is always like that, but I can say that what this guy was saying...was true. So, maybe you are interested by the music or the video game industry, so don't run away!


Here's a special list of what you should and shouldn't do, to start you're career with the good feet:


1. If you never been into music, don't think that spending thousands of dollars in a private school like Trebas or Musitechnic will solve all the music mysteries for you. They are really good schools, don't take me wrong, but, you should have at least a musical base before going there. The same apply for the other departments.


2. If you are about to begin a college degree, and you are interested by one of these industries...start building a portfolio!!! Ask your friends questions, surf on forums, ask for reviews on your work....but begin to build something! Don't wait.


For reviews on your work, you can go on http://forum.youngcomposers.com for music,
and you can go on http://www.deviantart.com/ for drawings.


3. Always have open doors for side jobs that doesn't really belong in your basket...it is not that bad, working in a restaurant...at least you make money, and you don't stress. With arts careers, bad stress = bad creations. Don't forget that your creations are a part of you, a part of your life. If you don't have a balanced life, you're creations won't be balanced either!


4.Begin to put money on the side. Open a separate bank account and remove like 50$ on each pay. It is harder than it looks like, believe me. If you do that for 2 years, you will have around 5000$ saved! Keep that money for the first years of your career, to buy your first equipment, and to survive while you are earning peanuts...or maybe not even.


5. Please, don't buy cheap equipment, try to buy semi pro equipment at the beginning, because the money you would spend on a cheap device, let say 200$, it's 200$ more that you could spend on a 500$ device! What is better, have something cheap and buy something bigger and then lose all this time and money you could have use with a semi pro equipment, or...just buy it right away?


Now, it is sure that you have to be careful, don't buy with closed eyes. Before buying anything inform yourself on the internet! Google is always your best friend, he will find the right thing for you. And ask questions on pertinent forums or to friends that know what they are talking about!


6. Try to find little projects, with no money implicated. You need practice, don't think you can already earn the big bucks because you have a laptop/sound card/reason. Too high expectations is the worst thing you can do to yourself. Aim low to go higher, it is that simple.


Little projects are the best, because they put you in a real situation, even if it is non-profit, it is the closest to the real thing.


I hope this list will be useful to someone, I will surely update it soon, but for now I still have a lot of work to do so I can't continue this post.


I am preparing a first video so we can begin slowly what this blog is supposed to be all about! :P


Cheers,


Dominic