Hello there, I'm new here so hopefully I'm posting this in the right place! My name's Matt and I'm a composer, currently studying my final year of a BA (Hons) degree in Creative Music Technology, who's ultimately wanting to break into the video game industry. One of the assignments for the course requires me to contact industry professionals to try and obtain feedback on things like my web presence, showreel etc., and then create an action plan based on that feedback to try and improve my employability. I was just wondering if this would be the appropriate place to try and get some feedback from some fellow composers? And also, would anyone have any tips on reaching "potential clients" as it were, essentially audio directors etc.? I realise that games companies are likely to be inundated with cold emails from composers, so any pointers on how to establish some contact courteously would be appreciated. Thank you, and it's good to meet you all!
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Showreel Feedback
Hi Matt! 
If you haven't checked it out yet, Nate's vlog series may be of interest to, tons of useful advice for aspiring composers.
Hey, thank you! I've been steadily working my way through Nathan's vlogs and they've been super informative already ?
My website is here, kinda like my one-stop portal sort of deal. I've also made two showreels, separated into the two broad categories that I write music for:
Orchestral Showreel
Chiptune Showreel
Thank you guys once again for your time, I'd really appreciate any feedback you could provide!
Happy to help! I'll do my best to provide some feedback. With all of my feedback try to always remember it's just one person's opinion. So take what I say with a grain of salt and apply what you feel will work best for you:
Orchestral demo - Love the start! But then my ears start to get tired of the ostinato. Not because it's poorly written but because my mind and ear want to hear what else you can do. Consider this - most audio directors or hiring managers are really strapped for time. So they'll listen to bits and pieces of your reel. If you don't start off with something that grabs you right from the get go - then you may lose them. In my opinion, that opening cue isn't placed in the right spot. Put it towards the middle since the changes in the work are so nuanced and the ostinato is what's really driving it.
The second cue is very nice! It shows some melodic content, approach to arrangement and production! Good job! i like the third cue a lot as well. Very dynamic. Some of your violin sounds are not super realistic but with good production and arrangements (which you've already got) it's easy to over look that. Overall your orchestral demo is taking the right approach. Showing a variety of approaches and you can definitely produce good music. The very first cue really doesn't feel as powerful as the rest of the selections IMO. I'd either consider removing it or changing where it appears.
Chiptune demo - Man, you've mastered this aesthetic. Nice job! My only critique, and it's a slight one at that, is that you repeat the first demo section's melody. I'd look to see if you can find another section of the first track that shows the melody and then how you'd do a contrasting B section of that song. Because not much changes from the two statements aside from a counter melody in the lower synth. Again, just pointing this out so you can maximize the opportunity to show more range.
Having said all of that - this is one of the best demos I've run across in a while. Very strong, stable and solid across multiple sections and two genres. You should be proud!
Wow, thank you so much for your kind words and, more importantly, the constructive feedback! I really appreciate it. With regards to the first cue, do you feel that shortening it would be an appropriate compromise? I wanted to include something kinda high-tempo to slap you in the face, and that was the best cue I could muster ?
I think if it was shorter, that would help. It's just too repetitive, IMO, to really serve as a good opening demo segment.
Hi guys, will throw in some of my 2 cents. Well, both of them ? I vote for shortening the first ostenato in your orchestral reel too. I totally get what you are going for by placing something driving energetic right on the beginning and it sort of works for a short moment, but then I am missing some lead melody to hold it together. Either shortening it or recompose (is that a word?) to elevate it to the next ...level, right. Just as Nate, I really like the next songs in that real, the sound feels a bit muddy to my ears (could totally be my tired old ears at 2AM), but the compossition is great.
As for the chiptunes, I will never be able to make those. And I tried Love the second track it has that right groove. The sound is great, you got this down. What are you using? A "real" GameBoy/SID thing or VST like Super Audio Boy or QuadraSID?
Thanks for that, dragonfly! I'll definitely have to look at shortening the clip with the ostinato, and my mixing game isn't my strongest so I'll have to get practising! ?
Growing up I was a Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive for us Brits!) kid, so I tried to emulate that style for the chiptunes. I used VSTs: VOPM for the FM-synth chip, and Aly James' plugin for the PSG chip, they're both pretty authentic sounding and so cool ? that's just my inner geek talking though.
