I just found this video and thought I’d share my experience as a composer in LA for over a decade. I grew up in a town of 400 people in rural Texas. I struggled with the culture being an artist and eventually left to a university to study piano. I didn’t have any money so I took out loans and then after graduating in 2004 and having great letters of recommendation from my profs I just couldn’t get into any masters programs for film scoring. Granted there weren’t a lot back then either. I was able to get accepted by a film composer to apprentice and study with so I did that instead. In 2010 moved to LA and got lucky with a resume to a publisher that held a lot of Discovery Channel contracts. So I found myself composing for shows with a team. I was able to start working with many others and was working full time as a composer. All of this success lead me to a staff composer job at a music production house in LA. There I scored thousands of episodes of television but I really wanted to score films. Being that the company was owned by WME a film came through and was handed to some other people that didn’t have any experience with orchestras. I asked why I wasn’t involved and they let me write a demo with the other guys and the production company picked my demo. I was very excited to be picked but the other guys were extremely rude to me and made the working environment extremely toxic. While working on the film my studio computer crashed and I was told if I wanted to continue the project I’d be required to purchase my own computer and finish the film on a contract and That I couldn’t let the production company know. So the next two days I had to rebuild my studio at my apartment to finish scoring a $25 million film on. I did get represented by UTA, a major agency in LA, and demoed on many films but I saw the budgets shrinking to where a job would consist of myself taking a loss. After the film I scored came out it tanked at the box office due to a lack of promotion and UTA dropped me. So I lost my cushy staff job and my career was in the shitter. So I went back to working for some publishers and noticed they were now taking 50% writers shares because the networks were now requiring 100% publishing of the music royalties. So this would leave me with half the income I was making a few years prior and the margins were already very thin. My wife left me during this period and I realized I wasn’t happy with my artistry. So I decided to quit scoring work and focus on making art. So the past two years I’ve been releasing music with an ensemble and recently started releasing my own piano music and I couldn’t be more happy with how things are going artistically for me. I feel the sense of relief that I’m now making music for myself and not to please someone for their tv show or film just so they can rip me off. I attempted to get back into scoring a few months ago because I miss working on great projects and met with a manager who told me they can’t get me hired because the industry doesn’t want to hire a new white male right now. So it looks like I’ll be making art in my studio for the foreseeable future. Im happy for my story and not bitter anymore because I would never have become the composer/artist I am now without my experience.
@@TheCrowHillCo thanks Christian. The challenges with composing go a lot deeper than just competition. Composers don’t have any union or protections and the production companies have realized this. I’d recommend to anyone wanting to get into scoring to release music as an artist and attract fans through your artist work and then one of those fans might include someone wanting to hire you for your already established sound and artistry. That way they are hiring you for what you do and not because you are a cheaper version of the person they really want to hire.
Wannabe composer's timeline: 1. Decide to pursue your dream of writing music professionally 2. Attend seminars, masterclasses, research the medium feverishly 3. Realise that everyone you meet at the above is also a composer and essentially the competition 4. Panic. Decide to take up golf instead.
Christian, I think you are a constant reminder to be human and as good a composer as possible. To keep working and get outside to meet others doing the same (Winter Solstice 2018). In my case, a reminder to keep crafting to develop something personal, emotive and very very good, and to seek Improvement. Though still at an early stage in the composition business, your vlog support has helped me find initial composition work, push through my ideas when necessary, to say no when it would save my marriage, and come away feeling my network of professional allies has grown to include some genuinely great people. My musical world includes hundreds of musicians/composers and the most successful ones are always the people who communicate well and understand the business. The real joy in this business is getting out with other composers, collaborating, sharing ideas, performing, and building those relationships that will lead you to forge your unique path. If you think you're not as good at communicating or the business, there is always the opportunity to learn and get better, and Christian is right, most everyone out there is also interested in meeting and talking and sharing and networking; you have to go and find it. And If nothing else happens, getting out and meeting people will make your world richer, more creative and hopefully, rather entertaining.
I’ve often wondered how many of your subscribers are composers either professionally or as amateur/hobbyists and how many are more interested in the technical/sound design/production side of your videos. Maybe you could do a poll on your next video. An interesting stat to add: well over 400 people responded to your rusty gate sample competition , less than 20 people have so far responded to your request for demos for the pianobook SoundCloud page.
In Los Angeles, I used to feel like the competition was overwhelming and stifling. When I turned 36, I realized that the few number of my peers left were much more supportive than ferocious as competition. Peers went from jealous of work and opportunity to cheering each other on, even if different tastes were in play. That said, my peer group is very small and comparatively very successful. Even after working on several films and countless ads and tv shows, I'm feeling the calling to move on to another kind of "ink". If there are half a million composers in the world, there are probably a million in-coming composers. I want to help usher them in, in as healthy a way as possible. An added bonus to teaching is that I don't feel the pressure to be unique and creative in every aspect of my music, and I get to let that creativity run free in how I share, teach, experiment, and support younger people who I want to see succeed. And hope foster a less spiteful and competitive career for them by the time they arrive.
1) The world of people is run by people. Nothing happens without them. A big chunk of your job is to meet people and form good relationships with them. That's how you form opportunities, and then your art gets a chance. It's about combining awareness with likability, and then you get to competence. That right there for an artist/composer is a frustratingly big chunk of WHY anything happens in your career. Often it's not about how good you are. You should try and get comfortable with that. 2) Your sound, your compositional/tonal language is what should be and is special about you. If it's not, then you're most likely writing some type of library music or specifically aiming to imitate existing work. This way it's very difficult to rise to the top of any creative project as you're not bringing anything new to the table. Creativity requires innovation. Your sound and writing is yours. It will never, ever exist again. So develop it, work on it, become the best version of yourself. That's how you maximize your music's potential. If you're trying to sound like someone else, you'll always be trailing behind a path they're carving, working on mimicry projects that will most likely struggle to see success. 3) Embracing your own sound and style also means that you must embrace that it's not a match for a lot of things. Your efforts on the business side of things should be focused on finding the right matches for you. Nothing else matters. If you are genuinely developing your own sound and skill, then there's no one in the world who can compete with you in that creative realm. Yes, you might lose a project to someone else, and maybe that was because you were the less compatible creative choice, but it might also be because you communicated your ideas poorly or were too awkward during your communication. It's a holistic game, and often has less to do with your creative work and more to do with the social side of things. Also, if you're the less compatible creative choice, that's a sign of creative incompatibility, not necessarily a sign of your creative insufficiency. 4) The 5% is legitimately a number that keeps repeating over and over again in all the fields that I follow, may that be people who rise to the top, or sales conversion of customers involved in the sales process. Very few out of all who are involved will ever push to the top. Most things don't happen. This is why patience, perseverance, dedication, discipline, and humility are so important. You need to stay in the game. You need to maximize your opportunities and output. If you maximize the time and volume of how long you stick to the game and how much you try, then you optimize your opportunities to grow.
I would say..do what you love regardless. If in doing what you love, you can make a living at it - even better. If in doing what you love it does not pan out at least when you are old it is not on your list of regrets. I have never heard of an old person saying they regretted spending so much time doing what they loved to do !
I see the world changing. Competition is on the way out, and cooperation, collaboration, and community are becoming the new business model. Referrals from peers are one of the best ways to get new business for musicians, composers, or artists of any type. We can all learn from each other and help each other. That's what Christian is doing with his Vlog, and I find it exciting to be a part of this community.
So spot on! I have had so many interns that pack their bags and move back home because they could not handle the fierce competition. There is a tenacious and aggressive patients that one must have to survive.
Working for one of the biggest tech firms has taught me that you cannot compete with others and that it’s only yourself you are in competition with, I totally agree with your sentiments there Christian. I’d also say that it is not only the sheer number of composers, but more of the quantity of music out there for perspective clients to choose from. That number is scary and begs my fear of where do I fit in. But pushes me to create more content to define me. The balance is in quantity and quality of work but also it’s more about being committed to yourself. If you let the numbers take hold then you’ll be crippled by their weight. Pickup your tools and get working.
I really hate thinking about my music as a business, but I've come to learn that its the only way to reach people and gain recognition. Great video Christian, it''s great that you reminded us that we're in this together, there's no need bring each other down.
Great video @ChristianHenson...my thoughts are: Out of the 20million+ Logic users, there are only a handful (in context) of composers compared to beat-makers. Then there are those that have Logic, tried it, and moved on to something else...so those numbers shouldn't really scare anyone at all...and out of what's left, I am sure that there is another handful that are professional users, versus hobbyists, or beginners who aspire to be full-time. Secondly: There are only a certain number of gigs out there, and there are far too many composers who want those gigs. So as Christian mentioned, you have to stand out...you have to be that person who uses neon colored paper for their resume, in a pile of white. But then if you do get that chance to be noticed, you had best be able to back it up. Next: There are people who are super talented, people who are great at marketing, people who can talk their way into anything, people who are instantly likable, and there are people who are just plain lucky. Composers should probably be all of those to make it. But we all know that it's not the case...so in terms of competition, we need to isolate the composers who are all those things, and then we have a very different number I think. I just thought of an analogy: Hiring a composer is like buying a car. You can buy a car based of looks (talent), then realize it has nothing else going for it, or you can buy a car based of recommendations (networking/word of mouth), and be a bit more secure in your purchase. Then you can buy a car because you have already been in it, and know that it handles well, feels comfortable, and will be reliable because your best friend has it and you've been around it for a while...you get what I'm trying to say. Just my thoughts, right or wrong, not 100% sure but based off this video, this is what I gathered.
Beautiful advice as always, Christian-just relocated to LA this week to continue pursuing my career as a film composer, so your insight is very relevant and motivating 😁
I'll always be Rich... buhdumpshh. 22 yrs. ago a man named David Jones (Bowie) moved in down the road from me here in Bermuda, in the times I managed to have a chat with him-play him music-show him artwork,etc.etc. it was always the business side of things that he tried to hit home to me as-AS important. He had recently put his back catalogue on the market and made millions literally overnight...he was very good at making his points about the business side of things!!
Great video... must be a hot topic at the moment. As I was just talking to another TH-camr the other day. He writes his own songs, wants to be discovered. But his channel is going No Where fast. I said, "Do some Covers". He's like, "that's not my thing"... and, best of luck to him. But if it was good enough for the likes of Ed Sheeran (and a load of other artist) that were discovered on TH-cam because they were playing covers... it's good enought for me. whether it's big or small. keep doing stuff, till someone sees you.
As somebody currently studying composition for film and games at University, in a class of around 30 people, I would assume that only 30% of people (maybe less) from each class actually go into film/game composition, let alone be successful with it. At the end of their 3rd year, a lot of people tend to sway in different directions, either being engineers, technicians or sound/foley designers. As for competition, I absolutely agree that having more friends in this industry is better than having more competition, but you still need TRUST. I have a very small handful of friends I would want to work with and we all help each other along. Unfortunately, some people will take advantage of generosity for their own personal gain. I don't condone that being selfish is a bad thing, but in a already saturated industry, I think that people who really try to find the best ways to get work in the industry should keep it to themselves and share it with friends they know won't abuse it. Lastly, what makes you a successful composer is largely down to your business/marketing skills is largely under looked. Having a interesting instagram, a interactive twitter and a consistent youtube channel are all bonuses, in my opinion. It's crazy how students will be incentivized so much about making a website, and the importance of that when nobody knows who they are. They don't even have any social media pages attached to them apart from Facebook. Really enjoyed this video Christian, a lot to revise and go over for myself.
Nailed it! You are your own competition... no one else!! The hardest person to lead is yourself! Words of wisdom. Be the best version of yourself and you will find success. Thanks for the video!
I got maybe 10 words and no complete sentences till the end of this VLOG. Why? The overwhelming entertainment factor of the two pups playing in the field. As to composers and competition... I do hear you about being my own competitor. Thus the reason I write music every day whether it's sold or not. To improve skills, try new ideas. And explore the latest plugins and their opportunities for helping me improve. I've always lived by the credo that that day when you stop learning is the day you die. True, that there are hundreds even thousands of other composers working in the same niche I am (independent film and documentaries). And there is a degree of competition for any particular gig. So carving out my "sound" amongst the others is vital. My approach to a score, sensitivity to the visuals and some tenacity to keep pushing on. because I love what I do. (And my wife has a great steady gig)
Can't agree more about the fact that we are our own competition. I would say for my case that I find it difficult here to connect with other composers, I wish we could exchange and collaborate more, but maybe it is just the culture, people are hard to reach... hard to say. Anyways, glad you talked about the subject Christian. Was hard to focus with that cute doggo goofing around!
I’ve always tried to live by the euphemism “A rising tide lifts all boats” We all do gain from one another. Collaboration being the obvious one it certainly doesn’t drop there. In my personal experience when I’ve been willing to open my door to other composers it’s benefited us both, many times if I’m unable to take a project I’m delighted to throw names in the hat of my composer friends. I’m certain they’d do the same for me though this is not an expectation. Great insight as always, Christian, many thanks.
These are my favorite sort of CHM vids. Rambling through an idea and over extending a metaphor for a good cause (any remotely worthy metaphor deserves to be over extended as the logical culmination of the exercise.) As a guitarist/writer/lover of film music these idea vids are mostly why I'm here. Thank you. And I would be remiss in not mentioning the distraction of that wee cocker spaniel. Did you get the ginger discount?
Good topic to cover. My personal goal in music is I want people to hear my music. That is what any composer wants of course. TH-cam and Soundcloud are great platforms for that but you really have to work at it to be noticed. As for the rich and famous part, making money from our music is a great bonus as it helps us buy all the gear we so desire to have. We can never have enough instruments lol. We have happened to pick one of the most expensive 'hobbies' we could ever pick so the more money the better for us. The famous side of it I think most of us don't really aim for but as you get more 'liked' then you get asked to score bigger things that get heard by bigger audiences then the fame part just happens. So I think the main part of what we do is to simply want people to hear what we have created, as in any art form. You paint a landscape that you are proud of so you want people to see what you have created. Same with composers.
Great video! I tried for several years to learn the business and marketing side of music, but failed to really put in the work to improve my craft. As a result, no one cared about what I was doing. Now I've found myself on the other end of the spectrum, trying to focus almost entirely on getting better at creating music and videos, but I'm not working at all on the business side and very little to do with marketing. It's a huge struggle to find the time for all these things while keeping a full time job... That seems to be the bottleneck for me, I'm not really concerned with my 'competition' or other producers. It really is all about what I put into it, and how much (efficient) work I can get done. Thanks for the reminder to not worry about what everyone else is doing and to not compare myself to them. At least that's what I took from this video...
I live in a small country, Finland, so the circles are small as well. I've adapted a mindset, that whoever in my field, or in other arts as well, finds success, it will benefit all. If not by way of commissions coming your way, then by way of enjoying this crazy ride we are all in. The other thing that eases my mind in times of doubt is, that all I have to do, is hone my craft and find my voice. That will be my calling card, just as someone else has theirs. And my voice will eventually be heard.
I'm EXTREMELY lucky to have the work I have! I make 100% of my living as a composer and sound designer. But it's not in the exact area I had in mind when I first set out. I wanted to be a film composer but I work in games. (And have a very good work/life balance, somewhat low stress, etc). So my small bit of advice would be to set out but be flexible to what opportunities may surprise and come your way.
I always find that there's a huge camaraderie amongst film composers. I chat with a handful regularly just to feel like I'm not alone and we're always trying to support and help each other be the best we can. it's never competition, it's always a relay race we're running together
Great video Christian. Interesting subject. I went to a well known music college. 10 years on, there are 3 of us from that course working professionally as composers. Thats roughly out of 20/25 students. One of those was already a professional composer when he was on the course. It seems the difference with all 3 of us has been persistence, hard work and specialisation. We've all found our own little pocket to build from. Like you often quote; "be yourself, everything else is taken". Collaborative and supportive spirits seem to go further in the creative industries rather than competitive or combative working mindsets, at least as far as I've seen; but that's just my 2 pence. I could be wrong, it may very well be a slaughter house further up the ladder for all I know. Also that puppy, kind of stealing the show!
I need to prepare myself for watching these videos, very down to earth and solid advice. Thinking I should quit while I'm ahead (or, at least, not destitute and living on the street yet). But then today a little job came through for $200....and I'm motivated again. Al Pacino nailed it: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in"
Really, it's so inspiring to listen your thoughts about music industry from the point of view of a music composer and spot similarities, regardless the fact that I'm looking at the industry from a musician-in-a-band standing point. In the age when the music industry is so toxic you can get burnt without even noticing it's amazingly refreshing to see a band that isn't comparing themselves to someone else i.e. "oh shoot, those f*ckers were better, let's hate them" rather than looking at themselves and deciding "as a matter of fact, our gig was a bit of sh*t, we clearly can do better next time and improve ourselves, just like these dudes..." Soo much wise words, mr. Henson, Apreciate it in every vlog you upload :) Cheers from Poland ;)
What a great episode. Relatively speaking, 500,000 doesn’t seem too bad compared to the many who are trying to be actors, say. Never will that stop me from going for my dream!
I started feeling competitive as soon as I started getting nominated for even the smallest regional awards - short film festivals etc. But I'm 100% sure it comes from a place of insecurity, so now I just tend to keep my head down and focus on improving myself and I'm much healthier for it!
Oh Chris, once again, thanks for sharing all these insights! Perfect timing, its getting weird! :p And your little pup, oh, just loves you, had to re-watch the video to check on what you were saying, I knew they were important but couldn't concentrate over first try! :)
What is 'success'? My 'success' has always been through set goals. Sometimes the goal has been as simple as "I want to enjoy the end result" or "I want to learn something from the journey." Sometimes it's about playing a difficult track in a live setting, from taking risks rather than just sitting behind a keyboard and gonking over a pre-recorded backing track in front of an audience of friends. Sometimes those risks pay off and sometimes I/we fall flat on our collective faces. The goal has never been about making money and my version of success isn't about selling gazillions of records or being the next Justin Bieber (I haven't got the legs for it anymore) although selling a few more discs would be nice (if only to buy more toys). That my stuff has ended up in a couple of computer games and on at least one Hollywood movie (where the performers keep their clothes on) is satisfying enough. That my tunes ended up being mastered at Skywalker sound has earned me more bragging rights down the pub than a year of Soundcloud plays. So, yeah. I think it boils down to bragging rights really, shallow git that I am.
Christian, you seem to have overlooked one of the most important rules of thumb of for media personalities: "Never get photographed with children or animals".
I've never seen anything as competition in a bad sense of the word.. I always compete with myself but view my peers work more as like "friendly competition". In the sense that I will hear their work and if there's something I enjoy, I will try to reproduce it better, but never in the negative sense. I always show myself available to help my peers and I have had friends who went on to Hollywood and composed for Broadway. Their upside was mostly related to location. I come from Portugal where there's very little production happening and where budgets are low. So most of the time I try to keep up by comparing my work with others only so that I have a reference where I'm at. But never out of envy.
Never less than fascinating. I really enjoy your highly informative vids, Christian. Not to mention the growing, wonderful, free LABS instrument set. Many thanks for both. Back at this topic - Is a soggy pup also a critical element for success?
Hey! Great video buddy. Where I am the problems I face are that every director I’ve ever worked with thankfully, have continued to use me and we have great relationships but they all are being constantly bombarded by composers looking for opportunities, which i understand and for the most part it’s respectful but there are the ones who’d do anything for the job, give me a chance etc. Thankfully I’ve not lost any work because of this but the problem is... how the hell do I find new collaborators with our relying on word or mouth and recommendations when I know film makers are already being bombarded, why would they see a message from me not knowing who I am and think any differently about me than the other 50 people who’ve messaged them. So basically I stopped doing that, but having been recently made redundant I need to be more proactive but it’s tough when the impression I get from my film maker pals is were like hyenas all hungry to get some meat. Don’t get me wrong I love the community I have a TH-cam where I offer help and advice too and I’ll always help someone out if I can! It’s a complicated landscape down here in the micro budget indie part of the world
Well I looked it up & "pressing the flesh" ins't sleeping your way to the top! The education continues, continued thanks for the vids & LABS freebies - it has paid off I'm now a purchaser!
This was a great topic! Maybe next time you can talk about how us film composers can effectively market ourselves? And if this has already been covered in another video feel free to let me know.
I've gone the other way (a long way around, it turns out) that I studied music in my younger days, decided that it wasn't for me, studied architecture instead and became qualified in that field. During these studies I discovered cinema, and directing for screen. I still play in a covers band and play a lot of weddings. So then e ded up doing wedding photography and videos. Now all of the wedding filmsi do get original music, which is a competitive advantage I have over other wedding photographers who use stock music, or worse, unauthorised music use.
I'm currently building up my portfolio while I'm in uni by making friends and alliances with film producers and doing their music. Happy to work for free for friends and other students, that way my portfolio gets built and I can then have a decent bedrock once I leave uni to hopefully make money out of it.
Loved the Beyonce analogy ! Also agree that my biggest competition is me, trying to getting a little better every day pays off BIG time in the long run !
I am so lucky as to never having to meet anyone. It’s my antisocial/insecure nature that pushed me into composition in the first place. I lucked into a wonderful library however that pays me $800 per 2 minute song. That simple. But in my case I’m the first to acknowledge, a huge part of my being able to actually sell songs is luck. Without it I don’t think anyone would get anywhere..
You say it's a young man's game. What is too old? I graduated in 1993 with a degree in Electronic Composition. At the time it would have been the perfect time to get into the video game business but no one at my school including me had any idea that was even possible. I find myself now at age 51 longing for a do over. Not composing for video games specifically but anything to make my bills or at least have a nice side gig to buy a nice vacation here and there. Am I kidding myself?
Nothing wrong with writing music with the aim of earning a little bit of extra cash. If you can get involved with some libraries and get yourself some placements you can potentially earn a lot (or not much at all...depending on the library, style and production chops). No one even needs to know your age
It is not about how many composers are out there, it is about "how talented" they are, or how gifted "you" are. I would guess it is the same for most creative industries. I went from music into film, and in general I'd say 95% of the competition is just "average" in terms of talent. If you are a really good composer you are probably only competing with the other 5%, as long as you apply commitment and "polite" determination. Many thanks to Chris and Spitfire, truly outstanding on every level.
It’s 50% lunch. It’s about talent combined with personality and essential traits like dogged tenacity conscientiousness and an innate ability to collaborate being open and having a sense of humour also helps.
I love your videos! Such honest, transparent and important information for any creator to have. I look forward to hearing your video bell chime! Please keep up the excellent work mate! Cheers from Northern California!
It took me a while to realise that I wan't really in competition with others. There was another composer who wrote for the same library company as me in a similar style to what I was trying to achieve. Eventually I realised there was more than enough room for both of us, and I should stop trying to compete with them and get on with the competition between myself and the blank page.
Hi Christian, thought provoking video as usual, thanks.... But the question is how to define success? Although I make no money from making music (and unlikely I ever will) I have freedom to make whatever music I feel like making, there's no expectation or deadline.... And that's wonderfully liberating! I think that is a kind of success. No? Cheers, joni
I find there's a lot of competition for work as a musician in my area but there's practically no competition as a sound technician. Good help is very hard to find, evidently.
Fantastic - RICH without being famous - I buy in to that, always have, always will. Though, after all this time, I doubt that either will materialise. We do it for the love of it only, anything else is a bonus.
@Christian Henson Music ... haha ... if you are correlating the Paleolithic Diet with (lack of) longevity ... then, sadly, I suspect you may be misinformed about many other "things" BTW ... love your music and technical ability ... and admittedly, I am a Spitfire Fanboy. Splendid Stuff!
Really good episode again. I try not to view other composers as competition, it's not good for your mental health, and it's not good for composing as a profession if we all have that mentality. It's hard to keep this attitude though when you keep submitting pitches that you've pitched the fuck out of (to use your expression Christian!), and not got it as there were 30 other aspiring composers pitching too!
Christian, on paper I should never pursue a career in composition. I never studied composition, I’m over 40 and I have two young children. I love the idea, I love the process of composing, but part of me refuses to invest more time if the chances of doing anything professionally are slim. Which takes me to my question: shall people in my circumstances just accept that making money will never happen to us? Could Spitfire create a mentoring product to improve the chances of people like us get any further on the ladder?
I've had an idea! What about selling fans to mugs? :O) Okay, sorry, I juat had to. On a serious note, as always, huge food for thought, and yes, it's easy to see everyone else as a competitor, rather than an inspiration to simply do better yourself. And that puppy is damn cute. (Looks at camera, tries to look manly, and not at all soppy when it comes to dogs :O)
Thank you for this video Christian. How do you protect your IP when collaborating with someone who doesn't contribute as much as you do but gets shared credit?
Would you consider putting a video together about creating a business plan within the music industry? (Will you start selling mugs, because why not, could go towards more prizes!)
Christian, you asked at the end of the video about competition in our own respective parts of the world. How much does location matter as a composer now compared to before the internet?
Nice video. Thousands about but not many as interesting as the likes of Christian and Hainbach. Guilds in the modern context, your views? I have my renewal notice, not sure if I can be bothered paying my dues.
maybe because i studied philosophy, it drives me crazy somone speaking presto like that, as it were a matter of telling someone what happened yesterday in the family... See: no one need average mass composers more than especial composers. Of course its another paramater of comparation. Being average composer and no composer is very similar for the. odds of "success" But if you are a composer probably you do that before you fell CALLED to do it, no matter what. Messiaen composed in the prison. All the rest is details about secondary use of the craft, called film composing... Just focus on composing, that is the thing that people who is willing to pay and have god taste are searching for. Otherwise live to please who canot distinguish between Wagner and Beyonce, as it were both "entertainment", as AirBnb classifies it btw.
Thanks for making this video and for confirming the path I have chosen for myself. In college I definitely felt a sort of rivalry (even more than my fellow students, I was very insecure...). Later in life I got more relaxed and realised that you have to figure out your own style more than anything and that some jobs will be perfect for you compared to others. What has turned me off to making "being-a-film-composer" my main income is the dependencies on directors and game makers and where you life locally. I've always wanted to hold all my cards myself. I don't want other people to hold my cards. The thought of not being in control of my own income and going months, years in between good paying jobs was really scary to me. So hearing about the incredible amount of composers out there (and especially paying users) really makes me hopeful that my sampling business will work out. Then, while that is working, I can concentrate on pitching for the jobs I REALLY want, making the music I REALLY want without any internal or external pressure and really enjoying what I do without being fearful about running out of money. So thanks again Christian, for being so inspiring and helping me finding my path.
Assuming that we have something that other people need or want, it all then comes down to opportunity and that’s something we have no control over. We can increase our chances of success by adopting good practices and eliminating bad ones, but without an opportunity to present ourselves to others it may lead nowhere. I don’t dismiss other composers for being my competitor, but I accept that they often are. I want to work WITH other collaborators (composers/lyricists/artists), but I am often frustrated by their lack of presence at networking events, both here in Northern Ireland and in London. Far too many are wanting to do it alone and would gladly step on you to get ‘That opportunity’ before you, rather than happily walk with you to get it together. Having a colleague to bounce ideas off and to share your collective successes and disappointments with is a wonderful thing. I’m pretty sure that you and your brother Joe would agree with me on that last point Christian...?
For me it is like Backgammon, yes a game of chance, but a better player will always beat you regardless of what the dice does. So its about lessening the odds: 1. Work harder than everyone else 2. Find your voice / play to your strengths 3. Do it when you're young 4. Be a nice person 5. Learn how to become an excellent head of department 6. Live close to where the action is 7. Be "seen" where the action is, network. 8. Create your own brand and market it 9. Be active in the industry... I'll think of one more and make a vlog about it.
Christian Henson Music Thanks for your response Christian! Backgammon is an excellent metaphor here. I’ll look forward to seeing your vlog 👍🏻 Cheers for now Terry 😎
I felt distracted that you didn't put the strap of the dog bag on your shoulder under the hood of your jacket. Looks uncomfortable hahah. No but great video, appreciate you making the content man!
Well. As a graphic designer I can tell you there are SWARMS out there - more than composers. And yet when you look to God then He gives you work, and consequently I've done work for national companies and have done quite well.
This is just a random thought I had, but I have to ask. When are you going to take Albion "out of the box" and create the Albion module for eurorack? Something we can put into our euroracks and load with the sample sets we want and control different parameters with cv perhaps? It was a spontaneous thought, but one with potential I think.
![[#2024MAMA] G-DRAGON - 무제(Untitled, 2014)+POWER+HOME SWEET HOME+뱅뱅뱅+FANTASTIC BABY | Mnet 241123 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ox29z5Nf1Uk/mqdefault.jpg)
I just found this video and thought I’d share my experience as a composer in LA for over a decade.
I grew up in a town of 400 people in rural Texas. I struggled with the culture being an artist and eventually left to a university to study piano. I didn’t have any money so I took out loans and then after graduating in 2004 and having great letters of recommendation from my profs I just couldn’t get into any masters programs for film scoring. Granted there weren’t a lot back then either. I was able to get accepted by a film composer to apprentice and study with so I did that instead.
In 2010 moved to LA and got lucky with a resume to a publisher that held a lot of Discovery Channel contracts. So I found myself composing for shows with a team. I was able to start working with many others and was working full time as a composer. All of this success lead me to a staff composer job at a music production house in LA. There I scored thousands of episodes of television but I really wanted to score films. Being that the company was owned by WME a film came through and was handed to some other people that didn’t have any experience with orchestras. I asked why I wasn’t involved and they let me write a demo with the other guys and the production company picked my demo. I was very excited to be picked but the other guys were extremely rude to me and made the working environment extremely toxic. While working on the film my studio computer crashed and I was told if I wanted to continue the project I’d be required to purchase my own computer and finish the film on a contract and That I couldn’t let the production company know. So the next two days I had to rebuild my studio at my apartment to finish scoring a $25 million film on.
I did get represented by UTA, a major agency in LA, and demoed on many films but I saw the budgets shrinking to where a job would consist of myself taking a loss.
After the film I scored came out it tanked at the box office due to a lack of promotion and UTA dropped me. So I lost my cushy staff job and my career was in the shitter. So I went back to working for some publishers and noticed they were now taking 50% writers shares because the networks were now requiring 100% publishing of the music royalties. So this would leave me with half the income I was making a few years prior and the margins were already very thin.
My wife left me during this period and I realized I wasn’t happy with my artistry. So I decided to quit scoring work and focus on making art. So the past two years I’ve been releasing music with an ensemble and recently started releasing my own piano music and I couldn’t be more happy with how things are going artistically for me. I feel the sense of relief that I’m now making music for myself and not to please someone for their tv show or film just so they can rip me off.
I attempted to get back into scoring a few months ago because I miss working on great projects and met with a manager who told me they can’t get me hired because the industry doesn’t want to hire a new white male right now.
So it looks like I’ll be making art in my studio for the foreseeable future. Im happy for my story and not bitter anymore because I would never have become the composer/artist I am now without my experience.
Fascinating story thank you and all the best!
@@TheCrowHillCo thanks Christian. The challenges with composing go a lot deeper than just competition. Composers don’t have any union or protections and the production companies have realized this. I’d recommend to anyone wanting to get into scoring to release music as an artist and attract fans through your artist work and then one of those fans might include someone wanting to hire you for your already established sound and artistry. That way they are hiring you for what you do and not because you are a cheaper version of the person they really want to hire.
Wannabe composer's timeline:
1. Decide to pursue your dream of writing music professionally
2. Attend seminars, masterclasses, research the medium feverishly
3. Realise that everyone you meet at the above is also a composer and essentially the competition
4. Panic. Decide to take up golf instead.
Christian, I think you are a constant reminder to be human and as good a composer as possible. To keep working and get outside to meet others doing the same (Winter Solstice 2018). In my case, a reminder to keep crafting to develop something personal, emotive and very very good, and to seek Improvement. Though still at an early stage in the composition business, your vlog support has helped me find initial composition work, push through my ideas when necessary, to say no when it would save my marriage, and come away feeling my network of professional allies has grown to include some genuinely great people.
My musical world includes hundreds of musicians/composers and the most successful ones are always the people who communicate well and understand the business. The real joy in this business is getting out with other composers, collaborating, sharing ideas, performing, and building those relationships that will lead you to forge your unique path. If you think you're not as good at communicating or the business, there is always the opportunity to learn and get better, and Christian is right, most everyone out there is also interested in meeting and talking and sharing and networking; you have to go and find it.
And If nothing else happens, getting out and meeting people will make your world richer, more creative and hopefully, rather entertaining.
I’ve often wondered how many of your subscribers are composers either professionally or as amateur/hobbyists and how many are more interested in the technical/sound design/production side of your videos. Maybe you could do a poll on your next video.
An interesting stat to add: well over 400 people responded to your rusty gate sample competition , less than 20 people have so far responded to your request for demos for the pianobook SoundCloud page.
OMG, that was adorable. (Sorry Christian, what were you saying...?)
In Los Angeles, I used to feel like the competition was overwhelming and stifling. When I turned 36, I realized that the few number of my peers left were much more supportive than ferocious as competition. Peers went from jealous of work and opportunity to cheering each other on, even if different tastes were in play.
That said, my peer group is very small and comparatively very successful. Even after working on several films and countless ads and tv shows, I'm feeling the calling to move on to another kind of "ink". If there are half a million composers in the world, there are probably a million in-coming composers. I want to help usher them in, in as healthy a way as possible. An added bonus to teaching is that I don't feel the pressure to be unique and creative in every aspect of my music, and I get to let that creativity run free in how I share, teach, experiment, and support younger people who I want to see succeed.
And hope foster a less spiteful and competitive career for them by the time they arrive.
1) The world of people is run by people. Nothing happens without them. A big chunk of your job is to meet people and form good relationships with them. That's how you form opportunities, and then your art gets a chance. It's about combining awareness with likability, and then you get to competence. That right there for an artist/composer is a frustratingly big chunk of WHY anything happens in your career. Often it's not about how good you are. You should try and get comfortable with that.
2) Your sound, your compositional/tonal language is what should be and is special about you. If it's not, then you're most likely writing some type of library music or specifically aiming to imitate existing work. This way it's very difficult to rise to the top of any creative project as you're not bringing anything new to the table. Creativity requires innovation.
Your sound and writing is yours. It will never, ever exist again. So develop it, work on it, become the best version of yourself. That's how you maximize your music's potential. If you're trying to sound like someone else, you'll always be trailing behind a path they're carving, working on mimicry projects that will most likely struggle to see success.
3) Embracing your own sound and style also means that you must embrace that it's not a match for a lot of things. Your efforts on the business side of things should be focused on finding the right matches for you. Nothing else matters. If you are genuinely developing your own sound and skill, then there's no one in the world who can compete with you in that creative realm.
Yes, you might lose a project to someone else, and maybe that was because you were the less compatible creative choice, but it might also be because you communicated your ideas poorly or were too awkward during your communication. It's a holistic game, and often has less to do with your creative work and more to do with the social side of things. Also, if you're the less compatible creative choice, that's a sign of creative incompatibility, not necessarily a sign of your creative insufficiency.
4) The 5% is legitimately a number that keeps repeating over and over again in all the fields that I follow, may that be people who rise to the top, or sales conversion of customers involved in the sales process. Very few out of all who are involved will ever push to the top. Most things don't happen. This is why patience, perseverance, dedication, discipline, and humility are so important. You need to stay in the game. You need to maximize your opportunities and output. If you maximize the time and volume of how long you stick to the game and how much you try, then you optimize your opportunities to grow.
Well put, Markus. You should definitely write a book on the subject!
I would say..do what you love regardless. If in doing what you love, you can make a living at it - even better. If in doing what you love it does not pan out at least when you are old it is not on your list of regrets. I have never heard of an old person saying they regretted spending so much time doing what they loved to do !
I see the world changing. Competition is on the way out, and cooperation, collaboration, and community are becoming the new business model. Referrals from peers are one of the best ways to get new business for musicians, composers, or artists of any type. We can all learn from each other and help each other. That's what Christian is doing with his Vlog, and I find it exciting to be a part of this community.
So spot on! I have had so many interns that pack their bags and move back home because they could not handle the fierce competition. There is a tenacious and aggressive patients that one must have to survive.
As always a hugely fascinating vlog and what a cute pup ...!!
Working for one of the biggest tech firms has taught me that you cannot compete with others and that it’s only yourself you are in competition with, I totally agree with your sentiments there Christian.
I’d also say that it is not only the sheer number of composers, but more of the quantity of music out there for perspective clients to choose from. That number is scary and begs my fear of where do I fit in. But pushes me to create more content to define me. The balance is in quantity and quality of work but also it’s more about being committed to yourself.
If you let the numbers take hold then you’ll be crippled by their weight. Pickup your tools and get working.
I really hate thinking about my music as a business, but I've come to learn that its the only way to reach people and gain recognition. Great video Christian, it''s great that you reminded us that we're in this together, there's no need bring each other down.
Great video @ChristianHenson...my thoughts are: Out of the 20million+ Logic users, there are only a handful (in context) of composers compared to beat-makers. Then there are those that have Logic, tried it, and moved on to something else...so those numbers shouldn't really scare anyone at all...and out of what's left, I am sure that there is another handful that are professional users, versus hobbyists, or beginners who aspire to be full-time.
Secondly: There are only a certain number of gigs out there, and there are far too many composers who want those gigs. So as Christian mentioned, you have to stand out...you have to be that person who uses neon colored paper for their resume, in a pile of white. But then if you do get that chance to be noticed, you had best be able to back it up.
Next: There are people who are super talented, people who are great at marketing, people who can talk their way into anything, people who are instantly likable, and there are people who are just plain lucky. Composers should probably be all of those to make it. But we all know that it's not the case...so in terms of competition, we need to isolate the composers who are all those things, and then we have a very different number I think.
I just thought of an analogy: Hiring a composer is like buying a car. You can buy a car based of looks (talent), then realize it has nothing else going for it, or you can buy a car based of recommendations (networking/word of mouth), and be a bit more secure in your purchase. Then you can buy a car because you have already been in it, and know that it handles well, feels comfortable, and will be reliable because your best friend has it and you've been around it for a while...you get what I'm trying to say.
Just my thoughts, right or wrong, not 100% sure but based off this video, this is what I gathered.
Beautiful advice as always, Christian-just relocated to LA this week to continue pursuing my career as a film composer, so your insight is very relevant and motivating 😁
Best of luck with it Zach.
I'll always be Rich... buhdumpshh. 22 yrs. ago a man named David Jones (Bowie) moved in down the road from me here in Bermuda, in the times I managed to have a chat with him-play him music-show him artwork,etc.etc. it was always the business side of things that he tried to hit home to me as-AS important. He had recently put his back catalogue on the market and made millions literally overnight...he was very good at making his points about the business side of things!!
Great video... must be a hot topic at the moment. As I was just talking to another TH-camr the other day. He writes his own songs, wants to be discovered. But his channel is going No Where fast.
I said, "Do some Covers". He's like, "that's not my thing"... and, best of luck to him.
But if it was good enough for the likes of Ed Sheeran (and a load of other artist) that were discovered on TH-cam because they were playing covers... it's good enought for me.
whether it's big or small. keep doing stuff, till someone sees you.
As somebody currently studying composition for film and games at University, in a class of around 30 people, I would assume that only 30% of people (maybe less) from each class actually go into film/game composition, let alone be successful with it. At the end of their 3rd year, a lot of people tend to sway in different directions, either being engineers, technicians or sound/foley designers.
As for competition, I absolutely agree that having more friends in this industry is better than having more competition, but you still need TRUST. I have a very small handful of friends I would want to work with and we all help each other along. Unfortunately, some people will take advantage of generosity for their own personal gain. I don't condone that being selfish is a bad thing, but in a already saturated industry, I think that people who really try to find the best ways to get work in the industry should keep it to themselves and share it with friends they know won't abuse it.
Lastly, what makes you a successful composer is largely down to your business/marketing skills is largely under looked. Having a interesting instagram, a interactive twitter and a consistent youtube channel are all bonuses, in my opinion. It's crazy how students will be incentivized so much about making a website, and the importance of that when nobody knows who they are. They don't even have any social media pages attached to them apart from Facebook.
Really enjoyed this video Christian, a lot to revise and go over for myself.
How much of a smile does that puppy put on our faces? Wise words as always Christian.
Nailed it! You are your own competition... no one else!! The hardest person to lead is yourself! Words of wisdom. Be the best version of yourself and you will find success. Thanks for the video!
I got maybe 10 words and no complete sentences till the end of this VLOG. Why? The overwhelming entertainment factor of the two pups playing in the field. As to composers and competition... I do hear you about being my own competitor. Thus the reason I write music every day whether it's sold or not. To improve skills, try new ideas. And explore the latest plugins and their opportunities for helping me improve. I've always lived by the credo that that day when you stop learning is the day you die. True, that there are hundreds even thousands of other composers working in the same niche I am (independent film and documentaries). And there is a degree of competition for any particular gig. So carving out my "sound" amongst the others is vital. My approach to a score, sensitivity to the visuals and some tenacity to keep pushing on. because I love what I do. (And my wife has a great steady gig)
Can't agree more about the fact that we are our own competition. I would say for my case that I find it difficult here to connect with other composers, I wish we could exchange and collaborate more, but maybe it is just the culture, people are hard to reach... hard to say. Anyways, glad you talked about the subject Christian.
Was hard to focus with that cute doggo goofing around!
I’ve always tried to live by the euphemism “A rising tide lifts all boats”
We all do gain from one another. Collaboration being the obvious one it certainly doesn’t drop there. In my personal experience when I’ve been willing to open my door to other composers it’s benefited us both, many times if I’m unable to take a project I’m delighted to throw names in the hat of my composer friends. I’m certain they’d do the same for me though this is not an expectation.
Great insight as always, Christian, many thanks.
I love that quote and couldn't agree more.
I still don't know what this video was about...I was just looking at the pup the whole time
Heartening stuff. Thank you. Owning the ink that comes from your pen is an ongoing challenge :)
These are my favorite sort of CHM vids. Rambling through an idea and over extending a metaphor for a good cause (any remotely worthy metaphor deserves to be over extended as the logical culmination of the exercise.) As a guitarist/writer/lover of film music these idea vids are mostly why I'm here.
Thank you.
And I would be remiss in not mentioning the distraction of that wee cocker spaniel. Did you get the ginger discount?
Good topic to cover.
My personal goal in music is I want people to hear my music. That is what any composer wants of course. TH-cam and Soundcloud are great platforms for that but you really have to work at it to be noticed.
As for the rich and famous part, making money from our music is a great bonus as it helps us buy all the gear we so desire to have. We can never have enough instruments lol. We have happened to pick one of the most expensive 'hobbies' we could ever pick so the more money the better for us.
The famous side of it I think most of us don't really aim for but as you get more 'liked' then you get asked to score bigger things that get heard by bigger audiences then the fame part just happens.
So I think the main part of what we do is to simply want people to hear what we have created, as in any art form. You paint a landscape that you are proud of so you want people to see what you have created.
Same with composers.
I'm just in it for the cash.
@@TheCrowHillCo If you where, you wouldn't have passion for music and you have loads of passion for music lol
Great video! I tried for several years to learn the business and marketing side of music, but failed to really put in the work to improve my craft. As a result, no one cared about what I was doing. Now I've found myself on the other end of the spectrum, trying to focus almost entirely on getting better at creating music and videos, but I'm not working at all on the business side and very little to do with marketing. It's a huge struggle to find the time for all these things while keeping a full time job... That seems to be the bottleneck for me, I'm not really concerned with my 'competition' or other producers.
It really is all about what I put into it, and how much (efficient) work I can get done. Thanks for the reminder to not worry about what everyone else is doing and to not compare myself to them. At least that's what I took from this video...
I live in a small country, Finland, so the circles are small as well. I've adapted a mindset, that whoever in my field, or in other arts as well, finds success, it will benefit all. If not by way of commissions coming your way, then by way of enjoying this crazy ride we are all in. The other thing that eases my mind in times of doubt is, that all I have to do, is hone my craft and find my voice. That will be my calling card, just as someone else has theirs. And my voice will eventually be heard.
I'm EXTREMELY lucky to have the work I have! I make 100% of my living as a composer and sound designer. But it's not in the exact area I had in mind when I first set out. I wanted to be a film composer but I work in games. (And have a very good work/life balance, somewhat low stress, etc). So my small bit of advice would be to set out but be flexible to what opportunities may surprise and come your way.
I always find that there's a huge camaraderie amongst film composers. I chat with a handful regularly just to feel like I'm not alone and we're always trying to support and help each other be the best we can. it's never competition, it's always a relay race we're running together
Great video Christian. Interesting subject. I went to a well known music college. 10 years on, there are 3 of us from that course working professionally as composers. Thats roughly out of 20/25 students. One of those was already a professional composer when he was on the course. It seems the difference with all 3 of us has been persistence, hard work and specialisation. We've all found our own little pocket to build from. Like you often quote; "be yourself, everything else is taken". Collaborative and supportive spirits seem to go further in the creative industries rather than competitive or combative working mindsets, at least as far as I've seen; but that's just my 2 pence. I could be wrong, it may very well be a slaughter house further up the ladder for all I know. Also that puppy, kind of stealing the show!
Your new puppy is adorable!! And I loved this line in this video "we make money selling ink".
I need to prepare myself for watching these videos, very down to earth and solid advice. Thinking I should quit while I'm ahead (or, at least, not destitute and living on the street yet). But then today a little job came through for $200....and I'm motivated again. Al Pacino nailed it: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in"
Really, it's so inspiring to listen your thoughts about music industry from the point of view of a music composer and spot similarities, regardless the fact that I'm looking at the industry from a musician-in-a-band standing point. In the age when the music industry is so toxic you can get burnt without even noticing it's amazingly refreshing to see a band that isn't comparing themselves to someone else i.e. "oh shoot, those f*ckers were better, let's hate them" rather than looking at themselves and deciding "as a matter of fact, our gig was a bit of sh*t, we clearly can do better next time and improve ourselves, just like these dudes..." Soo much wise words, mr. Henson, Apreciate it in every vlog you upload :) Cheers from Poland ;)
What a great episode. Relatively speaking, 500,000 doesn’t seem too bad compared to the many who are trying to be actors, say. Never will that stop me from going for my dream!
I started feeling competitive as soon as I started getting nominated for even the smallest regional awards - short film festivals etc. But I'm 100% sure it comes from a place of insecurity, so now I just tend to keep my head down and focus on improving myself and I'm much healthier for it!
Oh Chris, once again, thanks for sharing all these insights! Perfect timing, its getting weird! :p And your little pup, oh, just loves you, had to re-watch the video to check on what you were saying, I knew they were important but couldn't concentrate over first try! :)
Thanks for your honesty, Christian!
What is 'success'? My 'success' has always been through set goals. Sometimes the goal has been as simple as "I want to enjoy the end result" or "I want to learn something from the journey." Sometimes it's about playing a difficult track in a live setting, from taking risks rather than just sitting behind a keyboard and gonking over a pre-recorded backing track in front of an audience of friends. Sometimes those risks pay off and sometimes I/we fall flat on our collective faces. The goal has never been about making money and my version of success isn't about selling gazillions of records or being the next Justin Bieber (I haven't got the legs for it anymore) although selling a few more discs would be nice (if only to buy more toys). That my stuff has ended up in a couple of computer games and on at least one Hollywood movie (where the performers keep their clothes on) is satisfying enough. That my tunes ended up being mastered at Skywalker sound has earned me more bragging rights down the pub than a year of Soundcloud plays. So, yeah. I think it boils down to bragging rights really, shallow git that I am.
Christian, you seem to have overlooked one of the most important rules of thumb of for media personalities: "Never get photographed with children or animals".
2:52 - Indeed, “pressing the flesh often” is what got Tiger Woods into trouble and nearly ended his career.
I've never seen anything as competition in a bad sense of the word.. I always compete with myself but view my peers work more as like "friendly competition". In the sense that I will hear their work and if there's something I enjoy, I will try to reproduce it better, but never in the negative sense. I always show myself available to help my peers and I have had friends who went on to Hollywood and composed for Broadway. Their upside was mostly related to location. I come from Portugal where there's very little production happening and where budgets are low. So most of the time I try to keep up by comparing my work with others only so that I have a reference where I'm at. But never out of envy.
Thank you so much for this Mr. Henson🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
You're great mate. God you can chat. Thought I could chat but you are a very clever man. Love your Dogs too.
Never less than fascinating. I really enjoy your highly informative vids, Christian. Not to mention the growing, wonderful, free LABS instrument set. Many thanks for both. Back at this topic - Is a soggy pup also a critical element for success?
Hey! Great video buddy. Where I am the problems I face are that every director I’ve ever worked with thankfully, have continued to use me and we have great relationships but they all are being constantly bombarded by composers looking for opportunities, which i understand and for the most part it’s respectful but there are the ones who’d do anything for the job, give me a chance etc. Thankfully I’ve not lost any work because of this but the problem is... how the hell do I find new collaborators with our relying on word or mouth and recommendations when I know film makers are already being bombarded, why would they see a message from me not knowing who I am and think any differently about me than the other 50 people who’ve messaged them. So basically I stopped doing that, but having been recently made redundant I need to be more proactive but it’s tough when the impression I get from my film maker pals is were like hyenas all hungry to get some meat. Don’t get me wrong I love the community I have a TH-cam where I offer help and advice too and I’ll always help someone out if I can! It’s a complicated landscape down here in the micro budget indie part of the world
Very eye-opening, thank you for making this video!
Well I looked it up & "pressing the flesh" ins't sleeping your way to the top! The education continues, continued thanks for the vids & LABS freebies - it has paid off I'm now a purchaser!
LOL. Pups go crazy over your bag as you try to make an important point @3:34, so child like, lovely.
This was a great topic! Maybe next time you can talk about how us film composers can effectively market ourselves? And if this has already been covered in another video feel free to let me know.
I've gone the other way (a long way around, it turns out) that I studied music in my younger days, decided that it wasn't for me, studied architecture instead and became qualified in that field. During these studies I discovered cinema, and directing for screen.
I still play in a covers band and play a lot of weddings. So then e ded up doing wedding photography and videos.
Now all of the wedding filmsi do get original music, which is a competitive advantage I have over other wedding photographers who use stock music, or worse, unauthorised music use.
I'm currently building up my portfolio while I'm in uni by making friends and alliances with film producers and doing their music. Happy to work for free for friends and other students, that way my portfolio gets built and I can then have a decent bedrock once I leave uni to hopefully make money out of it.
Loved the Beyonce analogy ! Also agree that my biggest competition is me, trying to getting a little better every day pays off BIG time in the long run !
love these monologue videos
Good stuff! Always inspiring
"Always own the ink that comes out of your pen." That's goood!
I am so lucky as to never having to meet anyone. It’s my antisocial/insecure nature that pushed me into composition in the first place. I lucked into a wonderful library however that pays me $800 per 2 minute song. That simple. But in my case I’m the first to acknowledge, a huge part of my being able to actually sell songs is luck. Without it I don’t think anyone would get anywhere..
You say it's a young man's game. What is too old? I graduated in 1993 with a degree in Electronic Composition. At the time it would have been the perfect time to get into the video game business but no one at my school including me had any idea that was even possible. I find myself now at age 51 longing for a do over. Not composing for video games specifically but anything to make my bills or at least have a nice side gig to buy a nice vacation here and there. Am I kidding myself?
If your ambitions are as vapid as above with the intentions to "make bills" and to "buy a nice vacation", then I'm sorry but I have bad news for you..
@@paulmcfartkey6511 Yeah I didn't exactly word that correctly.
Nothing wrong with writing music with the aim of earning a little bit of extra cash. If you can get involved with some libraries and get yourself some placements you can potentially earn a lot (or not much at all...depending on the library, style and production chops). No one even needs to know your age
Great video!
BTW. cute pup..
It is not about how many composers are out there, it is about "how talented" they are, or how gifted "you" are. I would guess it is the same for most creative industries. I went from music into film, and in general I'd say 95% of the competition is just "average" in terms of talent. If you are a really good composer you are probably only competing with the other 5%, as long as you apply commitment and "polite" determination. Many thanks to Chris and Spitfire, truly outstanding on every level.
It’s 50% lunch. It’s about talent combined with personality and essential traits like dogged tenacity conscientiousness and an innate ability to collaborate being open and having a sense of humour also helps.
@@TheCrowHillCo Spot on. Except for lunch. I am an indi filmmaker, so that's coffee, not lunch.
Amazing..great insight.
I love your videos!
Such honest, transparent and important information for any creator to have.
I look forward to hearing your video bell chime!
Please keep up the excellent work mate! Cheers from Northern California!
What a cute dog !!!
What a cute puppy!
I'm going to try a different approach. I've got a piece of cardboard and I'm going to write "will compose music for food" and stand on the corner.
Thank you.....once again
It took me a while to realise that I wan't really in competition with others. There was another composer who wrote for the same library company as me in a similar style to what I was trying to achieve. Eventually I realised there was more than enough room for both of us, and I should stop trying to compete with them and get on with the competition between myself and the blank page.
Hi Christian, thought provoking video as usual, thanks.... But the question is how to define success? Although I make no money from making music (and unlikely I ever will) I have freedom to make whatever music I feel like making, there's no expectation or deadline.... And that's wonderfully liberating! I think that is a kind of success. No?
Cheers, joni
I find there's a lot of competition for work as a musician in my area but there's practically no competition as a sound technician. Good help is very hard to find, evidently.
Yes there are some areas of our business which are undersubscribed.
Fantastic - RICH without being famous - I buy in to that, always have, always will. Though, after all this time, I doubt that either will materialise. We do it for the love of it only, anything else is a bonus.
Great insight!
@Christian Henson Music ... haha ... if you are correlating the Paleolithic Diet with (lack of) longevity ... then, sadly, I suspect you may be misinformed about many other "things"
BTW ... love your music and technical ability ... and admittedly, I am a Spitfire Fanboy. Splendid Stuff!
superb ! '...you are the ink that comes out of your pen.'
Really good episode again. I try not to view other composers as competition, it's not good for your mental health, and it's not good for composing as a profession if we all have that mentality. It's hard to keep this attitude though when you keep submitting pitches that you've pitched the fuck out of (to use your expression Christian!), and not got it as there were 30 other aspiring composers pitching too!
Christian, on paper I should never pursue a career in composition. I never studied composition, I’m over 40 and I have two young children. I love the idea, I love the process of composing, but part of me refuses to invest more time if the chances of doing anything professionally are slim. Which takes me to my question: shall people in my circumstances just accept that making money will never happen to us? Could Spitfire create a mentoring product to improve the chances of people like us get any further on the ladder?
I've had an idea! What about selling fans to mugs? :O) Okay, sorry, I juat had to. On a serious note, as always, huge food for thought, and yes, it's easy to see everyone else as a competitor, rather than an inspiration to simply do better yourself. And that puppy is damn cute. (Looks at camera, tries to look manly, and not at all soppy when it comes to dogs :O)
Considering there seems to be a new streaming TV series coming out almost every week, I'm sure there will be enough to go around hehe
Always love your vids!
I swear I was listening not just watching the dogs ;)
Thank you for this video Christian. How do you protect your IP when collaborating with someone who doesn't contribute as much as you do but gets shared credit?
Would you consider putting a video together about creating a business plan within the music industry? (Will you start selling mugs, because why not, could go towards more prizes!)
I think Oscar is feeling the competition!
Have you thought of doing a sample pack of mangled puppy noises (“mangled puppy” is probably not the best title for such a pack!)? 🐶
Christian, you asked at the end of the video about competition in our own respective parts of the world. How much does location matter as a composer now compared to before the internet?
It is still vital when starting out, not once established.
Nice video. Thousands about but not many as interesting as the likes of Christian and Hainbach. Guilds in the modern context, your views? I have my renewal notice, not sure if I can be bothered paying my dues.
How do you expect me to focus with that adorable dog on camera?
all i can think about when watching this, is "puppy papoose"!
maybe because i studied philosophy, it drives me crazy somone speaking presto like that, as it were a matter of telling someone what happened yesterday in the family... See: no one need average mass composers more than especial composers. Of course its another paramater of comparation. Being average composer and no composer is very similar for the. odds of "success" But if you are a composer probably you do that before you fell CALLED to do it, no matter what. Messiaen composed in the prison. All the rest is details about secondary use of the craft, called film composing... Just focus on composing, that is the thing that people who is willing to pay and have god taste are searching for. Otherwise live to please who canot distinguish between Wagner and Beyonce, as it were both "entertainment", as AirBnb classifies it btw.
Thanks for making this video and for confirming the path I have chosen for myself. In college I definitely felt a sort of rivalry (even more than my fellow students, I was very insecure...). Later in life I got more relaxed and realised that you have to figure out your own style more than anything and that some jobs will be perfect for you compared to others.
What has turned me off to making "being-a-film-composer" my main income is the dependencies on directors and game makers and where you life locally.
I've always wanted to hold all my cards myself. I don't want other people to hold my cards. The thought of not being in control of my own income and going months, years in between good paying jobs was really scary to me.
So hearing about the incredible amount of composers out there (and especially paying users) really makes me hopeful that my sampling business will work out. Then, while that is working, I can concentrate on pitching for the jobs I REALLY want, making the music I REALLY want without any internal or external pressure and really enjoying what I do without being fearful about running out of money.
So thanks again Christian, for being so inspiring and helping me finding my path.
Came for Christian's advice,
Stayed for puppy
Assuming that we have something that other people need or want, it all then comes down to opportunity and that’s something we have no control over.
We can increase our chances of success by adopting good practices and eliminating bad ones, but without an opportunity to present ourselves to others it may lead nowhere.
I don’t dismiss other composers for being my competitor, but I accept that they often are.
I want to work WITH other collaborators (composers/lyricists/artists), but I am often frustrated by their lack of presence at networking events, both here in Northern Ireland and in London.
Far too many are wanting to do it alone and would gladly step on you to get ‘That opportunity’ before you, rather than happily walk with you to get it together.
Having a colleague to bounce ideas off and to share your collective successes and disappointments with is a wonderful thing.
I’m pretty sure that you and your brother Joe would agree with me on that last point Christian...?
For me it is like Backgammon, yes a game of chance, but a better player will always beat you regardless of what the dice does. So its about lessening the odds:
1. Work harder than everyone else
2. Find your voice / play to your strengths
3. Do it when you're young
4. Be a nice person
5. Learn how to become an excellent head of department
6. Live close to where the action is
7. Be "seen" where the action is, network.
8. Create your own brand and market it
9. Be active in the industry...
I'll think of one more and make a vlog about it.
Christian Henson Music Thanks for your response Christian!
Backgammon is an excellent metaphor here. I’ll look forward to seeing your vlog 👍🏻
Cheers for now
Terry 😎
I felt distracted that you didn't put the strap of the dog bag on your shoulder under the hood of your jacket. Looks uncomfortable hahah. No but great video, appreciate you making the content man!
I have the exact number: 40,321.5, the 0.5 is for my cousin who is a half composer.
Well. As a graphic designer I can tell you there are SWARMS out there - more than composers. And yet when you look to God then He gives you work, and consequently I've done work for national companies and have done quite well.
Approx. 7.500 million people believe they're "a composer."
Furthermore, being a composer isn't related to business. Not only, at least.
I think that is the same as in trading(wich I am doing now,as music is a crazy thing;-)).10 per cent make money.
This is just a random thought I had, but I have to ask. When are you going to take Albion "out of the box" and create the Albion module for eurorack? Something we can put into our euroracks and load with the sample sets we want and control different parameters with cv perhaps? It was a spontaneous thought, but one with potential I think.
Hah, loved the accents!
As Bono (ugh) said "People call us lucky. Funny thing is, the harder we work, the luckier we get."
Funnily enough it was Arnold Palmer the golfer who said it originally
@@vinnieRice I won't argue with ya! 😁