I'm in.. I just need some more details.

I think it's a great idea. I suspect if you want it to happen, you'll have to take the initative in getting in going. If you've got the energy, by all means go for it!

One suggestion I'd make that I've seen for music competitions before: Have each competitor submit music to one person, and have that person post each composition online without attribution. Then, either just let everyone hear them and have the actual judge make the decision, or even better, let everyone vote for their favorite.

If you can get this going, I'd definitely join in.

Looks like we have enough participants to start this thing up in a few days.

Since nobody's posted any direct objections to my personal idea for how to operate this, I'll just assume everyone's okay with that system.

I'll begin to search for possible tracks. Hopefully I can find a song that's available somewhere for free download on the internet. Otherwise...we may have to "make everyone responsible for obtaining their own copy" ;). Gotta respect the copyright laws. In the meantime, if anyone has any input on which source track to use, please PM me or reach me on AIM/MSN/YIM (see my profile).

Does everyone trust me to find something worthwhile, or do we need to make sure to come to a consensus?

Sounds like fun...count me in!!!

I'd definitly be interested! I do have a suggestion though. It seems like basing it off of another persons composition may be less of a challenge of our skill and less aplicable to our fields of work than maybe picking a style and setting guidelines to follow. For example we could have a contest to compose the best battle piece and set a particular length limit maybe instrumentation guidelines etc.Or we could describe a hypothetical scene. In nintendos latestm mario game mario is translocated into a quake type environment (aweful idea but you get the point) or just something vague like "an icy cave..." and we work from there. This sort of thing seems like it would be a lot more useful dont you think? Either way the more practice I get writing regadless of what it is the better so I'll be glad to participate.

This is what I've been looking for. I'd like to become a proffesional composer for video games and perhaps movies and practise is the best way. I'm only 15 so I can learn a lot, and if even great composers like Sean R Beeson are in, I'm in too!

- Stenny

EDIT, does the actual file format matter? I don't really have a recording studio of some sort ;).

I think that Antisheep's idea of having a friendly, learning event should be done. Depending on how the turn-out is, we could have a bigger one with prizes later. (Those compeitions take a month to get everything ready as well) Perhaps for this one, we could.... bear with me.

Contact someone at Gamedev that can help announce this, thus at least offering some exposure for all composers. Try to start a sub thread under music for this event, where when the music is submitted, it can be posted anonymously be a third party, and where we can also have a thread where all of the people involved can post a small blurb about themselves.

Should we start a petition thread? :p

Thanks,
Sean Beeson

I like the anonymous part, but that way copyright can be infringed too. The blurb thing is also a good idea.

- Stenny

no one have feedback on my previous suggestion? ^ : (

also, do you think people knowing who made the composition will effect the judging...one way it creates a bias the other way it creates copyright danger hmmmm. Though I'm sure the copyright thing is only hypothetical considering we all have proof of composition via the extensive project file that would be very hard to duplicate by ear (since we will be submitting just audio). On the other hand biased opinions may not be a big issue either because we could find appropriate judging or find some other way to work around it. Between the two I think having anonymous mp3 postings in a thread within this forum would work just fine. Each time there is a contest the contest organizer pops a new thread down explaining the guidelines and the "contestants" post links to their mp3's where the judges can listen to them. I think having gamedev giving exposure would be a plus for sure but not a necesity.

Maybe the judges could make some small comment about each piece to ensure they dont hear a good song and not bother listening to the rest....quality control on judging may be an issue...maybe not.

I don't really care if it's supposed to be like another piece of music or not, but at least the genre and mood and others should be set.

I the best way is not making it a contest, but just a exercise. That way you can just post it under your own name, because it doesn't matter if they rating is affected by your name.

- Stenny

[Edited by - stenny on July 16, 2006 12:39:45 PM]