In terms of sound bites, you're taking a lion bite, not a mouse bite.

nsmadsen said:

For me I see two issues in this post:

• Does producing an entire OST within one project/session work?

Yes. It doesn't quite well. This is the method I use. I know several game composers who keep their sessions separated out by cue. I get this approach because sometimes you can run out of resources, especially with really large sessions so you need to make each track it's own project file. I've done this before for certain games that require a certain setup and really push my hardware to the max. But for other projects, I'll do my best to keep all of the cues (or tracks) all built within one large project file. The advantage here is once you set up your master chain, you can render out all of your tracks through that one chain. The issue with multiple project files is if you change your mastering chain midway through production, you need to make sure to remember to keep those changes consistent across many different project files, instead of just one.

Thank you for your time and knowledge Nathan,

I understand, I tried to find the boundaries of my system by doing this project but never actually found them after using however many hundreds of plugins and 3000 track template :D I am using Ryzen 9, VEPro with slave servers. (Dell PowerEdge R820) in case you are curious. How do you manage keep consistency between different projects within a project?

I take the “same vibe” notion as a compliment haha! A lot of the notes are also the same because most of it is written around just a few melodic themes.

The “Red Thread” thing is exactly what I'm trying to convey which is something a short reel nor a regular 3 minute piece of music showcases, and to me seems like a mandatory skill in order to make a great soundtrack. But then again I am no music director and you and the other peeps here have more experience and understanding of what music directors want.

So if I understand you correctly it would a good asset to have in a portfolio to show a music director after they've taken an interest in your showreel, which should consist of a few shorter pieces?

@Tom Sloper as much as I hate to adhere to rules within creative business, I'd have to agree with you. Do you think it is useful in a portfolio as second/third step or not even that? Also I tried to make a “short & sweet” reel today, would you say that this is paced appropriately? It's 11 tracks in 2 minutes instead of 1 in 30 :')

Berend Salverda said:

@Tom Sloper as much as I hate to adhere to rules within creative business, I'd have to agree with you. Do you think it is useful in a portfolio as second/third step or not even that? Also I tried to make a “short & sweet” reel today, would you say that this is paced appropriately? It's 11 tracks in 2 minutes instead of 1 in 30 :')

I'm extremely busy and I don't have time to answer questions directed solely at me. Please just post general questions, and don't wait for me to reply. It's final exams week where I teach, and I have a lot to do right now. Sorry if this sounds dismissive. That's not my intention (but I don't like being called out). I'm sure others are also able to answer your questions.

Yes, I've used multi-genre/styled demo montages for years. It really helps because clients can preview a style they're most interested in - instead of having to wade through a bunch of styles they're not currently needing.

@Tom Sloper I completely understand, happy to hear some people are actually still busy during lockdown. Most of my questions are also meant as general questions (for other readers passing by) as I am happy with whoever takes the time to answer. But I'm not used to being on forums much so pardon me for pressuring you, no worries haha. Good luck with the exams!

@nsmadsen how would you handle a situation where the genre is still to be decided or the client is looking for something “new”? Do those reels still work in that scenario?

You can always write a short custom cue for a client looking for something new.

Would you also stay away from video-footage as it could cloud the judgement

Not so much cloud judgment, as take away attention.

I sorta disagree with the comments about working without visuals. As game composers, a vital part of our job is to be able to support gameplay mechanics, dialog and visuals. I've run across more than a few composers who struggled with writing to picture (be in games or film) but could produce tracks on their own.