January's been a good month so far. Filled with things. Happenings. Memories made. Events attended. Adventures had. Sure, I've worked my ass off in the interest of saving for this trip of mine next month but the social gatherings and shenanigans in between have made it all worthwhile. Impromptu concerts, bar nights, a date here and there and always yoga. I tried a new gluten free beer at a meetup, made new friends there and at the yoga studio, hitting up regular classes. I seem to wind up at Rockwood or Barbes on the regular still.
At home, I got talked into taking in not one but two kittens, mischievous balls of fur which are vastly changing my routine around the apartment (always closing my bedroom door and making sure not to leave anything breakable on the table). There's of course been some excitement with the career(s), a new demo, the chance at getting in front of some agents and casting directors and with the screening for "The Life" looming, I get called to do a commercial for the same director.
In the midst of working on the music for this commercial, we get slammed by a blizzard and I have to spend a night in the city at a hotel so I can make it to work two hours earlier than normal this morning, forcing me to take a slight hiatus from working on it. But tomorrow I dive back in, hopefully having caught up on my sleep tonight.
I got a look at the first cut just now which was shot and edited this weekend. I composed the initial idea this past weekend (landed on it after just two takes) after having only read the treatment. A fun way to work, no doubt. I like doing it this way sometimes. I get to come up with some idea based on the raw emotions instead of immediately being preoccupied with making it fit some time constraint. But now, my work is to extend the musical idea and work on creating an arc that aligns with the images I'm seeing in the video.
Really looking forward to this process. The deadline is approaching. For now, though, I'm going to head home and get that much needed sleep, without which I cannot function.
Showing posts with label composing jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label composing jobs. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Trains, metaphors...
I'm going to go ahead and skip all the "I've been too busy to blog stuff" and get right to it. Things are great right now. Lots of things floating in the air right now but definitely, there's a lot of potential and I'm choosing to look at it all as positive. In the past few years since I've been living here I've gone from waiting and waiting for fun/good/awesome things to happen that I can write home about to realizing that I can usually tell when I'm on the way to stuff happening that is fun/good/awesome and that that alone is good enough to write home about. Granted, this when I'm looking at this blog as a way to "write home when there's something to write home about."
I digress. Point being, knowing how things ebb and flow, I can be so much more patient when good things are dangled in front of me and not instinctively run at them, knowing that what will come will come. I had a moment this week where I almost ran at the thing and preempted a bunch of stuff that wasn't ready to be preempted. I've often spoke to friends (especially fellow freelance friends), about how, ultimately I would like to be fully freelance, stitching together a living with voice over and film scoring jobs and the occasional TV or film job, here or there. It's pretty much the dream right now. The realistic dream. Not that I don't still dream of being a full time composer. But that's mostly what this blog is about. So you all know that.
In the past few months, I've secured two well playing freelance jobs, one at TruTV and one at CNN. I'm mainly working at CNN and still at NY1, with TruTV promising shifts when people call out sick or take vacation, but the simple thought that between those two other freelance jobs, I could supplement a whole new approach to my income, with voice over and music playing lead roles. It'd really be the perfect scenario. So the setup is there but in the execution is where the problem lies.
I took a few days to think it over. At different points during that time span, certain things occurred to me I hadn't initially realized and by the end of it all, it just didn't seem like the right time to make the leap for a myriad of reasons but it only took a few to really make me see. I was far too eager, for starters. As I have been for the past few years. But also, I was getting too far ahead of myself in terms of what was possible. Without going too far into detail, it really came down to whether I could expect enough work from either freelance job to justify leaving the full time job.
Consensus: it's not time. Oh, how I wanted it to be though. Good thing I have long train rides during which to think these things over. I even thought of a metaphor one night this week. Working at 9am until 1130pm can really make you loathe waiting on the train platform at night. I'm going to preface this by saying that soon, I'm going to start taking cabs home on the company's dime because they reimburse after hours cab fare. But these last few weeks I've been taking sometimes hour long train rides home (including wait time) knowing that I needed to wake up at 730am at the latest. And that's when it gets really really frustrating when you miss that first train or a connection. After I moved to my current neighborhood a few years ago, I suddenly had about 9 different paths I could take to work. So, on the way in, it's a matter, sometimes, of just taking the first train that comes. On the way home though, it's a guessing game as to which train is going to come first and then it's a gamble as to whether either path is going to get me home any sooner. Forget for a minute that we're working with a range of about ten to twenty minutes difference, at most, in commute time. Or maybe don't. My ultimate conclusion, and what calmed my frustration, was that it doesn't matter what path you take sometimes and if it does, it's a difference of a few minutes that really isn't going to translate into a more restful night's sleep. You're really at the mercy of the train schedule and the fact that there really is no train schedule.
Just as in life, sometimes you're at the mercy of what's available to you and have to make the most of the options available to you. So maybe I don't need to rush at anything. Not necessarily arbitrarily choosing my path but realizing that when the time comes, I won't need to. That train will be coming and I can get on it and catch it without having to run down the stairs and risk spraining my ankle. Nobody wants that.
I digress. Point being, knowing how things ebb and flow, I can be so much more patient when good things are dangled in front of me and not instinctively run at them, knowing that what will come will come. I had a moment this week where I almost ran at the thing and preempted a bunch of stuff that wasn't ready to be preempted. I've often spoke to friends (especially fellow freelance friends), about how, ultimately I would like to be fully freelance, stitching together a living with voice over and film scoring jobs and the occasional TV or film job, here or there. It's pretty much the dream right now. The realistic dream. Not that I don't still dream of being a full time composer. But that's mostly what this blog is about. So you all know that.
In the past few months, I've secured two well playing freelance jobs, one at TruTV and one at CNN. I'm mainly working at CNN and still at NY1, with TruTV promising shifts when people call out sick or take vacation, but the simple thought that between those two other freelance jobs, I could supplement a whole new approach to my income, with voice over and music playing lead roles. It'd really be the perfect scenario. So the setup is there but in the execution is where the problem lies.
I took a few days to think it over. At different points during that time span, certain things occurred to me I hadn't initially realized and by the end of it all, it just didn't seem like the right time to make the leap for a myriad of reasons but it only took a few to really make me see. I was far too eager, for starters. As I have been for the past few years. But also, I was getting too far ahead of myself in terms of what was possible. Without going too far into detail, it really came down to whether I could expect enough work from either freelance job to justify leaving the full time job.
Consensus: it's not time. Oh, how I wanted it to be though. Good thing I have long train rides during which to think these things over. I even thought of a metaphor one night this week. Working at 9am until 1130pm can really make you loathe waiting on the train platform at night. I'm going to preface this by saying that soon, I'm going to start taking cabs home on the company's dime because they reimburse after hours cab fare. But these last few weeks I've been taking sometimes hour long train rides home (including wait time) knowing that I needed to wake up at 730am at the latest. And that's when it gets really really frustrating when you miss that first train or a connection. After I moved to my current neighborhood a few years ago, I suddenly had about 9 different paths I could take to work. So, on the way in, it's a matter, sometimes, of just taking the first train that comes. On the way home though, it's a guessing game as to which train is going to come first and then it's a gamble as to whether either path is going to get me home any sooner. Forget for a minute that we're working with a range of about ten to twenty minutes difference, at most, in commute time. Or maybe don't. My ultimate conclusion, and what calmed my frustration, was that it doesn't matter what path you take sometimes and if it does, it's a difference of a few minutes that really isn't going to translate into a more restful night's sleep. You're really at the mercy of the train schedule and the fact that there really is no train schedule.
Just as in life, sometimes you're at the mercy of what's available to you and have to make the most of the options available to you. So maybe I don't need to rush at anything. Not necessarily arbitrarily choosing my path but realizing that when the time comes, I won't need to. That train will be coming and I can get on it and catch it without having to run down the stairs and risk spraining my ankle. Nobody wants that.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
A Sea Change...
At the end of my work week here and I'm trying to accept that it's not all productivity and milestones. But then I'm also constantly trying to remind myself, when I'm sitting here idle, at a slow moment in the work evening, that I did accomplish a lot earlier today (voice over auditions and work on re-editing one of my demos...oh, and rock star yoga class at noon before work) and that it's no big deal, as awful as it feels, that I'm getting nothing else done today. It's just too distracting right now at work and so many of the things I have to do, I need to be in the home office/studio to be doing them.
I'm on at least 5 major tasks right now that are preoccupying my time:
Working on the remix project which is due Feburary 8th
Submitting VO auditions on an almost daily basis if I can
Rehearsing for the upcoming CD release parties with Lacy
Networking with filmmakers to try and get another film scoring job
Revamping some of my voice over demos and creating a promo demo so I can ultimately start soliciting agents
...and I think that's it...maybe I can count trying to clean up my apartment on a grand scale. Right now I'm on the donating clothes leg of that race.
So, you see, very few of these things can be done at work. I guess I can be researching filmmakers and writing emails right now but everything else needs to be done at home. I'm in a phase with the remix contest where I really can't be doing anything in headphones. I need my monitors. I could be doing research on agents, too, I guess.
But all this comes with the sinking feeling that, with a potential change in my work schedule here, I may have fewer chances to get any of my work done during the day unless I adjust my routines. I've always been good at that though. A while back, I lost the overnight shifts, sorry, got rid of the overnight shifts and while it is nice to be rid of them, I did get a staggering amount of work done there. During the weekdays here it gets far too busy for me to have my laptop out and, lately, I haven't even been getting breaks because of how short staffed we are. Having more seniority when we finally get our new hires in here, I stand to completely lose all weekend and late evening shifts, which would be nice...I mean it'd be effing great! but the notion of doing any kind of work other than administrative stuff, and sending emails would be all but gone. Maybe I could get away with the occasional mixing and editing of music tracks on my break, or voicing auditions in edit bays, something I haven't done in a while.
Ultimately, depending on what my new shift is, I'm going to have to figure out when during the day I can do things like submit to VO auditions and compose and mix audio. Shutting the door to my room works but sometimes it's still too distracting when Katrina and I are home at the same time, which could happen, say, if I get a 10am - 6pm shift. Don't get me wrong it be a rock star shift and I'd eat it up. Imagine! Being able to get off work at dinner time and go home and cook dinner and eat it right away instead of this shit where I make three portions of the same meal and carry it all to work, risk spilling it in my bag (happened yesterday with chicken soup), then have to microwave it later so that the vast majority of dinners I eat have been reheated. Imagine, getting up at the same time every day and going to yoga at the same time and then having weekends off so I can hang out with people who have 9-5 Monday through Friday jobs. I've been on horrible dates that were my weekend night but the other person's middle of the week or vice versa (worse in my opinion).
But I digress. This blog is about my own productivity. I see it as a challenge that, with all the things that could potentially change with my schedule, I may have to do my freelance work at less optimal times of day. So far, I've actually enjoyed and actively benefited from working nights. I wake up fresh, go to yoga, then come home and work my face off and then go to work my night job feeling accomplished and in a good mood, get off work, maybe have one drink and sleep and do it all over again.
I suppose I'm getting a tiny bit wistful but, ya know, one door closes another opens, yadda yadda. I guess I'm going to post this blog and then get to doing my research. Later on!
I'm on at least 5 major tasks right now that are preoccupying my time:
Working on the remix project which is due Feburary 8th
Submitting VO auditions on an almost daily basis if I can
Rehearsing for the upcoming CD release parties with Lacy
Networking with filmmakers to try and get another film scoring job
Revamping some of my voice over demos and creating a promo demo so I can ultimately start soliciting agents
...and I think that's it...maybe I can count trying to clean up my apartment on a grand scale. Right now I'm on the donating clothes leg of that race.
So, you see, very few of these things can be done at work. I guess I can be researching filmmakers and writing emails right now but everything else needs to be done at home. I'm in a phase with the remix contest where I really can't be doing anything in headphones. I need my monitors. I could be doing research on agents, too, I guess.
But all this comes with the sinking feeling that, with a potential change in my work schedule here, I may have fewer chances to get any of my work done during the day unless I adjust my routines. I've always been good at that though. A while back, I lost the overnight shifts, sorry, got rid of the overnight shifts and while it is nice to be rid of them, I did get a staggering amount of work done there. During the weekdays here it gets far too busy for me to have my laptop out and, lately, I haven't even been getting breaks because of how short staffed we are. Having more seniority when we finally get our new hires in here, I stand to completely lose all weekend and late evening shifts, which would be nice...I mean it'd be effing great! but the notion of doing any kind of work other than administrative stuff, and sending emails would be all but gone. Maybe I could get away with the occasional mixing and editing of music tracks on my break, or voicing auditions in edit bays, something I haven't done in a while.
Ultimately, depending on what my new shift is, I'm going to have to figure out when during the day I can do things like submit to VO auditions and compose and mix audio. Shutting the door to my room works but sometimes it's still too distracting when Katrina and I are home at the same time, which could happen, say, if I get a 10am - 6pm shift. Don't get me wrong it be a rock star shift and I'd eat it up. Imagine! Being able to get off work at dinner time and go home and cook dinner and eat it right away instead of this shit where I make three portions of the same meal and carry it all to work, risk spilling it in my bag (happened yesterday with chicken soup), then have to microwave it later so that the vast majority of dinners I eat have been reheated. Imagine, getting up at the same time every day and going to yoga at the same time and then having weekends off so I can hang out with people who have 9-5 Monday through Friday jobs. I've been on horrible dates that were my weekend night but the other person's middle of the week or vice versa (worse in my opinion).
But I digress. This blog is about my own productivity. I see it as a challenge that, with all the things that could potentially change with my schedule, I may have to do my freelance work at less optimal times of day. So far, I've actually enjoyed and actively benefited from working nights. I wake up fresh, go to yoga, then come home and work my face off and then go to work my night job feeling accomplished and in a good mood, get off work, maybe have one drink and sleep and do it all over again.
I suppose I'm getting a tiny bit wistful but, ya know, one door closes another opens, yadda yadda. I guess I'm going to post this blog and then get to doing my research. Later on!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Not a failure...
Well, I didn't get it. That documentary job. I kind of prepared myself for this though. And I'm actually quite relieved. I have so much on my plate right now I wouldn't have been able to do well on any of it.
Ultimately, after my third try at it, the producer told me that she and the editor really liked my music but, since they have a short time to work and get the right tone for the film they felt they should go with someone who had more experience with documentaries. I get it. I wasn't a fit for the project. I might have been able to do it and do it well but it would have been a lot of trial and error. It's really my first time trying to work with a feature length documentary and, inevitably, I wasn't going to get it right the first time. And they don't need someone who's going to not get it right the first time. And since they're paying the person they have a right to feel that way.
It's a hard thing to come to terms with. I'm trying not to see it like I botched a great opportunity. Of course, there'll be others and all that stuff, whatever. But, really a lot of the lessons I learned from this I could have intuited from my previous experience and what I know instinctively about the way music works in documentaries vs. narratives, as per my last blog. This information was up there in my head but I didn't think to access it. I got so excited I was getting this opportunity and I was so obsessed with proving I had a quick turnaround time that I don't think I really did give it my best shot possible. And that's what's hard. I'm a little bit disappointed in myself. But I'll get over it. It's just another lesson learned. Not a failure. Maybe it just didn't come at the right time and I should just feel good to have been considered at all. I'll go with that.
Meanwhile, I'm about to dive back into work on the score for the sci-fi short. That's coming along nicely and the director likes what he's hearing. There's been a lot of back and forth and active discussion about what works and what doesn't, which, as I said before, I enjoy. The process. Working on that'll get my mind off things for a while and maybe I can destress a little after.
It's my birthday next Saturday. 31. I'm planning some birthday drinks after work on Friday and the day of my birthday, I requested off. That night I have two tickets to see Mike Doughty at City Winery in Tribeca, about which I'm very excited but I have no confirmed date yet. I've honestly been a tiny bit lazy about coming up with someone, just asking whoever's closest to me, and no one seems to even remember Soul Coughing! I don't know yet what I'll do if it comes to the day of and I have no one to go with but I hope it doesn't come to that.
I'll think about it I guess but for now I'd better get to work.
Ultimately, after my third try at it, the producer told me that she and the editor really liked my music but, since they have a short time to work and get the right tone for the film they felt they should go with someone who had more experience with documentaries. I get it. I wasn't a fit for the project. I might have been able to do it and do it well but it would have been a lot of trial and error. It's really my first time trying to work with a feature length documentary and, inevitably, I wasn't going to get it right the first time. And they don't need someone who's going to not get it right the first time. And since they're paying the person they have a right to feel that way.
It's a hard thing to come to terms with. I'm trying not to see it like I botched a great opportunity. Of course, there'll be others and all that stuff, whatever. But, really a lot of the lessons I learned from this I could have intuited from my previous experience and what I know instinctively about the way music works in documentaries vs. narratives, as per my last blog. This information was up there in my head but I didn't think to access it. I got so excited I was getting this opportunity and I was so obsessed with proving I had a quick turnaround time that I don't think I really did give it my best shot possible. And that's what's hard. I'm a little bit disappointed in myself. But I'll get over it. It's just another lesson learned. Not a failure. Maybe it just didn't come at the right time and I should just feel good to have been considered at all. I'll go with that.
Meanwhile, I'm about to dive back into work on the score for the sci-fi short. That's coming along nicely and the director likes what he's hearing. There's been a lot of back and forth and active discussion about what works and what doesn't, which, as I said before, I enjoy. The process. Working on that'll get my mind off things for a while and maybe I can destress a little after.
It's my birthday next Saturday. 31. I'm planning some birthday drinks after work on Friday and the day of my birthday, I requested off. That night I have two tickets to see Mike Doughty at City Winery in Tribeca, about which I'm very excited but I have no confirmed date yet. I've honestly been a tiny bit lazy about coming up with someone, just asking whoever's closest to me, and no one seems to even remember Soul Coughing! I don't know yet what I'll do if it comes to the day of and I have no one to go with but I hope it doesn't come to that.
I'll think about it I guess but for now I'd better get to work.
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