Daniel Caton

This is all useful advice, and I really do appreciate it. Thanks so much. @Meteo Xavier, I do understand that networking's a whole lot less useful if you don't have quality work. I have a basic portfolio/demo reel now that I'm adding to and adjusting as time goes on. It's just music right now, but I'm working on throwing some sound design shenanigans on there as soon as I can get it to a quality level that I'm happy with. @DarkEco, I do understand where you're coming from as far as the freelance vs. in-house debate. In this case, I need an internship somewhere as a graduation requirement for my university, so I figured that trying to work with a studio somewhere might fulfill that requirement while also adding something useful to my resumé. My general thought process is this: since I need to intern somewhere next summer anyways, why not pick somewhere that'll help me out when I'm getting a regular job later on? Therefore, game studios. Other options are out there, sure, and at the end of the day, I can always work with my professors and find something that'll get me that degree, even if it's not exactly what I might prefer. In this case, it's just... well, why not try? To address your main point, I do recognize that the freelance vs. in-house debate is an important one, and it is one that I've been considering. I'm aware that in-house composers are so rare that I might as well rule that one out entirely. I'll admit that I'm not as familiar with dedicated audio post-production companies, though it seems like something I really should have thought of before. Onward to Google, I suppose. And lastly, freelance work is always an option. There are a lot of considerations, though, and it's not turning out to be an easy decision. Even ignoring the question of what exactly the jobs entail, the lifestyles are just very different and right now, I'm having a hard time deciding which would work best. On the surface, freelance appears to offer a little more freedom, but in-house (either with a game studio or a post-production company) seems to offer a little more stability.

Hi all. No idea if this is the right forum or not, but I'll roll with it anyways. I'm Daniel Caton. I used to lurk on the site a ton, then made a handful of posts a few years ago and dropped off the grid entirely. In hindsight, that wasn't the right decision, since I left a few people hanging on some projects and messages. If that's you and you're reading this, well, I've realized lately that I owe a good number of people some serious apologies, so I'll be sending some messages out about that as soon as I can figure out how to properly word them. As important as that is, though, that's not why I'm making this specific post. I'm running into a problem, and I was hoping some of you might at be able to help me figure things out. I'm planning to apply for an internship for next summer with a game development studio somewhere. With any luck, it might look good on my resumé when I'm out searching for a job the following summer. Ideally I'll be doing sound design and/or music, but hey, I'll make coffee and sweep floors if that gets my foot in the door. The trouble is, I don't have any connections anywhere. I've talked to teachers at my college, I've reached out to my friends and extended family, and I just haven't been able to find anything. I can still send out applications, sure, but it's a competitive field and I was really hoping that knowing someone somewhere in the industry would give me a slight edge in getting my foot in the door. So I suppose my question is this: what in the world should I do now? I'm working on learning FMOD, Wwise, sound design, and music composition in order to put them on my resumé. I'm seeking out projects to score for my portfolio. Are there places I should look to meet people and make connections? Are there good places to find developers who need soundtracks? In short, are there any ways I can increase my chances of getting some kind of relevant internship? I know this isn't really a game development site and you may not be able to help, but right now I'm just grabbing at straws. Any advice you might have is more than welcome.

Whoopsies... Sorry, stuff happened and I forgot to vote. Still, I'll write up some feedback and PM both of you sometime in the next couple of days.

I didn't actually realize it until after I looked up the answer to your question, but thanks anyways! I only noticed because his Wikipedia article mentioned a jazz album he and someone else (presumably AYAKI) created, which was named "Gentle Love." By sheer coincidence, I had been listening to the ReMix in question a few minutes prior, and I remembered that the artist(s) went by "GENTLE LOVE." While I thought it extremely unlikely that they'd be related, I figured it was worth checking.

@Esperado There are definitely some similarities, but it was actually Norihiko Hibino. Fun fact: he actually has a ReMix on this site. A long, looooong time ago (2015), he collaborated with Ayaki Saito (generally known as AYAKI) to ReMix 'Lake of Oblivion' from Monarch: Heroes of a New Age. Check it out.

As long as you remember to pass all my future submissions, I think we'll get along fine. But hey, I'm sure that particular rule's covered in your Judge's Handbook of Judgingly Judging.

I saw the title of this thread and thought it'd be one of the greatest remix albums ever. Then I read the actual post. Anyways, I've played Pokemans Yellow, Stadium, Snap, Colosseum, Mystery Dungeon (Red Rescue Team, I think), FireRed, and Platinum. I have very fond memories of going head-to-head against my brother, although unfortunately he was always a more focussed trainer than I was, so his level 100's always clocked my level 70-80's. Then several years later, we started doing level 50 matches. ...Aaaand I still lost, although not nearly as much as I had before. But I still had Mewtwo, so my fragile ego was satisfied.

Yay! Not that I like needing an extension, but I have a WIP that just wasn't ready. Hopefully I'll be able to finish it in time.

Aww... Nothing yet? C'mon guys! Well, I haven't had time to get on a bonus track, but I really should come up with something. I'll have to see if I can improvise in the next couple days. Er... cowbell? Banjo? Jaw harp? So many options!

I listen to this album way too much. This particular song is actually my favorite out of the set. It starts off really strong with the cellos played in unison, the harmonies throughout are glorious, and the chord in the ending is unexpected, which doesn’t always work well but in this case is really cool. Actually, until I looked at the writeup on this mix, I wasn’t aware that it was two separate combined sources. Maybe I’m just oblivious, but I’d like to think it points to an excellent arrangement. Magnificent!

Oh my. This is certainly different. There's a lot of cool stuff here. A lot of weird stuff as well - in a good way - but I’m especially liking that drunken tavern bit at the end. The singing is a bit off-key (as can be expected), which would drive the perfectionist side of me absolutely batty. You succeeded in pulling it off, though, so congratulations are certainly in order.

This is really beautiful. The vocals are excellent, the orchestral writing is pleasant but unobtrusive, and everything comes together to make one really relaxing song. I especially like the way the vocals were layered in this one. Not a choir effect, as I often hear, but merely one additional voice (if I’m hearing it correctly). It’s all quite soothing.

Some classic DDRKirby(ISQ) sounds and techniques being used here, I see! Complex, cheery 9-bit madness. Quite a few themes and melodies were combined throughout this one, and in my opinion, it all works really well! There are a couple iffy spots, I suppose, but when taken as a whole, this mix is one crazy ride. There’s some awesome music here, and all y’all need to hear it.

I've been playing a bit of Shadowrun Returns lately, so I guess it's appropriate that I review this mix. You did use a lot of instruments here, and I think they work really well together. Strings, drums, vocals, flutes, bells, piano, guitar... and a bunch of other instruments I'm either not listing or not noticing. All of them blend together nicely. And a banjo, apparently! I couldn't spot it in the mix, I'm afraid, but I really like the instrument, so congrats on finding a way to use it. I think your song is very cyberpunk-y - and Shadowrun-y in its own way - and an excellent homage to the series. Nice job!

Ah, nice job on the time signature switchup! That's not always an easy thing to do, but you handled it well. The Song of Storms is such a fun melody to work with, which would, I suppose, explain the number of remixes of the song. I agree with djp’s comment that a longer version might have been nice - if only because you were doing so well with it! Still, I guess a great shorter track is better than a dragged-on longer track.

I really like the cyberpunk-y feel here. I’m not sure about the use of the Metal Gear Solid Game Over theme, if only because - for me, at least - it’s such a recognizable tune that it kind of stuck out too much. However, familiarity with that particular theme will definitely vary from person to person, so I’m happy to let it slide. On the plus side, you used the instruments well and, despite the fact that a guitar isn’t really something I typically associate with this style, it worked better than I might have thought. Good job!

After some of the fast stuff I’ve been listening to lately, this is a nice change of pace. It’s a very warm, relaxed song, but it also has a bit of sadness and melancholy to it. The build is very nice, and something about it actually sort of reminds me of Hans Zimmer’s Time, from the soundtrack to Inception. Anyone else, or is it just me? A beautiful piece!

Doom and gloom abound, I see. Excellent work! All the instruments weave together perfectly, and it sets the mood very well. I don’t really have any complaints for you. I might have liked a stronger, more focused melody floating over the deep stuff sometimes, but honestly? It works really well as it is.

Nice! You’ve made a very dramatic and battle-y mix here, and I’m really enjoying it. DimeTower mentioned the ending, and I do agree that it’s just a little bit off. You ended the song with three chords, but I think you might have been better off with just one. It’s… what, E flat major, A flat minor, and E flat something or other? Perhaps consider one big, booming E flat minor chord instead. As it is, I was inclined to think the first chord alone was the actual ending, and when the other two chords came in I was a bit confused. But regardless, this song’s really good!

Well, you definitely chose the right title for this one. Despite the constant aggression, however, you did have enough variation to keep things interesting. If you’d had the exact same level of tension throughout it wouldn’t have been quite as interesting. Good job on that. For the ending, though, I sort of felt as though it was leading up to something else. Something bigger, actually, although that wouldn’t be easy with all the crazy stuff you have going here. Maybe that’s just me, but I think it’s worth looking into.

I agree that this one’s definitely a bit gimmicky. But golly, it’s a nice gimmick! The bottle sounds are pleasant, cleanly recorded, and dang it, the novelty factor’s pretty high. Even so, the original parts about halfway through give it a lot of its own style. And while the timing errors Mr. Other Matthias mentioned are certainly present, I kind of think it just adds some imperfection, that famous human quality, to the song. A gold star from me.

Ooh, I like the mysterious vibes. And conspiracy theories with a cool accent! Length for length’s sake isn’t a great idea, but in this case the song is continually developing through the 8 minutes, and I think it really would be detrimental to remove any specific part. Interestingly enough, the song is constantly shifting and yet it has gives me the peculiar sensation that nothing has really changed. Not that it’s repetitive, mind you. It's just... curiouser and curiouser. Give it a listen!

One. No, hang on. Carry the five… All mathematical calculations pertaining to glorious abodes aside, I think it’s safe to say that at least some of them heavens have found their way into this song. It’s so over the top, but it’s still a beautiful - and listenable - song, which is no easy feat. It was interesting to hear how it influenced the formation of the OC Jazz Collective. I’m still waiting on their album release, but until then? This’ll do. This’ll definitely do.

I really like this one. It’s such a high-energy track and the Middle Eastern style is used really well in my opinion. Jill’s vocals in the intro and ending really help sell the theme. zircon’s no slouch either, of course, and he’s used speedy arps, various plucky instruments and a constant driving beat to knock this mix out of the park. It’s absolutely glorious and I love every second of it.

Jake Kaufman, ladies and gentlemen. I got into his music by way of Shovel Knight, and I’ve since grown convinced that he’s no mere mortal. While the realism of the samples leaves some to be desired, he switches between sources, styles and instruments with no small amount of skill. He’s taken influences from jazz, rock, and even a bit of orchestral stuff and made it all work. It is a bit medley-ish, as the Great Pretzel noted, but still, I’m a fan!