EC2151 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Someone has recently contacted me about paid work for his independent game. He has said his budget is small (as he is a one-man team) and that he is willing to pay. He showed me his demo and I feel confident enough to try and make something for him. Here is the google-doc I've been making that details my offers: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14sotetVaspIDpihPkrONxqFihV5kRwxc_IFG5J2ZPmI/edit Basically, two packages: -A "chiptune" package (NES, SMS, Genesis, Arcade) of music/SFX at $150 <10 min of music, or $25 per minute for >10 min of music. -A "modern" package at $250 <10min, or $40 at >10min Since he specifically sought me out after hearing my sega genesis tracks I have a feeling that is what he is wanting in this case as well. So, I was wondering if more professional eyes can see my doc and give me recommendations before I send it off to my potential client? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 Since i've actually sort of been "hired" I, while definitely excited, still have some questions. Like, the best way to set up payment (before? after?). Or, does paypal block against large block sums deposited into your account (or is paypal the best way to handle these types of deals)? I am, of course excited, but I'm a bit green in all of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederic Petitpas Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Mark your audio with a beeper and get paid first ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelsDen Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Make a Contract! Its very important to write down the rights of both sides, otherwise there will be alot of Problems if the Game gets an official release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Yeah, put white noise over any files you send before he pays you. Or if you're that crazy, be creative and add something that'll make his game ridiculously awkward. It's so he can't just take the demo files you show him and RUN BABYYYYYYYYYYY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 Make a Contract! Its very important to write down the rights of both sides, otherwise there will be alot of Problems if the Game gets an official release. Any tips as to writing a decent contract? or is it something of a "Both sides agree to X and Y while collaborating on this project" or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelsDen Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Any tips as to writing a decent contract?or is it something of a "Both sides agree to X and Y while collaborating on this project" or something? No, that would be to superficial... Modify one of these: http://hiphopproduction.com/free-music-contracts/ Its hard for me to explain the important terms in english, cause my foreign language is german but i will give it a try. Its important to declare, that even if the Company/Indepent Creator/etc. bought your music, that the copyright still belongs to the composer and 3rd party usage, publishing or sharing without the agreement of the composer is prohibited. Also you should get the right to be mentioned in the credits. Declare the Songs you are selling with Name and Length... Only a short number of indepentend projects are blindly trustworthy and in terms of missuse or copyrighted terms the composer has to prove that it is his work and that is a pretty complex process. Normaly a contract is something, that the independent Label/Company/ Project Creator has to set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 So I take one of those documents (right now the Producer/Composer Contract seems to be the most suitable - though it needs to be modified in terms of artist rights) and set up a contract that declares my right to the intellectual property of my music and that I reserve the right to promote said material, and that I am duly credited in the project... How does the "signature" of such a contract work? Say the guy signs a fake name or something? It is the internet after all. I am sorry for all the questions but I would like to proceed into this as safely as possible since money will (eventually) be changing hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Contracts are supposed to be witnessed, like by a lawyer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 Since this deal is being struck up entirely by email correspondence, I am not sure how that works however. The plus side to all of this is if and when I ever get asked to do another soundtrack I will know exactly what to do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Ok... a few things. Keep in mind this is my advice as a professional composer & musician who was a hobbyist in not-too-distant memory. 1. Your rates are wacky. You get paid the same amount for 11 minutes of music that you do for 2 minutes? Huh? You need to rethink those. I would just focus on a base rate for a couple different example production styles (like chiptune, orchestral, etc.) and then say it might vary based on the exact project requirements such as deadline and amount of music needed. 2. PayPal is fine for getting paid, but if you are in the U.S. and they are too, paying by check will avoid the recipient fees. 3. Contracts do not need to be witnessed by a lawyer. That's a formality that is rarely if ever done for this type of thing. Signatures are typically like this. You write + agree on a contract via email/gdoc whatever. One person prints two copies, signs both, sends both via mail (or SCANS one signed copy, sends via email). Recipient then signs the received copy (or copies) and mails/scans/sends one back. Thus each person should end up with one copy signed and dated by both parties. You can also ask for initials on each page. 4. Legalese is not a contract requirement either, but then again, I'm talking about U.S. law here. If a dispute were to arise, your contract would be evaluated as-is. If what both parties wrote and agreed to is clear, then the resolution would also be clear. If you're not specific about things like payment, rights, and timeline, then it will be more of a problem. What are the important things to have in such a contract? * What is the scope of YOUR work for the project? Are you writing new works, or licensing existing ones? How/where is the music to be written described - perhaps an appendix? If the specifications are unclear, define the manner in which the client will be asking for new music. * What is the timeline / what are YOUR responsibilities as a composer? Eg. How much music do you NEED to write? Is it open-ended? Do they not know yet? * How much are you going to be paid, when are you going to be paid, and in what manner (bank, PayPal, etc.?) * What sort of a license are you granting to the client for your music, or is this "work-for-hire" in which they are getting all the rights? If it's a license, where you are keeping the rights too, what rights are they getting? * How are you to be credited for your work? ARE you going to be credit? * In what situations can the contract be terminated, and what happens in these situations? What parts of the contract survive termination? * Will the client be giving YOU the right to use image + video from the game, as well as game trademarks, within the context of your portfolio/demonstration purposes, and/or selling a soundtrack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Thank you so much, zircon - it's good to hear from an industry veteran (if you will) as well. I realize my current rates are a bit odd (Wacky Wally's Wacko Prices odd), but I was trying to figure out if having a base rate for a minimum, and then a per-minute rate above that would be the best way to go. Of course, your advice is very sound in that regard - sometimes I am not sure how much my own skills are worth. You can be sure it will be something I'd revise once this small project is finished. All of your points are a great help to me and I really value your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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