This might sound strange...

[Magus05]

I first discovered OCR through the Chrono Symphonic - which I found linked somewhere. Being my favorite game of all time, and a game I spent alot of my childhood with, the Chrono Symphonic was very powerful and emotional work for me.

Then came Voices of The Lifestream. Music from yet another game that literally owned years of my life.

I love music, but I can't really play/make music - but I do understand the science behind it.

Anyways, I'll cut to the chase. I'm interested in being a part of a remix project, even though I might not be able to make anything. Is that unheard of? Or is there something that somebody like me could do?

[Fishy]

Art/Web Design/Hosting are all things that need to be done for projects aswell, if you can do any of those things.

I suppose you could find another well known remixer and try and direct a project with them, but its very unlikely that you could start one by yourself.

[The Legendary Zoltan]

Yeah, it's hard to say whether or not you'll be able to actually participate in an actual remix if you really can't do ANYTHING. But how about those other jobs that Fishy mentioned?

[Magus05]

I guess what I'm getting as is, I have an idea for a CD/Project/Whatever you want to call it, and I have musical talent, but I'm not really sure if I'm able to use it.

Do OCR Projects get setup by somebody special? Or does somebody suggest the idea and then make it a reality (with the help of others of course).

[Fishy]

It differs. Most of the older projects were started by judges, but pretty much anyone can start them if they get permission from zircon/liontamer. Even some non-remixers have started and directed projects. Regardless of who started them; they're not always sucesful, but it helps to be well known/respected.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

The technical answer: anybody can start a project.

The more practical answer: considering there are 9586730495876 projects currently in production already, and considering you have a grand total of 4 posts, odds are low you'll be able to successfully get a project going at this point. The better known you are in the community, the more likely people are to join your project (yes, I know the grammar of that sentance was fucked up. stfu).

However, I made a similar prediction about the Xenogears project, and that seems to be comming along pretty well, so I could be wrong.

[Devyn]

Kiss a lot of ass dude. Look at me. I've gone nowhere. Kiss their ass.

[MechaFone]

Hey man, I'd love to help start up a project. I've got nothing but my voice, and maybe a little too much persistance, but I'm dying to start a little something of my own, and the only way to do that is with someone else's help. When you're ready to start, you know where to find me.

[The Author]

Start small and ty to help with some of the competitions.

[The Damned]

If you're set on starting up a project, I would advise the following:

1. Wait. There are lots of projects going on right now. At least wait until some of them have wrapped up and are set for a release date. For every project that is started, it will push another out of the spotlight that much sooner.

Each project is a tremendous effort of time and talent. The people that did it deserve their time in the limelight just as much as everyone else.

2. Be prepared for some rough times and expect having to do a lot of personnel management. You'll be dealing with upwards of thirty people, each one doing their own thing. There are applications, submissions, setting deadlines, periodic updates and finalizing work, setting up artwork and website design... even over several months, it can take a lot of effort to do. The person(s) that run a project will be busy doing lots of things.

Don't forget that your remixers are going to be busy too. Some of them will be pulling double duty with other projects and personal remixes. Not to mention work, school, private life... don't forget to factor that in to your plan.

3. Choose something that hasn't been done already. I don't mean as a project, I mean something that hasn't been remixed at all (or much at all). There may be some great source material from certain games, but if there are fifty remixes of each song, it's pretty much been covered.

So please, do something that we haven't seen yet. At the very least, choose a different style of the same source material. I'm still waiting for an all big band or slow jazz album of Final Fantasy 6 or an all-country take on Mario.

4. Don't let it sit. Prolonged inactivity nearly killed Pokémon: The Missingno Tracks a few months back. It was only because we pushed ourselves back into operation that we got to the last critical steps. So force everyone to keep going, even if it pisses them off a bit.

(And no, we're not dead, we're moving along pretty well now, thank you very much)

Every project brings with it new takes on music, and a lot of the time it's welcome takes. The enjoyment a listener gets out of it is important, and when a project fails, it's a loss. Most of us may never get a chance to hear any of that music.

Finally, there's more to it than just saying "Hey, let's do a remix project!" and then walking away. Put the time and effort into it from the beginning, and all the way to the end. If you can't do that, then either hand it over to someone else that can, or don't bother starting it at all. This site is the only place I can think of where a bunch of members get together and actually complete group efforts. Ever go to a site (like GameFAQS ?) and read about people saying they are making their own game? They ask for people to volunteer for it, some do, and then it goes nowhere. OCR, on the other hand, has done it more than a dozen times, and each one shows a level of quality that I haven't seen anywhere else.

I guess that's it. I predict a few tl;drs, but whatever. It's advice; take it or not.

[The Legendary Zoltan]

What exactly do you mean by,

I have musical talent, but I'm not really sure if I'm able to use it.

?

I totally don't know what that means. As for everyone's advice about starting projects, I would just agree with all that. But just for the heck of it, why don't you start out by telling us what your idea is. And then. . . Wait. Just like The Damned said.