Common Career Paths

[@princegrwl]

This is the kind of advise a mentor would give in person. The fact that you are so crystal clear and transparent about this on KZbin just makes me respect you a 100x more. Please never stop making KZbin videos, though i can understand with your busy schedule, it can be difficult.

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

I shall try to keep it up! I'm so glad my content resonates with you. :-)

[@jonathanparham]

Pretty honest. I also like the tact that in your pattern 3 you say get your own credits. Also, in pursuing other directors and filmmakers. I have seen the indie composer do the indie 150k film, but when the director got the 50 million studio project, that indie composer got left behind. BTW I was interrupted by a commercial in your video, I'm not mad lol. Congrats on the monetization.

[@pranavmakhijani2002]

I Loved your explanation. in my opinion do loads and loads of hard work ,forget day and nights , be kind , believe in yourself and have faith in god and just flow like water in your life and everything will be just fine

[@benshirleymusic]

Man, I went through a lot of what you are talking about. Thing is, you are using your platform and telling people the truth and realities of trying to make it in this industry. Pretty fucking cool. Thanks for you videos. Please continue to kick balls. Happy New Year!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching! I try to be as realistic as possible when talking about these things - especially when it comes to how long things take and how much work has to go into them over a long period of time. Happy New Year to you as well!

[@Meat-Puppet]

You think film composing is getting more popular now because the tools are more available also? I can see a lot of aspiring musicians taking this route if they don't feel like natural performers and all they need are some sample libraries.

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

It certainly also has something to do with the tools being more accessible. Plus the entry level financially isn't as steep as it used to be. Add to that the fact that a lot more media is being produced than ever before, and the internet and cheap flights making media cities more accessible, then you already have a lot of factors that come into play. There's also a lot more behind the scenes footage now and other resources about the profession, which wasn't really the case so much during the last century. Plus video games are very young medium that has only recently started to venture into high end music production.

[@justifyed1911]

Dropping jewels and nuggets on every video! Got me binge watching you instead of Netflix :-) ! Thank you greatly!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thank you so much! Glad you like the content!

[@matthiaspflueger]

Deine Intro Impressionen machen einen immer neidisch😉

[@FelixWollner]

Ich finde es super, dass deine Videos immer mit Bildern von einem "Sonntag-Nachmittag-Spaziergang" anfangen 🙂 Schöne Abwechslung zum typischen, hektischen Jump-Cut KZbin Video.

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Gut Ding will Weile haben. ;-)

[@adanwilhelm]

Toll! Viele wertvolle Erfahrungswerte in diesem Video und cool, dass Du nebenher die Zeit findest hier regelmäßig Content zu bringen. Keep it up!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Danke! Ich versuche so viele Videos wie moeglich ueber die Feiertage zu machen, bevor ich wieder in meiner naechsten Produktion verschwinde. :-)

[@scentline]

Thanks for your great video, Anne. Most professional media composers know about how common career paths would look like, but not many people really want to talk about this, because it’s not their job. Some composers don’t even want to show their past paths to climb up the ladder or add more competition to the already red ocean. I appreciate your generosity and honest guide for this field more fiercely competitive than ever before.

[@UCSBSpeech]

Good stuff, Anne-Kathrin. Thanks for distilling the common approach paths taken by composers.

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching!

[@IsabellaCLau125]

This is exactly what I needed to watch at this point in my career as I've just started diversifying with focus myself. Thanks so much Anne and have a great new year!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Glad this was helpful! Happy New Year to you as well!

[@nico_arn]

Thank you. It has been a pleasure watching your tutorials/videos during the holiday season. Always super informative and to the point. Wishing you even more success in 2021!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching! I'm so glad you're getting something out of these videos. To an even better 2021!

[@wernervannuffel2608]

I agree. All this video's of Ann-Kathrin are all SUPER informative on so many levels. It navigates me how to prepare and behave as a mock up and blueprint artist and for finding my place into all this job careers dito human resources environment and how to make good decisions about gear (computers, battery backup, content based back ups, ghost back up, headphones, templates, the whole set-up and workflow) that fits to what I need to accomplish and to achieve my life goals concerning ''music model''' making. And not spending unnecessary money to things I don't need as that particular kind of mock-up music composer for my own stories, worldbuilding models and previz-movies. And what I consider as my finale end products that I can deliver for ''the next generation'''. And to let uplift them to the next level dixit real movies made with real music studios and done somewhere in the future by third parties artists and all humans involved. I consider myself as the basical concept blueprinter and navigator and corporatie identity keeper of the entire project, not more than this but at least the deliverer of this. Thank you very much, Ann-Kathrin.👍👍👍

[@LightsandMotion]

I stumbled upon your videos completely by random but I have to say that you are doing a fantastic job with these. super clear and interesting. thanks for taking the time! // Chris

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching! Really happy you like the content! :-)

[@LorneMacDougall]

I laughed out loud when you said "diversity, with focus" cos I couldn't work it out. I now understand. Thank you so much for this and Happy New Year!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Haha, yeah, on the surface it doesn't make sense. I was just trying to emphasize that not everything remotely music related counts as "working towards your goal". A diverse approach only works - in my opinion - if the individual approaches are geared towards the goal and have the potential to create momentum. Thanks for watching and Happy New Year!

[@wernerzieglerrrrrr4574]

Thank you for this! Really appreciate you being so comprehensive, and the whole composer's assistant dilemma was something I'd never even considered.

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching! I think it's always important to point out the pros and cons of different situations. There are certainly downsides to assisting that can get people stuck and it happens more often than people think.

[@wernerzieglerrrrrr4574]

@@AnneKathrinDernComposer by the way, I have a question- what do you have to say about getting into the industry via education (for example studying at somewhere like NFTS in the UK?)

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

I wouldn’t say education is a common way into the industry. There are some US based colleges I know of that get their students internship placements or collaborations with student filmmakers. But it kind of ends there most of the time. I’d always look at the ratio of successful composers coming out of a program versus the amount of people graduating. If a school has had hundreds of graduates over the years but only one or two are having a successful career, then that says more about those one or two graduates than it says about the school.

[@awintory]

I come for the meditative SoCal B-roll and get a nice bonus of career musings! :)

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

The B-Roll is my excuse to go outside and exercise ;-) Which reminds me, I'm almost out of footage... got get my butt on that bike again! Funny you call them career musings because that was literally the title I was toying around with for these types of videos. :-)

[@danielfarrellmusic]

I think library composers and people who do that full time is a quite popular route I see in the industry. Nice video!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

I've contemplated adding library music and advertising into this but the more I thought about it, the less I could come up with anyone who actually ended up crossing over into scoring films and TV shows. Library music composers usually stay library music composers it seems. Probably because there's so little (if any) interaction between the composers and the content creators - it's hard to build up personal relationships when one is basically writing stock music in a pool of other people. It's easy to become a faceless name on a list of other names. So if the goal is to score scripted movies and TV shows, or even video games, I'm not sure doing library music a good entry point. I'm sure there are some who have transitioned over but since this video is about "common" paths, I didn't think it would be fitting to add it.

[@speakingmusic]

Great, honest advice. It isn't easy to hear and obviously the underlying sentiment is success requires a lot of work and a fair amount of chance.

[@VickenIshkhanian]

Thanks for the video, you answered my previous question with a whole video which is amazing. One of the hardest things in life is to do something great and get paid for it, most people don't achieve that but who do should be grateful. Please keep making more of these types of videos and Happy New Year!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad you liked it. Happy New Year to you as well!

[@clenbullard]

These are suggested by KZbin in seemingly random order but your usual gently presented and solid insights. Thank you. BTW, what make is the guitar behind? Looks like a Taylor?

[@robertomengoli9233]

Incredible video, I really appreciate your honesty and realism. When you read so many biographies of composers you kinda "sense" that there are patterns, but you make me understand which they are and also the pros and cons and this is extremely important! Thank you and Happy New Year! :)

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

I’m glad this was helpful! Studying how others made their way before me really helps me sort things out for myself sometimes. Happy New Year!

[@anonimoanonimo1296]

I am very excited that you are growing! I see advertising to help your effort! Go!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thank you! Yes, the channel has been growing quite a lot over the past few months which does feel very rewarding.

[@bonniecorralmusic]

Thank you for these honest thoughts on career path patterns. Have you made a movie telling your own experience/story?

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching! I actually just recorded a video detailing my journey since people have asked. I hadn't done this before because it feels a bit self-indulgent...

[@bonniecorralmusic]

@@AnneKathrinDernComposer we'll be glad to watch it!

[@markmccornack7983]

I agree with Bonnie. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your journey, and I don't think you should worry at all about it being "self-indulgent". From some of the experiences you have eluded to in past videos, I think it would be a very interesting watch. It's bound to be helpful to others interested in pursuing the industry as well (as are all your videos)

[@christycm5946]

Excited to hear you describe my career path too!! (full time job, picking golden nuggets of creatively fulfilling things). So I have kind of...path 2A? I may have decided to go a different way if I was back at the beginning of my career again, but you're so right that there is no one size fits all. edited to add: DIVERSITY, WITH FOCUS. I hope everyone really listens to that part. Thank you again as always for such a fair and balanced look at all the different paths and options.

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Hey it’s what Michael Giacchino did so it can’t be wrong! :-) Also Philip Glass had a completely different day job for the longest time if I remember correctly. Many roads can lead to Rome indeed :-) Thank you for watching!

[@scentline]

Yes, apparently, Glass worked as a plumber and taxi driver in NYC for a lone time before getting his fame today.

[@masonthomassax]

Very informative! Thank you!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching!

[@etiennedelaunois1737]

There are as many path as there are musicians in my opinion. Very useful tips as usual. You are gold! Thank you and frohes neues jahr! (Not sure of the spelling)

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

There certainly are many more paths than what I describe and there's of course much more nuance to everyone's journey. I just found that it helps me feel less lost on my own path when researching how other people have done it, and possibly seeing patterns in their journeys. It also helps me to know how long it took others before me to establish themselves. Frohes neues Jahr!

[@etiennedelaunois1737]

@@AnneKathrinDernComposer I'm a live musician and I can see around me all the different way that people use to train their skills. It is very interesting. So many came from music school and so many aren't and both are very talented. Like you said in an other video, when we work with someone we look for what they can do instead of where or how they qualified. I really love the way you talk about the fact that we can quickly be stuck into an assistant role if we forget our goal! Very motivating

[@JackMcKenzieComposer]

This is great again Anne-Kathrin! Extremely useful experiences!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Glad you like it! Thanks for watching!

[@shane_taylor]

Excellent advice.

[@lahattec]

Wow! A floppy disk! :)

[@williamperry11]

Great video! I'm glad to hear that you survived being a composers' assistant and also doing your own work on the side, because I'm currently in school (soon to be graduating) and this was my original intention, but some of my teachers say it's nearly impossible to work as a composers' assistant while doing other side gigs. I'm curious, how did you manage it considering you were probably very busy as an assistant to another composer?

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

It was definitely tough to do both. I don't believe I had much of a private life at the time and I certainly didn't take time off for the first 3-4 years. I was also fairly selective about what work I was doing on the side since time was limited. However, the upside was of course that as an assistant I had a steady monthly income so I was free to choose what I wanted to do extra on the side.

[@soundtreks]

Korngold was an opera composer who brought his sensibilities to film like Sea Hawk

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Absolutely, I think Steiner and Korngold are prime examples from that time, as well as Newman and Rozsa.

[@calebparkermusic]

Great video, thanks!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching!

[@baldwyntin608]

Thank you! Very clear explanation , great result. No working with panning necessary?

[@joeloforii]

at 6:53 you mention moving to a location where there are more opportunities for film composers, are you able to name a few? am quite interested in becoming a composer for film/tv. thanks for all your work on this youtube channel, its been invaluable!

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

My next video is actually about location. Just a few more days of patience! :-) Glad you like the channel!

[@j2dabeeeinnit]

Hi Anne, thanks so much for all your insights. Do you have any examples of composers who have had success with the day job and indie film composer route you mentioned?

[@iceomistar4302]

James Newton Howard was also an accidental film composer

[@NickOST_music]

I'm a self-taught student and I want to be a composer assistant. How can you know that you have enough level to ask for it? Thanks a lot!!

[@retttte7179]

Thank you for these useful experiences ! Is it often the case that composer hired musical assistant (with particular knowledge) so as to write a piece of music for example an horror track for a special project or another track which is not in the style, the register of the composer ?

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

Thanks for watching! I'm not really sure I understand the question. Could elaborate further?

[@retttte7179]

@@AnneKathrinDernComposer Sorry for my bad english.When a composer don't have enough skills for writing an horror track or need a jazzy tracks for example is it often the case to hired another composer (ghostwriter or assistant composer) to score a film so as to have the job ?

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

It's not common to have someone else score an entire movie because the main composer is lacking skill. If it's a few cues, composers have been known to bring on collaborators, either in the form of writers or in the form of musicians. But a composer doesn't just get to score a jazz based movie if they have no skill or track record in that style. The studio would hire someone who is an expert in that field. There have been cases where movies were ghostwritten or heavily written by additional writers but that's usually not due to lack of skill of the main composer but rather due to scheduling conflicts and time constraints.

[@retttte7179]

@@AnneKathrinDernComposer Thank you for your answer - i really appreciate your videos - Extremely useful experiences!

[@jadonharper1493]

Thank you!

[@PianistStefanBoetel]

My favorite composer is Joe Hisaishi ❤️

[@davidyanez2993]

I love your opening shots. Always so calming. I want to get into ads/commercials. Crap guitarist but composing music is something I always wanted to get into. Bought a lot of libraries from Spitfire, SonicCouture and right now saving up for full Kontakt as I need that for Ricotti Mallets. I find your channel very helpful in learning as well as entertaining. Plus it helps that you're easy on the eyes ;) Thank you for your videos!

[@CdS-Music]

What do you think about working in a video games company?

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

What about it would you like me to elaborate on?

[@CdS-Music]

@@AnneKathrinDernComposer I am now working in a videogames company. I make music and sfx, everything in the box but we make jazz, orchestral, electronic, etc... so I am achieving a lot of experience and practice, but I wouldn't know how to give that step into film music. Especially because I am not in LA

[@indiefilmcomposer]

Great insights! Your background is different so I enjoy hearing your perspective, I played guitar in bands from original music to covers for many years and transitioned into part time indie film scoring and draw from that experience , it’s a tough business , but love doing the work,

[@AnneKathrinDernComposer]

It's a tough business for sure! Thank you for watching!