Nothing like another slave labor gig.....
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/crg/2786622428.html

I wouldn't consider that slave labor.

I will work for free if I like the project enough, and I believe it has legs. I'm assuming some composers are the same way.

"If you're excited about working on a creative project that is the true definition of independent filmmaking, please contact us immediately."

Marketing fail.
They forgot to put two exclamation points at the end.

Enjoy! I would never sell myself short. There's no future in writing for indie films. If the bigger films don't like your stuff then keep on grinding and get better. If you have quality material a bigger project (that pays) will show interest.

Enjoy! I would never sell myself short. There's no future in writing for indie films. If the bigger films don't like your stuff then keep on grinding and get better. If you have quality material a bigger project (that pays) will show interest.

Absolutely, but taking on free gigs is PART of that grinding. Being a film composer doesn't mean just being a good musician, or even just a good composer. It's working with picture. It's working with directors. It's working with deadlines. There are thousands of little things that you learn by, well, scoring films.

Doing films for free absolutely sucks. But it's how I've been learning (I'm way better than I was a year ago). And, hey, at least they're upfront about it!

OK. I guess I'm more about writing that one song that might hopefully get sold. I write progressive ambient psy trance. Probably not the style of music that will work throughout an entire movie.

Probably not the style of music that will work throughout an entire movie.
Worked for VALHALLA RISING. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfXdU1RQenI

VALHALLA RISING sounds like orchestral music to me.

OK. I guess I'm more about writing that one song that might hopefully get sold. I write progressive ambient psy trance. Probably not the style of music that will work throughout an entire movie.

Right on! Yeah, licensed music is a different sort of journey, usually with a 20-30 second drop in a film (and a progambpsytrance track is a 10 minute journey on average). That sort of stuff would work well with an experimental film, but people making those don't really have cash to pay. Six of one, half dozen of the other!

That said, I've done some psytrance, and some ambient (but in the vidna obmana/lustmord sense, not so much the ambient techno sense), so maybe we can trade remixes sometime!

Check out Ghetty Image's music contract for clues as to how much to ask for your music. Indie films are indeed the low end royalty earners.

The listing on Craigslist was gone before I had a chance to read it.
But....would you expect a doctor, dentist or mechanic to work for free? People to tend to value things that cost them something. If you are a composer with enough time on your hands to work for free, maybe at least tell the client you will do the job in exchange for some petrol vouchers or something like that rather than totally for free. Then at least you establish the fact that you are worth something. The exception to that would be working for for family or close friends where you may want to donate your time, but you should always put some value on your work in my opinion.

With these freebe projects they usually get what they pay for. Google "royalty free music" and see what you find. Generic crap.

BTW Ghetty Images only collects $125 per track for use on a DVD. Oddly they charge $200 for film festival use only.

http://www.gettyimages.com/Music/PumpAudio/RateCard

With these freebe projects they usually get what they pay for. Google "royalty free music" and see what you find. Generic crap.

BTW Ghetty Images only collects $125 per track for use on a DVD. Oddly they charge $200 for film festival use only.

http://www.gettyimages.com/Music/PumpAudio/RateCard

Well I agree that there is a lot of crap royalty-free music out there, but not all of it is crap.
I make and supply royalty-free music. I personally put as much effort into creating a track for our site as I do when composing/creating for a client's project. Sometimes I compose/record songs that are not exactly my cup of tea..but it's what people want. Then other times I get to write/play/record songs I am very proud of, and of which are more the style I personally love. http://rocksuresoundz.com

Those of us who are audio professionals, musicians/composers, sometimes have to do things that are not always exactly the "ideal dream job" all of the time, in order to make a living off our craft, but in the end I don't think doing free jobs generally helps this cause.

but in the end I don't think doing free jobs generally helps this cause.
You get your foot in the door by getting a job working for or getting a song or two used by a big production. Nobody cares about a resume of low budget indie movie scores. I look at some of the trailers for these freebee gigs and the movie usually looks like a student film. I look at these and say my time would be better spent continuing to write individual songs. At least I can release an album.

^^^ yep for the most part I agree.

You get your foot in the door by getting a job working for or getting a song or two used by a big production. Nobody cares about a resume of low budget indie movie scores.

Well, yes and no. Building a score portfolio helps you get more scoring gigs. For every paying score job I've had, the director has asked to see a reel of previous work. Not just hear, mind you, but see (again, scoring is more than just writing good music, though definitely that too). My first couple were crappy student films and I did a crappy student job (best I could at the time; no reason to phone it in EVER!) As my skills improved, so did the quality of film I was asked to work on.

But this is ONLY relevant for pursuing a career in film scores. As you said; you are more interested in being an electronica producer, and maybe getting your track licensed in something high profile. rocksure is working on building and selling library music, and using that as the other side of a scoring career.

I consider myself a student; there will come a time when I say "no more freebies," and I have turned down opportunities in favor of paying gigs. At this point, for me, this is what I'm doing instead of going to school (while still working full time and doing non-film music). And, again, paying opportunities have come about by people being able to see work that I have done, including one I can't talk about yet, but is WAY above my career level with one of my favorite directors. It might not happen, but contact has been made, and only because someone was able to see a film that I had done.

Either way, there are tons of different ways someone can have a career in music, and lots of different ways to get there. The one thing I think we can all agree on is working on being the best you can be...then improving!

what the difference in this and getting free cleaning at the dental school, or a free haircut at the beauty school? Or free breast exams in the high school janitors office? (sorry that last one was joke!)