ScreenSkills: Potential Career Paths

Games Music Composer

When I was younger I was a fan of computer games and while I do not play as many now as I used to, I always found the soundtracks to games such as Gran Turismo 5, Dragonball Xenoverse and Minecraft to be very captivating, I found game music unique, it was designed to be in the background and thus the music was unusual, it would go on for longer and the music would always be significant to the character, scene or setting. I am a huge fan of games music and I can see myself thoroughly enjoying getting into such a line of work.

Games music is all about suiting the level, cutscene or scenario and making sure that the music always fits and of course, that the music is good. Some games music has become iconic, such as the Super Mario bros. theme, the

Below are some screen grabs from ScreenSkills which explain more about what it takes to be a games music composer.

The above is the header for the page all about games music composition in ScreenSkills.

Above is a list of qualities expected from a music composer.

Music Editor in Film

Making soundtracks is what I would love to do, this job can be done in the games industry, but another route to take would also be making music in the film industry. Film music is essential for most film and has the potential to become iconic, as is the case with the soundtrack from productions such as the Star Wars films, the Harry Potter films and television shows like Doctor Who with their iconic and unchanging introductory theme which has been running since 1963.

Music in film is integral to the production and can lift a film above and beyond. For me, music is half of the film, where sight and sound go hand in hand and perfectly set the scene, I see this as an excellent career path.

Sound Assistant in Unscripted TV or broader Film

Monitoring sound is also a passion of mine, it would be wonderful to help out on a film set and ensure that the recording comes through as crisp and as clear as possible. This particular career path is entry level, meaning that it would be easier to get into than the aforementioned occupations. Sound assistants can have varying jobs depending on the production and can even be tasked with less specific and less important jobs, like providing all-round support to the sound crew, maintaining health and safety regulations and checks on set with sound equipment and even grabbing drinks for the crew.

Sound assistants are vital on set and I believe that it would not be too hard a career to get into. Sound assistants can have varying levels of responsibility and so I expect that a newcomer would have less of said responsibilities, but could easily climb the ranks on the film set.