same with orchestrators,

they all have master degrees but they didn't get the job with the degree. Anyone applying to be an orchestrator has a master degree in composition somewhere so it isn't really something that makes you standout. It is expected. Orchestrators don't typically have to go thru the same bs as engineers as the actual job of orchestrating is considered the bitch work(most are aspiring composers) and there are less people able to do it and it usually takes an investment of 20 years of training just to be sort of ok at it. The thing they test is your ability to adapt and work with little sleep where your deadline is usually a day or sometimes an hour or even less.

My first 12 months were insane. I developed a nasty xanax habit for the stress and took adderall for the attention. It was really really hard to keep up with the pace. I wouldn't say what I was doing was hard but rather the pace and expectations can really make you crack. I've been in situations where a certain orchestration wasn't working. The head orchestrator told me to fix it in time so that after the break, it would be ready. The worst part was that the director just said it didn't sound right. No real explanation as to why it isn't working so you just change things hoping it was just a particular instrument he didn't like at a particular spot. You don't have time to proof it well, you can't let the session go into overtime as then the contractor starts to bitch and imagine if the producer is in the actual booth and the feeling you might get knowing everybody is waiting for you. And in the back of your head, you know that if you fuck up, you are done.

I considered many times to just forget it as I was close many times to the brink of a mental breakdown. Tough skin really does count more at the beginning. Kismet7 talks about fairy tales but the only fairy tale I have seen in this thread is his view on how things work. I would say my ability to remain disciplined was just as important as my education. Now imagine if you are starting as a runner where you aren't doing anything audio related. Your nerves are all they are testing.

I've seen few young runners that seemed to be on some sort of stimulant their pupils dilated on the brink of suicide. In a way it is like bootcamp. lol it is kinda sad actually. There is an upside. The first major release I worked on and told my parents I had a hand in it. They kinda stopped viewing me as some failure compared to my doctor sister and lawyer brother.

Last edited by Looney4Clooney on Aug-22-2010 at 22:48