Quit Aspiring, Vol. 1

Description

Do you feel like you have to beat the odds to get a job?

What would it feel like to be called back by a game studio that you admire?  What would it take to walk into an interview nervous with excitement, but confident that you would be an asset to their team?

What if you could stop being overwhelmed by reading every article, tweet, and Reddit post online?  What would it take to transfer that energy into wisdom and confidence such that you didn’t even feel the need to “sell yourself” in an interview?

It might take some work, but it’s nothing you can’t do.

Presenting QUIT ASPIRING

A book to take you from dreaming of, to being ready for a job in game audio

What you will learn:

• If game audio is actually a good career for you
• Why you should never be “aspiring”, but you’re free to be a student
• Finding where to start when you have no idea where to start
• How to win the war of attrition and overcome your own mind through hustle
• What I’ve learned about the differences between AAA and and Indie work
• Some of the different roles and needs in game audio
• Why linear editing and design (film and non-interactive music) doesn’t necessarily translate to working in games
• Important software you need to learn before even applying for a job
• A primer on source control and why it’s important to at least have an idea of how it works
• How to build your network in ways that actually benefit you and others
• How an online presence might actually be keeping you from a job
• What things are truly helpful to clients and hiring managers
• How to write a useful resume
• How to get noticed when nobody’s looking for you
• When working for free can be beneficial for you, when you should stop, and how people will take advantage of your kindness
• A great starting project to learn foundational principles and make a demo reel

All of this information comes from me (Adam T. Croft) and multiple game industry veterans, all of whom have gone through their own variations of the same journey.

As an added bonus, if you choose to purchase the “Premium Edition” below, you will get over 1 hour of bonus video interviews with Sound Designer Akash Thakkar (Hyper Light Drifter) and Audio Director Chase Combs (Forza Motorsport).

While there is no “one right way” to get prepared or get a job, this book will lead you to learn things that are actually helpful and avoid time wasters, with the goal of putting you a step above your peers.

What others say about “Quit Aspiring”

“I’ve just started working on composition/sound design this year, so I thought it might be too early to pick up something about career advice. I realized that was silly and even if I’m in the process of learning it might save some floundering later on. I was definitely right to pick it up, it helped me focus on what to do past my initial strategy of “do a game jam every month.”

I learned many different things, but something I directly put into practice was exchanging contacts and texting instead of bringing business cards to local meetups. Way better results!

[I liked] the advice to make sure to pace yourself (I’m sure appreciated by the other readers trying to fit things in around full time work and responsibilities), the suggestion to learn source control, and giving realistic expectations up front.”

Sheila Heady, Sound Designer

 

“I was worried that the bulk of this wouldn’t apply to me, since I do already have professional audio experience. I went ahead and made the purchase anyways because I knew that there was no loss to getting ‘refresher material,’ and I really wanted to get a more personal insight on the game audio industry.

I learned that my main focus as someone from the film-side of audio looking to get work on the game side, now is the time to start working on projects. Gaining experience with engines, middleware, and even code is really necessary to getting in the door of non-linear audio.

From beginner to someone looking to go from linear to non-linear, this has a personal touch to understanding the industry and direct steps getting yourself on the track to employment within said industry.

For anyone looking to get into any audio profession – give this a read. An insightful take on how to be ready and attempt to be totally chill at being a creative pro. I’ve got some more pondering, and rereading to do…”

Avry Luy, Sound Editor

 

“I’ve recently been struggling with a huge creative and motivational burn out, so the stuff [in “Quit Aspiring”] about managing your energy has been super helpful to get me back into trying to break into game audio.

There’s about a million and a half things I want to do with game audio that I quit on or lose interest on very quickly such as sound re-design videos, implementation tutorials and even trying to make my own audio-only game in Unity to learn some programming skills. It makes so much more sense to me knowing that I should be focusing on getting these things finished but pacing my energy as opposed to trying to give it 110% at the start. I’m always kicking myself or telling myself “you didn’t work hard enough” if I don’t put in a full 8 or 9 hours each day into one task, but that’s clearly unreasonable.”

Henry Scott, Composer & Sound Designer

 

“I read through it [“Quit Aspiring”] yesterday morning before driving up to GDC.  Didn’t bother with business cards… already got a few people’s numbers!

*$&! business cards!”

Travis Morgan, Composer & Sound Designer

 

“The biggest take away after my first reading is that I should stop worrying and just do the work, no matter how much time it takes. I really enjoyed the direct nature of the book, it felt “to-the-point” yet dense with info I’ll want to go back to.

I found beneficial that you included your experience and path, it being so varied and not a straight line to where you’re at now.  You also offered questions for me to think about, regarding financial stability and plans for the future.  While these are scary to consider, they help define goals for me.  The method you gave to make it less intimidating to learn a list of things will certainly come in handy as well.

I’ll definitely recommend your book to others, since I feel it narrows down what people wanting to get into the field should focus on. It also simply felt good to read, and being a slow reader I was surprised to reach the end so quickly.”

Thomas Imbert, Sound Designer

 

“It was quite interesting to hear the opinions of people who are already in the industry and how they were able to get in.

I realized – or well I always knew – it wouldn’t be an easy to road to get in, but your book does give a good sense of confidence and assurance while reading it.

I liked how you broke down in depth the different work positions such as Sound Designer, Audio Implementer, and Audio Programmer, and how these can act interchangeably depending on the type of game company you are in.  So, next time I get a job or a freelance gig I should definitely be very clear on what I can do and what they expect from me.“

Joe Kim, Sound Designer

Refund Policy

If you’re not completely satisfied with the product, I offer a 30-day, no questions asked, 100% money-back guarantee.  Just send an email to me@adamtcroft.com.

 

Have questions?  Email me@adamtcroft.com