Mass Effect 3 Fan Music

Before it was announced that Clint Mansell (composer for the films Black Swan, Moon, and Smokin' Aces) would be scoring the upcoming video game Mass Effect 3, it was assumed that Wall of Sound (the collaborative composing group spearheaded by Video Games Live conductor Jack Wall) would be scoring the final installment of the Mass Effect trilogy. Sam Hulick had even created a tentative thematic piece, which would more than likely have been used at the start of the game:



While the choice of Clint Mansell is a bit surprising, I am interested to hear what he brings to the table. Nevertheless, I am a bit saddened that Wall of Sound must go its own way at this time. They are all very talented, and the team will be missed, I am sure.

I had previously created a piece meant to be a speculative work as to what the Wall of Sound Mass Effect 3 would sound like. You can listen and comment below.

Mass Effect 3 Earth Under Siege (Fan Music) by Isaac Vail

Building a Network

Well, things are on the move yet, I think. A recent, surprising turn of events has yielded an increase in my connectivity to the world. Jimmy Hinson of OCRemix and Wall of Sound, Inc. started following me on Twitter, which I believe warrants a minor geek celebration. I've greatly enjoyed what I have heard of Jimmy's work, primarily on Mass Effect 2. Needless to say, it's the equivalent of Justin Bieber following one of his fans, except I'm not rabid or a pedophile.

Having that minor connection, be it small or large, is of worth to me. Networking is important on both a social level and career level. On a social level, it is helpful to have friends to stay connected to, keep up with, and be able to ask questions and discuss thoughtful or thoughtless subjects. On a career level, there is a heavier emphasis on what work you can get through connections. Previously, a direct line of communication proved rather fruitless with Lead Designer A from Company B. I understand Lead Designer A from Company B is probably very busy on creating Title C, but it was-at the time-somewhat discouraging. I have since learned that sometimes, a direct line to a developer is not what gets one work; rather, sometimes you have to be discoverable and just do your own thing before someone takes interest. You can't force interest, or people won't want to deal with you.

YouTube has proven something of a network, as I've established more incoming connections than requested connections in the past few months, which says something about my presence on YouTube. It may be small, but something tells me I am discoverable.

Here's hoping for a continued up-and-up.



PS I am composing a processional for a wedding. I need a theme...