Music/audio for portfolio

knaaz · Mar 2014

Hey guys,

I'm a student at the moment and I've decided to create my first year reel*. I was wondering how do you choose on the track/audio to go with your work? Is it personal taste? Or are there some rules I need to follow?

Any help and examples would be awesome!

Thanks!

I meant reel instead of portfolio. Sorry!

ZacD · Mar 2014

90% of the time it's going to be immediately muted. Only use audio if it adds to the atmosphere of your environment.

Two Listen · Mar 2014

knaaz wrote: »

Hey guys,

I'm a student at the moment and I've decided to create my first year portfolio. I was wondering how do you choose on the track/audio to go with your work? Is it personal taste? Or are there some rules I need to follow?

Any help and examples would be awesome!

Thanks!

Are you talking a website, or is this one of those "portfolio = demo reel video" sort of things?

Because if it's a website with images, which is what most people think of for portfolios outside of animation works or the occasional environment fly through, I agree with Zac don't even bother - god forbid if you do and make the mute button not immediately obvious...

passerby · Mar 2014

Never add music to your website

low odor · Mar 2014

Mortal Combat theme....anything less will cost you the job...

[ame="

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egne2ZCMM_0"]Mortal Kombat Theme - YouTube[/ame]

rino · Mar 2014

he meant reel. i wouldn't even put it there, you don't need it, it's useless. and i don't care if it's my favorite song, i'll still mute it.

Skillmister · Mar 2014

low odor wrote: »

Mortal Combat theme....anything less will cost you the job...

Wrong
[ame="

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iof5pRAIZmw"]Guile Theme (SNES) - YouTube[/ame]

imyj · Mar 2014

If you're really keen to add audio then I'd suggest something ambient, and keep the levels low.

Joao Sapiro · Mar 2014

dont add music, theres nothing more annoying as shoving your music taste down someones ears . they want to focus on the work not on "oh why the hell did he chose this music..."

Isaiah Sherman · Mar 2014

No music. It's annoying as fuck to open up 10 tabs and try to figure out which one has the music playing.

Fwap · Mar 2014

Isaiah Sherman wrote: »

No music. It's annoying as fuck to open up 10 tabs and try to figure out which one has the music playing.

get on Chrome's level m8

Ambient music is good, keep it low.
You don't want the viewers opinion of the music to interferer with their opinion on your demo reel.
Even when watching Speed Paints on Youtoob I like 90% insta mute music.

AlexCatMasterSupreme · Mar 2014

Lel music

Shiniku · Mar 2014

Like others have said, it will almost certainly be immediately muted. You absolutely should not reflect your personal taste in music. Basically do this:

imyj wrote: »

If you're really keen to add audio then I'd suggest something ambient, and keep the levels low.

-and that is just for the off chance someone does watch it with audio, it can be weird to watch something with no sound.

Also, unless you're doing animations or effects or something, you may not even need a demo reel, just still images will do. A demo reel is nice, but putting together a good one takes time, and you really need to determine whether or not that time might be better spent polishing up your art or website in general.

Isaiah Sherman · Mar 2014

Nope.

No music.

Eric Chadwick · Mar 2014

I dunno, I put some music on my videos. No one has ever complained. Maybe they all hate it and never say anything, could be.

Isaiah Sherman · Mar 2014

Well, music on a video is different than music on your site. I think a bit of music to a demo reel is nice (however who has a demo reel these days?).

I strongly disagree with music auto-playing on your front page, however. I find it incredibly vexing and often rage-close tabs :P

Music/audio for portfolio

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