How to Choose a Composer for Your Indie Film

By Ninichi | Contact | Follow

Are you thinking about hiring a composer for your film? If so, this can be a really fun and exciting process, but it can also be a little tricky. It’s important to take the time to get it right and to find a film music composer that you’re comfortable and confident working with. It’s not always easy to determine who might be a good or bad fit for your film, and so that’s why I’ve put together a few pointers to hopefully help with that.

I’m a freelance composer and have worked with numerous indie filmmakers on the film music soundtracks, for their amazing creations (get to know me & my music!). It is always an honour for me to work on an indie film and with such talented artists, and knowing that those who work with me trust me with their film music soundtracks means a great deal to me. However, I also know that they’ve taken the time to do their due diligence and to get clearer about what they want and need, before deciding to work with me. So – you must do the same when thinking about which film composer is right for your project.

Here are a few things to think about:

1. What do you need?

This may sound simple and perhaps obvious but really – what do you need music-wise for your film? Do you know how much music you need, where it would go, when you need it by etc. etc.? Also is it a one-off project or are you looking for a composer that you can turn to for on-going projects?

Knowing the answer to these types of questions will help you to narrow down your search when looking for a suitable composer – since it means that you need someone who can do all of these things for you.

If you’d like someone that you can rely on for future projects, it will definitely be worthwhile to spend a bit longer finding the best person for the job.

2. Credibility & Experience

Now that you have some idea of what you need, think about the type of person you want to work with and what sort of experience and track record you would like to see from them. Check out the composer’ portfolio to get a sense of who they are, what they’ve done and generally if they are credible and reliable or not.

Having a strong track record can be important since it is often a sign of their capabilities and knowledge of the industry and the process. The more experience they have, the less hand-holding should be needed and the more you can trust their ability to deliver great music for your film. See what others say about them i.e. if they have any testimonials. 

They’ll also be seen as part of your overall team, and so you must choose someone that you can proudly say is a part of your production. Everyone that’s been involved in the making of your film will be associated with each other at least on paper if not in real-life and so it’s important to feel confident that everyone who you work with is a good representative of you and your project.

3. Style / Moods / Emotions

Think about what kind of music you need for your film in terms of the moods, the tone, the emotions and the styles. Music is an incredibly important component in films and it is often used to enhance key moments and to bring out the emotions onscreen. Making sure that the composer you decide to work with can handle this well and compose in the style or styles of music that you like and are hoping for, is really key.

Take the time to listen to their work and to explore their music. Can they compose in the styles of music that you need? Do they have range and versatility? Are the melodies they compose memorable? Does the music suit the films they compose for or is the music distracting?

For some ideas, feel free to check out some of the music I've created for films - see my film music. Listen to the different styles and imagine what kind of music might work well for your film.

4. Personality

Just as you will be hiring for other roles for your film – like the cast & crew, your composer is part of that team. You need to like, trust and respect who you hire. Think about the kind of personality you’re looking for and what traits you feel are important to you and to this project.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, to interview potential composers and to make sure that you feel comfortable with who you are about to work with. Communication is key for any kind of work relationship but especially so for the composer to filmmaker relationship.  If you can’t communicate easily, get on the same wavelength and discuss your ideas together, it won’t work. 

5. Budgeting

Ok, so you’re an indie filmmaker and thus, your budget (or lack of budget) may make things challenging. However, don’t skimp on the music to your film! You’ve put your time, energy and money into creating your awesome film – don’t let the lack of attention and investment in music, bring the whole thing down.

If you want to hire a composer, then you must budget for them. They will be creating custom music to fit your film and to help bring your vision to life. This takes time, talent, thought & care, skills & equipment. Your composer deserves the opportunity to give you the best of their talents and that will almost definitely come at some cost. However, don’t be scared. Most composers will have some flexibility with their rates and if they like you and your film, will be willing to negotiate with you. They want to work with great people and on great projects too, so don’t be afraid to open up a conversation and to explore what’s possible! 

So there you have my 5 tips on how to choose a music composer for your project.

Still feeling  a bit stuck? Want more help with the music for your film? 

Let's chat! I'd be happy to talk through the process in a bit more detail, answer any questions you have and to explore working with you if you think there could be a good fit!

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About the Author: Ninichi is a freelance film music composer and game music composer, who's music has featured in numerous films, tv shows, games & more. She has worked on a variety of indie films & would be delighted to help you with your film project. Check out examples of her film music here & contact her to explore working with her.

Introducing Animated Short Film: Warmth

By Ninichi | Contact | Follow

If you like animations, touching stories and short films, you will absolutely love Warmth! I was so pleased to connect with Erik Boismier, a super talented animator, when he commissioned me to work on the music to his wonderful animated short Warmth. He's been so kind as to let me interview him and to give us all a bit more insight into the creation and thinking behind Warmth. So, let's get to it...

Who are you and how did you get into animation?

'My name is Erik Boismier. I was born in Chatham, Ontario and grew up watching just about every animated series I had the time and capacity for.  When I was 8-years-old, I had something of a revelation when I realized that making cartoons was a job, and ever since then, it was what I wanted to do for a living. I went to St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario for their “Tradigital Animation” program; it was a great program for learning several forms of animation (hand-drawn, stop-motion, 3D, etc.).

Some time after graduating, I made an impulsive decision to move to Vancouver, BC and look for work in the animation industry there. A former college classmate was already working in the area and introduced me to a number of her colleagues. In 2013, I got my first job in the animation industry, at Bardel Entertainment as a builder* on the show “Mother Up!”.

I've since gone to work for Atomic Cartoons and have been taking contracts from them exclusively for a few years now.'

*The job of taking finalized designs of characters and props and turning them into animate-able digital “puppets” for lack of a better term.

Where did the idea for Warmth come from?

'A long time ago, in part thanks to an online discussion about animation I was lurking on, I got the idea to do something where I could animate two characters with different animation styles interacting with each other. Clara, the girl in the short, is entirely hand-drawn frame-by-frame. Meanwhile, the robot Aleph is a build; digital cut-out puppet with the pieces pre-drawn and then manipulated to create motion.

Certain elements of the story were definitely influenced, whether subconsciously or deliberately, by Big Hero 6 (a robot with health care abilities) and The Little Match Girl; another short story and animated short(s) about a young orphan struggling in the winter.
Visually, Disney's Renaissance-era movies had a heavy influence on me. Additionally, the new servant robot model seen briefly in the beginning of Warmth is very similar in both design and concept to Robot-1X from Futurama.'

What is Warmth about?

'Warmth is set in a nondescript distant future where robot servants are a household item.  When the newest model of robot servant is released, people begin throwing away their old ones.  Clara, a young orphan who lives in a junkyard, one morning finds one of the discarded robots at her doorstep and quickly establishes a bond with it.  The robot seems to have some malfunctions however, and Clara wants to keep her new and only friend running.'

Were there any challenges in the making of it? Also what are you most proud of from all of this?

'Like a lot of things, the first major challenge was getting started. I had certain story beats worked out very early on but could never figure out a way to tie them together. I began discussing the idea with a friend, and he brought up the idea of a junkyard setting. Once I had that piece, everything else started to fall in place and I began writing the original story treatment.

The next big challenge was the background painting. My skill set is primarily that of a character animator; environments have never been my strong suit, and painting is something I have never excelled at. I took some time to look up and learn painting techniques I was unfamiliar with. There are backgrounds in the short I'm quite proud of, but there are some others that I still sort of wish I could have done a better job on.

Using coloured line work proved to be the most time-consuming part of the animation. For Aleph, it wasn't much of an issue since the nature of his animation meant there weren't too many unique drawings. For Clara however, it meant breaking up the lines around every specific colour fill (skin, hair, scarf, etc.) and then filling those lines with the correct line colour; and doing that for every single drawing of her. I don't regret doing it because I love the look of coloured line work, but it was enough to make me decide against it for whatever my next personal animation will be.

I would say I'm most proud of finishing the short. I've always had a bad habit of starting personal projects with a lot of ambition that end up going nowhere. That, and there are a couple shots I laid out as a deliberate challenge to myself.

When Clara first walks up to Aleph, you see her reflection in his eyes. The moment I got the idea for that shot, I knew I had to do it, but expected it to be complicated to put together. Honestly, that one really wasn't that bad in the end.
The shot of Clara setting up a new TV, on the other hand, was probably the most difficult to animate. I feel like it looks deceptively simple, but there were a lot of layering challenges to work with (her arms and the TV having to go behind and in front of the table in the foreground for example).'

Who was involved in the creation of Warmth?

'Visually, Warmth was basically a solo effort; I wrote the plot, drew the storyboards, painted the backgrounds and animated the characters and effects; but I did have help and support from friends. My friend and roommate Grant, as alluded to earlier, helped me put the story together with the idea of the junkyard setting. He also assisted in updating some of the backgrounds (adding a little more scrap and junk).

Another friend, Rachel, was consistently supportive while I was regularly showing progress updates to her. She also named her daughter “Claira” after I suggested the name (albeit spelled differently) based on the character in the short.

My on-going employment at Atomic Cartoons was also extremely helpful. The experience they've given me has improved the quality of my animation and my proficiency with software like Toon Boom Harmony dramatically.

What part does music play in it?

'While I believe that good animation can sell its mood with or without sound, music is a great tool to emphasize that intended mood. A good balance of music and silence is important too. I'm not a fan of wall-to-wall music placement that some shows use and made a conscious choice early on not to do that with Warmth.

The nice thing about a fully produced piece of media is that each element can compliment the others and elevate them; for instance, good music can often carry an otherwise weak scene. Pacing is something I agonized over throughout the production, often extending or shortening scenes, even by a factor of 3 or 4 frames sometimes. The final timing still had some bits I was unsure of, but your music pulled them together really well.

So the music's role in Warmth was to highlight the moods of the scenes whilst also helping along some of the moments that were maybe a bit weaker on my part.'

Why did you decide to work with me and how was that whole process for you? What do you think of the music now?

'When doing any kind of self-funded production, it's incredibly tempting to use as many free resources as you can to keep the cost down. While I didn't have too many qualms with using public domain sound effects, music was a different matter. The name Kevin Macleod springs to mind as probably the most popular source for free background music. His music is great, but it presents a problem if you want your material to stand out: Everyone uses it.

I watch a lot of YouTube content, and I've noticed a lot of different content producers using the same music. A friend of mine even described the phenomenon as, “the sound of having no audio budget.”

And because I really wanted Warmth to have an individual identity, I decided it needed to have an original (or at the very least, less ever-present) soundtrack. So I began searching for a composer to commission.

I encountered a couple of dead ends along the way, but a Google search did eventually lead me to your website. I listened to a number of the tracks you have available and was impressed by the range I was hearing. While the music on the site is great, I had trouble envisioning the tracks I was listening to as music to use in Warmth, so I opted to contact you directly.
Working with you was fantastic. You composed the soundtrack much faster than I expected and I only ever felt the need to call for a couple minor changes.

I'm quite satisfied with the music too. All the right moods were hit. The “Saving Clara” theme even gets me involuntarily clenching my teeth with worry during the final scene.  Exactly the feeling I want the audience to experience.'

Let's take a look at your wonderful creation Warmth...

What are your plans for the short animation?

In my final year of college, I attended the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), which features several screenings of independent animated shorts. I would really like it if Warmth could be included in one of those screenings, so I'll absolutely be making an effort for that to happen. I'll be looking into other festivals as well.

I'd also like to spread it around online. I'll likely be dropping in on a number of animation communities across Facebook, Reddit, etc. to share the YouTube link.

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About the author: Ninichi is a UK-based freelance music composer. She has composed the soundtracks to various games, films, shows and more. Contact her: to commission music for your project now.

Follow her @ninichimusic

Introducing the Podcast & Show: The Signal42

By Ninichi | Contact | Follow

I was excited to get to know Mike a little while ago, whilst working on the podcast intro to his new show The Signal42. He was looking for a jingles music composer to work with to create a catchy jingle for his new show, and I was lucky to connect with him and to get working on it (see more of what I do!). As we worked together I discovered that The Signal42 is a wonderful podcast which explores a variety of life-related topics and it has a little something for everyone, which is why I'm delighted to share with you a little interview that I did with Mike to give us a bit more insight into the man behind the show!...

Who are you? Please introduce yourself and your show to us!

'My name is Mike or I am known as The Signal42 as well. I am just a normal guy that wanted to talk about the things I love in life. I enjoy the show a lot and the people I meet because of it.'

What's your channel about and what sorts of things do you cover? 

'My channel is about embracing the loves of your life. Embrace your obsessions. I talk about such things as comics, movies, video games, cosplay, and music. It is stuff that interests me and I try to share that stuff with people.' 

Ok great. Are you able to tell us who you think your show is for or perhaps what sorts of things we should watch out for on it?

'Well I started it for myself really but I guess it is for anyone that shares in my interests. People have diverse interests and I want my show to cover that stuff.'

What's the plan for your YouTube channel and how is it all going? 

'Well the plan is to grow the show as much as possible and have fun while doing it. So far it is going well and each episode has been a blast to record.' 

What do you think of the music for your show and what was it like - us working together on your podcast intros? 

'Music is very important to me. My intro I believe helps convey the attitude I want for the show. 

Working with you Ninichi, was awesome. You really cared about my music and was very quick with responses. My intro that I have now is one that I don’t think I could ever replace. It is now a staple of my show.'

Thanks so much for your thoughts Mike. It was awesome working with you too! Here's a little peak at the podcast intro to get us in the mood for your show!

(Check out my intros & jingles section if you want to hear some other jingles and/or get some help with your own)

Is there anything else you want to share with us or tell us about?

'Honestly not that I can think of. I just hope people try the show and like it. They are more than welcome to message me as well on twitter or Instagram.

Here's how to stay connected to Mike and his show The Signal42:

https://shows.pippa.io/thesignal42show is my show page and I am available on most platforms now. https://twitter.com/The_Signal42 is my twitter and https://www.instagram.com/thesignal42/ is my Instagram.

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About the author: Ninichi is a freelance composer for games, film & media. She creates music in various styles and has created jingles / podcast intros / outros and theme tunes for many different shows as well as soundtracks for a variety of indie games and films.  Explore her recent jingle examples & contact Ninichi to commission her now.

Follow her @ninichimusic

17 Great Places to Find Free Game Art

By Ninichi | Contact | Follow

Having the right graphics in a game is incredibly important yet it’s not always possible to get custom artwork created for all aspects of your game. Sometimes budget constraints or time can make it difficult yet where can you go to find the right tilesets, textures, sprites etc. for your game?

Well if I’m honest, I wouldn’t know where the best place is! I’m just a composer (see my homepage) and so my specialty is music, however, I do work with many indie game developers (see my credits) and on other various projects that require great artwork. I often get asked if I know where one would go for these types of assets. So, to hopefully help you move in the right direction, I’ve compiled a list of resources that I think are definitely worth knowing about.

Some I’ve browsed myself, others have been recommended and I know are used by other game developers, so see what you make of them…

1. Open Game Art

This is one of the most popular sites for free 2D and 3D art and graphics for game developers. Everything is categorised and there’s also an active forum on the site which is often worth browsing too.

I’ve mentioned this site before in another blog as it also has free sound effects (see 12 Great Places to Find SFX for your Game).

2. Game Art Guppy

Their slogan is ‘helping indie game devs make a splash’ and indeed they do!  The site was created by Vicki Wenderlich to give game developers on a tight budget the opportunity find free and inexpensive art for their games. There are loads of free art assets on the site and those that you have to pay for are mostly between $5-20, so are very affordable.

3. Open Game Graphics

Most of the assets available to download from Open Game Graphics are under Creative Commons Attribution or Creative Commons Zero licenses. So, most are free to use and can be used in commercial projects, but some may require a credit. The ‘Collections’ are great as they contain pretty much everything you need for a full game.

4. Itch.io

There are many free game assets available on Itch, as well as being a great platform for finding, playing and publishing indie games. Use the search filter options to narrow down your search and to find what you need.

(Also see 11 Places to Publish Your Game)

5. GameDev Market

Similarly to Itch.io, this is a digital marketplace where people can put up various assets for a fixed price but many people do make assets available for free as well.  The search options let you filter by ‘paid’ or ‘free’ options and so play around with that to see what’s available, however, the paid assets are very much affordable and so it’s a great site to browse through generally.

6. SpriteLand

If you’re making a mobile game, this site is a great resource for you. It’s full royalty free graphics/sprites you can use for your games or apps, and there are also a range of tutorial videos, games to play and a SpriteMaker you can play around with too.

7. Game Art 2D

This site has a ‘freebies’ section, which includes some free sprites, tilesets, GUIs and more. There aren’t a huge number available but they are complete sets which include scrolling backgrounds, objects, decorations, multiple file formats etc and so it’s worth a look. The paid art bundles are fairly reasonably priced as well so good to browse.

8. Graphic Buffet

Similarly to Game Art 2D, you can buy cheap 2D art assets here or explore their freebie section.  This online graphic store was set up by designer and developer Debug Design (Aka Ian Garstang). There’s a blog and they also take requests, and so if you want something that you can’t find there, you could ask for it!

9. Craft Pix

Craftpix offers both free and premium 2D assets for games. You’ll find most of the main categories available: icons, sprites, tilesets, GUI, characters, backgrounds, game kits etc. All can be used in commercial projects and integrated easily into most game engines i.e. Unity / Unreal Engine and many others. Most assets are either free or below $10.

10. Unlucky Studio

This site is run by Sujit Kumar Yadav, the author of Game Maker for Beginners. It’s basically a blog with various informative tutorials and game art assets all available to download for free. You can offer a donation via the site but otherwise everything is presented in the form of giveaways.

11. Game Art Partners

You can download a free game art assets bundle via their site. If you sign up to their newsletter you get a discount off the paid bundles and a range of other goodies. It’s one to take a look at and be aware of for sure!

12. Glitch The Game

Glitch was a collaborative, web-based massively multiplayer game which was opened to the public in 2010 but then shut down in 2012. The whole library of art assets from the game are now freely available in the public domain and so this site is definitely worth checking out. There are over 10,000 assets available including location art, spritesheets etc etc. and they’re all really high quality.

13. Dumbmanax

This site was created by Brent Anderson, a freelance game designer and developer. He’s made a lot of artwork available to use for free and it’s easy to download as zip files. The only catch is that you need to include a credit somewhere in your game. 

14. Crateboy

Here you’ll find a collection of over 300 files all available under creative commons.  It’s basically one 28MB zip file with lots in there to play with. The 8 bit city resource files are the ones to note and you just need to credit Crateboy in your game or ‘pay what you like’.

15. WidgetWorx SpriteLib

SpriteLib is a collection of static and animated graphic objects (sprites) available for hobbyist game developers to download in one big file. If you need sprites, this could be worth a look. It’s not a biggest pack ever but there are some great landscapes and characters in there, which are easy to download and use in any 2D game.  These are available under Common Public License.

16. Kenney Game Assets

There are over 40,000 free images, audio files and 3D models all available to use for free on this site.  They’re all in the public domain and are easy to download. There’s also a paid section where you can get bundles and premium assets which is also worth a little look. 

17. Reiners Tilesets

This site was created by a hobby game developer when they couldn’t find any graphics and decided to create their own! The site now contains lots of tilesets, sprites, textured low poly meshes, sound effects, tutorials and more. Whether you’re creating a 2D or 3D game, there might be something here for you.

So there you have it! 17 amazing resources for your game. Unfortunately this is all I can really help you with from the art side of your project, but if you happen to need help with any music, I can certainly do much more! Drop me a line if you’d like to explore this further. I’m on Twitter if you want to DM me there or just pop me a message and I’ll be in touch very soon!

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About the author: Ninichi is a freelance game music composer and film music composer. She creates music for indie games, films, podcasts, tv shows, commercials and more. 

She is an incredibly diverse composer with an extensive credit list to her name. If you'd like help with music for any project, feel free to contact her now.

Follow her @ninichimusic

Introducing Art & Gaming YouTube Channel: PennyBowtie

By Ninichi | Contact | Follow

Earlier on this year I connected with Noelle Vestal, an enthusiastic gamer and talented artist who runs YouTube channel PennyBowtie. I was asked to create the outro jingle for this awesome channel and wanted to share it with you! I'm excited to be have had this interview with Noelle which offers you a little bit more information on what the YouTube channel is about, so let's get to know the person behind PennyBowtie...

Why have you decided to create a YouTube channel?

'To be honest it started out as a bit of a rebellious act toward a few family members because they think gaming is a waste of money. After a few months in I had started to go through some tough times, like my mother had passed away, and we had fought for my siblings custody with his biological father. It all happened so fast, and it was really rough but when I started to make videos and stream, even if it was just one or two people watching, it felt really good to know that people were interested in what I was doing. And even better it wasn't because of the game I was playing, or some fandom, They were there because they just wanted to relax and chill. It wasn't forced or 'sub 4 sub'. They were just there. I'm a people pleaser so it's nice to see others are having a good time :)'

Wow what a story! Thanks for sharing that. So, who would you say your YouTube channel is for?

'My channel is generally for everyone, but I did originally wanted it to be more kid friendly, until I realized most of my content started out with horror. So now it's more PG13 or T for Teen. But that's mostly for the games. As for the Speedpaints and the few songs/song covers I've uploaded.'

What sorts of content do you and will you be sharing?

'I really enjoy art and gaming, so that's what I've decided to upload. I particularly like the older games then the new ones that have been coming out. It seems to bring out more of a nostalgic feeling to watch someone play something older.'

How long has it been going for?

'Uhhh, I need to check that lol. And my channel says I've been at this for about 2 years. I feel old lol.'

How important is music to your videos (i.e. the intro / outro / background music etc)?

'I think music is a huge part of my videos, especially since I'm a mediocre gamer, so there's a whole lot of bloopers I manage to squeeze out of recordings. I just want my audience to feel happy, and have a place to chill and relax.'

It was great fun working on the outro for PennyBowtie. How was it for you :-p?

'I thought working with you was a good experience. You were very patient with me and honest. I can tell you're pretty passionate about what you do, so a 10/10 for me :)'

How very kind! Here's the outro, have a listen folks!

(Check out my intros & jingles section if you want to hear some other jingles and/or get some help with your own)

What's the plan for your YouTube Channel?

'I think a big part of my channel that I want to plan later on when my channel has more attention is giveaways and charities. It's originally what I was thinking. I also want to be one of the few, (or the only?) Let's player who will play with random people, or other channels who are just starting out.'

How can we help you with everything?

'The amount of subscribers doesn't matter to me. (I sound so cheesy!). So long as there's at least one person who cares I'll keep going. I currently only have 137 subscribers. I originally thought I would only have 50 around this time. So I can't really complain.'

Is there anything else that we should watch out for? 

'I might be considering a new channel that's nothing but crafts that can be used everyday. Stuff like nerdy anime pins, clay figurines, and top hats. There will be many D.I.Y Top hats.'

That sounds different! We'll definitely be keeping an eye on you and what you get on up to YouTube. Where else can we find out more?

'I do art and other random stuff on twitter and Deviantart.

My Art: https://pennybowtie.deviantart.com/

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennyBowtie'

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About the author: Ninichi is a freelance video game music composer and film music composer. She creates music for video games, film and other media, and would be delighted to help you create the music for your game or project. 

Contact Ninichi to explore working with her now

Follow her @ninichimusic

Introducing the Game Music for Arty Swirly Colourful

By Ninichi | Contact | Follow

This is the second of my 'insight' articles which aim to offer a bit more of a glimpse into how I created the music for different games. This one is called Arty Swirly Colourful and I was really excited when asked to work on the soundtrack for this game. Everything that I learnt and discovered about the game was quite inspiring and so I wanted the music to reflect the calm and beautiful world as well. See what you make of it...

What kind of game is Arty Swirly Colourful?

Arty Swirly Colourful is a beautiful exploratory game created by the talented game development team at Owl Sanctuary Studios.  It’s a narrative driven game where you take on the character of a photographer sent into a stunning park – the ficticious Green Bay National Park, where you are tasked with taking photos. These photos are meant to recreate a series of paintings created in the park 100 years previously.

The game is set in a beautiful world populated with interesting wildlife, park rangers and other people to talk to, amazing surroundings and more. The music therefore is designed to reflect the gentle and calming nature of the surroundings as well as the emotional journey that one takes through the different areas of the park.

What is the music like?

The main mood for the music and for the game is that it is relaxing and soothing. The team at Owl Sanctuary Studios were very clear that they didn’t want any heavy electronic sounds and that they wanted a relaxed yet fun vibe. Playing the game and moving through the park is meant to be a chilling and gentle experience and so I’ve tried to make sure that the music supports this.

The first set of tracks composed for the game, are designed for the summer scenes. There are plans to build out the soundtrack further as the game develops and grows but for now we have focused on making the summer tracks fit the various settings and areas within the game.

What are the different game music tracks?

There are 5 tracks that I worked on:

Swirly Summertime – which is meant as a track for the daytime in summer, within the game. It’s therefore on the cheerier side yet still calming and soothing to listen to.

Early Sunrise – is meant to have that feel of awakening, discovery and a sense of wonder around what might be and what opportunities lies ahead

Summer Sunset – is at that beautiful shimmery time of day, when the light is it’s most beautiful. This is important for the photographer / player of the game and so hopefully the music reflects this sense of beauty.

Open Terrain – is meant to feel more airy than the daytime Swirly Summertime track.  Who knows what you’ll find in the open areas! It’s a mystery but a fun one!

Forest Trees – is a track that would play when you’re in the forest terrain. Here, I was trying to blend a sense of magic, mystery and calming quietness.

Have a listen to them and see what you make of them! Hopefully you’ll find them just as relaxing as the Owl Sanctuary team do!

A few other things that could be interesting to share about how I worked on these with the Owl Sanctuary Studios team:

• we communicated via a combination of emails and Discord

• there was a good range of tracks to use as inspiration, ideas and as references

• the team listened to each of the tracks to make sure that they all agreed on and liked them before signing each one off

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About the author: Ninichi is a freelance indie game composer and music enthusiast. She has composed the soundtracks and music to several indie games. Contact her: to explore working with her on your game, film or media project.

Check out examples of Ninichi's game music compositions and soundtracks & read more articles like this on the Ninichi music blog. 

Follow her @ninichimusic