Team Resources
Our team has always been enthusiastic about self-improvement. The better we become as artists + humans, the happier and more effective we'll be for ourselves, our craft, and the people we work with. If you're an Outlier Studios team member, use the materials on this page to learn how we operate as a team, and to improve your career + mindset as composers/musicians.
If you're not an Outlier team member and are wondering why this is publicly available...
We value total transparency when it comes to how we operate, so we want that to permeate throughout everything we do. That's why this page is open to the public to read. Feel free to read about why we love being active in our community, what went behind that pitch email we sent you, and all the things we talk about on an internal level.
You’ve just joined the team—welcome! We’re glad to have you. Here’s what you’ve gotta know…
How Daniel Ciurlizza feels about Outlier Studios, our team culture, and how he wants people on the team to feel about what we do together now and in the future.
If you’ve ever wondered how we’ve established our team culture and how we make our hiring decisions at Outlier Studios, this is for you.
Where can composers find filmmakers to work with?
Rhyan D’Errico and Nestor Estrada discuss a way in which composers can effectively study scores.
How do you systematically approach an orchestration so that it has movement, without sounding messy? What’s the thought process?
Everyone has their own process for writing a score, but here’s how I’ve broken it down…
If you're currently directionless in your career, establish your largest goals, then work your way backwards to figure out exactly where you need to go. Here’s an example…
A couple ways a film composer can use Instagram to engage with an audience and connect with filmmakers.
The absolute minimum rate for any director on CAA’s roster was $3,000,000. Those directors got there by being essential, not by being replaceable.
The process of designing IMPACTS + BRAAMS from scratch. Ideal for people in the sound design team
New ideas can be interesting, innovative, and valuable. But not everybody will see what you see. (That said, maybe they’re seeing something you’re not.)
“What’s your rate?” A client’s budget might be below or beyond what you personally think you’re worth, so answering that question isn’t always a straightforward process.
Being active in building relationships is important, even when we're busy. The precursor to this is The Pitching Process, which is something we'd used for 6 years to find work. The following write-up is a more minimal - but still very active - way of "pitching."
Whether your dream has always been to work with a certain composer, or if you're looking for an experience the Outlier team can't provide you with right now; this is for those of you looking to find jobs at studios, with other composers, or just about any job in the music industry.
Hans Zimmer sharing insights on how ghostwriting, music credits, and studio budgets work. This is something many people don’t really understand unless we’re in that world on a daily basis.
A process we’ve used to find work and connect with people we wanted to work with. Our team developed this pitching process through 6 years of actively using it. Here’s what we've narrowed it down to.
We love passionate storytellers, helping people succeed, and positively impacting society through art + innovation. There's a very "people first" culture 'round here, and we're constantly looking for ways to contribute value to everyone we meet – whether we work together or not.
Here are a few ways to build trust with people you hire on your projects.