Wiki: Difference between revisions of "Project Guidelines"

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:''By releasing an album for this site, you and the other participants are agreeing to our '''[[Content Policy]]'''; please read it before proceeding.'''''
 
:''By releasing an album for this site, you and the other participants are agreeing to our '''[[Content Policy]]'''; please read it before proceeding.'''''
  
The [http://www.ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=21 Projects] forum showcases [[:Category:Projects|collaborative efforts affiliated with OCR]]. This includes, but is not limited to, album project collaborations, database information compilation, and development of software for OC ReMix.
+
Below are the guidelines for starting and/or running a [http://ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=21 projects of any kind on OCR]. Skip to the section that directly relates to the type of  [[:Category:Projects|project]] you want to start. Please read these guidelines carefully before posting!
  
If you wish to head up a site project that is NOT an album, contact [http://www.ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=3949 zircon] or [http://www.ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=1211 Liontamer] via PM, and they can discuss your potential project and work out the details.
+
== I want to start a remix album project ==
  
For those planning on coordinating an album project, here are the steps required to become an official OCR album project:
+
Before you post in any forum about your remix album project, we encourage you to consider the '''time commitment''' in running such a project. Even for experienced ReMixers, managing a remix album project can take years. It requires significant coordination and constant attention. If your only motivation for starting a project is to hear the music from a particular game remixed, try the [http://ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10 Remix Requests] forum instead!
  
== Before creating a thread ==
+
If you still want to proceed with your idea, you must consider '''whether you want the project to be an official OCR album release'''. Here are a few benefits of being an official project:
  
* Come up with a concept. You can choose to arrange the entire soundtrack from a single game, like ''[http://smproject.ocremix.org Relics of the Chozo]'' or ''[http://dkcproject.ocremix.org Kong in Concert]'', or create an album project that is more selective with its track selection, like ''[http://kirby.ocremix.org Rise of the Star]''. You should also decide on whether or not there will be a general style/theme; will there be a wide variety of genres on the project, or will there be only one genre (such as the orchestral-only ''[http://chrono.ocremix.org Chrono Symphonic]'')? You can also choose to arrange music from multiple games. Deciding on a concept you are happy with is important, because you'll be running with it for several months, perhaps even over a year.
+
* Extra attention in the [http://ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39 Recruit & Collaborate] forum
 +
* Hosting for the entire project, MP3 + torrent
 +
* Assistance in coordination from the OCR staff
 +
* Your own project subforum on the OCR forums
 +
* Promotion on ocremix.org, including ReMix posts, front page spotlight, social media and email outreach
  
* Contact artists you want on the project. This is crucial. Using OCR's [http://www.ocremix.org/remixers/ ReMixer database] and the forums, find people you would like to have on your project and contact them via PM, AIM, IRC, or even email. Even if you don't personally know many people in the community, contacting artists whose music you really like is a good place to start. We suggest getting the support of at least 5 artists whose works are known in the community.
+
'''If you do not want to release officially through OCR''', you can post about your project in the [http://ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39 Recruit & Collaborate] forum. However, '''you will not be able to use the OCR forums to run your project''', nor are you guaranteed any kind of promotion, hosting or other assistance.
  
== The development phase ==
+
'''If you do want to release officially through OCR''', there are a few general requirements that you first must consider:
  
*Once you have generated some interest, post a recruitment thread in [http://www.ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9 General Discussion]. This is where you will be notifying the general public of your project and filling out its roster. Be detailed with what the album is about, the type of deadlines people can expect, the recruitment criteria, and so on. On that note, holding auditions for artists interested in participating is strongly recommended. Have those interested submit a recent work to you so that you can evaluate their current level of artistic ability and see whether it fits in with the rest of your roster. While auditions are not required, they are highly encouraged, as album projects on OCR require a certain degree of quality control. A project that has very little quality control may not be accepted as an official OCR album project.
+
* Is the game itself eligible for ReMixing under our standards? If it has a primarily or entirely non-original soundtrack (eg. ''Dance Dance Revolution''), there may not be enough material to qualify. Eligible game music must be written for a specific title, not licensed from a movie, TV show or commercial.
  
* Once it is observed that recruitment has taken place and progress has started on songs for the album, the project thread will be moved to the [http://www.ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=16 Works (In-Progress & Completed): OC ReMixes forum]. You are welcome to continue recruitment at this stage in the project and change the roster or tracklist around. The Works forum is where the project will stay for awhile, so be sure to keep the initial post updated with any relevant information. Any further discussion of the album will take place in this thread, though arrangers are still welcome to create WIP threads for individual tracks.
+
* Are you already involved with the coordination of other projects? Unless you have a track record of successful album projects, you must limit yourself to coordinating one album project at a time. If you have established credentials, we may make exceptions and allow two simultaneous projects.
  
* Alternatively, if after a few weeks in General Discussion significant interest has not been generated, the album project thread will be closed. If this happens, you are encouraged to rethink your approach - choose a more popular game, attempt to make your name more well-known in the community, get to know more ReMixers, etc.
+
* Are there too many projects in progress already? Over time, OCR has seen an explosion in the number of proposed album projects. Unfortunately, the community lacks the resources to execute every potential project in a timely manner. As per the discretion of the '''project moderators''' ([http://ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=437 DarkeSword], [http://ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=15862 Fishy], [http://ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=3949 zircon]), a new project may not qualify for official status solely on the grounds that there are too many projects underway already.
  
== While in Progress ==
+
'''If you or your project idea do not conflict with the above guidelines''', you must receive (and maintain) '''approval''' to proceed as an official project. To do this, you must:
  
* If your project has any songs that don't fall under your project scope for some reason, but you don't want to remove them, they can become bonus tracks. These are tracks that are included with the project but not as part of the main portion.  This is not required or recommended, simply an option.  If you need more clarification on what qualifies as a bonus track, contact the OCR project staff.
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* Have a clear project idea with a manageable scope. Your project should not just be a random collection of songs, but ideally, an underlying theme or concept as well.
  
* Keep in mind that there is a quality requirement for projects: 1/2 of all final tracks, including any tracks included in the project but not as part of the main release (known as bonus tracks), should be OC ReMix passable; ie. they would receive the requisite amount of votes from the judges to be passable as an OC ReMix.
+
* Create a tracklist of songs to be remixed. This can change over time, but put some thought into it even at the beginning - it should tie in with your project concept.
  
* Keep in touch with OCR project staff: they are there to help let you know that you're on track and if you have questions about running your project.
+
* Gather and maintain the support of posted ReMixers or similarly talented musicians: at least 5 such experienced musicians should be involved. While OCR site projects do not pass through the Judges Panel, we expect a certain level of quality with every release.
  
* When a significant amount of work has been completed on the album project (e.g. 75% of the songs have a work-in-progress track) the project thread will be moved to the Site Projects forum. This is where it will stay until (and after) the project is finished. At this stage, continued progress and forward momentum towards completion must be displayed. All projects hit low points as far as activity is concerned; it's to be expected. But complete inactivity for extended periods of time will warrant removal from Site Projects. If this is ever considered, the issues will always be discussed with the project coordinators beforehand.
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* Create and enforce deadlines. As a project manager, you must keep tabs on your participants.
  
* Take into consideration any requirements you have for artwork for the project. This is not a requirement, though usually a project will at least have some cover art.
+
We strongly encourage you to use the simple [http://www.zirconstudios.com/ocrstuff/OCR%20Album%20Project%20Proposal%20Template.txt Project Proposal Template] to lay out your thoughts and consolidate this information. Once you have done so, '''PM a project moderator ([http://ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=437 DarkeSword], [http://ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=15862 Fishy], [http://ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=3949 zircon])'''. If your project is approved, you can post a thread in the [http://ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39 Recruit & Collaborate] forum with your information, and you will receive a project management subforum. If your project is '''not''' approved, you may submit it for approval at a later date after refining its scope, recruiting additional ReMixers, collecting more WIPs or finished works, etc. As your project develops, the project moderators and other site staff will check up on its progress every three months or so.
  
* Begin considering how you will go about creating a website. Look for potential web designers and get an idea started. If you are unable to secure website creation, our default project website template can be applied to your project.
+
'''Projects can lose approval''' based on the discretion of the project moderators. The same criteria used for gaining approval are also used for maintaining it (creating and enforcing deadlines, having a number of experienced ReMixers on board, keeping a manageable scope) and project moderators will discuss the issue with the project coordinator(s) before taking action. Should a project lose approval, the project forum will be closed for one month. After that, the project forum will be permanently removed. While you can apply or re-apply for approval at any time (even if you never applied to begin with), projects which have already lost approval will be evaluated stringently.
  
== Approaching completion ==
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'''When a project is completed''', it will go through a quality assurance and finalization process. As a general rule, many of the final tracks should be eligible as posted OC ReMixes, i.e. they would receive the requisite amount of votes from the judges to be YESed. The project moderators, judges and other site staff may all be involved in this aspect of the process to ensure that any official project is consistent with the goals and standards of the website.
  
* In order for a project to be considered complete, there are a number of requirements.  The following need to be complete:
+
== I want to start an original album project (non-VGM) ==
  
** Music (in WAV format)
+
Many OC ReMixers and OCR community members have released original albums. If you'd like to find collaborators for your own project, just post a thread in the [http://ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39 Recruit & Collaborate] forum and include the following info:
** Any artwork
 
** Website
 
** Consent Emails from contributors to the project (directors, musicians, artists, site designers, etc.)
 
** Any directors notes to be included
 
** Information on all musicians, what tracks they are arranging, and games being arranged.
 
** Lyrics for any songs that have vocals.
 
  
* We require consent emails from all contributors to the project.  Each contributor is required to go to the following form, fill it out accurately, agree to the guidelines stated therein, and click "Submit":
+
* '''About the Album''': What genre is it? What's the story or concept?
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFNlTmlYYUJtUVNNd2hpSWxXa19Ra0E6MQ
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* '''What You Need''': Do you need writers? Visual artists? A mastering engineer? Performers? Be specific.
 +
* '''Non-Profit vs. Profit''': Will you be selling the album when it's done?
 +
* '''Compensation''': Will you be paying anyone for their effort, or is this purely pro bono?
  
* Don't worry about mirrors for the songs and content - we'll take care of that.
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== I need musicians to write music for my game project ==
  
* When the album project is complete, contact the OCR project staff at projects@ocremix.org about arranging a release date, arranging torrent distribution, and selecting debut tracks.  There is typically at least a two month wait between album completion and album release.  1 month is used for album evaluation, to make sure it meets our quality and arrangement standards, and 1 month is used for project release prep. However, if a director submits multiple projects concurrently there will likely be a delay in evaluation of up to 6 months or more. Furthermore, if there is a project queue in place, it may take longer than 2 months to release as projects are typically released on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If you have a specific release date in mind, speak with project staff as soon as possible.
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The OCR community is filled with both hobbyist and professional musicians who can write original music for you. Simply post a thread in the [http://ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39 Recruit & Collaborate] forum and include the following information:
  
[[Category:Projects]]
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* '''About the Developer''': Are you a college student, a big company, or something in between? What's your website?
 +
* '''About the Game''': What type of game are you making? Tell us about it. How complete is it? Do you have concept artwork or game footage to look at?
 +
* '''Non-Profit vs. Profit''': Will you be selling the game? If so, where?
 +
* '''About the Music''': How much music do you need? What genres do you have in mind? Any reference soundtracks?
 +
* '''Compensation''': Will you be paying for this? If so, what ballpark range?
 +
 
 +
== I want to start some other kind of project ==
 +
 
 +
You're allowed to use the [http://ocremix.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39 Recruit & Collaborate] forum to look for people to work with you on anything relating to video games or music. Just provide as much detail as possible about what you want to do and the type of people you're looking for.
 +
 
 +
== EXAMPLE Project Proposal ==
 +
 
 +
GAME NAME(S): Castlevania II
 +
 
 +
ALBUM CONCEPT: "Castlevania II: The Funk of Forty-Thousand Years" - Basically, funky, disco-pop versions of classic CV2 themes. Looking to have about 6-8 tracks.
 +
 
 +
PERSONNEL: zircon (Project Director), halc (Assistant Director), OA (Album Art / Website)
 +
 
 +
TIMELINE: We plan to finish by February 2013. First WIP deadline (any kind of WIP) is April 2012, second deadline (finished arrangement) is November 2012, and final deadline (finished tracks) is January 2013.
 +
 
 +
TRACKLIST:
 +
* Bloody Tears
 +
* Silence of the Daylight
 +
* Vampire Killer
 +
* Wicked Child
 +
* Within These Castle Walls
 +
* New Determination
 +
* Ralph's Crisis
 +
 
 +
REMIXERS:
 +
* zircon
 +
* halc
 +
* OA
 +
* Gecko Yamori
 +
* analoq
 +
* XsephirothXXX
 +
* 808ocrnoob
 +
* Sixto Sounds
 +
 
 +
<nowiki>#</nowiki> of COMPLETED WORKS: None yet
 +
 
 +
<nowiki>#</nowiki> of WORKS-IN-PROGRESS:<br/><br/>
 +
Link 1.mp3<br/>
 +
Link 2.mp3

Revision as of 21:14, 18 July 2011

By releasing an album for this site, you and the other participants are agreeing to our Content Policy; please read it before proceeding.

Below are the guidelines for starting and/or running a projects of any kind on OCR. Skip to the section that directly relates to the type of project you want to start. Please read these guidelines carefully before posting!

I want to start a remix album project

Before you post in any forum about your remix album project, we encourage you to consider the time commitment in running such a project. Even for experienced ReMixers, managing a remix album project can take years. It requires significant coordination and constant attention. If your only motivation for starting a project is to hear the music from a particular game remixed, try the Remix Requests forum instead!

If you still want to proceed with your idea, you must consider whether you want the project to be an official OCR album release. Here are a few benefits of being an official project:

  • Extra attention in the Recruit & Collaborate forum
  • Hosting for the entire project, MP3 + torrent
  • Assistance in coordination from the OCR staff
  • Your own project subforum on the OCR forums
  • Promotion on ocremix.org, including ReMix posts, front page spotlight, social media and email outreach

If you do not want to release officially through OCR, you can post about your project in the Recruit & Collaborate forum. However, you will not be able to use the OCR forums to run your project, nor are you guaranteed any kind of promotion, hosting or other assistance.

If you do want to release officially through OCR, there are a few general requirements that you first must consider:

  • Is the game itself eligible for ReMixing under our standards? If it has a primarily or entirely non-original soundtrack (eg. Dance Dance Revolution), there may not be enough material to qualify. Eligible game music must be written for a specific title, not licensed from a movie, TV show or commercial.
  • Are you already involved with the coordination of other projects? Unless you have a track record of successful album projects, you must limit yourself to coordinating one album project at a time. If you have established credentials, we may make exceptions and allow two simultaneous projects.
  • Are there too many projects in progress already? Over time, OCR has seen an explosion in the number of proposed album projects. Unfortunately, the community lacks the resources to execute every potential project in a timely manner. As per the discretion of the project moderators (DarkeSword, Fishy, zircon), a new project may not qualify for official status solely on the grounds that there are too many projects underway already.

If you or your project idea do not conflict with the above guidelines, you must receive (and maintain) approval to proceed as an official project. To do this, you must:

  • Have a clear project idea with a manageable scope. Your project should not just be a random collection of songs, but ideally, an underlying theme or concept as well.
  • Create a tracklist of songs to be remixed. This can change over time, but put some thought into it even at the beginning - it should tie in with your project concept.
  • Gather and maintain the support of posted ReMixers or similarly talented musicians: at least 5 such experienced musicians should be involved. While OCR site projects do not pass through the Judges Panel, we expect a certain level of quality with every release.
  • Create and enforce deadlines. As a project manager, you must keep tabs on your participants.

We strongly encourage you to use the simple Project Proposal Template to lay out your thoughts and consolidate this information. Once you have done so, PM a project moderator (DarkeSword, Fishy, zircon). If your project is approved, you can post a thread in the Recruit & Collaborate forum with your information, and you will receive a project management subforum. If your project is not approved, you may submit it for approval at a later date after refining its scope, recruiting additional ReMixers, collecting more WIPs or finished works, etc. As your project develops, the project moderators and other site staff will check up on its progress every three months or so.

Projects can lose approval based on the discretion of the project moderators. The same criteria used for gaining approval are also used for maintaining it (creating and enforcing deadlines, having a number of experienced ReMixers on board, keeping a manageable scope) and project moderators will discuss the issue with the project coordinator(s) before taking action. Should a project lose approval, the project forum will be closed for one month. After that, the project forum will be permanently removed. While you can apply or re-apply for approval at any time (even if you never applied to begin with), projects which have already lost approval will be evaluated stringently.

When a project is completed, it will go through a quality assurance and finalization process. As a general rule, many of the final tracks should be eligible as posted OC ReMixes, i.e. they would receive the requisite amount of votes from the judges to be YESed. The project moderators, judges and other site staff may all be involved in this aspect of the process to ensure that any official project is consistent with the goals and standards of the website.

I want to start an original album project (non-VGM)

Many OC ReMixers and OCR community members have released original albums. If you'd like to find collaborators for your own project, just post a thread in the Recruit & Collaborate forum and include the following info:

  • About the Album: What genre is it? What's the story or concept?
  • What You Need: Do you need writers? Visual artists? A mastering engineer? Performers? Be specific.
  • Non-Profit vs. Profit: Will you be selling the album when it's done?
  • Compensation: Will you be paying anyone for their effort, or is this purely pro bono?

I need musicians to write music for my game project

The OCR community is filled with both hobbyist and professional musicians who can write original music for you. Simply post a thread in the Recruit & Collaborate forum and include the following information:

  • About the Developer: Are you a college student, a big company, or something in between? What's your website?
  • About the Game: What type of game are you making? Tell us about it. How complete is it? Do you have concept artwork or game footage to look at?
  • Non-Profit vs. Profit: Will you be selling the game? If so, where?
  • About the Music: How much music do you need? What genres do you have in mind? Any reference soundtracks?
  • Compensation: Will you be paying for this? If so, what ballpark range?

I want to start some other kind of project

You're allowed to use the Recruit & Collaborate forum to look for people to work with you on anything relating to video games or music. Just provide as much detail as possible about what you want to do and the type of people you're looking for.

EXAMPLE Project Proposal

GAME NAME(S): Castlevania II

ALBUM CONCEPT: "Castlevania II: The Funk of Forty-Thousand Years" - Basically, funky, disco-pop versions of classic CV2 themes. Looking to have about 6-8 tracks.

PERSONNEL: zircon (Project Director), halc (Assistant Director), OA (Album Art / Website)

TIMELINE: We plan to finish by February 2013. First WIP deadline (any kind of WIP) is April 2012, second deadline (finished arrangement) is November 2012, and final deadline (finished tracks) is January 2013.

TRACKLIST:

  • Bloody Tears
  • Silence of the Daylight
  • Vampire Killer
  • Wicked Child
  • Within These Castle Walls
  • New Determination
  • Ralph's Crisis

REMIXERS:

  • zircon
  • halc
  • OA
  • Gecko Yamori
  • analoq
  • XsephirothXXX
  • 808ocrnoob
  • Sixto Sounds

# of COMPLETED WORKS: None yet

# of WORKS-IN-PROGRESS:

Link 1.mp3
Link 2.mp3

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