We had the good fortune of connecting with Nir Shor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nir, how do you think about risk?
I see risk taking as an imperative and fundamental part of life, at the end of the day risk is just another word for fear and most of the time we translate “risk” as the fear of the unknown.
One cannot fully explore life and get to truly know one-self without treading through paths that are unknown, even the smallest decision can yield life-changing results and I am speaking from personal experience.

A while back I had a small case of social anxiety that I was determined to eliminate from my life, so I tackled it head on by putting myself out there as much as possible and overcoming my fears.
During one of the events I attended I met a colleague which in turn became one of my closest friends and business partner without whom I would probably not move to LA and not be where I am today.

So now that we have spoken a little bit about risk and fear this brings me to the biggest risk I took in both my personal life and career which was my decision to sell all my possessions, disassemble and sell all my studio equipment (which was widely featured on my YouTube channel so it had a lot of sentimental value) and bidding farewell to family and friends while embarking on a new life in a foreign country chasing a career that has slim chances of success.

Without taking risks, facing fears and embracing the unknown I would not live life the way I do now which is the best time I have ever had in all my years on our pale blue dot.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am known for video game music but I have also written music for other media as well, but I think my approach is unique when it comes to video games since I have studied video game development from a very early age and explored Texture Creation, 3D modeling, Scripting, Sound Design and even Level Design within several game engines throughout the years.
Combining this and my never-ending passion for video games which made me spend so much time playing video games in various genres made me really comprehend how games should feel and sound, this vast experience allows me to compose music that is complimenting every element on screen rather than overshadowing it. This combination of unique experience and knowledge has also brought me to my most recent career milestone which was being appointed as an Audio Director at “Mintedloot Studios”.

One of the most memorable moments and one I am very proud of was landing my first video-game project called “Eximius: Seize the Front Lines”, this is a project I am still writing for to this day and really holds a special place in my heart.
My most proud moment was definitely the HMMA (Hollywood Media in Music Awards) nomination I received for my work on “PUBG Mobile” as a mixing engineer, working on one of the largest mobile video games in the world was definitely a dream come true.

As for the challenges I guess I can start with the nature of the “Composer” profession and how it changed over the years, in the 80’s-90’s a composer’s job was mostly composing music, writing notes by hand and presenting it to the orchestra which proceeded to record it. Today this profession is very different, a composer is expected to handle computers, software, orchestration, do sound design, mix and master the music and when it comes to video games music “Implementation” is sometimes a required skill which actually means delving into the game engine and adding the music to the game. These skills took a long time to learn and hone to the point that I can create a finished product by myself whereas earlier it would have taken a team of people to complete, but that is the reality of the current situation for composers. That being said there are exceptions, big budgeted companies still hire a team of people to do all the work mentioned above.

There were a lot of things I learned along the way however the most important in my eyes are the value of teamwork and accepting feedback from others. After all in this industry your communication and social skills are as much if not more important than your artistic ones, the end goal is creating music to enhance the player’s experience within the game so following your clients vision is a number one priority even if it contradicts your own.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh I would definitely start with Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, I am a huge Harry Potter and Jurassic Park nerd so that would be the first place we go to, next keeping up with the theme I would go to Disneyland for sure! The Star-Wars rides are absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to go back myself.

If I wanted something a little more low-key and relaxing then Huntington Park is a great choice, there is something very “Zen” about the botanical gardens and the atmosphere in General, another great place is the Griffith observatory park that offers a great view of the city.

One of my favorite activities is going to screening and industry events, meeting new exciting people and watching what Hollywood is cooking is always fun so I would take a Plus one to show how the industry looks from the inside.

In case we would want to aim for something that involves more culture I would go to the Hollywood Bowl catching a concert and definitely visit the “National Space and Air Museum” followed by the “Natural History Museum”.

When it comes to food my favorite place would be the Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ in Sherman Oaks, a close second is “The Cheesecake Factory” for sure and lastly “Hummus Bar & Grill” in Tarzana for some great middle eastern food.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I was lucky enough to be surrounded by a very supportive family that always pushed me forward and believed in me, my mom got me my first guitar at the age of 15 which sparked my interest in music production and film scoring which in turn evolved into combining two of my passions, video games and composition.
A special shoutout goes to my brother Dan whom I would always turn to for feedback about my music, he was always honest and helped me become a better composer.

One of my closest friends and colleague Hillel Teplitzki who has been invaluable to my journey and one of the reasons I moved to LA in the first place, we collaborated on many projects together and since he comes from a classical background as opposed to me which I come from a Rock/Metal background investing more time in production we complement each other in our knowledge and get to create some truly unique music.

And lastly this journey would be impossible to make without the support and love from my friends back home and the warm welcome and embrace of my new circle of friends in LA.

Website: https://www.nirshor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nirshorcomposer/

Linkedin: https://il.linkedin.com/in/nir-shor-617726219

Twitter: https://x.com/nirshor?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nir.shor.5/?locale=fy_NL

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nirshor

Image Credits
Ayah Zakh

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.