music for video games, do you have my job and how do i steal it?

[coren]

well as the title may suggest, i have more than a passing intrest in composeing piece's for games. indeed some of my idol composers are Nobou Umatsu(final fantasy) and Robert prince (doom), and kenji kondo (varius games)

 

now i ask this question in the keyboard forum cause this area usually deals with midi (although i think nobou composes with a full orchestra and then redoes it on midi)

i just can't seem to find info on this job, like what they want in terms of schooling or demo reels, what are benefits to have, etc etc ANY INFO would help me alot.

 

any of you have any ideas?

i assume the demo reel should contain multiple "feeling life" and styles, and should strongly convey emotion (even if some are just adrenaline....) but.. well ya know.

really; any ideas would be cool

[surfjunkie]

i thought this question would get a couple of responses at least.

 

 

mike, have you tried google searches? i haven't heard of the composers you mention, but throw them into google along with game title + "music" or "playstation music" - you might find some good info. i'm going to try it with a few names, i'll post any good stuff back here.

 

also, there was a recent music mag (em or keyboard) that had an article about video game music.

[surfjunkie]

gamasutra sounds good, i couldn't connect.

 

 

i found some good stuff with google, but no site that says "here is what to do...".

 

 

unofficial nobuo uematsu site (lots of interviews)

http://www.nobuouematsu.com/main2.html

 

link pages: video game composers

http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Music/Composers/

http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Music/

 

VIDEO GAME COMPOSERS WORLDWIDE (mostly japan)

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Opera/2615/

 

this yahoo! group looks good. mostly SNES, but good info:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snesamp/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snesamp/links (good interviews)

 

FAT MAN i thought this was pretty interesting. you can send them your stuff:

http://www.fatman.com/gpmcomp.htm

 

"complete guide to game audio" book:

http://www.gignews.com/sounddesignbook1001.htm

 

from "Working So Others Can Play: Jobs in Video Game Development" by Olivia Crosby:

http://www.gignews.com/crosby2.htm

 

 

good info from popmusic.

You'll need strong interpersonal skills. You'll need to show that you're versatile, that you can mimic any style of music that's required of you, and that you can work under a deadline. Quantity can often rank higher than quality on a project. You'll need to be able to interpret the mood that other folks want you to convey through music. You'll need to write music that is always subservient to the action onscreen, which usually means "holding back" a lot more than if it were a piece unaccompanied by visuals.

[Groeg]

Hi,

I was in the video game business since 1994 as a composer and sound designer until Jan 2001 due to layoffs. I worked on over 15 released titles and have since moved on to doing post production at a video/film production house.

 

Now I haven't done any AAA titles but I do have an "insiders" knowledge of what it takes to develop a game over the seven years I've been doing this. You are on the right path as far as getting a demo ready. I would have as many songs in as many styles as you can write. Show that you can write for any situation.

 

If there are games out there that you think you can write that style of music, seek out who developed the game and contact them. Look in the credits section of the manuel and look who wrote their music. See if they have a website and contact them. Be persistant.

 

I have worked for two game companies that, fortunate for me, wanted to do audio in house. A lot of game companies will look for hired talent to create the audio. This could be good and bad. Good that they want someone like you to do the audio and bad because most likely, they've been working with the same people for a while and know what they can deliver. I think there is always an "in" though.

 

I'm in NC right near Redstorm Entertainment (Rogue Spear, Ghost Recon)and have worked with a handful of people that are working there now. There audio comes from Soundelux in CA and they are awesome. A company like this might be of interest to you also since they do more than computer games.

 

I hope I've been of some help to you. If you are interested on knowing some of the games I've worked on, just email me and I'll respond. Also if you have more questions, please feel free to do so.

 

Sorry for the long response,

Chris

 

P.S. I met Bobby Prince once at a conference and he was great to talk to. To think I was talking with the guy who wrote the music to Doom. WOW. Check his website. He might have some info for you too.

 

P.S.S popmusic is right in what he says

 

[ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: Groeg ]

[coren]

nice, thanks for the info and ideas. there very intresting.

Groeg, When where why did you get to meet Robert prince? lucky bastard

does anyone know if programming's required? nintendo mentioned that to do audio engineering you need a BS in CS, but im not sure you need that if your just doing the audio...

thanks again for the ideas and the links

 

[ 12-13-2001: Message edited by: coren5555 ]

[HolyTerra]

I recently purchased a book called "The Complete Guide to Game Audio." I don't know how good it is -- I haven't cracked the first page yet! But it's supposed to give one the info he needs if creating game audio is your desire. The author is Aaron Marks.

 

Some chapter titles include Essential Skill Sets & Tools, Finding and Getting the Jobs, Game Platforms and Their Audio Developing Platforms, Creating Music for Games (with subtopics of Exercises to Create Fitting Game Music, Recording Methods, Game Music Varieties, etc.)

 

It's just something else to check out. I am!

[Ungas_01]

Originally posted by HolyTerra:

[QB]I recently purchased a book called "The Complete Guide to Game Audio." I don't know how good it is -- I haven't cracked the first page yet! But it's supposed to give one the info he needs if creating game audio is your desire. The author is Aaron Marks.

 

- cool... would you know if i could review the book online? or even purchase it online? does it have a software cd along with the book? sorry for the many questions...

[surfjunkie]

that book does look good. i linked to a review of it in my post above, and the review has a link to the book at amazon.

 

let us know what you think of the book, HolyTerra

[HolyTerra]

Sorry, guys -- haven't been out here for a few days.

 

Yes, there is a CD-ROM included with the book. The literature says that included on the CD are samples of sound effects & music, interviews w/ composers, demos of editing recording/software, game trailers, and other "goodies."

 

Hmmm . . . that sounds interesting enough for me to start checking this thing out . . .

 

I don't know if there are any online versions of the book anywhere for review. I had to order mine thru a local bookstore, after having seen an ad for it in one of my musicians' mags.

 

I'll let you know whether or not it was a good investment.

[coren]

sounds like good christmas reading to me

someone mentioned there was a backissue of recording or eq mag with an article on it.. anybody know which issue?

 

 

edit: found the in keyboarder:

Nov '92 Adventures In Programming Music & Sound Effects For Video Games

 

By Charles Deenen

Featurepp. 46-55

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Feb '85 Jeff Gusman

The Unique Challenges of Composing for Video Games

By Dominic Milano

Profilepp. 12

 

[ 12-17-2001: Message edited by: coren5555 ]

[Groeg]

Hey Mike,

 

Try to find a book or article that is more current than 1985 and 1992. Audio in computer games (and consoles) has change so much even in the last 3 years. In the early 90's it was nothing but MIDI files accessing the sound card's sounds and 8 bit sound effects. Now we have full CD audio and near CD quality .WAV files in games.

 

I think some of the priciples might still be useful, but the applications might be different. What I'm saying is that the technology has changed greatly from when those articles were published.

 

Hope your schooling is going well.

 

Happy Holidays,

Chris

[coren]

ya man no doubt

just saying that this is what i found

the tech from then is a fun hobby, but im pretty sure that if i wanna compete in the market ill have to do better than internal speakers

[HolyTerra]

Coren5555,

I started reading my The Complete Guide to Game Audio book. It's GOOD. I simply bought the book with a "passing" interest in composing for games (just as someone that's "curious").

 

Man, just in the foreword and chapter 1 I got inspired! So if you really are interested, I KNOW you'll get something useful from this book. The CD-ROM has demos of programs by Sonic Foundry, Cakewalk, Propellerhead, Steinberg, Syntrillium, and some others I've not heard of. It has 4 sample contracts (Word documents), so you can see what the "legal" stuff entails. So there's plenty to play with.

 

I wish I had some stock in this book or something for this endorsement . . .

 

Right now, I'm listening to some of the scores by a couple of game composers (the book author & a guy named Jon Holland). This stuff is pretty neat. Anyhow, it inspires me to play around in my own studio now.

 

And ditto to Groeg -- the 1st chapter of The Complete Guide to Game Audio book addresses how things have DRASTICALLY changed over the years -- especially quality, and including, er, salaries. Ahem! Anyway, it only cost me $38 or so, including tax, and I wasn't really set on doing anything like this "for a living." So it would be WELL WORTH your investment if you are, I'd say.

 

You got game?

 

[HolyTerra]

Coren5555,

 

I forgot to mention that I recently read an article in Keyboard or one of the musicians' mags that talked about "writing to a scene" when composing for video games. (Forgive me if I'm using terminology out of context.)

 

You originally mentioned demo reels or something, and I think what the article was saying was to compose for particular scenes in specific games, so a prospective game manufacturer can relate what you compose to how appropriately you interpret the feel of the games or something like that.

 

Am I making sense?

[coren]

i think you are, i think ive heard of someone around here doing the same thing for movies..

this guy jhon carroll, in my class (of the caroll brothers) has a friend at soundsational studios (where my class will be doing some projects...)

anyways this guy did remixes for bif naked and some other people, he also sat down to the movie "13th warrior" and wrote some music as a sountrack, and sent it in (with the video) to the producer of the film as a "see what i can do to your movie? consider me next time" thing...

is this what you had in mind?

[HolyTerra]

Something like that, yeah.

 

I'm in chapter 2 of the book now. That Aaron Marks writes in a very entertaining style. He gives all the nuts & bolts of this type of work. I don't think I'm cut out for it, though. But it is indeed interesting to read.

[Groeg]

Hey guys,

 

Great info you're giving out HolyTerra. That book seems real cool.

 

Something I did as part of my demo reel was I took the opening sequence from Resident Evil Code:Veronica, and wiped out all the original audio and replaced it with my own audio(Music, Snd FX, Dialogue). This showed that I could do all aspects of the game. I found it helped out more than just having a CD with a bunch of songs on it especially if you want to do more than write music. You can find promo movies of games on the internet or at the game companies web site.

 

This is the same idea as what was said earlier about writing to a sceen. It gives then an idea that you can take the player on a journey and make it interseting enough for them to play for hours.

 

Happy reading,

Chris

[coren]

i dont have the access to the equipment id need to do sympte or the rest of this right now... but eventually..

 

right now i take pieces of games music (from doom or final fantasy, for example) and i re-write or re-do it as a differnt version... its fun.. communcicating the same emotion as an 9 year old midi song with live guitars is really interesting.

i also go to the music store and play with the tritons

[coren]

i freaking love you popmusic.. that site is dope!

the mario one is fun, but the "dragon warrior dragonhop" is good to.. as well as the doom ones..

man ill be at this site for awhile

i once heard of this band (from texis i think..) that played shows of game music..

thanks for the link!

and thanks to holyterra, groeg, wager 47 and the rest of you

 

edit: you owe it to yourself to checkout "doom2-moster condo remix by chuck dodgers, doom: Doomed(e1l8) by rimco, amonst other games)

 

2nd edit: there is a whole buch of links as well from that site, composers, info, other music sites

 

thanks popmusic that sites a gem

 

[ 12-20-2001: Message edited by: coren5555 ]

[coren]

Originally posted by popmusic:

 

Glad you liked it... And no, you can't have my Budweiser...

 

dude, im canadian

the whole bottom layer of my fridge is budweiser