This preparation also provides audio systemization with more opportunity to be scalable, future-proof, and optimized, saving teams from the scramble of hacking prior systems to do something they weren’t originally designed for — ultimately saving devs an immeasurable amount of time, money, and stress.
MAKE TIME FOR MUSIC AT THE TOP –
THOMAS KRESGE, COMPOSER Scoring video games is an entirely different beast than composing for movies. With cinema, composers more often begin their work in earnest during post-production (once the beats of the linear film are largely
decided and all photography has already been captured). While exploring a movie’s many musical motifs may begin earlier, full-bore composition relies on a more solidified canvas before a score can take form. Video games, however, are filled with so many interactive
IMPACTFUL AND INNOVATIVE AUDIO IMPLEMENTATION STARTS EARLY – ADAM BROWN, TECHNICAL SOUND DESIGNER Audio is half of how most players experience a game’s story. It helps communicate how you’re supposed to feel at any given moment and better understand key actions depicted on
screen. It also adds depth and intricacy to unseen elements of a game world, helping to sell the players on a time and place. Technical sound designers are the bridge between creative
and development teams who find ways to weave audio in more powerful ways that engage players more deeply in the story or game mechanics. Achieving as much requires a strong technical framework that addresses audio’s many dependencies upfront and gives sound designers more options for creativity in the assets they produce. These essential frameworks take their strongest shape during pre-production and cannot be implemented as easily or painlessly once development is long underway. If developers establish technical frameworks together with
the teams that will be implementing them — with audio as a conscious priority — from the start, we can then build smarter and more efficient audio pipelines that deliver audio faster and with greater impact, resulting in better gameplay experiences.
variables in their final form that they demand a different, adaptable approach to composition that must plot its first notes as early as pre-production. Aside from overall visions for musical style and tone, composers need to work with engineering teams early to determine how the music and gameplay will intersect and to ensure that the necessary systems and supporting middleware for dynamic music are planned from the start. Only with the stage for dynamic scoring set early in pre-
production can composers then confidently sketch and develop the “sound” of the game and work more flexibly with the schedules of other recording musicians when needed. The earlier developers involve their composers, the stronger their game’s sonic signature will be.
COMMIT TO GREAT AUDIO IN PRE-PRO – ELLIOT CALLIGHAN Getting audio teams involved early, even before development, is one of the best ways studios can pursue their biggest and boldest visions and keep their best player experience in mind. Audio plays such an important role in final product impressions — and
the most inspired game audio results from a strong interplay between audio, creative, and engineering alike. So, give your audio teams time and space to prioritize creative cohesion by not keeping us benched until production is already underway. Say it with us now: No pre-pro without audio!
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