The Game Audio Strategy Guide

Gina Zdanowicz is an accomplished audio designer for games, film, TV, new realities, and podcasts. A graduate from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Synthesis, Gina honed her skills in game audio by working in house with game developers and founding her own independent sound studio, Serial Lab Sound. Gina has worked on over 100 video game and interactive titles and her work with Nickelodeon (TV) has been nominated for two Daytime Emmy awards. In addition to her career as an audio designer, Gina is a game audio course author and instructor at Berklee Online, a tutor at Thinkspace Education, and a lecturer at universities such as NYU and conferences around the world like GDC. Follow Gina at: www.seriallab.com Spencer Bambrick is a composer for games, film, and the concert stage. His recent work includes BestLuck (2018, PC, Mobile), Block Party (Emmy-Nominated Nick Jr. Series of Animated Shorts), and additional music for Paladins (Hi-Rez Studios). Spencer is the Game Audio Network Guild Northeast Regional Director and he has presented at GameSoundCon (2018, 2017), PAX Dev (2016), and MAGFest (2015). He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Music Composition at The University of Hartford (The Hartt School), studying interactive music, game technology, and social activism.

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTION

1. Getting Started

Our Goals for this Textbook

Overview and Learning Outcomes

Who Should Read this Book?

How to Use this Book

Requisite Knowledge

Theoretical Framework

Practical Framework, A.K.A. Companion Website (Sound Lab)?

Visiting Artist’s Tips

Key Terms

Further Reading

Game Audio

Game Development Roles Defined

Essential Soft Skills and Tools For Game Audio

Production Cycle and Planning

Research

Making Use of Downtime

PART I

Sound Design

2. The Basics of Nonlinear Sound Design

What is Nonlinear Sound Design?

The Sound Design Process

Challenges in Nonlinear Sound Design

Exploring Immersion and Interactivity

Essential Skills for Sound Designers

3. Designing Sound

Dynamic Audio

Sound Effects

The Function of Sound in Games

Designing the Sonic Palette

Choosing the Right Source for Your Sonic Palette

Sourcing Audio from Libraries

Sourcing Sounds through Synthesis

Sourcing Audio through Studio and Field Recording

Field Recording

Microphone Choice and Placement

Performing Sound with Props

Location Scouting and Preparation

Designing Sound Effects

Sound Design Techniques

Effects Processing as a Sound Design Tool

Putting It All Together

4. Voice Production

Dialogue vs. Voice-Over

PART II

Music

5. The Basics of Nonlinear Music

What is Nonlinear Music?

Challenges of Nonlinear Music Writing

Essential Skills for the Game Composer

Exploring Music as an Immersive Tool

Diegetic vs. Non-Diegetic Music

Production Cycle and Planning

Working with a Team

Platforms and Delivery

6. Composing Music

Generating Musical Ideas and the Creative Cycle

Starting Points for Musical Composition

Composing Game Music

Form and Structure in Game Music

7. Arranging and Orchestration for Games

Genre and Style Considerations

Foundations of Musical Texture in Games

Arranging and Orchestrating Using Samples

Templates

Template Planning

The Orchestral Instruments

Writing for String Samples

Writing for Woodwind and Brass Samples

Writing for Choir Samples

Writing for Percussion Samples

Writing for Full Sampled Orchestra

Advanced Orchestration and Arranging for Live Ensembles

Working with Synthetic Timbres

Other Styles of Arranging in Game Music

PART III

Implementation

8. Audio Implementation

Implementation Basics

Dialogue Systems

Dynamic Mix Systems

Resource Management and Performance Optimization

Testing, Debugging, and QA

9. Music Implementation

Approaching Implementation

Arranging and Orchestration as Implementation

Advanced Vertical Techniques

Advanced Horizontal Techniques

Adding Randomness and Variation

Composing Complex Adaptive Systems Using Middleware

Aesthetic Creativity and Composing Outside the Box

Tools for Experimentation

Pure Data

Simplicity vs. Complexity in Game Music

PART IV

Business and Networking

10. The Business of Games, Part I: What Do We Do Now?

Career Development: Overview and Philosophy

Selecting Tangible Goals

The Pyramid of Sustainability

Career Paths in Game Audio

11. The Business of Games, Part II: Gigs, Gigs, Gigs!

Networking and Creating Value

Demonstrating Value

Finding Work

Business and Price Considerations

The Final Bid

Navigating Contracts

12. Your Game Audio Strategy Guide

Audio Creator as Game Developer

Index