FILM MUSIC pdalnkbaooekj]hrke_akbiqoe_bknbehi]j`pahareoekj VIDEO GAME COMPOSERS TOP GAME COMPOSERS ON THE ART, CRAFT AND BUSINESS OF VIDEO GAMES APM’S ADAM TAYLOR MUSIC LIBRARIES AND VIDEO GAME MUSIC NATHAN BARR SCORING HORROR AND HOSTEL: PART II ALF CLAUSEN THE SIMPSONS’ 400TH EPISODE JEFF & MYCHAEL THE FIRST BROTHERS OF FILM SCORING DANNA FINALE TIPS FOR COMPOSERS RKHQIA3JQI>AN/ 2*1,QO 4*1,?=J=@= + PLUS THE BUSINESS OF BUYOUTS RE@AKC=IA?KILKOANO 5GD8NQKCNE (".& $0.104*/( BY PETER LAWRENCE ALEXANDER WITH GREG O’CONNOR-READ 14 ! filmmusicmag.com In a rapidly changing technological environment that’s highly competitive, composers the world over are looking for new opportunities that enable them to score music, and for a livable wage. One of the emerging arenas for this is game scoring. Originally the domain of all synth/sample scores, game music now uses full orchestras, along with synth/sample libraries. To gain a feel for this industry, and to help you, the reader, decide if game scoring is something you want to pursue, Film Music Magazine has established an unprecedented panel in print: six top video game composers with varying styles and musical tastes, plus top game composer agent Bob Rice of Four Bars Intertainment. As you read the interviews, it will become quickly apparent that while there are many Let’s pretend that you’ve started a new music school course just for game composers. Given your experience, similarities between film and TV, and game what would you insist every student learn to master, and scoring, one major difference arises that is why? Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves:E^Zkgrhnklmk^g`mal literally within the mind of the composer. We Zg]dghprhnkp^Zdg^ll^l'''p^ZeeaZo^ma^f'IZrZm& asked both game music industry expert Greg m^gmbhgmhrhnk\hfi^mbmbhg'B_rhnpZgmmh[^Z`Zf^ \hfihl^k%ieZr`Zf^l:g]fhlmbfihkmZgmer%e^Zkgahp O’Connor-Read and game composer Jack Wall mhe^Zo^rhnk^`hZmma^_khgm]hhkZg][^\hf^Zm^Zf the question, “Is it fair to say from reading these ieZr^k':l\hfihl^kl_hkZgrf^]bnf%p^Ík^[^bg`abk^] _hkhnkmZe^gmZg]^qi^kmbl^%[nmp^Ík^Zelh[^bg`Zld^]mh answers, that the successful game composer [^Zm^ZfieZr^k'ÊBmmZd^lZobeeZ`^mhkZbl^Z\abe]'ËMa^ is someone who is skilled not just in dramatic lZf^Ziieb^lmh\k^Zmbg`^q\^ee^gmob]^h`Zf^l%ÖeflZg] writing, but also has a computational, almost m^e^oblbhglahpl' computer-programming side?” Jesper Kyd:Mhl^Zk\ahnmZg]Ög]ma^bkhpglmre^h_ Both Wall and O’Connor-Read agreed, fnlb\Zg]ghmmhmkrZg]^fneZm^hma^kl%ma^bfihkmZg\^ h_[^bg`ngbjn^pbeeiZrh__bgma^ehg`kng4Ög]rhnkhpg noting, “There is definitely a left brain/right fnlb\Zeohb\^' brain thing going on with game composers.” Garry Schyman:P^eeZllnfbg`ma^rZek^Z]rdghpahpmh Our panel consisted of six top composers, pkbm^fnlb\%ma^Öklmmabg`Bphne]]hblZldma^fZeemh two of whom work as a team: Rod Abernethy ieZr`Zf^lÈ^li^\bZeerb_ma^raZo^g^o^kk^Zeer`hmm^gbgmh ma^f'B_rhnpZgmmhl\hk^fhob^lZg]rhnÍo^g^o^kl^^g and Jason Graves, Jesper Kyd (pronounced hg^BmabgdrhnÍ]aZo^Z]b_Ö\nemmbf^ng]^klmZg]bg`paZm ‘yesper kid’), Garry Schyman, Jack Wall and ma^rg^^]bgm^kflh_fnlb\'BmÍlma^lZf^pbma`Zf^l%rhn g^^]mhng]^klmZg]ma^f%a^Zkma^dbg]lh_fnlb\i^hie^ Inon Zur. Zk^fZdbg`_hkma^f%Zg]l^^Zg]a^Zkahp]rgZfb\fnlb\ filmmusicmag.com "15 RE@AKC=IA?KILKOANO lhng]lZg]_ng\mbhgl'Hma^kmaZgmaZmBphne]pZgmmhm^Z\a better organized, and have a better grip on the business issues ma^fZ[hnmma^bg]nlmkrZg]ahpbm_ng\mbhgl' of game scoring than do their counterparts in film and TV. What’s the truth and what’s the perception? Jack Wall:MhZ\mnZeerieZrZ[ng\ah_]b__^k^gm`Zf^lbgl^o^kZe Jesper Kyd:BmabgdmaZmÍlZgbeenlbhg'Ob]^h`Zf^\hfiZgb^lZg] `^gk^l%cnlmmh[^_ZfbebZkpbmama^f^]bnf%phne][^Z`hh] \hfihl^klaZo^Zlmkhg`^kik^l^g\^hgma^p^[maZgma^fhob^ lmZkm'Eblm^gmhahpfnlb\`^mlnl^]Zg]lmZkmmhfZd^rhnk [nlbg^ll[^\Znl^bmÍlZg^e^\mkhgb\f^]bnf'@Zf^lZk^^e^\mkhgb\ hpg\ahb\^lZ[hnmpaZmbl^__^\mbo^Zg]par'Ma^g%e^Zkglhf^ ikh]n\mlZg]maZmÍlparma^k^Ílln\aZlmkhg`\hgg^\mbhgZg] [nlbg^llldbeel'G^mphkdbg`blk^ZeeraZe_ma^[Zmme^'Ha%Zg] ik^l^g\^hgebg^pab\ak^lnemlbgfhk^k^lhnk\^lZoZbeZ[e^hgebg^' gnkmnk^rhnkmZe^gm'E^Zkgmh]^o^ehirhnkhpgohb\^'=^libm^ma^ Fhob^i^hie^Zk^bgma^\bg^fZZg]hgfhob^l^ml%`Zf^klZk^ \hglmZgm]bk^\mbhgmhlhng]ebd^AZglSbff^khkpah^o^k%rhnk hgebg^':elh%bmÍlZ]b__^k^gm[nlbg^llZg]`Zf^\hfihl^klaZo^ hpgohb\^pbeel^\nk^rhnkln\\^llho^kma^ehg`aZne':g]bmÍl mh[^Z\mbo^erikhfhmbg`ma^fl^eo^l[^\Znl^ma^k^ÍlghmZehmh_ fhk^_ngZg]_neÖeebg`bgfrhibgbhgmaZgmkrbg`mhlhng]ebd^ ehrZemrbgma^`Zf^lbg]nlmkr'@Zf^\hfihl^klaZo^mh[^ikhZ\& lhf^hg^^el^' mbo^Zg]`hhnmZg]`^mma^bkhpg`b`l' Inon Zur: Ma^fhlmbfihkmZgmZli^\mbg`Zf^fnlb\blng]^k& Rod Abernethy and Jason Graves:?khfma^hnmlb]^%ma^i^k\^i& lmZg]bg`AHPfnlb\phkdlbg`Zf^lZg]ma^]b__^k^g\^[^& mbhg_khfma^Öefbg]nlmkrfZr[^maZmob]^h`Zf^fnlb\bl mp^^gfnlb\_hkÖefZg]MO%Zg]`Zf^l'Hg^fnlmng]^klmZg] l^\hg]kZm^mhÖef'Ma^Zo^kZ`^`Zf^k\ZgiZrnimhlbqmbf^l ma^khe^h_fnlb\bg`Zf^lZg]ahpmhfZd^bmphkd4ma^k^lmbl ma^ikb\^h_Zfhob^mb\d^m_hkZlbg`e^ob]^h`Zf^Èlhb_rhnZld cnlmink^fnlb\e^Zkgbg`Zg]\kZ_mbg`'Bphne]bglblmlmn]^gml ma^f%ma^rphne]lmkhg`er]blZ`k^^maZm`Zf^fnlb\bll^\hg] lmn]rpZrlh_bfie^f^gmZmbhgh_fnlb\bg`Zf^lkZma^kmaZg kZm^'Pbmama^^o^k&`khpbg`ihineZkbmrh_ob]^h`Zf^l%aZl\hf^ mkrbg`mhm^Z\afnlb\hger'Mhpkbm^fnlb\_hk`Zf^lblZli^\bZe ma^\nkbhlbmrZg]]^lbk^mhdghpahpma^rZk^fZ]^%Zg]ÖgZeer \kZ_mmaZm\hfihl^klg^^]mhihll^ll[^_hk^^f[Zkdbg`hgZikhc& hnk\kZ_mh_\hfihlbg`_hk`Zf^lblcnlmghp[^\hfbg`ghmb\^] ^\m'M^kflebd^lm^fl%bg\b]^gmZel%Z\\b]^gmZel%gh]^l%lmbg`^kl% [rma^hnmlb]^phke]'Ma^mknmablmaZmZlob]^h`Zf^\hfihl^kl% \bg^fZmb\lZg]hma^k`Zf^fnlb\m^kfbgheh`rZk^Zfnlm_hkma^ p^Ík^lbfiermkrbg`mhie^Zl^ma^\hglnf^kZg]fZd^Z`k^Zm^k \hfihl^kl' `Zfbg`^qi^kb^g\^_hkma^f' BgfZgrpZrl%`Zf^\hfihl^kl]haZo^Z[^mm^k`kbihg From the outside looking in, it appears that game composers, ma^bk[nlbg^llmaZgÖef\hfihl^kl!ghmmhlZrÖef\hfihl^kl thanks to the Game Developers Conference, web sites like ]hgÍmaZo^ma^bkZ\mmh`^ma^k"'CnlmZlbgÖef%ma^\hfi^mbmbhgbl Music4Games.net and the Game Audio Network Guild, are ^qmk^f^erÖ^k\^'Ma^k^Zk^\hfihl^kl%ebm^kZeerZeeho^kma^phke]% 3NC"ADQMDSGX www.rednoteaudio.com +@RNM(Q@UDR Rod Abernethy is founder and creative director of Rednote Audio. His work in video games began with a collaboration with veteran film com- poser Elmer Bernstein on the scores for the video game Wild Wild West, The Steel Assassin. Since 1998, Rod has created award-winning scores for over 40 video games. He graduated from the University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, NC, with a degree in music performance and com- position. Rod is on the Board of Directors of the Game Audio Network Guild and has been a featured speaker at the Game Developer’s Confer- ence in San Jose, CA. Jason Graves is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s prestigious film scoring program where he studied under film compos- ers Elmer Bernstein, Christopher Young, and Disney Legend Buddy Baker, as well as Ron Jones, Jack Smalley, and famed Hollywood orchestrator Will Schaefer. With more than 100 television shows to his credit, Jason has won three Tellys, an Addy, nine Silver Reels, a Gold Case Award, and more than 30 other state and national communications awards. His ties to Los Angeles have allowed personal connections with top Hollywood film composers when working on film-based video games, including relationships with Elmer Bernstein (Wild Wild West), Hans Zimmer (King Arthur), John Debney (Zathura), and most recently Harry Gregson-Wil- liams (Flushed Away). 16 ! filmmusicmag.com mkrbg`mh`^mma^lZf^`Zf^l':ehmh_mbf^lma^ÖgZe_h\nlblhg ma^lZf^_hnkhkÖo^h_nl%^o^gb_ma^k^p^k^hkb`bgZeer0)i^hie^ mkrbg`_hkma^`b`';nmbg`Zf^lma^k^l^^flmh[^fhk^fnmnZe k^li^\mZfhg`ma^\hfihl^kl'Fhlmh_nldghp^Z\ahma^kik^mmr p^eeZg]p^Ík^Zeephkdbg`mh`^ma^kmhpZk]fZdbg``Zf^fnlb\ Zlmkhg`^k_hk\^bgma^fnlb\phke]'P^k^Zeer\Zk^Z[hnmmabl bg]nlmkrZg]bml`khpmaZg]i^k\^imbhg[rma^hnmlb]^phke]' @':'G'@'blZelho^krbfihkmZgmbg[kbg`bg`ma^phke]h_ob]^h `Zf^fnlb\mhma^k^lmh_ma^^gm^kmZbgf^gmbg]nlmkrZg]pbee \hgmbgn^mh[^ZfZchk_hk\^' Inon Zur:Fnlb\_hk`Zf^lbgbmlik^l^gmo^klbhgpZl]^o^ehi^] ]nkbg`ma^eZlm1&*)r^Zkl%o^klnlfnlb\_hkÖefmaZmaZl[^^g Zkhng]_hkma^iZlm*))r^Zkl'Bmblghphg]^k%ma^k^_hk^%maZm ma^`khnih_`Zf^\hfihl^klblfn\alfZee^kZg]Zmb`am&dgbm \hffngbmr'Mabl_Z\m\k^Zm^lfn\almkhg`^k\hffngb\ZmbhgZg] ^g\hnkZ`^lma^laZkbg`h_dghpe^]`^[^mp^^gmahl^\hfihl^kl Zg]mablblpaZmfZd^lma^[^mm^k\hgg^\mbhglZg][nlbg^ll`kbi' ?bef\hfihl^klaZo^Zme^Zlm-hk`ZgbsZmbhglmaZmZk^lniihl^] mhk^ik^l^gmma^f%[nmma^rZk^ghmngbm^]Zg]_ZfbebZkpbma^Z\a hma^kebd^ma^`Zf^\hfihl^kl'Bgma^phke]h_fnlb\_hk`Zf^l% bmbllmbeelfZee^ghn`amh_^^eZebmme^ebd^Z_Zfberngbm%Zemahn`a bmbl\aZg`bg`'?hkma^fhlmiZkm^o^kr[h]rdghplZ[hnmma^bk i^^klZg]\hffngb\Zm^lpbma^Z\ahma^k%^o^gf^^mbg`_khf mbf^mhmbf^' Game music deals have historically required that composers assign all rights to their music on a work-for-hire basis. How do you deal with this in your negotiations? +DRODQ,XC Garry Schyman:Ghmk^ZeerZgr]b__^k^gmer_khfÖefZg]MO' P^Zeelb`gphkd&_hk&abk^\hgmkZ\mlpa^gp^phkd_hk^bma^k www.jesperkyd.com bg]nlmkr'BÍo^aZ]mh^]n\Zm^fr`Zf^bg]nlmkr\eb^gmlZ[hnm i^k_hkfbg`kb`amlZg]aZo^[^^gln\\^ll_nelh_Zk'Ma^rZepZrl British Academy award winner Jesper Kyd `bo^f^ma^pkbm^kÍllaZk^%mahn`afhlmh_ma^faZ]ghb]^ZpaZm writes electronic and symphonic music for maZmpZlZ_^pr^ZklZ`h'Ma^]hpglb]^blmaZm%lh_Zk%ma^k^Ílebmme^ video games and movies.