We met up for the fourth time, this time it was in person. I came with my laptop prepared to take notes of what was about to happen. Mingyu showed me the game’s current status a little playthrough and what sounds she needed from me.
Four songs.
Music list (loop music) 1. Game start scene 2. Computer scene. 3. computer opening animation. 4. Game status loop music.
I wrote some notes as well.
ambient sound before the screen zooms in.
Screen zooming in sound effect.
Video effect playing.
Typing noise sound effect.
Appearance when you finish.
Jingle.
Music goes into a computer screen. Music representing the engineer.
Zoom in screen.
A little bit longer for this scene.
Vintage synth. Science fiction tom and Jerry. Cupped. Cyber. Cuphead style.
Computer load in chime,/ like Windows XP
Flicker light sound effect
The camera changes into the log in stage. Type in password (change or not change music? Our choice)
Three rounds, at the moment. Loop music potentially is the same for each level.
End of the game, opening eyes.
Again these probably make more sense to me than anyone reading. But basically, I need to communicate with Will as soon as possible. He’s still on tour and it’s been a bit counterproductive towards the music accomplishments we need for the game. I’m unsure if I should start making some music but I’m not as capable as Will, this is something he does confidently. But perhaps I will attempt. I also saw Jingya speak with the other MA team members and communicate about what sound effects are left, after the meeting I spoke with Jingya and she said she only needs a few more and then she will be done. I do wonder if she is one hundred per cent sure, I think as Ingrid said there will be more sounds than the MA students anticipate.
Going on forth I need to attempt music, and edit/record more sound effects. The MA students want the assets by Thursday next week. We have our presentation on Wednesday so we need to get them done by then. I will update how it goes.
I am finding myself a tad frustrated with my group and our way of working. Not necessarily that anyone isn’t doing their work correctly or not working hard. But more so how I work well in groups is through in-person communication and working together and keeping communication frequently. I have found myself falling into the organiser/leader role which I have no problem with, but I do find myself on fallen ears at times. Creating and planning, following up on people asking how they’re going? If I can help in any way.
I find I myself don’t work well in meeting up once a week the everyone going away and doing work then meeting up again. I prefer the continuous process of commutation. Not a ton but a slight meeting or message here and there. Communicating how they’re going with their work.
I want to try to find some way to meet in the middle as I understand this more of a preference. Some teams barely speak and get the job done but this isn’t like me.
I also find myself perhaps needing some information about game design sounds, so I’ll be taking out these books from the library to give myself some more knowledge on the subject.
Aaron Marks’ complete guide to game audio: for composers, sound designers, musicians and game developers
The essential guide to game audio [electronic resource]: the theory and practice of sound for games / Steve Horowitz.
Game sound: an introduction to the history, theory, and practice of video game music and sound design / Karen Collins.
Group genius: the creative power of collaboration / Keith Sawyer.
Together: the rituals, pleasures and politics of cooperation / Richard Sennett.
After the tutorial we had a little chat on our Whatsapp group and reflected on the feedback and how much time we had left. We knew we had a meeting booked for Friday and decided to allow some time to create and from Friday move like a well-organised machine to finalise the project. At this point we have a few sound effects, some recorded sound unedited and a few songs to use in the game.
We’re going to make sure we take a more forward role in the sound for the game, we felt perhaps we were waiting for them to tell us. But we want to take charge and give our opinion and our creative input into the sound rather than just do what they want.
So the plan is from Friday to go full steam ahead. And analyse exactly what we need to do in our opinion as well as theirs and see what the game needs as we feel after what Ingrid said about there being more sounds we will though than the MA students anticipate this is something we want to get down.
The first video was an animation in space of two astronauts wandering around, communicating and driving around in a space station. The sounds used to fit the application work really well. I enjoyed the communication element, instead of using speech they used distorted bit-crushed sounds to showcase the communication between the astronauts. As well as this the foley sounds of driving, walking around. worked as well, and the panning helped to create a sense of space successfully.
The second was a VR game? It made you walk around a space station and I felt the footstep sounds really gave a cold feeling of isolation that helped make the space station feel in a vacuum. The reverberation in particular worked well. As well as this the game created a pretend sequencer and the sounds were cool, space sound effects that fit the theme well. And the voice acting as well as edited to sound very much like a robot.
The last was a platform game, similar to things I used to play on a website called Newsgrounds. I really liked the aesthetic drawing style they used. Once the button was pressed this amazing LO-FI sort of hip hop music started playing which fit the game really well. The aesthetic of the art is similar to the musical style and it really has impressed me.
The essay begins by speaking on the spirit of place. How places need certain characteristics to bring artists and tourists to locations. And why we find these places beautiful or picturesque isn’t really easy to pinpoint. And how modernism has changed our cities and society to only associate places such as natural landmarks or remarkable built forms as beautiful locations.
It also speaks about the sense of place and how that relates to the spirit of a place, how a sense of place comes from numerous things. Sight, smell taste, touch, memories, experiences. And also the geographical environment, the local materials used in the buildings situate the sense of place in the area. And modernism has ruined this, the idea to replace everything old with something new, using cement and steel. Things that you have no idea where they came from can ruin a sense of place. Postmodernity has dismissed this approach and celebrates diversity.
It also speaks on that in a virtual environment one can create anything, any building beyond the limits of real life. Planning permission, neighbours. Population increases are out of the book and the creator becomes like a god in this situation. Also what virtual reality offers is different to other media, paintings are only experienced with sight, and digital media, imagination and sight. And virtual worlds encompass predominantly all of the senses.
It also speaks that virtual reality is definitely real if some people choose it to be. The spaces of real-life can be replicated to the utmost reality. How do we deal with this? What places can we recreate or imagine and design in the world? What should we design and what shouldn’t we?
It touches that virtual reality environments can never be authentic as authentic means to be real and that’s something virtual reality could never be, as well as this it speaks on that what they can be, is accurate reproductions of real places.
Finally, it ends with the thoughts around a sense of place in a virtual environment, how this will come from the participants in the world. The players the millions of people that connect online will create and add a living feeling to these virtual worlds.
We had our group tutorial with Ingrid and present our work. I showed the music I and Will have been working on alongside my electromagnetic recordings. As well as this Jingya showed the sound effects she has been making and editing to video. We discussed the process of working with the MA students how we have chosen our roles. Using each other’s strengths to maximise usefulness. I also spoke on how Will is currently on tour which has made it difficult to create the musical assets for the game. Will is the only member in the group that has musical abilities so we’ve been a bit setback by this. Will is extremely talented and when he returns I’m sure we will be able to quickly complete the musical components. Ingrid also spoke on making sure we have work ready to present for Wednesday and to make sure we receive a copy from the MA students. As well as to understand that because our group were slow with the development that when we have the next meeting we will have more things to create sound for than they assume. Examples transition sound effects. She also spoke to think about sound in its difference to picture, that game students often think very much more about the visuals and how sound can help those, but to as well think about what sound can do beyond replicating sounds for what’s being shown. A great piece of advice there for us as currently, that’s all we’re doing so we are very much waiting on the interface and art to be in the game to finish the product.
I rented out a small electromagnetic microphone to record some sounds for the robot game we are working on currently. I was attempting to think of sounds that would suit the aesthetic of the artwork presented and the theme of the game. I thought that electronic sounds recorded with this microphone pickup is perfect for these sorts of sounds and I went around the house exploring the electromagnetic space within.
I recorded numerous applicants around the house and a few sounded amazing. I recorded myself turning the washing machine on and off and the sound is made with a modulated pitch going up and down is perfect for this game. As well as other sounds that fit in perfectly. I’m going now to edit and add reverberation for the game and create a few stock sounds for the MA students to use in their game and to receive feedback on.
Since we weren’t able to have a meeting last week, the MA students sent us a PDF containing everything we asked for in order to continue making more music and sound effects. I and Will felt it was important to create a sound that continues to develop and evoke emotion or themes throughout the video game. And if they showed us what the story of the game was and what each level represented we could create that. Will had a great idea since this game is to do with creating a robot’s brain and giving them consciousness that perhaps the music should reflect that. If the music begins less complicated in the first few levels and adjusts as the robot begins to learn new things. From atonal to tonal.
We finally received information about the actual story behind the game. As they did keep changing and not deciding where they were going with it. On the PDF it says.
The player is a memory-filling company worker whose daily job is to fill the robot with false childhood memories in order to complete the robot’s cognitive behaviour. On this day, he receives an unusual, assignment from a mother whose daughter has died, and the player is asked to populate a doll robot with a digital backup of her dead daughter; the entire game is a process of the player fitting in her daughter’s digital soul into the robot’s physical body (a process of synchronisation) so that each level is a link to the completion of this digital soul cognition, corresponding to the different content of each level and this is also linked to the daughter’s preferences during her life.
Looking at this I think potentially about music and sound effects. Thinking around what I’m trying to evoke. I believe we will need the ambience sounds of a factory going on. The robot is being built so we will also need technological sounds. I will rent out an electromagnetic pickup to record some sounds like these that will work perfectly for the game. Make a few variations for building the robot. The music element I find because I can’t compose with music theory it might be difficult. But I am imagining some 80s style of music similar to what I and Will did in the first week.
Currently, for the music list, they said.
Game start, background music for game start and, game states, background music for the first level.
Again not much but at least for now, we know we need to do two songs. I do remember in last week’s meeting they spoke on how they aren’t sure how many levels they have time to implement due to time restraints so this is something we will have to workaround. Either make more and be prepared if they manage to make another level. Or create more anyway to choose and see what fits around the level and give choice to the MA students.
This was the visual references part of the PDF. It seems very dark perhaps, the bottom screen reminds me of modular synthesis modules and I’m sure what I’ve created can be used in some way. I have a few recordings that I made on the modular which I haven’t had time to edit yet but I will be now I have a visual aesthetic. Again it does help so much having references as you can listen to the music while looking at the references to see if it works.
Music References
We also asked last week for music references, despite now thinking this could be a negative thing as myself and Jingya are not musically inclined. I listened to them and I do feel a tad overwhelmed. I know they don’t want the music to the same standard and these are mere references but it does make me stressed for the music creation process. I’m not a composer and typically the music I make is experimental hip hop, which samples other things. I’m not sure about the legality of sampling for someone’s video game and clearing/licencing issues so I’m deciding to only sample or use royalty-free sounds or create my own. I do still have the idea of recording someone playing keys and my housemate with his violin. I’m not sure how realistic that is at this point. But I will still attempt to do so.
Alice Madness Returns, I listened to the album and it’s rather simple. Just plucking instruments and keys. Drone sounds and the odd sound effect. It sounds more like ambience than music but they did say after initially hearing our music that they want it simpler. I think it’s totally possible to create something like this. Reverb heavy sounds with drones. I also think it suits the theme heavily. That is if they keep the story and theme they have now.
Next was Cuphead, I’ve played this game before so I knew what I was going to be listening to. I’ve actually watched a behind scenes of the music creation process that this game took when creating it. This I feel will be incredibly hard to replicate unless I use samples but again the licence issues appear when doing so. I think this style is out of the question for me at least, perhaps Will might be able to. But this sort of music requires full bands and scoring to create. I also don’t believe this will suit the vibe of their game unless they wish to create something lighthearted which they may want to.
Lastly Rusty Lake. The playlist was filled with depressing sad, slow classical piano music. Alongside synthwave/drone sounds. Again something I believe is definitely possible. It’s not overly complicated. I want to attempt it and I do believe I haven’t given it enough of an attempt. I find myself giving up before I try as music is something I enjoy creating but doing so in a linear fashion can dishearten me before I even start. I want to try to create something like Rusty Lake and the Alice in wonderland game.
They then had a section for the art style. for the game and interface section. Again they say, retro science fiction with lovely and creepy. Interesting too how we can do both we sound? A good challenge.
They also speak that the right side of the screen where the mini-game happens will be black and white. Old school. I believe the sound effects of the electromagnetic pickups will work perfectly. To really enhance this retro vintage science fiction element. Alongside some modular sounds.
Then on the left, as they described last week there will be a doll or robot that will be built as the minigame occurs. On the left side, it will be coloured and creepy but cute as shown by the art references. I believe the music that is near Rusty Lake will fill this in. If we have feedback sounds and fuzzy tv noises for the right-hand side of the screen with mainly sound effects. Robot whirring sounds as well. Then overall music with reverb and drones for the left-hand side that also fills the right I believe it will work.
Here is some current artwork of the doll alongside some references of what they want. Cold and creepy is what they’ve written. I think reverb can add that cold feeling they want really well. Valhalla Reverb.
The game interface, alongside ideas and the first version which they showed us last week. I think the sounds will fit perfectly. Especially for the right-hand side of the tv section.
Lastly, they gave us information on only the first level which says. Langauge section, how can we incorporate language into the music and sound effects for this level? Reversed speech? Human speech distorted and reverberated as sound effects in the ambience of the game?
After last week’s meeting, we were still waiting on the PDF file to be sent including all the assets we were shown in the last meeting as well as information around levels, themes etc for the music composition.
We planned a meeting for Wednesday the second of March. Unfortunately, the MA group were busy presenting their work for their degree and haven’t found any time to meet up and continue the presentation process we were engaged with. There were tube strikes at the time and Will was on tour so far the best I believe as it would have just been me showing up. This hasn’t been a very proactive week in terms of actual production so hopefully, things can improve.
Despite not having a meeting we were sent the PDF finally which gave us more updates on what they wanted. They gave more information on the story background, music list. Visual references, and music references. I’ll be looking into it a bit more to understand and do a reflection. I’m hoping I can manage to create some sound effects for the robot creation process In the game as I’m struggling with the music part of it. Perhaps I should just attempt anyway and see what I can come up with.
Steven speaks on knowing through relations and how this insists that one does not simply “acquire” knowledge but, rather, that one knows through an ongoing cumulative and interactive acoustemology. I agree completely. He speaks on that knowledge isn’t just through attempting to know but through ongoing interaction with the environment as the tribe’s people, he was surrounded were doing.
He also mentions that while the idea of an anthropology of sound was meant to help decolonize ethnomusicology’s disciplinary paradigms, the presence of”anthropology” still made it too human-centric; the prepositional “of” marked too much distance and separation, and the nominal “sound” seemingly made it more about propagation than perception, more about structure than process. It was a case of”the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”
Again another great point that struck me about understanding the study of sound. And Steven makes a point here that we are still involving ourselves as humans in studies. Not understanding sound and its relationship with the environment and objects but rather its relationship with us. Deeming that all ideas stem from the human interpretation of sound. That sound doesn’t exist within itself.
Unlike acoustic ecology, acoustemology is about the experience and agency of listening histories, understood as relational and contingent, situated and reflexive.
Likewise, it refuses to replace visualist ocularcentrism with sonocentrism as any sort of determining force of essentialist sensory master plans. I also agree, one isn’t better than the other and he speaks that his goals aren’t to skew the reader’s views into believing sound is more important. That sonocentrism is better than ocularcentrism.
Overall I do believe this article allowed me a deeper understanding of knowledge within sound itself and learning from sound. That there isn’t one way of learning. Sound itself can teach us our surroundings, specific ques that dictate problems in our environment. Difficult for some of us that live in urban environments to imagine this, although we in urban environments have different ques than others for example living in a rainforest.
