INTERNATIONAL VIDEO GAME MUSIC CONFERENCE
RETURNS TO SOUTHBANK CENTRE, LONDON ON SEPTEMBER 24
FEATURING COMPOSERS OF INDIE GAMES “EVERYBODY’S GONE TO THE RAPTURE“,
“DEAR ESTHER“, “VOLUME“, “THOMAS WAS ALONE“, “BOUND BY FLAME“, “HAROLD“
OPENING KEYNOTE FROM ELECTRONIC ARTS’ WORLDWIDE EXECUTIVE OF MUSIC
Game Music Connect organizers today revealed several sessions for the second annual international video game music conference which returns to The Purcell Room at London’s Southbank Centre on September 24. Game Music Connect is for aspiring and professional composers of all backgrounds and those interested in learning about the art and craft of creating today’s cutting edge video game soundtracks. Featuring interviews, practical demonstrations and roundtable discussions with some of the world’s leading composers, music supervisors and audio directors, tickets are available at www.gamemusicconnect.com.
The first sessions to be announced for Game Music Connect 2014 include:
“VISION TALK”
Inspiration, celebration, future vision.
Videogame music executives don’t rank any higher than Electronic Arts’ Steve Schnur who speaks from a truly global world view of original and licensed videogame music content – a vista he has significantly influenced through his own activities for EA since migrating from the music business. Uniquely qualified to comment on scoring for games, he will celebrate the role of music in today’s interactive entertainment and explore the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Speaker: Steve Schnur (Worldwide Executive, Music & Marketing, Electronic Arts)
“INDIE GAMES – REVOLUTION OR RENAISSANCE?”
With audio and music productions for mobile and tablet games being nominated for BAFTA awards alongside huge big-budget console titles, many view the ‘indie sector’ as a hotbed of creativity and artistic expression. Interesting. Is it a brave new world – or actually an echo of the games business before the advent of the risk-averse blockbuster sequel? Is it a spawning ground for new ideas and artistic expression? If so, why? Greater individual creative autonomy? Can technology and budget constraints sometimes stimulate flashes of genius? Our experts will discuss the issues, explode the myths and postulate about future developments.
Speakers:
Jessica Curry (Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Dear Esther)
Olivier Derivière (Harold, Bound By Flame)
David Housden (Volume, Thomas Was Alone)
Chairs: John Broomhall and James Hannigan
“GAME MUSIC REACT 2014!”
Interactive music case studies and discussion of design through to implementation.
Interactive music proved a popular topic at last year’s Game Music Connect, so we’re back with more case studies exploring how music can be conceived, scored and structurally delivered to facilitate both variation and reactive replay behaviours. The session will examine techniques that mitigate the challenges of scoring for inherently unpredictable gameplay where the length of time spent in scenes, and the timing of events within them is indeterminate. How do game teams avoid annoying music repetition and make music respond to the action, akin to how a movie score might function?
Speakers:
Jason Graves (Tomb Raider, Dead Space series)
Olivier Derivière (Assassin’s Creed IV Freedom Cry, Remember Me, Alone In The Dark)
James Hannigan (Transformers: Universe, Dead Space 3, RuneScape 3)
Tom Colvin (Audio Lead – Heavenly Sword, Enslaved, DmC: Devil May Cry)
Chair: Richard Jacques (LittleBigPlanet 3, James Bond 007: Blood Stone, Mass Effect)
More sessions will be announced in the very near future. For all sessions announced today and in the future, visit www.gamemusicconnect.com.
Game Music Connect is created by BAFTA and IFMCA award-winning composer James Hannigan (Command & Conquer and Harry Potter series) and noted game audio director, composer and industry commentator John Broomhall (Forza Motorsport 5, Transport Tycoon), to celebrate and explore the music of video games together with the extraordinary talent behind it. Game Music Connect 2014 is proud to be sponsored by Sony PlayStation, Electronic Arts, COOL Music and Classic FM. For more information and to purchase tickets for Game Music Connect 2014, visit www.gamemusicconnect.com.
