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Making sweet music together

From the cheap and cheesy-sounding midi scores of the early days, to the complex soundscapes of today, music for video games has come a long way in a (relatively) short time. Almost an afterthought in the past, music in video games can now play a huge role in the success of a title, enhancing gameplay, influencing emotions and affecting the overall user experience.

To learn more about the art of video game audio development, MSN Games chatted with Xbox Audio Director Caesar Filori about how he got started in the industry, the challenges of composing music for video games, his own musical influences and much more. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to become an audio engineer for games then read on!

What are the first steps in developing music for a game? Could you provide us with a step-by-step guide thru the development process?

For me, it really starts with the vision of the game, the emotional arc of the storyline, and what mood, sounds, and textures best capture the essence of the experience. In a game, there can be a wide range of emotions, moods, levels of energy, and there is also the issue of what you are trying to communicate to the player through the music as it plays such a major role in defining what the player takes away from any given experience. Should the player feel eerie suspense? Should they feel excitement or triumph?

As games aren’t necessarily a linear experience, you need to have all the bases covered and, by taking advantage in the current real-time audio capabilities, you are now able to dynamically change your cues and/or instrumentation in a way that maps to the in-game action. The trick here is defining what triggers these changes early on and working closely with the design team so that you aren’t begging for technical features late in the production cycle.

What type of criteria determines the style of music that is used? How do you decide what instruments to use?

It’s all about nailing the essence of the experience. Sure, there are so obvious knee-jerk stereotypical styles that have historically mapped to certain experiences, such as the big orchestral themes like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica (the original ;-)). I tend to try and think about the emotional essence of the game, the story, and maybe even the background of the characters.

How long does the process typically take?

I’ve seen it take (due to time pressure) from as little as a couple of weeks (which is by far not ideal but can work for smaller projects) to several months when writing and then preparing to have the score realized by a full orchestra. I’ve worked with companies that have worked on the music for over a year, iterating on themes, and finally locking-down the music only to then have it re-orchestrated for a 70 piece orchestra. It can be a lengthy and complicated process involving a lot of people.

How did you get into this line of work? Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into audio development?

My job has changed rather dramatically over the years. I actually started in the industry as a Software Tester, then moved on to be a Test Manager, spent some time as an Assistant Producer, and now as an Audio Director. The one constant throughout all this time was the countless hours spent honing my skills in music and sound design. This included producing two records that were label-released in the US and Europe, doing sound design and music for some independent films, musical scores for TV, web advertising, and any other odd production job I could get my hands on. I didn’t even concern myself about getting paid most of the time as it was all amazing experience that I have to call on every day on the job. Understanding how everything works together from various functional perspectives has proved invaluable to me and helps me communicate better cross-functionally.

I’ve had a number of musical projects that have spanned about every popular genre in the last 15 years. Pop, industrial, rock, folk, alt-rock - you name it and I’ve probably dabbled. My latest projects – Wideband Network and Basic Pleasure Model- are my main extra-curricular projects at the moment.

It seems like my video game career and my music and audio career were destined to collide at some point and I’m now fortunate enough to be able to enjoy both at the same time which is truly the dream job. Even in my early days as a tester, I involved myself as deeply as possible in audio development soaking up every scrap of information I could from the audio teams. I’d take on any audio-related task I could - in the interest of learning.

Where could we have heard your work in the past?

I’ve worked for Nintendo, Electronic Arts, and now I’m here at Microsoft. I’ve worked in a number of capacities and have had the opportunity to work on a lot of really awesome games such as the Need for Speed, FIFA, and the Outdoor Sports series by Electronic Arts. At Microsoft, I worked originally in the Sports Studio as Audio Director with a major focus on Inside Drive 2004 and since then I’ve moved on to be Audio Director for one of the two publishing studios working on a number of really exciting first party titles such as Jade Empire (Xbox), Gears of War (Xbox 360), Zoo Tycoon II (PC), and Dungeon Siege II (PC) that are being developed by a number of AAA developers located around the world. It’s very exciting to share my excitement for games and great audio with our partners and be able to help them create the best audio experiences possible.

What specific challenges can arise when developing audio for a game? Are there any roadblocks you typically face?

It’s typically resource limitations. This can be in the form of the amount of RAM we’re allowed to use to the amount of time we can get from a programmer to help implement an audio feature, or upgrade an audio engine. The key here is to define your audio vision early, do some prototypes, and figure out what will be technically needed to get the job done and make sure it gets on the schedule. Trying to get some last minute additions shoe-horned into the game rarely works out well, so early planning is key.

Graphics and animation get the rock star attention - that’s just the way it is. It’s a result of, in my opinion, people not knowing what they are missing audio-wise. That’s why I am a major fan of working up prototypes of soundscapes that can accompany concept art or even flat-shaded animatics. This communicates to the producer, the designer and the art director what the audio for the game will feel like. Getting good cross-functional collaboration and generally being on each other’s radar is absolutely essential for a cohesive experience.

What kind of instrumentation do you like to use?

I’ve been playing keyboards, guitar, and bass since I was a kid so I try to make use of my experience there whenever possible. I used a lot of live bass guitar for the Inside Drive 2004 theme song and even played some electric guitar on some prototypes for Men of Valor: Vietnam. Lately, I’ve collected a pretty impressive library of soft-synths and sample libraries for percussion and orchestral instrumentation. I really love contrast in my music and I also try really hard to remember that less is indeed more in games. You have to leave space for the ambience and other sound effect cues as they play a major gameplay role. I often take a fully instrumented track and just start stripping away the layers back down to bare metal to make sure that everything that is in there serves a purpose and brings something to the party.

What kind of music do you listen to?

I am all over the map when it comes to music. As a kid, I grew up listening to Elvis and country music. My brother listened to disco and stuff like Hall and Oates (which I still have a soft spot for) and my sister always had some Beatles playing. Once I started playing piano, I took classical lessons for seven years and then discovered guitar and that began my worship of all the standard “guitar God” types - Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani. I’m a huge fan of 80s music - Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, New Order, The Smiths - but am also way into the work of BT who is just crazy with the production chops and attention to detail. I’m going a little more organic these days, playing a lot more acoustic guitar and listening to a lot more non-electronic music, even though I do use a lot of synthesizers in my band projects..

How has audio development changed since you started in this field?

Since I first got a look at the authoring tools for game audio back in 1989, things have changed dramatically. I remember messing around with SNES audio in 1991 and trying to make a nice looping guitar power chord while staying within the ridiculously limited amount of memory available. These days, with real time effects, interactive music, and tons of disc space, it’s just insane what is possible. Ambiences for environments alone is simply amazing compared to the old school days where you could hear the loop points and the notion of having WAV variations would have seen like alien technology!