Description
Working with Sound is an exploration of the ever-changing working practices of audio development in the era of hybrid collaboration in the games industry.
Through learnings from the pre-pandemic remote and isolated worlds of audio work, sound designers, composers, and dialogue designers find themselves equipped uniquely to thrive in the hybrid, remote, and studio-based realms of today’s fast-evolving working landscapes. With unique insights into navigating the worlds of isolation and collaboration, this book explores ways of thinking and working in this world, equipping the reader with inspiration to sustainably tackle the many stages of the development process.
Working with Sound is an essential guide for professionals working in dynamic audio teams of all sizes, as well as the designers, producers, artists, animators, and programmers who collaborate closely with their colleagues working on game audio and sound.
Table of Contents
Part I: Introduction 1. Continual Change 2. Forever Changes Part II: Remote Revolutions 3. Working with Sound: The (Present) Future of Development 4. L-Levels 5. Live Reviews: Time to Listen 6. Diversity of Work 7. Integrated Audio and The Double Edged Sword of Audio Quality 8. Guerilla-Style Remote 9. The Pendulum Shift 10. The Evolving Role of Audio Leadership Part III: Understanding Sound Work: Cinematization 11. First-Principles: Genre and Style 12. Three Factors: Game Genre, Entertainment Genre, and Style 13. The Long Shadows of Cinema 14. Hollywood Sound Part IV: Understanding Creative Work 15. Sound Images: Ambiguity and Clarity 16. Sound Motifs 17. Ambiguity: Language in Collaboration 18. Designing a Game for Sound 19. Creative Techniques 20. Audio Tools 21. Quality 22. Emotional Parameters 23. Why we Might be Doing 66% Too Much Work 24. Long-Term Pillars for Audio Quality 25. Working with Future-Aware Structures 26. Working in a Post-Silo Era 27. Breaking Down the Walls: New Terrains 28. Social Sound Design 29. Haptic Design Part V: Spatial Work 30. Surround and Spatial Sound 31. First Wave Consumer Integration into Surround 32. IMAX 33. Ride Film: Shock and Awe 34. Pushing the Consumer Sound Envelope 35. Spatial Music 36. A Positive Future for Spatial Audio in Games 37. Off-Screen Sound in Games 38. Diegetic Devices: Music and Voice in Third-Person Listener Perspectives Part VI: Planning Sound Work 39. Time 40. Money 41. In The Loop Part VII: The Mix 42. Working with the Mix 43. Creative Principles 44. Techniques 45. Standards 46. Planning 47. Roles and Responsibilities 48. Outreach and Communication 49. Thinking Beyond the Technical 50. Plan to Mix 51. Tools, Techniques and Pipelines 52. Fresh Ears 53. Consistency 54. Dynamic Range Part VIII: The Continual Work of Sound 55. Good Enough - Isn’t 56. The Ubiquity of Entertainment
