Working with Sound: The Future of Audio Work in Interactive Entertainment

by Rob Bridgett

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032406930
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/01/2023
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Rob Bridgett is a British-Canadian Audio Director, Mix Supervisor, Sound Designer and Recordist based in Newfoundland. In 1993, Rob attended Derby University to study cinema and media and was one of the first to graduate from the 'Sound Design for the Moving Image' Master's degree programme at Bournemouth University in 1999. Having worked as a director in the games industry since 2001 (Vivendi Games, Activision Blizzard, Square Enix, PlayStation), Rob has become a committed advocate for 'leading with sound' and 'sound as design'.

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

Editorial Reviews

'This is a much needed book and I can think of no one better or more appropriate than Rob Bridgett to have written it. Working with Sound is essential reading in its field for students, audio professionals and anyone with an interest in how sound creates narrative and emotional pictures in the mind. After all, as Bridgett reminds us, "sound is the invisible art department".'

Seán Street, Emeritus Professor of Radio, Bournemouth University

'Rob Bridgett's book paints an amazingly detailed, broadly informed and inspiring vision of the future for anyone working with sound in the interactive world of entertainment...This outstanding book is an invaluable resource for both seasoned professionals and emerging sound designers and directors.'

Wieslaw Woszczyk, Distinguished James McGill Professor, McGill University

'While providing a wealth of practical tips and tricks, Bridgett looks beyond the day-to-day tasks and envisions a paradigm shift where audio becomes integral to game design and development. Acknowledging that this fundamental change needs to come from the inside, Bridgett suggests a plethora of strategies in Working with Sound that game audio practitioners can adopt to inspire and cultivate collaboration with other disciplines, leading to a future with more meaningful game audio.'

Martin Stig Andersen, Composer, Audio Director (LIMBO, INSIDE, Control)

From the Publisher