Summary
Role – Sound Designer
Intention (SMART Goal)
Specific – My goal is to create good quality sound effects, and music that fits the mood of the game.
Measurable – Because my goals involve training myself to learn and create things, I’ll know I’ve done it when I come out of this session, well, having learned something.
Achievable – Sound design is something I want to learn and get better at. I don’t currently have all of the skills I’ll need, but they can be obtained.
Relevant – For a game to set a mood more effectively and draw players in, it needs good sound design. I don’t know if I’m the one best fit, but I’ll certainly work the best I can with my role.
Time bound – I’ll have to complete my goal in 2 weeks, by February 21st. Counting out weekends, that gives about 10 school days to work.
PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY
Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)
Noises in the Dark: Exploring the Sounds of Dead Space is a written article detailing how audio director Don Veca created the sounds for Dead Space.
Veca was able to find and capture sound everywhere he went. Using everything; from fruit, to the inside of dumpsters, to live animals in order to create realistic and eerie sounds. Another technique he used were invisible markers that would emit scary sounds, which were used to indirectly guide a player in a certain direction. Familiar sounds – a baby’s coo, a horse whinny, etc. – were twisted and layered and mixed in order to create unique sounds that still felt eerily familiar when heard.
All about the Sound of Dead Space details an interview with Dead Space audio director Don Veca at Original Sound Version.
An interesting thing about Don Veca is that for Dead Space, his intention wasn’t to simply create a wide and bombastic score; it was to make a soundtrack that fit with the mood of the game. Even if it was short or quiet at times, it fit.
Training Source(s)
1:35 – provides game cues
2:00 – gives feedback to player
2:20 – prompts emotion
3:55 – frequency
5:01 – “sound envelopes”
6:01 – sound affecting dynamics
6:35 – attenuation distance
8:12 – equalization
8:47 – reverb
9:44 – implementing sounds
10:30 – sound foley
Project Timeline
Step 1. Brainstorm – Think of the sounds the game of its type would have or need
Step 2. Research – Research how said sounds are created
Step 3. Organize – Update trusted system with new tasks and goals
Step 4. Create – Create the necessary sounds
Step 5. Insert – Code sounds into game
Step 6. Complete – Complete the 5 tasks assigned to the role
Step 7. Build – Create and assemble the presentation
Step 8. Practice – Rehearse and time the presentation
Step 9. Present – Present to the committee
Step 10. Reflect – Complete session blog post
Proposed Budget
PRODUCTION – ACTION
The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)
Skills Commentary
POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION
21st Century Skills
Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)
I take a lot of inspiration in my music from other video games, like Splatoon, so I can’t say I use a lot of creativity or innovation in my work. I’m not really that great at making completely original music. At some point, I tried to use iTunes to convert a GarageBand project to a .wav file. It didn’t really work, so I ended up looking for an online converter.
Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)
I was able to communicate well with my team, actually asking questions or for help when I needed it, and to confirm plans and such. I was also able to help my team with parts of the presentation.
Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)
I used GarageBand to create the music for the game’s title screen music, and a website called “bfxr” to create 8-bit sound effects. GarageBand tutorials weren’t very helpful for what I needed, so I pretty much self-taught. Originally, I was going to use a website called “Online Sequencer” to create 8-bit music, but it was more difficult to use than I thought, so I switched to GarageBand.
Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)
I was able to help my team out for some things, and was able to use more tutorials to get help on things I didn’t know.
Reactions to the Final Version
Brian enjoyed the retro aesthetic of the game, but may or may not have been disappointed in the lack of sound. He also thinks we all introduce ourselves in our presentation too much – which I can concur – and wants us to practice more.
Self-Evaluation of Final Version
The final version of our game was very simple, with only 2 enemies present in the space. There was a lot planned, like a death animation and power-ups, but the time constraint prevented us from doing so. The menu was vibrant and stood out, and the sprites looked great. My sounds were good, but it would have been nice if they were actually present.
What I Learned and Problems I Solved
I didn’t learn too much from this session, besides more features in GarageBand. I think, while I did communicate well, I could have done it a bit more.
Grammar and Spelling