Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524863
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 35 for improvement. Those who don't succeed are often the ones who assume they got it right the first time. The second most important skill, especially for games, is to gain an understanding of how to break down sounds from the real world (or the imaginary world) and rebuild them as an interactive system. In this regard, sound design is a completely different beast from games to traditional linear post, and I think this is where game sound designers can have a technical skill advantage in some ways— although crafting a beautiful and compelling linear soundtrack is its own wonderful magic as well. What are some of the key trends and advancements in game audio that you are excited about for the future? AB: Obviously, the impact of AI is the most dramatic, scary, and exciting thing to happen in decades. However, I'm very optimistic about it; I think once we get past the fear of the idea that we're all going to be replaced by machines, and look at how our quality of life could be improved through the creation of advanced tools and optimized workflows, we could be headed into a new age of creative advancement that we haven't seen since the analog-to-digital conversion in the 1990s. Given your extensive experience and numerous accolades, what advice would you give to aspiring sound designers and audio professionals entering the industry today? AB: I said it before, and I'll say it again; listen, listen, listen. Your ears are the best tool in your toolbox, and if you don't know what sounds good and what you like, you will never know what to aim for. There are masters to learn from in our industry, and fortunately for the rest of us, their films and TV shows and games are easily available to study and learn from. What's new is not always what's best, and I always go back to sound work from the '60s and '70s and even earlier to discover the perhaps forgotten or neglected techniques of the early pioneers in our industry. It is amazing what they were able to achieve with analog technology and pure inventiveness. It's a good idea to impose limits on oneself, whether it's with the recorded source one uses, or the tools one uses to manipulate it. There is so much technology available to young sound designers now, I think it can be a big help and a release to just go back to basics. Learn to use the flint and tinder, as it were—you don't need a laser gun to light a fire. Rebound Sound Company, Studio One Culver Rebound Sound Company, Santa Monica Studio 2