Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1532010
this process, no edit decisions are made, this is just to make sure all the small changes are communicated to the dialogue editors. Keeping these clips on new tracks is handy in case the dialogue editors already have an assembly and just need to pull in the new pieces and go from there. Finally, Bill walked us through the basics of matching using video files in Matchbox via the Matches List feature. White sections are good and red are gaps that need to be fixed. For example, a section starts off with being slightly red and then goes on to become more red. On further inspection, it shows that the particular section was re-sped. So, Bill dropped a marker as a reminder to check the Foley. Similarly, other sections in the reel are analyzed before conforming to verify if a match is correct. Bill added that while conforming a mixed session, it is essential to communicate to the editorial team to conform everything, including all the Aux tracks, Dx chain tracks, VCA tracks, automation, etc. With a combination of tips, tricks, and demonstration, these Best Practices Pavilion discussions were extremely informative. Stephanie Brown MPSE 36 S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y "It's All Fun and Games!" GAME AUDIO PANEL b y C A S A s s o c i a t e S h u b h i S a h n i The Game Audio panel titled "It's All Fun and Games!" featured a stellar lineup moderated by MPSE Vice President and supervising sound editor Eric Marks MPSE, including Leilani Ramirez MPSE, Director of Dialogue at SIE/PlayStation Sound Studios; Scott Martin Gershin MPSE, Supervisor and Creative Director of Sound Lab; and Brad Beaumont MPSE, Senior Manager of Sound Design at Riot Games. The panel delved into the unique challenges and evolving practices in game audio production. Roles in Game Audio Eric Marks began the discussion by asking about the various roles in game audio. Brad Beaumont noted that game audio teams require individuals to wear many hats and highlighted several key roles, including audio directors, dialogue designers, sound designers, composers, and backend technical sound designers. Leilani Ramirez added the crucial role of audio programmers who develop the tools technical designers use. At PlayStation for example, outsourcing, especially for cinematics, is also a common practice. Scott Gershin, whose Sound Lab team functions as an external vendor, explained that sometimes Sound Lab acted as the entire team Beaumont described, while at other times they collaborated with existing in-house teams. Audio Team Sizes The panel compared the scale of audio teams in independent and AAA games. Beaumont shared that, as audio director for League of Legends in 2017, his team consisted of 18–20 people. Ramirez noted that for God of War, the internal team was 30 people, but the whole team reached about 100 people when taking into account all the people that touch the audio, especially with regards to localization for both gameplay and cinematics. Gershin discussed how audio is becoming increasingly specialized, likening it to VFX, where multiple teams work simultaneously, sometimes as many as six. Gershin also highlighted a key distinction between film and games: audio in film is considered primarily a post-production process, while in games, it is integrated into production. Game audio teams often work on projects for six months to over a year, compared to the 6–12 weeks typical for film sound. Gershin prefers smaller, long-term teams, as it allows time to live with the sound design. Live-Service vs. Boxed-Product Games The panel explored the two main game models: episodic or "live-service" games, where players engage with a game for years, and movie or "boxed- product" games, which are event-based. Beaumont described live-service projects as marathons, not sprints, though the workload can sometimes feel like "sprinting in a marathon." He noted that sound teams try to avoid crunch periods and that the role of audio has become more predictable, allowing for a more sustainable pace of work. Eryne Prine