Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538144
22 M PS E . O R G Creative Direction & Leadership "Most people just want to be given the freedom to do cool things, they want to get better, and they want a reason to do what they're doing." Getting Started in Game Audio Garrett Montgomery MPSE: Can you tell us how you first got started in game audio? Was there a moment or project that sparked your path into the industry? Mark Kilborn: I've been obsessed with games and sound since childhood. It took me a while to figure out how to put the two together, but I knew from a young age that someone was making the sounds and the music I was hearing in games. My first job out of school was as an intern at an audio post-production facility. We were doing mostly TV and radio commercials, but I learned a lot there. I also made a lot of dubs and lived in the machine room half the time. My first game job happened after meeting a sound designer named Matt Piersall. I don't remember exactly how we met, but I was networking with anyone and everyone I could. We met somehow, he knew I was looking to jump over to game sound, and he hired me to work with him on Tony Hawk's Project 8. From there, I was able to transition to in-house game sound jobs. From Raven to Certain Affinity What drew you to Certain Affinity, and how has your role evolved compared to your time at Raven working on the Call of Duty franchise? MK: The opportunity to get back to actually making sounds all day. In the later years when I was on Call of Duty, I found myself much more occupied with the management piece of the role. There were a lot of meetings, communication between studios and so on, and I got very out of touch with the craft. When I initially came to Certain Affinity, I joined as a sound designer, but after a few years, our audio director departed and I was asked to take his place. I did, with the request that I not get so bogged down in management that I didn't get to make sounds almost every day. So far, so good. Philosophy as an Audio Director How would you describe your philosophy as an audio director? What principles guide your approach to leading a team? MK: I have a handful of responsibilities. I'm responsible for everything that comes out of the speakers for the game, or for sections of the game my team owns, depending on the project. My duty to the people on my team is to set them up for success by giving them ownership of things, ensuring they have the resources they need to get them done, clearing obstacles out of their way as necessary, and giving them feedback and mentorship as needed. My duty to the client (whether it be a game director, an audio director at a studio we're assisting, etc.) is to ensure they get what they need, on time and on budget, and that they're happy with the work. Aside from that, I fill in L-R: Fernando Delgado, Mark Kilborn, Frank Scheuring, Ric Viers and Michael Orlowski during a panel discussion about sound for games. Tony Hawk's Project 8, Xbox 360.