Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538144
The creativity was there. The potential is still there, but there wasn't a clear solution for distribution or how investors would get a return on their investment. The public just was not ready for it yet. Perhaps with the evolution of what Facebook and Apple are creating, there could be a next chapter coming ... or not. I imagine that kind of work requires a completely different approach, especially when it comes to mixing and design. Scott: Absolutely. It is a spherical environment. You are not just thinking left and right anymore; you have to think up and down too. What do I need to focus on—and more importantly, what not to focus on—when surrounded by sound- emitting objects? Focusing on how and what you want the player to listen to. It is a little like esports games like Valorant, where the sound design plays a strategic role. You are not just designing sound to make something feel cool. You are designing it to function like radar. In esports, it is about speed and strategy. If you hear someone walking behind you, you need to react immediately or you will be eliminated. That level of detail is critical. The sound must be clear, spatially accurate, and useful. If it becomes too detailed or too interesting, it can actually distract the player and lose its purpose. That is what makes VR so compelling. Sound becomes the navigator. It tells you where to look, where to move, where to focus. It can be as subtle as a child's voice echoing behind you, pulling your attention. That is the psychological power of spatial sound in immersive environments. Where Storytelling and Technology Converge "What I'd love to see is true integration—games, films, and shows all part of one connected experience." Where do you think the next major leap in interactive sound will come from and what emerging technologies are you most excited about? Scott: That is a great question. What I would love to see is more integration across platforms and formats. One of the things I like about Apple products is that I can go from my phone to my car to my computer and continue doing what I was doing. I would love to see that same kind of seamlessness applied to entertainment. Imagine being able to play a game, then watch a movie, and have those experiences be part of the same universe—true IP integration. The current tools that we use are very similar in both industries, except linear media relies more on Avid and Pro Tools, while the gaming world relies on Unreal, Unity, Wwise, and REAPER. I do see a future where those technologies will merge, in the same way that audio from music evolved into being used in post-production. In the last several decades, it was all about making vintage technology accessible on computers "like the good ole days." But now it's about making new technologies that serve the needs and challenges in front of us. It's no longer about consoles, tape machines, and outboard gear, but about creating technologies that communicate with each other and have a certain amount of intelligence to assist with the complexities that new forms of entertainment will require. An example could be modeling reverbs based on the actual space and the materials within a specific part of that room. Or creating the ability to define a set of pixels and generate panning and reverb options based on the X, Y, and Z planes—or spherical. I can go on and on—but we are, and will be, evolving in combining the best of both mediums. The new generation of sound artists are exposed to REAPER, Ableton, software synths, complex modulation setups, controlled by mobile and innovative devices all communicating on their computer or cloud. Sound • JFK (1991) • The Doors (1991) • The Last of the Mohicans (1992) • Heaven & Earth (1993) • Alive (1993) • Cliffhanger (1993) • True Lies (1994) • Pocahontas (1995) • Heat (1995) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) • Flubber (1997) • Mousehunt (1997) • Godzilla (1998) • What Dreams May Come (1998) • Tarzan (1999) • American Beauty (1999) • Gladiator (2000) • Final Destination (2000) • The Perfect Storm (2000) • Shrek (2001) • Blade II (2002) • Below (2002) • Final Destination 2 (2003) • Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) • The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) • Team America (2004) • Herbie Fully Loaded (2005) • Underworld Evolution (2006) • Shoot 'Em Up (2007) • Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) • Crank: High Voltage (2009) • Gamer (2009) • Star Trek (2009) • Pacific Rim (2013) • Nightcrawler (2014) • The Book of Life (2014) • The Strain (Season 4 - 2017) • Mrs. America (2020) • Maya and the Three (2021) • Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) • Transformers One (2024) Major Game Credits • MechWarrior (Series, 1989–) • Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (1994) • Spycraft (1996) • Zork Nemesis (1996) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) • Dark Reign (1997) • Trespasser (1998) • Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (2004) • Van Helsing (2004) • Forza Motorsport (2005) • Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions (2005) M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 53